You've got talent - unleash your long lost skills!

Don' t just sit there- do something enjoyable and satisfying.

In a constant search for new and exciting experiences, many of us overlook the fact that we have lots of talents, skills and knowledge already that we can brush up and put back into use to give us great fun and pleasure.

You've got talent for lots of things. Rediscover your talents!

In the last few years I've been rediscovering and remembering talents and skills that I used to enjoy, but which have been on the back burner for 30 years .

Running my own business meant working all hours of the day, including evenings and weekends. Add to that bringing up a family, and you'll see that there wasn't much time left for anything non essential.

Now family has grown up and left home, and we have semi retired from our business , so we have much more free time.

Then the question arose, how to fill that free time?

I've never been one to sit around doing nothing, so I started to plan out new projects.

What should I do?

Should I take up a new sport? Learn a new craft? Join a class and learn a new language?

All very tempting- I love learning new skills.

However, looking back over the last few years whilst planning this "About me" lens, I realise that what I have actually done is to pick up all the things that I'd loved in the past, and remembered why I used to enjoy them

I've then gone on to rediscover all sort of skills and talents that I'd forgotten.

This lens tells you of my journey of rediscovering and remembering the things I love, and how I have brought them back into my life.

I hope you enjoy it!

I've rediscovered and remembered that I love Gardening.

As a child I was given a small patch of garden to tend, and it was my pride and joy.

In early married life, whilst a teacher, and before having children, I lived in London, but had a small back garden, in which I grew all manner of flowers and vegetables.

In the intervening 30 years I've been too busy to do more than short bursts of gardening.

In spring 2007, recovering from an operation, and with the long light evenings free at last, I decided to get my spade out and remake my herb garden.

What a joy and pleasure it is! I have got so much satisfaction from watching my herbs flourish and grow.

They look beautiful, they smell beautiful, and they taste beautiful.

I have lots more plans for my garden.That's the great thing about gardens- you never finish, every day is different, there is always something new to see.

I'm so happy that I rediscovered gardening.

Cold, rainy, dark? Not able to get out there in the garden?

Pick up a book to give you ideas, tips and inspiration.

Make your garden beautiful - tools, gadgets and lots of ideas from eBay.

When I need a little inspiration, I can go and visit one of the wonderful Lake District Gardens close to my home at Grasmere.

Here are some of my favorite Lake District Gradans.

So many great books, so little time.

I've always read books, even when life was really hectic. What I hadn't done, since my student days, was to read, think about, ponder and discuss books.

Also, I tended to avoid anything I thought might be "difficult", and yes, I confess, I have read a lot of mediocre easy read books ("airport books" I think they call them!).

I'm very lucky to have a book club in my village, but it was with some trepidation that I made my first visit to the group in January 2008. Would they all be very knowledgeable? Would I be out of my depth?

I needn't have worried. They are a great bunch of men and women of all ages. Some I knew, some I didn't.

For the past two years we have read a book a month, and met to discuss , debate, agree and disagree.

The photo shows some of the books we have recently read.

This month we have read North and South -a wonderful 19th Century novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. Its my job this month to write up the meeting for the Parish Magazine, so I'll be posting my review here too!

Next month's book is A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini , author of Kite Runner.

For March, the book is The Angel Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon .We read his " Shadow of the Wind" last year. Usually we disagree and argue over the merits of books, but we all without exception loved Shadow of the Wind, so it will be interesting to see how we get on with this latest novel.

If you are looking for a good read, these are all books I enjoyed reading in the last year. If you have enjoyed them I would love to hear from you.

Why did I stop knitting? I'm so happy to have rediscovered knitting!

I learnt knitting as a child, and over the year knitted lots of jumpers for myself, my husband and children. Then about 15 years ago I stopped. I'm not sure why- maybe it was because ready made clothes had become so inexpensive and more attractive. Maybe I just got bored?

Anyway, I was on holiday in November 2009, and someone gave me a novel to read in which everyone was knitting.You probably know ( I didn't) that there are lots of these books- knitting is all the rage!

My memory was jogged, and as soon as I got home , I remembered that I had a bag of knitting in a drawer. It was a complicated aran jumper, in a beautiful soft Bluefaced Leicester natural wool. I re learnt the pattern and rediscovered my love of knitting.

The photo shows the jumper- still waiting to be finished!

Now I've finished the knitting and just need to sew it together .

I have two more lots of yarn and patterns now waiting to be started.

I love knitting! Its relaxing! Its exciting! Its creative! Its fun! I think it might even be art!

I'm so happy I remembered and redicovered knitting!

After being out of the knitting loop ( like the pun?) for 15 years, I have a lots of catching up to do on all the new yarns.

My favorite yarns are by Noro. The colors are incredible.Read all about knitting with Noro yarn here.

Remembering how to play the piano- not very well!

I taught myself to read music and play the piano , aged 8. I really wanted to have lessons, but my dad had been forced to learn the piano and was convinced that all piano teachers we evil! By the time he gave in, I was 13 and in love with The Beatles. I no longer wanted to play the piano- it wasn't cool.

Two years ago , following a health scare ( all clear luckily) I decided to draw out some of my savings a buy myself a piano again.I actually decided on a Clavinova, as I'll need to move it around.

What a great decision ! I've dug out all the old family sheet music, some dating back to 1910, and spent many happy hours stumbling through my favorite classics and scores from the musicals.

The photo shows some of my family store of old sheet music.

Its been great fun rediscovering and remembering how to play the piano- but I've got a long way to go..