Reading Challenges 2014

I love to read, to most of you this is no surprise. To make it more fun for 2014 I decided to check out a few challenges.

Challenge 1: The Goodreads Challenge

I challenged myself to 65 books in 2014.
Last year I challenged myself to 50 books & increased it to 65. I read a total of 100 books in 2013.

Though towards the end of the year I went into a major reading slump which I've only recently been able to climb out of.

You can find me on Goodreads here.

Challenge 2: Book Bingo

This is a bingo card challenge hosted by Kristilyn of Reading in Winter & Anne of Creativity's Corner.

Summery: Read what the square tells you to read! Its bingo & we're going for a blackout!

For all the rules go here.

I am really excited about this & will keep you updated on my progress.

What are your reading challenges for 2014?

-Stephanie

What I learned on Valentine's Day

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. It may be because I'm single (okay its almost positively because I'm single), but that's not the point.

To get to the point let me just go through my day:

It started out with my phone having been unplugged during the night. Due to this it died & I overslept by almost two hours. ...oops

I went to my first job, did what I could in the time I had.

Drove to my second job & ended up having to circle around a couple of times to find parking. The parking person has been cracking down majorly lately. So again I was running late (I HATE being late, its a thing.).

I walked in and on my desk is a box of chocolate covered strawberries!!! 

Now chocolate covered strawberries are a favorite which I get maybe once every two years, so I was excited!!! (And I totally pigged out and ate them all throughout the day...oops!)

So being Valentine's Day I went to Tulsa to window shop & go to a movie.

I went to Panera to eat & ran into a situation which gave me perspective. 

I sat down and a couple were talking to a young girl with a baby, who looked like she was crying. 

They finished up their meal & left. This girl was still there looking lost and had no food in front of her. 

I asked her if she needed anything, food or anything. She told me the couple had gotten her a gift certificate to Panera & she didn't think she could keep down anything. (I thought later I should have gotten her a tea & some bread.) She told me she didn't have anyone in town & that the father of her son had stood her up at Panera. 

So what I learned today: my problems aren't as bad as they could be & I actually had a good day.

What was the best thing about your Valentine's Day?

Worst Sound Ever

So the other day we were on an awesome senior shoot & we went to this really neat alleyway. We’ve been there before and noticed a few weeks ago a dead bird. So naturally we were on the look out so we wouldn't step on it. This time though the wings were in one place and the bones were in another. The wings were easily avoidable & I had pointed out the bones to Andrea. (This is so she has a general idea of where they are while she is shooting.)

We were having a good time & talking to the senior & Andrea adjusts her position to get a different angle. All we hear was a loud crack and crunch.

Everyone there went “Oh!”

As we were walking to the car, I told Andrea. “That was the worst sound ever.”

What's the worst sound you've ever heard?

On Being Single

So, lets be honest. I’m 28, single and a girl. I am pretty content with my life, there are some things I’d like to change and am working on them. But the one thing I’m actually ok with right now is being single.

I was recently at a wedding and our pastor (I know he was joking with me so don’t take it any other way than that) said “so you’re next, right.” I laughed at him. I really did. He’s a friend I can do that.

The next day I was at a barbecue at someone’s house who I, personally, didn’t know even though they were friends with my parents, asked me when it was going to be “my turn”.

I honestly had to turn and walk away at that.

These two instances got me to thinking; Why would you ask someone that? Why does the world see a single female at my age as something wrong? Why do we have to be married?

Why can’t people just be cool with me being happy with where I am? Am I not allowed to be happy being single? Is our culture so wrapped up in the all girls have to get married they can’t see we’re perfectly happy being single & doing what we’re doing?

This isn’t to say I don’t ever want to be married someday, but right now I’m happy. I’m content. Deal with it.