Hi FLM's
 
When I joined this mailing list last year, I really enjoyed reading it,
the last few months I just skip through the heading and read what seems
interesting because there are so many augments going on.  I mostly skip
these as I live in Holland and don't know the people involved.  I missed
the beginning of the last one but today I read something that just made
me want to sit down and respond.  The definition of a hobby.
 
Ok, I live in Holland, I have a family, for the last 10 years I have only
taken on terminal ferrets that can not be re homed, My husband and I both
work 40 hours a week, we pay the bills for these ferret ourselves, I am
president of the board for Stichting De Fret, A Dutch ferret club
 
I do the re homing of unwanted ferrets and help people with questions
about their ferrets, they can ring me every evening between 7 and 9, I
help them where I can, I tell them where they need to be if I can't
help them.  In the weekend I spend my time making ferret bedding, The
Stichting pays for the material and the money from the sale goes back to
the Stichting for 100%, I give the time and electricity free of charge,
the Stichting and the sick ferrets take up about 80% of my free time,
leaving my family and house cleaning on the short end of the stick.  For
many of you this might sound like hard work and no fun but for me it's a
hobby, it gives me fulfillment, It gives me the feeling that I am doing
my bit for the animal I love so much.  It might not be much in the big
scheme of things, but for every ferret I can help, for these ferrets it
makes a difference.  Yes I consider it a hobby, Its my hobby because it
makes ME feel good.  A hobby is something that you enjoy doing even if
it might sound like hard work to someone else.  The point being, that if
there weren't people helping ferrets as a hobby, then the ferrets would
be a lot worse of than now
 
And could you all please give us foreigners something interesting to
read again please, otherwise I will just get on with my hobby
 
Stephenie SDF Netherlands
[Posted in FML issue 4550]