Along with the quiet of January evenings, comes the opportunity to take up well-loved hobbies and crafts.

One of my own favorites is quilting. I had the opportunity to meet a quilter whose daughter had written a lovely book about her and the journey that quilting inspired in her life. It wasn't until the mother became ill that the daughter realized what a treasure the quilting pastime had been in her life and her father's. When her mother recovered, the daughter resolved to write a memoir about her mother's quilting journey. And so she did.

The daughter wrote the book "One Woman's Journey Told In Quilts."

Her mother is a retired Oklahoma school teacher. She says, "You go on. You cope. And you quilt."

Our TellOurLifeStories contest is to write about your favorite hobby or pastime for this silent time in January. Write about something that occupies you on these chilly and cold winter evenings. Write about how your hobby inspires you, write about how you began with it, write about how long you've been doing this and the things you've learned along the way.

For 2010 we will continue to have these writing contests every month. Subscribers who enter 3 stories in the next 6 months will be eligible for a drawing for a $50 Visa gift card.

Enter your story by either submitting your story to the TellOurLifeStories Collection through the free trial offer, or if you are a subscriber, login, and enjoy the fun! Your stories belong to you.

The Hobby Story Contest begins Monday, January 11 and deadline for entries is Monday, January 25 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. The winner will be announced Monday, February 1 by newsletter and email notification.

Stories will be read by Dawn and Margaret from TellOurLifeStories.com and the winning story writer will be highlighted on the Home Page of TellOurLifeStories and also in the newsletter.