What are your weekly group activities or classes?

[awakenedsoul]

Do you take any classes or meet with groups of people to socialize each week? I'm currently taking a sight singing class once a week. It makes my brain ache, and I'm exhausted after practicing, but I love it. It's very stimulating to my mind. It pushes me to absorb all of the formulas. I also meet with a knitting group once or twice a week. It's fun to see what everyone is making, have a cup of coffee or something to eat, and talk with other knitters. How about you?

[Tiam]

Gosh! I don't! I always say I will, but don't. The closest thing I do is a trivia night at a local restaurant once in a while.

[Float On]

Community Chamber Choir once a week, book club once a month, knitting once a month, women's activity group once a month.

[cdttmm]

I take a Tae Kwon Do class three times a week. Even though we're very focused on working out/learning the martial art, I still consider it time spent socializing. A subset of the group, including myself, usually meets once per month for specialized sessions. I also take one or more yoga classes each week. Next week, I'll start an 8 week meditation class. And I meet with my original meditation group once per month. So, yes, most days of the week I have something I do with a group.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I have a knitting group once a week, and a Bible study group once a week. These both are about a 90% attendance for me; I do not feel pressured to be at either one of these every time they meet and that is nice. But I do enjoy them when I am there.

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't realize we had so many knitters on this forum. cdttmm,
You have a busy schedule! It sounds interesting and stimulating.

[happystuff]

I do Buddhism lectures twice a week via Skype and then prayer and meditation at temple once a month. I will be started a twice-a-week ASL class next month for 10 weeks. I do "craft day" with siblings at least once a month (they all make cards and I crochet or knit). Hmmm... don't think I do anything else on a regular basis. Girls night out every now and then, but not too often.

[creaker]

I've done a yoga class once a week for several years now. And I have a volunteer event I do pretty much weekly (5 years this month).

[Teacher Terry]

My hubby and I take a aqua exercise class 3x's/week, girls nite once/month & knitting group occasionally. I only learned to knit 4 years ago & it is fun.

[gadder]

Group activities eh? I feel like such a slacker that I am not like the rest of you knitting Prince George a new scarf or something.

In the winter, I meet friends for dinner and to watch a hockey game a few times a month. There is beer and guy-jinks involved.

Maybe if I did more group stuff I'd be happier (ha! I originally misspelled 'group' as 'grope' - Freudian slip?) but I am kinda a loner anyways...

[awakenedsoul]

That's a group activity, gadder. It sounds like you're an introvert. For me, it depends on the group, and what we're doing. The sight singing class is really focused. It's like working on a show or movie. I like that. It's exciting to finally be learning something I've always wanted to do. The knitting is fun, but sometimes the group is depressing. They are all older women, and they can slip into spending the whole time complaining and about their families, and gossiping about who's not there. If it gets like that, I leave early. But, when there are people there who are inspiring and talented, I love it.

[awakenedsoul]

My hubby and I take a aqua exercise class 3x's/week, girls nite once/month & knitting group occasionally. I only learned to knit 4 years ago & it is fun.

I know, isn't it? I'm amazed at what I've made in the last couple of years. It looks a lot harder than it is. I always wanted to make my own clothes...now I can knit them. That's great that you and you hubby do the water class so often. I used to take and teach aqua exercise. I miss it.

[catherine]

Since I travel for business, I can't do regular meetings, unfortunately. I used to be in the church choir and loved it. Now, when I can, I catch the meetings of my local watershed protection group. I would love to be more regular with my yoga drop-in sessions, also.

[Dhiana]

I'm active in 3 different stitch groups around the Tokyo Bay area, lots of knitters in it but I and many others do a lot of the other stitch work there like crochet, embroidery, etc.

In between our studio work, my friends and I visit galleries, support each other's work and inspire each other. Many of them belong to a specific group and I'm always asked to join and they are surprised to find out I don't qualify. That's ok with me, we get to enjoy each other's company without worrying about the politics of the group :)

[KayLR]

I attend two bootcamp type exercise classes each week, and I attend Weight Watchers on Wed. nights. That's it right now. I'd love to learn to knit. I've tried self-teaching several times, but no luck. I'd love to attend a knitting group. I do crochet.

[Gardenarian]

Yoga once a week - that's it - and I tend to refrain from socializing there. I belong to three local environmental groups, but we communicate almost entirely online, meeting a few times per year.
Most of my socializing is over-the-fence with neighbors, or at work, or while walking my dog.

