THIS . . . is what I know.

A week ago today, the world lost an incredible woman.

I’m a strong believer that each of us, no matter how much we despised the school years we were forced to participate in, have had one teacher that inspired us in ways we otherwise would have not been be reached. Even I, “Miss S, who believes she is already grown,” as Mrs. Holmes readily (and honestly) referred to me one day, learned many lessons from this extraordinary educator.

Mrs. Holmes taught me that . . .

• Once you have raised your voice, you have lost the argument.
• And the greatest of these is Love.
• Do not use “so” as a qualifier.
• Family is golden, as are friends, as is honesty.
• Nothing is “basic” – nor should your language be written as such.
• Everyone’s working definitions of words are different – help one another define these working definitions and often common ground, or the ground to disagree at least, would have been found.
• Frasier is hilarious.
• While Mrs. Holmes did not have the physical capability to *actually* hold you kicking and screaming
  over the flames of hell, she could still convince you she would.
• Everyone is worthy; but don’t go looking into other peoples’ cars when you’re driving in downtown Nashville because you never know who has a gun.
• You must be in senior level English before being allowed to begin a sentence with the word “however”.
• Always prepare yourself for your meeting; thoroughly read the materials used for topic of
  discussion and make preparatory notes.
• Even ladies of great grace and patience cannot help but giggle at you when you refer to the Bible as
  “the Great Novel” in the middle of class.

I’m heartbroken when I think about all the students of SHS that will never know her amazing inspiration. I’m more heartbroken as I realize that my own children will not have the chance to meet her, much less the chance to get to know her. I do, however, have faith that those of us who did receive her life lessons will go on to share as many of those with others as we possibly can – after all, sharing those gifts with others is the only way future generations will be blessed by her light.

25 (More) Reasons for You to Question My Sanity

Rules:

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25
people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag
25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. I’ve just started wearing earrings again after about 10 or 12 years of only wearing them on special occasions.

2. I haven’t dyed my hair since 2004. And I love my silver-greys. Sincerely.

3. My resume competed with roughly 500 others to get me my new job – and won. (With a little help from my sparkling personality and interview skills.)

4. In the last six months, I’ve been thinking a lot about two people who were very dear to me a long, long time ago – both of them that I hurt pretty badly – both of them I feel very badly about.

5. I never thought *this* would happen.

6. As of the 17th of February, I will have been married for five full years.

7. I miss swimming in the creek, jumping hay bales, writing a news story, competing in the High School Speech and Drama League, driving everywhere in my 1991 Buick Skylark, and the promise of a wide-open future.

8. I watch more tv than one would think humanly possible, all thanks to the DVR. DVR – it will change your life. For instance, it means that:

9. My biggest exercise routine consists of lifting and replacing the remote.

10. I’m a spectacularly good shot. The first time I handled a pistol and shotgun, I got an amazing pattern on my targets. I find shooting relaxing and would love to join a shooting range.

11. I am a female who truly is *not* all that interested in owning 50 pairs of shoes (or more). I’m not interested in shopping, either, for that matter.

12. I worked full-time my entire way through college and have absolutely no sympathy for those who quit.

13. I usually brush my teeth in the shower.

14. I wanted to be a DJ from the time I was 12 years old – so much so, in fact, that I was licensed for broadcasting by the FCC by age 14.

15. Want someone to butcher a joke for you? I’m your gal.

16. When I was a small child, all my best friends were over the age of 65. I made one friend my age at 9 but was forbidden to see her. I didn’t make another friend my own age until I was 12.

17. I like to keep a coffee stirrer in my cup of coffee or cocoa so that I can stir it, cool it down, and play with it whenever I’m bored.

18. I am a grammar, punctuation, and spelling Nazi. You should know that if I correct you on a grammar rule, I’ve already looked up the proper usage and would not try and correct you otherwise. It’s one of the two areas in which I’m actually anal – the other being that if I’m not ten minutes early for a meeting / appointment, I feel late.

19. I hate Mexican food. I hate spicy food more.

20. When I was 13, I worked on my elementary / middle school newspaper. When I was 15 I worked on the high school newspaper. When I was 16-17, I worked on the high school newspaper AND produced our small-town community newspaper. When I turned 18, I got lazy and said “Screw this, I have plenty of time to run myself ragged with newspapers in college.” After I entered college, I never touched a newspaper again. And I miss it.

21. Cold weather is my arch nemesis. I define cold weather as anything below 60 degrees. I’m most comfortable when it’s between 75 and 95 degrees outside.

22. Sometimes I miss the “easy” work I used to do – when I could put on six-inch heels and flirt my way to $250 or more (once $1200!) in one night. Then I remember that it was, by no stretch of the imagination, EASY work – it was, in fact, the hardest job I’ve ever done.

23. I don’t like bananas at all – they make my stomach hurt. I do, however, love banana-flavored Laffy Taffy.

24. My fingernails naturally look French-tipped.

25. Sometimes I still count random things – my steps, pencils in a jar, files in a folder. I blame The Count on Sesame Street.