My mom was the only one who could do the cryptic in the NYTimes, back when it was hard. Now my father and I do the one in The Nation and I do the Harpers one. And he and I both do the Sunday puzzle and the acrostic.
My mom started quilting in the early 70s so she was doing it as long as I could remember. While she did teach me to make clothes, I didn’t take up quilting until a friend took me to the fabric store and I decided to try it. Mom and I had about 12 years while we were both quilters and we did colloborate on one for my grandma.
My dad was into the Radio Controlled airplane thing from nearly the beginning. He tried like hell to get the kids involved, and we did to some extent, but none of us really took to it. I did build a plane with him and would go flying now and then. I wasn’t really into it however. I just wanted to ride motorcycles.
His grandson was waaay into it, and so he finally got some pleasure out of that I guess.
Model aviation for me. My dad and grandfather started at what was basically the beginning of the hobby in the 1930’s and I built my first flying model at the age of 5. They flew local contests and I’ve competed for national championships seven times in various forms of the hobby since my dad passed away in 2002.
Antiquing and collecting. They’d scout flea markets, find the good stuff, well before the Internet and Antiques Roadshow, fix it up and flip some stuff to fund the acquisition of other stuff. Hallmarked silver, glass, old dolls, pocket watches and knives - amongst other things.
I still enjoy it. I applied that experience to collecting first edition books and now when I get old guitars.