Poll

Lisa: Many of these options are comfort activities for me.

.spending time with friends/family
.watching DVD's at home(I should add uninterrupted)
.eating
.watching TV
.getting a message

Some of my favorites are not listed:
.going to the library
.thrift store shopping
.online surfing--GR:)

Mona, Thanks. Ack! Three new other good answers that I'm sure will be shared by others. Oh well; there was no way to include all possible answers.

Knitting!

I love movies and we enjoy watching them at home rather than in the theater unless it's a big blockbuster. I also like to work out and go to the gym at least 3 times a week. I also read (of course!)and I spend a lot of time on GR...:)

I love to watch DVDs while I'm looking at magazines (usually my Bookmarks and Publisher's Weekly).

Leslie wrote: "Knitting!"

Ack again. All arts & crafts, knitting included, are probably common comfort activities. Thanks, Leslie.

I enjoy to play with my 2 lovely kittens!!

Laura wrote: "I enjoy to play with my 2 lovely kittens!!"

I can't believe I left out dogs & cats. I guess it's because I consider them family. ;-)

Besides reading I find petting my cats, drinking hot tea or coffee, going to the library, and going out to eat (no cooking!) very comforting.

Playing with our dog, hanging out with my husband, playing with my daughter and working out :)

I chose getting a massage, because it is absolutely the most relaxing thing I ever do. Unfortunately, I can't afford to do it more than once a month. The thing I probably do most (other than read)that I love to do is play games on my computer or with my family.

spending many days at the beach - I am so relaxed I can't remember my name! ha!

I have so many comfort activities that I couldn't pick one!! Here are my favorite comfort activities:

1) Listening to music - music just soothes me when I'm feeling down
2) writing- I love writing stories about various tv shows like old shows on Nickelodeon and some Rabbit Ears Productions stories!

3) traveling - I love traveling across the country and love visiting New York, Georgia and New Jersey!

4) working out - I love doing workout videos such as Tae Bo and Denise Austin

5) eating - I LOVE TO EAT!!!!!

6) baking/cooking - I love to cook different types of dishes and I love baking various cookies and pastries!

Other activities not listed:

7) Going to the library - I agree with you Mona about going to the library! I love going to the library every weekend. I just love to read!

8) Surfing on the internet/creating fan groups and websites - I just love going on the internet and I love Goodreads the best!! I also love creating various websites for fan groups, especially for Rabbit Ears Productions Club, Nickelodeon 1979-2005 Fan Club and Henrik Drescher Fans. Feel free to check them out!

I love listening to music, particularly dc's by Ill Divo or The Canadian Tenors, I also like to bake and cook and visit with family and friends.

Ronyell wrote: "I have so many comfort activities that I couldn't pick one!! Here are my favorite comfort activities:

1) Listening to music - music just soothes me when I'm feeling down
2) writing- I love writ..."

Ronyell: Yup, going to the library is the highlight of my week. I was just there yesterday. I am totally envious of people who live within walking distance of a library.

And, if only I did #4 more often(or at all), I wouldn't feel so guilty about indulging in #5 :)

Mona: LOL!!! Yeah, I just love to eat too!!! I actually eat into late in the night sometimes! I too get jealous of people who live near the library because I want to go to the library every day!!

Ronyell: Yes, I get cravings at night too. And when I'm watching TV(even if I just ate not too long ago). There's something about watching TV that makes me hungry.

My daughter(5 yrs old) loves chocolate,ice cream,carrot cake(especially the frosting). Hubby bought her a 5 lb chocolate fudge fantasy layer cake for her b-day in June and today he bought her a 7 lb carrot cake from Sam's.

I would love to go to the library every day. Mine has an ongoing library sale. Hubby doesn't understand how I can spend so much time there(and in thrift stores). But the funny thing is, the rare times when we go together, he's the one that lingers.

Another Peanuts fan :). My brother always says I remind him of Snoopy. Hmmm-is this a good thing?

Mona wrote: "Ronyell: Yes, I get cravings at night too. And when I'm watching TV(even if I just ate not too long ago). There's something about watching TV that makes me hungry.

My daughter(5 yrs old) loves cho..."

Yeah, I get the same cravings whenever I watch TV too!!! Everytime I turn on my TV, I just want to snack on something!! My library doesn't have an ongoing book sale :( But, it it did, I would definitely be there!! I just love reading about anything I get my hands on!!!

I love Peanuts too!!! My favorite characters are Snoopy and Woodstock. They are so cute!!!

Ronyell: I really don't get the connection with TV & hunger pangs. Movies with any type of food theme also make me hungry. In the movie, It's Complicated, Meryl Streep owned a bakery/cafe and the food portrayed looked scrumptious.