[Tammy]

Eating together and then watching cosmos every Sunday night with some family and friends. Only one of us has TV so that's where we meet.

I like groups that have a defined ending. 3-4 months and then on to something different

[awakenedsoul]

Gardenarian, I socialize with neighbors and when I walk the dog, too. I also socialize with some of the regulars on the bus.

Tammy, I never thought of that. I guess most of the group activities I've done have been things I've studies for years, or even decades.

[Simplemind]

After working a job that left little time for socializing, I now have more time since I retired. Pre retirement I have a group from community college that has met for dinner once a month for the past 25 years. Now that we all retired we get together more often. I volunteer for two different organizations and I take watercolor classes from two different teachers. I love the students in each class because although it is the same activity the focus is completely different. Several of us from one of the classes love to walk and hike so we put together organized walk/hikes several times a month. And............ after all the focus on everybody else's health the past couple of years, this January I started to focus on mine and have become a total gym rat. I go to water aerobics five days a week and yoga twice. I plan to put some other activities in as my endurance builds up. I walk my dog every day 3-5 miles and run into the same people doing the same.

[awakenedsoul]

That's great, Simplemind. You are really active!! This is really making me want to get back into the water classes. They really were therapeutic. Your classes sound wonderful.

Dhiana, Your stitch groups sound fun. Why don't you qualify? I like one on one best for knitting. Sometimes our group is fun, but other times people use it as free therapy and I find it depressing.

[pinkytoe]

The only regularly scheduled thing I do these days is meet with a couple of now retired co-workers for lunch every two weeks. And go to various neighborhood meetings. Previously, I took weekly birding and habitat stewardship classes. I realized though that after being at work all day, I don't have a lot of energy for extracurriculars. I imagine when I retire I will ramp it up though.

[Aqua Blue]

Lets see.....I play cards twice a month with a group of friends, I meet another group of friends for coffee once a week, I go to a water exercise class 3 times a week, I belong to two red hat groups which pretty much meet monthly. Do I get to count going with my 2 brothers, one sister-in-law and niece to Sam's ever weekend as an activity?

[awakenedsoul]

That makes sense, pinkytoe. Yes, Aqua Blue, I would count that as an activity. You're getting out and being with people.

I am really enjoying my weekly sight singing class. Most of the students are in their twenties and thirties, and I like their energy. The class is held right near all of the museums. I think I may stay after one day and hit the museums, too.

[bae]

Some of these are weekly, some every two weeks, some multiple times/week:

Fire drill, EMT/medical run review, rescue drill, historical fencing, Auxiliary Communications Service drill/net, and a weekly meeting of a local environmental group.

[Dhiana]

Dhiana, Your stitch groups sound fun. Why don't you qualify? I like one on one best for knitting. Sometimes our group is fun, but other times people use it as free therapy and I find it depressing.

I'm very lucky to have met some really great people in the stitch groups and other artists in the area. I have worked very, very hard to create my own life here and want to be identified as "me" vs trailing spouse whose husband does x.
I choose not to do very many things with the group in which my husband is identified nor do I talk about his work, so many of my friends just assume he's Japanese as is their husband. I don't lie to anyone, I just don't bring it up because there are so many more interesting things to do and talk about :)

[Aroha]

I go tramping (hiking) with a group of ladies usually one day a week and take a tap class one evening per week.

Prayer meeting 1hr a week. Have music practice with our church worship team one night a week (and play in Church sunday morning).


I like having the structure these activities give to my week.

[awakenedsoul]

My latest activity is swimming. I go every other day. I enjoy socializing with people in the jacuzzi. Everyone is really friendly. The sauna feels great, too. It's not an organized activity, but it's still fun.

[razz]

I walk the trails with a small group twice a week, an art group once a week that is very supportive and social, horticultural group once a month and of course, the church groups when I go.
Once I move, I hope to get back to swimming so that I build up stamina to snorkel in the Florida Keys over the next year sometime.

[Spartana]

I play beach volleyball several mornings a week, as well as indoor volleyball several nights a week (both pick up games but usually with the same people for the most part). I also belong to some running and biking clubs and often do group runs and rides, same with hikes and a few other things. None of it costs any money either (YAY!). I also do gym classes (body pump is my favorite!) but don't really interact with the people in the class.

[Karma]

I go to a meditation group once a week and go to several monthly gatherings at the same place.