On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with Jean Nelson about her nearly lifelong love of glass blowing. Her fascination began at age 10, but four decades went by before she was able to begin learning the art form. Now it’s her passion. I met Jean at Austin’s Ghost Pepper Glass, where she gave me a glass blowing demonstration while me making a lovely pair of drinking glasses.

We'll talk about her early fascination with glass blowing, why she had to wait so long to start doing it herself, and what it means to her now.

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we're talking with two members of the Austin Pen Club about their shared love of collecting, writing with, and just talking about pens, especially fountain pens.

Craig Bond and Cindy Miller both fell in love with fountain pens over a decade ago, and we'll talk with both of the about their fountain pen origin stories, why they love these pens more than others, what it means to be a member of the pen club, and much more! They'll tell us where they go to look for pens (and we'll visit one of Cindy's favorite shops with her), why the Dallas Pen Show is a big deal, and how they try to spread the love of fountain pens with the initiated. And we'll get a cameo appearance from the founder of the club herself!

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

On this episode of This Is My Thing, we’re talking with Becky James about her love of upcycling greeting cards. While downsizing to a smaller home after retirement, Becky realized she had dozens of old cards and stumbled upon a new hobby -- determined to keep those cards out of a landfill, she started turning them into new and improved cards and gift tags, giving them a second life. She's since expanded to work with cards from friends, relatives, and strangers, and now sells her cards at small shops and craft fairs (but she's not really in it for the money).

We'll hear about about what this hobby does for her creatively, about the unexpectedly emotional journey one can go on while looking through a lifetime's worth of greeting cards, we'll hear the verb 'piddle' more than I have in years, and so much more!

This is My Thing is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org