Peony, I definately am interested in reading the Patrick O'Brian series. Looks like fun (or at least my idea of fun-a good book).
What you said about "human skills atrophying", I think this is true, not just in regard to some of the leisure skills you mention, but in all walks of life.
I have found the need to teach myself things, in order to be a well rounded housewife and mother skills no one knows how to do such as canning, baking bread, sewing (still learning there).
Things such as "dabbling in poetry", I think were things people did for entertainment prior to television. Can you imagine such a world?
