Jean Nelson fell in love with the idea of glass blowing at age 10, but it was almost 40 years before she finally got to pursue the art form. Now it’s her passion.
this is my thing
This Is My Thing: Bike Polo!
David Morley started playing bike polo sometime around 2010, when the sport and he were both very young. Now they’re both a few years older, but David’s love for the sport remains.
This Is My Thing: Nail Art!
Kim Reist found a creative spark when she started experimenting with the world of fingernail art during the Covid lockdown.
This Is My Thing: Metal Detecting!
Mitch London started metal detecting as a way to look for rare coins; now he also uses his skills to help strangers find lost and meaningful objects.
This Is My Thing: Triathlon!
Tiffany and Caitlin Saunders (known collectively as Team Saunders) met through triathlon, and fell in love with the sport and each other.
This Is My Thing: LEGO!
Ben Rollman has loved LEGO since he was a kid. After a brief ‘Dark Age’ away from the hobby, he started back up as an adult and is now a bigger LEGO fan than ever.
This Is My Thing: Aggressive Roller Skating!
Rae Loos loves roller skating, but not the kind you do at the roller rink. She’s into what some people call ‘aggressive roller skating,’ which is more commonly done at the skate park.
This Is My Thing: Vintage Railroading!
Some folks like to watch trains or photograph trains or build model trains, but for Marc Opperman only the real thing will do. His love of trains led him to become a student conductor on a real, functioning vintage train.
This Is My Thing: Tattoos!
Dan Schumacher has been collecting tattoos on his person for over 40 years. In this episode of This Is My Thing, he tells us about his history with the art form, why he gets them, what they mean to him, and why they’re worth the pain.
This Is My Thing: Lumber Milling!
JD Murphy has always loved tools and learning. A few years ago (with some help from YouTube), he taught himself about lumber milling, and now he spends his free time milling wood right in his driveway in Cedar Park, Texas. The hobby brings him joy and has helped him discover his creative side.
This Is My Thing: Sword Fighting!
Anna Beard fell in love with swords when she saw ‘Return of the Jedi’ as a child. But it was only a few years ago that she finally learned the sport of sword fighting. Now she finds her joy in swords, sword fighting, and teaching others how to sword fight.
This Is My Thing: Curling!
The sport of curling requires something that’s not easy to find in Texas: a very large sheet of ice. Nevertheless, curling is becoming more popular in the Lone Star State. For Dave Danenfelzer, a Wisconsinite by birth but a Texan for the past few decades, curling is a lifelong passion and a family tradition.
This Is My Thing: Ukulele!
A few years ago, six longtime friends — all retired — decided to form a ukulele band together. It wasn’t really planned, but after one of them decided to take up the instrument as a hobby, five more followed suit. Now they all meet up every week to catch up, chat, and play the ukulele together as the ‘Austin Ukuladies.’
This Is My Thing: Flag Football!
Richard Samuel has had two great loves in his life: art and football. He played football as a kid, in college, and then professionally in Europe before getting a job as a coach. All the while, he pursued art as a hobby. Then one day he realized that he should flip it — he opened a gallery and became a full-time, professional artist. Now flag football is his most-loved hobby. Host Michael Lee talks to him about all that and more on the first episode of ‘This Is My Thing.’