My library's sale is on the honor system. You just pick out what you want and put your money or even a check in the slot of the lock box.

I like most of the characters in Peanuts but especially Snoopy and Charlie Brown. And even Lucy, but she's kinda mean. I guess Lucy is me on a bad day :). I love how Sally keeps calling Linus "my sweet baboo" and how he reacts. I also love how Schroeder is completely oblivious of Lucy's adoration. Peppermint Patty and Marcy have their moments too.

I'm a complete readaholic(books,magazines,newspapers).

Mona wrote: "Ronyell: I really don't get the connection with TV & hunger pangs. Movies with any type of food theme also make me hungry. In the movie, It's Complicated, Meryl Streep owned a bakery/cafe and the f..."

Your library has a honor system?! Wow!! That sounds really great!!! I was hoping that our library would have a honor system too!!

To be honest, I love Lucy too, even though she is mean to Charlie Brown but she can be really funny when the situation requires it!! I also love how Peppermint Patty claims she has a crush on Charlie Brown and I was surprised that Marcy felt the same way about Charlie Brown!

I find many of the things you listed comforting, but the most comforting to me is knitting! Followed closely by spinning (fiber not exercise).

Used to love playing bridge, and cards in general, but haven't had time for such a long time. *sigh*

Janet wrote: "I find many of the things you listed comforting, but the most comforting to me is knitting! Followed closely by spinning (fiber not exercise)."

I love to crosstitch!! It just soothes me and I always wanted to enter my crosstitch in the fair. Well, I did one time and my crosstitch won 2nd place, so hopefully I'll find time to enter my crosstitch in the fair again!

Getting a good massage has to be the tops for me, especially after I have been driving hundreds of miles just to have meetings with customers who seem to be deliberately trying to stress me out!

I emphasise good because, believe it or not, I have actually had massages which have been so bad that I have come out more stressed than when I went in. I'll spare you the detail, unless anybody specifically asks.

The other activity that is a great comfort to me, is playing hockey with my mates. Translating for my American friends, what I mean by "hockey" is field hockey as opposed to ice hockey. I've been playing since I was seven, and I am rapidly approaching one hundred now!

It is a combination of spending time with my husband and son, practicing yoga and watching tv!

I love cooking dinner, with a glass of wine in hand, sitting on the beach and swimming in the ocean, going for walks and getting massages (and pedicures!!) And Lance, my daughter is a hockey player!!

Mary. I like all of those activities on your list, except the pedicure. I have no judgement on that one, as I have never tried it.

And is that my kind of hockey or the ice-dancing variety?

I was going to pick "other physical activity" and then write "I'm lying! I was too embarrassed to select 'watching TV'and revealing a guilty addiction to Project Runway and Top Chef." But then realized I might sway the final tally and in the interests of poll morality opted for accuracy. Which meant I selected "some combo" because watching TV is so much better when you have a sofa filled with people who get the joke or resignedly hand you a tissue. Add good take-out or my husband's roast chicken to that mix and you got a little slice of Zen right there in your living room. I go into a calm meditative state that only looks like a mindless trance from a distance. It is actuality an expression of transcendental wisdom. (A book on a beachblanket shared by my family would have been first choice but then it had to be non-book related, right?)

I love going out to eat with friends--good company, good food, and good conversation. There are two friends and I who go out and include books as one of the main topics of conversation.

Spending time with my kids and grandkids is always a comforting ativity for me. My daughter, who has given me the grandchildren, is such a delight to be around. I'm so proud of the woman she has become. My son, who is still somewhat unsettled and in college, is a great conversationalist, always giving me something to think about.

Shopping is rather comforting to me, too. That is shopping for my kids and grandkids and friends. Bookstore shopping is, of course, my favorite. I feel a complete wave of comfort whenever I enter a bookstore, like "Ah, I'm home."

I do have another pastime that makes me glow inside. That is listening to and watching my grandson's band. Ollie is so far away, in New Zealand, and I have only been able to see him once in the past 7 years. He has grown up and, with his girlfriend, Lydia, formed a band called Drift. Their first album, Mountain or Air, was released last year and reached number 3 in the NZ charts.

They have just re-released a single from that album. It happens to be my favourite track, Mountain. If you have time, take a look at the brilliant video of Mountain. Lydia's voice is phenomenal, and watch out for the magical, seamless appearance of instruments at around the 34 second mark. Amazing!

I can't believe that I forgot to list a really big comfort activity that seems to take up quite a bit of my time. That activity is what I'm doing now, reading and posting on goodreads, especially on Comfort Reads.

Lance, I'll check out that group later.

