I've been tagged by Mindy, one of the Design Team members at Scrap-Mart. She likens these tagging adventures to the chain letters of the past. I much prefer blogging.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy

1. Family Time. There's not much that means more to me than spending time with my husband and kids. I never get enough of it. Even though Tracy and I are both retired, we're really busy with our own projects and need to make time for ourselves. When everyone's together, it's the best! 
2. A Good Book. I love to read and a book that grabs my attention and makes me think is one of the great pleasures in life.
3. Travel. Although I hate to fly, I love to travel. I never get tired of seeing new places. We were on the road for 29 days last summer, and I loved every minute of it. I love the anticipation of trips almost as much as the trip itself. We're tentatively planning a cruise to Alaska in 2011 with very good friends and I'm already excited.
4. Good Friends. I am truly blessed with good friends, and enjoy all the time I get to spend with them.
5. Learning New Things. I think this is one reason why I loved teaching. I was always learning something new. Now it's my hobbies that keep me on my toes!
6. Creating. I never had an opportunity as a child to take an art lesson. We didn't even have art classes in my school, so I never considered myself the least bit creative until I started sewing as a teenager (for 4-H) and stamping as an adult. If I could go back and choose my career again, I think I'd choose graphic arts, even though I loved my teaching job.
7. Photography. Of all my hobbies, photography has done more to change how I see the world than anything else. I'm so much more observant, and examining the great photographs on sites like Pioneer Woman help me develop a more critical eye. It's another career I'd love to have had.
8. Sunshine. We don't always get a lot of it here in the northeast so I am really appreciative of it when it's here. I love my house, but it's surrounded by trees, and has old windows. If we ever downsize, big windows and a sunny location will be #1 on my list.
9. Flowers. I love them inside and out, from the grocery store or the florist. I'd have them on my table every day if I could afford it.
10. Good Food and Cooking. I love to eat out, and I love to cook. I'm always collecting new recipes, and I read cookbooks like a novels.

Five Random Facts

1. I was a clumsy child, and very unathletic. Nonetheless, I played on the varsity field hockey team my junior year in high school. Even more amazing, I actually got playing time. (But I definitely did not love it.)
2. I was painfully shy as a child. Friends who have only known me since college find it hard to believe, but I was so shy I hid under tables to avoid meeting new people who came to our house to visit.
3. My freshman RA was sure I'd be the one kid on the floor who wouldn't make it. She never told me at the time, of course, but many years later she was asked to witness our wills in our lawyer's office. We hadn't seen each other in years, and she told me then. I not only lasted, I flourished!
4. I love to organize. The first time I was in The Container Store, I thought I'd "died and gone to heaven!" It's a good thing there isn't one around here. I'd be broke.
5. I'm terribly afraid of heights. I have a hard time on a step-ladder, and hate most amusement park rides. 

So the deal is to tag five others. All of these women I've met through blogging and the internet. I've loved getting to know them through their art and their blogs. I hope they'll play along.

1. Joni
2. Rhona
3. Amy
4. Rinda
5. Mel