The Heart Behind Hobbies

Pastimes Shared With Previous Generations

From outdoor enthusiasts and competitive spirits to home chefs and creatives, Southern women have no shortage of hobbies. For many, these pursuits are inspired by or shared with previous generations of women in their lives and represent more than mere pastimes. Read on to hear from six locals whose hobbies hold and continue to create meaningful memories with loved ones as they reflect on the heart behind it all.

Lifting More Than Just Weights

“Weightlifting for fitness competitions came into our lives at a time when Mom and I needed it most. We were navigating some of the toughest personal hardships we’d ever faced and felt broken and weak. What started as a physical pursuit became a meaningful transformative journey together. The discipline, grit, and intentionality required to successfully compete in bodybuilding didn’t just shape our physiques – it shaped our mindset, resilience, and confidence in ways that extended far beyond the gym. Hitting the gym became more than lifting weights, it became a physical representation of lifting the limitations off our lives. It was no longer just about building muscle, but about rebuilding ourselves. Along the way we’ve shared everything from literal blood, sweat, and tears to uncontrollable laughter when bikini bottoms snapped before stepping on stage. We’ve experienced the highs of victory and gained valuable lessons from our losses and proven to ourselves that difficulties don’t define us – our response to them does. What it means to continue to share this journey with my mom goes beyond medals and titles. It’s about proving that no challenge is too heavy to lift and no setback too great to overcome. We started scared and uncertain, but became medaled, national-level competitors, and most importantly, we found a strength that carries us beyond the stage.”

– Jeana Oldham with her Mother, Vicki Wilson

Preserving Quality Time Together

“Since I was a young girl, my mother has always had a garden and canned our food for the fall and winter months. Canning was a way of life when she was growing up and is still very important to her. When I was older, she taught me how to can and preserve food from our garden. Today, we still share our love of canning and preserving foods. We have lots of great conversations, and she still gives me great life advice. And make no mistake, our kitchen is filled with plenty of laughter when the two of us get going! It’s not just about canning food, it’s about spending quality time together, learning from her and maintaininga connection with our family heritage. She’s not only my mother, she is my best friend.”

– Leah Wicker with her Mother, Sandy Hood

Leading with a Healthy Lifestyle

“Serendipitously, I am writing this reflection of my mother’s positive influence on my life on a flight with my family to snowboard in Colorado. This feels full circle, because my yoga journey started close to 30 years ago after injuring myself snowboarding in northern California.

I was so fortunate to grow up with an active mother who realized early that exercise and a healthy lifestyle was the key to her physical, mental, and emotional health. Thus, she passed this well known, yet often underutilized, wisdom to my older brother and I. We were those sporty kids who tried every opportunity we were given, and eventually he fell in love with golf and I fell in love with yoga.

Though our Mom prefers other sports and activities over our chosen interests, she has always supported us with our own passions. Now, as a parent, I often wonder how I am influencing my own sons. For me, I witnessed my mother’s positive transformations before and after any exercise.

In addition, the best thing my mother, MaryLou Miller, often said to me was, ‘Figure out what you love to do. It can be anything – maybe it is growing the most beautiful rose garden. What is important is that it makes you happy.’”

– Jessica Jollie with her Mother, MaryLou Miller

Showing Your Passion

“As far as I can remember, showing dogs has always been a part of life. My mentors were definitely my grandmother and my mother. Why would anyone think to do all this on a weekend? One word … passion. Passion for this sport has led to success, as a professional all-breed dog handler, Breeder of Merit, and mentor. My first show was at the age of 3, a fun match where I could not even hold the head and the tail of my Basset Hound Nellie at one time.

These times were not just about learning a craft but life skills, like sportsmanship, setting goals, teamwork, and tackling challenges. They taught me to become a part of something bigger, a community that has had a profound effect on me and my life.

I’m forever grateful that my hobby is now my primary job. They say if you are doing what you love, you never spend one day at work. These strong women encouraged me to chase my dreams, maybe because they were their dreams too.”

– Ginny Kincer with her show dogs

Crafting Care in Crocheting

“I learned how to crochet from my great-great aunt when I was about 8 years old. Her name was Georgie Lee Swanner, but we all called her Aunt G. She never had children, and I would go spend weekends with her and work on different projects including crochet, sewing, and even baking. I still remember my first few misshapen potholders I made sitting in her craft room. Many women in my family still have her handmade sweaters, afghans, quilts, and I even had one of her embroidered handkerchiefs on my wedding day. She passed away when I was almost 12, but I’ve stuck with crochet to this day. I have almost two decades invested in my skills. You can find me selling my handmade pieces at local markets as Kuro Cat Crochets, and I even keep an info card up about Aunt G as a tribute to how I learned. I love to see that crochet is becoming so popular now, with a lot of people seeking to learn how online – but I’ll always treasure being taught by a seasoned crafter in my family.”

– Anna Skiles with her Aunt G

Making Meals and Memories

“The art of preparing a good meal or delicious dessert is more than just a way to feed people. It is a way to show love, to foster connections, and to honor the women who have come before me. Meals bring us together to celebrate, to commemorate, to preserve traditions. Most of my greatest memories are centered around a good meal – the majority prepared by the women in my family upholding holiday traditions. I often get flashbacks of my grandmother’s diligent, flour-dusted hands so purposefully yet gracefully preparing the counter to roll out the dough for her famous biscuits or dumplings while my mom and aunts laughed and danced around her kitchen like a well-oiled machine. It’s an honor to continue those traditions where the heart of my own home is the kitchen. A love for baking is woven into the fabric of my family’s history, and for me, has always been about more than just the finished product. It’s about honoring the legacy of the women who have shaped me, those who taught me the power of a well-made meal and the comfort of a warm kitchen. It’s the sense of pride in knowing the traditions, like family recipes and beloved, faded aprons, will be passed down for generations.”

– Amanda Phelps with her sister, Rachel Flatt (Left)