Do you color? Did you as a child? I certainly did. In fact, I colored up until I hit college. And I color now.

Well, not so much now. I can barely find the time to locate my sanity let alone turn up a decent coloring book, my requisite 96-pack of Crayolas and a clear, flat surface. That last one is a real doesy in my apartment. But, in my mind and in my heart, when I'm not busy fantasizing about sleep, I think about coloring.

Coloring is not just for adults. Some celebrities claim to do it on planes to calm them, help them pass the time, etc. I would agree with that. There is an art to coloring, and one that can be perfected. There is, perhaps, the opportunity for the crayon bearer to create a certain style. But first and foremost, coloring is relaxing and fun. It requires little. Heck--you don't even have to stay within the lines. And, if you can't, you can always blame the art on your kid. My son can't color yet but my guess is when he starts he'll be much better at it than I ever was (or am now).

I really do have a 96-pack of crayons somewhere. I think they're in my desk. And I have several coloring books. One of them I got in Florida and is a collection of mythological sea monsters (you know, as opposed to the real live ones). I also have one of all different kinds of snakes I got at a museum.

Truth is, they're not coloring books designed for kids. And, honestly, the pictures are so intricate that it's actually pretty hard to stay within the lines. I need something easier to work with, like, say, My Little Pony. That is probably more my speed.

Even my grandmother, who has always had an eye for the artistic, is getting into coloring. She and my mother were searching high and low for some decent coloring books before I turned them on to the Dover coloring books. You can get them in many toy stores and certainly in museums, but the place I most recently saw them was at a Cracker Barrel, if you can believe it.

So, if you're looking for something fun and relaxing to do that can be considered creative if you let it, and you don't want to spend a lot of cash on it, consider picking up a good set of crayons and some coloring books. Sure, your spouse and your kids might look at you funny, but that's only because they're jealous you can stay within the lines.

Pic of bio coloring book by Jay Dugger.