Kathy, I can't believe I left Goodreads off the poll, as well as many other things mentioned in this thread by other members. What was I (NOT) thinking?!!!

Lisa wrote: "Lance, I'll check out that group later.

Kathy, I can't believe I left Goodreads off the poll, as well as many other things mentioned in this thread by other members. What was I (NOT) thinking?!!!"

I know, it's like it's such a natural part of us that we don't even notice it as the special part it is.

Lance wrote: "I do have another pastime that makes me glow inside. That is listening to and watching my grandson's band. Ollie is so far away, in New Zealand, and I have only been able to see him once in the pas..."

Lance, I couldn't get the video to come up. It may be this old clunker computer I'm forced to use right now. I will try again later.

Lance wrote: "Mary. I like all of those activities on your list, except the pedicure. I have no judgement on that one, as I have never tried it.

And is that my kind of hockey or the ice-dancing variety?"

Field hockey!

Lance wrote: "I do have another pastime that makes me glow inside. That is listening to and watching my grandson's band. Ollie is so far away, in New Zealand, and I have only been able to see him once in the pas..."

Very nice video, I love their sound and Lydia has a beautiful voice.

discount & thrift store shopping
building train tracks for my son
napping
eating
listening to music

Watching tv or dvd's with one of my cats on my lap (at least until they get too heavy and start putting my legs to sleep). Generally have a book in hand as well! Nothing like multi-tasking in the comfort zone.

I voted for a combination of the above. So:

eating (unfortunately -something I'm incessantly trying to work on!!!)

petting dogs & cats is probably the most comforting thing on earth for me (so, how on earth could I forget to include that as a possible answer?!)

going to restaurants and doing other things with close friends

tv at times (though considering giving it up)

until 6-1/2 years ago I'd have said working out was my #1 after reading, but due to injuries I can't do enough to comfort me, or do me much other good either

and Goodreads too

there's more but I think those are my regular ones

In the old days, book shopping in bookstores was up there, as was getting massages.

I enjoy the occasional massage and manicure now and then but I have never had a pedicure. Am I missing out on something great? :D

Kathy wrote: "Lance wrote: "I do have another pastime that makes me glow inside. That is listening to and watching my grandson's band. Ollie is so far away, in New Zealand, and I have only been able to see him o..."

No problem. Try watching videos, or at least listening to tracks, at http://www.myspace.com/driftwaterorair

I think we all have great comfort activities in addition to reading! What a fun poll!
Mine in no particular order:

Going to the movies;
Hanging out at home with my kitties and my partner (and a book and a glass of wine :)
And volunteering at my animal rescue organization;
oh and going to a bookstore - any bookstore!

Lisa wrote: "I voted for a combination of the above. So:

eating (unfortunately -something I'm incessantly trying to work on!!!)

petting dogs & cats is probably the most comforting thing on earth for me (so, h..."

Lisa -- petting! Yes :)

I voted Combination...I'm a Wacky ADD Gemini Gal, how could I settle on one activity?
Hey, there....you didn't put knitting and crocheting or other crafts on there. I'm addicted to yarn and thread as well as books.

I couldn't pick just one.

listening to music - I love getting lost in it and finding new artists to listen to.

eating of course, but I wish to change this

spending time with my partner/heartfelt talks

cooking and baking

making music (piano)

socializing on the Internet

Listening to music, watching DVDs at home, reading, sometimes I do all of them together, which doesn't really work well, but ...

I like cooking sometimes and while I generally like baking, I am usually not adept at getting the cake out of the pan and more often than not end up with pieces of cake. I envy those who can make amazingly decorated cakes from scratch, I am good at making the batter, but putting it all together doesn't often work.

Oh, another thing I like to do is to sit in front of my small keybooard and play music by ear. I am not good at reading music, but if I know the melody of something, I can generally figure out how to play the tune (one handed) on the piano or a keyboard. It's funny, my boyfriend is great doing chords on his guitar, the keyboard etc., but he generally cannot follow a tune, and I am the exact opposite.

Joy wrote: "I enjoy the occasional massage and manicure now and then but I have never had a pedicure. Am I missing out on something great? :D"

Yes Joy! Think combo manicure/massage. Plus your toes will look so cute afterwards!!

And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actually, I like crosswords in general, English, German, I've even done a few in French and Spanish. And, when I am teaching German language courses, I often make up crossword puzzles for vocabulary practice, so much more interesting and fun than simply having students repeat vocabulary lists.

Ack! yet again. I should have at least added crossword puzzles & other puzzles to the board games and cards category, and computer games too.

Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actually, I like crosswords in general, English, Germa..."

Oh! I didn't know that you taught German language classes!!! Sounds fun! I also love baking and doing crossword puzzles, when I have the time!