Ms. Taylor Says

I once heard a sermon that really stuck with me. It was all about forgiving even when the other person hasn't asked for it...kind of like secret forgiveness. As an adult, I kind of miss the childhood "I'm sorry" situations where an outside party forced those who wronged us to apologize and "mean it." Maybe this was just me, but rarely did adults let me or those who wronged me get away with the gruff and clearly insincere "I'm sorry" followed by an angry smirk. I remember one time my mom decided the best way to get my sister and me to really be sorry was to stick us in the same room until we apologized to each other. She's lucky this worked out as well as it did. It's surprising that we didn't walk out of the room missing chunks of our hair or a tooth. But as a child, I think my sense of justice was formed by this--that when I was hurt, the person was called out and forced to make amends, and I was required to do the same. Of...

My sister and brother-in-law are currently in Ethiopia meeting their absolutely beautiful daughter. I just keep looking at the pictures on their blog and thinking, "I can't believe that's my niece." I now know that until I get to meet her, time will feel like it is standing still. If you want to check her out, their blog address is www.alongroadhome.wordpress.com.

So at approximately 1:30 today, I walked out of the school building and began my summer. So what exactly does a hip, young teacher such as myself do to celebrate? Cranks up the Beyonce and begins the process of putting her apartment back together. Be honest...you know you are jealous. Luckily for me, the day/evening got much more exciting. My awesome new friend invited me to join her at the Nats game where they punished the Red Sox. I'm not sure if you could really call it a punishment, but I will, just for dramatic effect. The game was fun, the weather was lovely, and the company was awesome. I did find out early in the game that Michael Jackson had died. It's just so weird to say that. And it continues to prove my theory that celebrities die in groups. So strange. On a completely random note, I think this may be my best summer yet. I can't believe how many cool things are going on in my home area this summer. What is on my social calendar you might ask. Wel...

So last Friday night I set off to find a dress for my high school reunion. I know what you are thinking: "How can someone who gets mistaken for a student in the lunch line go to a reunion?" But despite my youthful appearance (ha!), alas, it is time to partake in a tradition as beloved as...hmmm...I got nothin'. All that to say, I set off for the mall with a handful of discount cards (I refuse to call them coupons--I'm not buying cheese in bulk; I'm buying a dress). I thought that, surely with a whole evening and a huge mall at my disposal, I would be able to find something to wear. This is where I should give some background. I've been a bit picky about this purchase, because, if I'm completely honest, I'm not really sure how I am going to feel spending an evening small talking with people I didn't really know that well 10 years ago and really don't know now. I think the line from _The Wedding Date_ captures my mindset best: "I[...

Tonight I went to my church to see an amazing documentary.   As We Forgive  is the unbelievable story of reconciliation in Rwanda.  I remember reading about the genocide in Rwanda when I was in college.  This documentary looks at how several victims of the 1994 genocide are dealing with living in the same villages as the perpetrators of one of the most devastating genocides in human history.  Watching these people choose to forgive the people that killed their family members just made my head spin.  It was also devastating to listen to the guilty parties discussing how they became convinced to kill their friends and neighbors.  If you ever get a chance to watch this amazing documentary, take it!   I'm going to try to put in a link to the trailer.  http://www.asweforgivemovie.com/trailer.htm Before going to see the documentary, I met some of my fabulous co-workers for some Friday food and fun.  As we were sitting around laughing about the craziness that is working in a high sch...

1. A pair of flip-flops I had been looking for 2. A pair of flip-flops I had forgotten I owned 3. My prom picture in its special frame...still not really sure what this is doing in my closet in DC.  Seems like something that should be in a box somewhere at my parents' house... 4. Oh--and a mouse.  Yep.  And not a dead one.  As I sat on the floor, it scurried by me.  I, of course, squealed like a little girl, jumped up and did the "ewww gross!" shiver, and called home.  My mom assured me that the mouse was more scared of me than I was of it, but I'm still not convinced.  She also claims that my fears of contracting bubonic plague from the mouse are unfounded.  But I am also not convinced of this.  Given the 3-day weekend, I had to take matters into my own hands since the maintenance guys wouldn't be around to do anything to solve the problem until Tuesday.  I have now learned how to set a mouse trap...or 4.  I don't care how many Stuart Little movies they make ...

I saw a link to this blog entry the other day.  I think the guy is on to something.  Let me know what you think... (this is my first attempt to link to something, so let's hope it works...)