I've been tagged....

Most of you who read my blog also read Megan's - so you'll probably know about the "tagged" bit. But if you don't, here goes - and I don't know 8 people who blog who haven't already been tagged so mine's just for "information only" I guess:

I've been tagged...and here are the rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.

2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

3. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules

4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Eight Random Facts About Me

1. I don't have a university degree - I did go to Texas Tech for one year at the insistence of my (future) husband and my mom. I only took classes I was interested in (which drove my course advisor crazy) - no English, no math, no P.E. (HATED P.E. anyway), no history. Instead I took Child Development (clashed mightily with the prof as I didn't agree with their so-called "child rearing" philosophies big time!), Home Economics, Clothing and Textiles, Interior Design (an easy "A" for moi!) and, laughably, "Courtship and Marriage" where my term paper of a marriage contract garnered a lowly "C" for "too traditional values" while Miss "I live with my boyfriend" got an "A" for her "personal class interview with Q & A" - I'm sure SHE'S languishing away somewhere with her contracted STD's and hates men while I've been married 31 years to a lovely, salt-of-the-earth guy and have all these lovely children and grandchildren - and "germ free" - ha!
2. We lost a child at birth. Our Benjamin (which we inadvertantly misspelled "Benjamen" on the birth and death certificates) was only 5 hours old. He was one of twins (Chris' twin - they were 3 months premature) born to us in London. The NICU in the UK was marvelous and we were fortunate to be there at the time since they were the leaders in infant intensive care at the time. We had the support of a loving church family and as a result of the outpouring of love by that congregation, our nanny (yes, we had a nanny for awhile) studied and became a Christian. Lovely ending to an otherwise sad story.
   
3. Mike and I met at the J.C. Penny coffeeshop my senior year of high school. And we started dating on a bet - I bet him he couldn't go a week without "picking on me". He threw the bet Day 1 and he's been "picking on me" ever since. :) Oh, the "loser" had to take the other one out for dinner - no real losers that way! Met in Sept. 74, started dating in Feb. 75, engaged by Oct 75 and married Aug 76. I was 19 when we married. Jennifer was born 18 months later. By the time I was 25, I'd had all my children, had moved 4 times as a Mrs., was living overseas and been married 6 years. It was great to have worked together before we dated - you get to know a person by their work ethic, their reaction to people and situations "under fire" and we were on a similar plain...except for how to make a chocolate milkshake - mine "wasn't by the book" but it got folks coming in for them. When brought to the attention of the store manager, he closed the book and told me to keep making those milkshakes. I won.
   
4. I love interior design and am especially fond of English interiors. While living in the UK, I collected antiques (mainly Edwardian) and incorporated them into our new house we built in Katy. My kitchen was copied from a Clive Anderson kitchen brochure and the result was a LOVELY Victorian kitchen - all that's missing is the Aga stove (a little too hot for the deep south but would have been so nice to have had in there otherwise). Oh, I'm also addicted to Polish pottery - really, I'm addicted. I have my favorite manufacturer, favorite eBay vendors, favorite patterns - it's a sickness...no cure...must have pottery....
5. I sang in a well known choir in Trinidad & Tobago when we lived in Port of Spain. It's called the Marionettes and I was the first American to audition for the choir. I sang with them for 3 years and really enjoyed it! There were about 85 members, it was a nationally and internationally known choir, we had a full week of performances in the Queen's Hall every Christmas season and other concerts throughout the year. It was, as the British say, "lovely". I was in an expatriate women's choir in England called "Expatria" for 3 years as well - not nearly as professional a group but fun none-the-less.
6. My first car was ...wait for it...a really "cool" avocado green Ford Pinto - oh, it gets worse - it was a STATIONWAGON! (gasp!!) This was alongside Mike's VERY cool MG Midget sports car...I've improved on my taste in automobiles (and on the safety record of said autos as well - for those of you too young to know this (go ask your mothers), Pintos were "under investigation" for their penchant for blowing up when rear-ended since the fuel tank was located near the rear of the vehicle)
7. I've never had a moving violation in my 33 years of driving. Got a ticket for an expired registration sticker, got a warning for going 67 in a 60mph zone (last spring) but never have had a ticket for anything else (watch...I'll get one this week now....)
8. I got to go to Wimbledon back in June 2001 and was probably the only person who ever had to have the game of tennis explained to her. It was the men's semi-finals (Pat Rafter and Andre Agassi are the only two I can remember) and we were invited by some lovely people to attend as their guests (thanks, Helen and Trevor!). Much protocol, strawberries and all that tradition - for a non-sports person, it was still a fantastic day and so great to be able to go "in person" (vs. what - "out of person"? That was stupid). Mike was happy as a clam (being a tennis player). And I was intrigued by the (not very well known) "changing of the shirt" between sets. They strip off their shirts, squirt water all over themselves, towel down and then put on a fresh shirt. Really, if I'd known, I'd might have been more interested in tennis years ago! (just kidding Mike...and I did check and NO, they do NOT do that at the women's sets - sorry guys!)

So those are my 8 random things - I decided to not divulge all my secrets so this is pretty tame. There are quite a few unknown things about me, but, kids, you'll just have to wait till I'm dead and gone and read my journals...assuming I don't burn them before then!

Now as to whom to tag - I guess it will be Grumpy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Sneezy, Happy, Bashful and Snow White. I don't know their blogs so I hope they read this and let me know!