Photo By Douglas Stutz | The initial month of each year is recognized as National Hobby Month and we asked...... read more read more
The initial month of each year is recognized as National Hobby Month and we asked Naval Hospital Bremerton staff to share some of their favorite leisurely interests.
From practical to personable to professional there’s a whole lotta arts and craft creativity taking place…
For Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Rachelle Lawson, assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command PSNS detachment, the urge to recognize staff members who were departing prompted her to learn how to wrap paddles for going-away gifts.
“I started last year and wanted to take the time to really learn a lot of designs. I am starting to get better and better at them,” shared Lawson. “My husband is on [ballistic-missile submarine] USS Nebraska [SSBN 739]. They ask me to do a lot of paddles for them. I also have made a couple for our clinic retiring and transferring sailors.”
Teri Nyblom, occupational therapist, is a Cricut aficionado, a computer-generated cutting machine designed for creating products out of paper, wood, vinyl, leather, fabric and more.
“I like to work with my Cricut and make signs, but also iron-on projects like shirts and hoodies, tumblers, pillows, car decals, the list goes on. I got started with a Cricut machine because I love to make and paint signs. But I can’t paint letters to look professional. I am horrible at painting freehand letters. When I use a stencil, it always bleeds underneath. This was the way to make professional looking signs and that led to other crafts like tumblers, iron-on shirts, dishtowels, and car decals,” explained Nyblom.
The Cricut machine is also a hobby favorite of Patricia Skinner, Health Promotion and Wellness Center department head. She is able to use her skill to craft material useful for such needs as helping promote monthly themes.
“I use it to make all of our displays. Not only do I love my job, I get to incorporate my hobby into it every day,” exclaimed Skinner.
Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Branndy Arriaga of NHB’s Health Promotion and Wellness Center department, discovered she has a green thumb when it comes to indoor flora and foliage.
“My hobby revolves around tending to my indoor plants, a journey that began with three simple plants. Unexpectedly, this small project has flourished into a collection of over 20 plants,” noted Arriaga.
Forays to hardware and grocery stores became additional opportunities for her to adopt new green friends.
“I find myself drawn to the plant section every time,” Arriaga said.
“The intriguing process of propagation, where I cultivate baby plants from cut stems, involves placing the stems in water to encourage the growth of new roots,” continued Arriaga. “After weeks of nurturing, these baby plants transition from water to soil, becoming independent members of my thriving indoor garden. Beyond the joy of watching them flourish, caring for each plant has become a source of purpose in my daily life. Understanding their individual quirks, from preferred window spots to specific fertilizer preferences, creates a unique connection. This routine of tending to their needs, observing their growth, and adapting my care accordingly instills a sense of responsibility and accomplishment.”
Adam Banker, doctor of chiropractor assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness Training Unit Bangor, has honed and developed over years keen hand-eye coordination for a unique pastime skill.
“My hobby is juggling. I learned to juggle when I was 10 years old in PE class. I never stopped. I now can juggle up to five balls, do countless three ball tricks, clubs, knives…you name it,” related Banker. “For me juggling is a great activity to clear my mind because I must be both focused yet relaxed at the same time.”
I know I will never master this craft, but it’s always fun to learn and polish a new trick,” Banker added. “Plus, the kids love it.”
Cindy Quinlan of NHB’s Coding department has a handful of hobbies, each tailored to help keep her household self-sustaining, eco-conscious and environmentally friendly.
“My hobbies include wool spinning, farming, gardening, knitting and crochet. I find each of these extremely relaxing, rewarding and a learning experience. I enjoy the feeling of being able to create things and have a more sustainable life in the sense of being able to grow a great deal of my own food,” shared Quinlan.
Cmdr. Louise Nellums, Medical Staff Services professional, has been doing stained glass for over 30 years and has recently branched out to craft mosaic work.
“It’s very satisfying to see all the individual parts of a project come together into a finished piece of art. I even have a Nurse Corps leaf on the quarterdeck of [guided missile destroyer named after Navy Nurse Corps pioneer] USS Lenah S. Higbee [DDG 123],” said Nellums, who also had one of her finished projects recently presented to Ms. Patricia Martin upon her retirement from 39 years of civil service with 27 of those years assigned to NHB.
| Date Taken: | 02.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2024 12:12 |
| Story ID: | 463196 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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