Monarchs, muscles and memories
Meet University employees who have been spending their time gardening, weightlifting and quilting.
One side effect of the pandemic is that people are investing more time in their current hobbies, taking up new pursuits and learning new skills. When The Well put out a call for University employees who have been particularly prolific, creative or dedicated in their pandemic hobbies, we received an overwhelming response! Meet some of Carolina’s Pandemic Hobbyists.
Gardening
Eric Hastie, teaching assistant professor, biology department, College of Arts & Sciences
This year I’ve spent many hours in the garden with a newfound love of growing flowers. I call it my garden cross-fit and therapy. Our yard was a small field of gray mud and green/brown grass when we moved in, so I’ve been slowly turning it into a mini botanical garden with a focus on native and bird-friendly plants. My initial gardening spark turned into many hours of finding Instagram inspiration from many talented gardeners. I was drawn to all of the beautiful flowers and thought, “I could use more color in my life.”
Eric Hastie turned his yard into a mini botanical garden. (Contributed photo)
My first major goal was to have something flowering every month of the year and I succeeded. The amount of diversity in plants continues to amaze me. Next, I wanted to use the yard as place where people could connect with nature and recharge. When a friend had to hold their wedding with guests on Zoom, I was honored to host and built an arch for the ceremony entirely with flowers that I grew. Talk about locally sourced!
Hastie was able to use his garden as the setting for a wedding ceremony for his friends. (Contributed photo)
Lastly, I wanted to do my part for conservation and remembered the monarch migrations from growing up in New York. I planted tons of milkweed and successfully raised and released about 100 monarch butterflies. I’ve even gotten better about garden planning and planted hundreds of bulbs for spring to use as a fundraiser for the Durham LGBTQ Center this year.
Weightlifting
Alyssa LaFaro, content manager, Endeavors magazine
Since the pandemic began, I have gotten into heavy weightlifting. This basically entails using a squat rack and Olympic weights to do a series of workouts from barbell squats to bench presses to deadlifts. I’ve been a distance runner for more than a decade, so weightlifting was never something I’d considered before — but I love it!
In all honesty, as a small female, I had avoided weightlifting because it seemed too intimidating to go to a gym and work out with all the large-muscled folk who frequent it. But once I became familiar with how to use the equipment and developed a workout regimen, I found peace under the bar. My advice to others like me: Don’t let the gym intimidate you. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are so many resources out there to learn how to do this.
That said, I’m obviously not going to a gym right now, and I’m lucky that, in February 2020, I purchased a squat rack and began converting my dining room into my own personal fitness center.
Alyssa LaFaro converted her dining room into a personal fitness center. (Contributed photo)
Weightlifting has been my saving grace since this whole thing began. It helps me manage my anxiety and maintain a weekly schedule. As the cold-weather season continues, I’m so grateful to be able to work out inside — although cooler temperatures never truly stop me from running. I grew up in upstate New York, so my basic rule of thumb is to run outside until it feels like you have to wear a face mask, which is a little ironic and funny to me now.
Quilting
Angela Proctor, research associate, J.M. Ramsey Laboratory,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
The pandemic gave me time to work on a project I’ve been meaning to do for years: completing my memory quilts using various UNC T-shirts I’ve collected since 2007. I am in the process of making one quilt just from the T-shirts I got for donating blood.
Angela Proctor has been recycling T-shirts, blue jeans and fabric scraps to make quilts and blankets. (Contributed photo)
Additionally, my focus during the pandemic was to upcycle what I had in order to create new items. I made three denim quilts by breaking down old jeans; I made rugs, bowls and coasters with fabric scraps; and I made two different “string” quilts by using small bits of leftover fabric to make full blankets.
Proctor used UNC T-shirts she has collected since 2007 to make a memory quilt. (Contributed photo)
