Stephany Writes

Categories: Recurring Series

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind, Part 6

Read Parts 1-5 here

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

I would most definitely rather lose my old memories. In fact, it would sort of be a blessing in disguise to not remember my past and the things from my past that are holding me back! I know there is a lot of talk about how mistakes of the past shape us into who we are today, but they seem to keep me from really experiencing life and living it to the fullest when I remember the ways my dad emotionally abused me, and the bullying I dealt with in middle school.

27. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

In a way, no. I think this is why my faith has been such a struggle. I’m not content to just say I believe it, and leave it at that. I need more. I need answers to my many questions. I envy people who just trust God without any qualms, but that’s not my way. I am constantly challenging what I believe and holding it up to what the world believes. Obviously, they are radically different. But I think challenging the truth is so useful and Christians need to do it more. I want to know my faith inside and out and be able to answer any question a non-Christian throws my way.

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?

No, not yet. It terrifies me that one day I will live in a world without my mom or my grandma or my brother, or any other family member. I feel so blessed to not know the pain of what that is like yet. I know I won’t continue with this innocence of death, but I’m going to enjoy every minute of my family while I have them.

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

Five years ago, I was 18, in my senior year of high school. What probably upset me the most was college decisions and the stress of my final semester as a high school student. Looking back, it doesn’t matter. I am exactly where I need to be at this moment. But we’re not very rational when we’re deep in the moment, are we?

30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?

One childhood memory that stands out especially is this silly moment in the car after we had all had a fabulous dinner at a steak house. My brother and I were maybe 7 and 8 and my parents were playing papers-scissors-rock to determine who got to use the bathroom first. I remember their laughter, which didn’t happen often. I remember my full belly and this deep peace that everything was OK right then. A lot of my childhood was uncertain and chaotic so these moments were rare but amazing to me.

I’d love to know your answer to #27 – Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first? What do you think?

Categories: Recurring Series

January Wrap-Up

Today marks the end of the first month of 2011. Can you believe we’re already 31 days into the new year? (Only 10 months until the Christmas season!)

It’s been a busy month for me but in the past few weeks, I’ve just been happier. There’s nothing on the horizon to look forward to, just a lot of work, a lot of classes, and a lot of homework and studying. But I’m happy. I wake up happy (well, sleepy, but also happy) and there’s just a joy surrounding me. I hope I can keep up this good attitude because life is so much more fulfilling when you’re happy!

January had its share of ups and downs.

  • I welcomed the new year on my living room couch, watching the ball drop on TV with my dog and my mom. We had a quiet night at home, which was simply perfect.
  • My mom completed her first-ever marathon. (I see at least one more in her future!)
  • I began my last semester as an undergrad, which was filled with its own set of headaches.
  • I spent my weekends buried in homework and cleaning, but feeling more relaxed and fulfilled than those weekends spent doing absolutely nothing.
  • I had an eye appointment (my first since September 2008!) where I found out my eyes had indeed gotten worse and the astigmatism in my right eye was stronger than before, meaning contacts are probably not the best everyday option. (Even contacts used for astigmatism still jump around in my eyes.)
  • I completed my goals of getting on track with my eating (and subsequently lost almost 6 pounds this month!), as well as establishing a cleaning chart to help me get motivated to help out more around the house. And I disconnected 3 out of the 4 Saturdays in January.
  • I did not complete my goals of establishing a budget or paying off my largest credit card (all I have to do is call the collection agency and set up the payment! Procrastinate, much?). I failed miserably on my water intake, although it did get a teensy bit better once I started back at Weight Watchers.
  • Turning off electronics at 9pm? It didn’t happen once in January. I usually didn’t remember about this goal I set until 9:30pm or later, if I remembered at all!
  • Tomorrow’s post will outline my goals for February, but I am going to “treat” myself to a new sports bra (or two!). The ones I’m wearing now I’ve had for about 3-4 years so I’m pretty sure it’s more of a necessity than anything. No Otterbox, though. Maybe next month!

How was the first month of January for you?

Categories: Recurring Series

Ten on Tuesday, Vol. 27

1. Do you decorate for Valentine’s Day?
No. Never have, and probably never will. Although, I did see Valentine’s window clings at Target with a wiener dog saying “Be Mine!” I almost bought it because hello, how perfect would it be? But then I remembered I am a humbug for Valentine’s Day.

2. Does your desktop have a picture or a computer graphic? Is it organized?
Yes, a picture of my brother and me. I love it. It’s cute. It’s mostly organized, although I have a tendency to just take my pictures from my camera and place them on my desktop. I just organized my pictures (I had probably 20-30 just floating around) but then added about 5 new ones I need to organize.

3. Do you use a paper planner, electronic planner, or no planner at all?
I’m definitely a paper planner girl. I’ve tried to do things electronically, but for some reason, I need to be able to touch and feel my planner and see things in my writing. And I just got this fabulous $5 Vera Bradley planner. It was basically love at first sight with this thing.

4. Do you change purses or bags often, or stick with a good thing?
Stick with a good thing. I only change purses at most twice a year. I just find the whole purse experience to be time-consuming (I’m very picky!) so when I find something I like, I keep it around for a while. 😉

5. What’s your favorite YouTube video?
I don’t really have one. I’m not a big YouTuber. Although, yesterday, I was keeping my nephew occupied with Cookie Monster and Elmo videos on YouTube and we learned “Elmo’s Song” and it feels like we learned it together so it’s pretty special to me. 🙂 (And what’s fun about watching videos with a 2-year-old is halfway into Elmo’s video, he would ask for “Cookie”. Then, halfway into Cookie Monster’s video, he would ask for “Elmo.” It’s like he has the attention span of a two-year-old!)

6. Do you use Turbo Tax or a real person to pay your taxes?
Turbo Tax, although it’s not that. It’s some other free thing that my mom found online since I only work part-time and have nobody to claim.

7. How many states have you stepped foot (or tire) into? Which ones?
Let’s see: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. That’s it! Only 6. Pathetic. I need to get out more.

8. How many countries have you been in? Which ones?
Just this one. Again, pathetic.

9. How many pillows are in your house? (Sleeping or decorative)
I have 4 in my room, my mom has 3 with her, and we have 2 for the couch. So…nine! (This reminds me that I really need to get some new pillows! Mine are lumpy, lumpy!)

10. How cold is too cold for flip-flops?
I would say in the 40s. But then again, I’m a wimp when it comes to cold weather.

*Hosted by Chelsea

Pick a question and answer it!

Categories: Recurring Series

Odds and Ends, the January Edition

I am so happy it’s Friday. Even though I have tons of homework on the horizon, it’s been a crazy week and I just want some time to relax.

  • I went into a panic on Saturday because I looked at my tuition and saw that my scholarship hadn’t gone through yet. It pays for a good chunk of my tuition and I depend on it. So, perhaps I freaked out a bit, and started worrying that I was going to be dropped from my classes, and have to wait another semester (or two) to graduate. I looked again on Sunday and sure enough, my scholarship went through. Phew! Big, big sigh of relief.
  • Panic #2 began a few hours after Panic #1 ended. I looked at my Spanish II class and Spanish II Lab and realized: they didn’t match up. I remember when I registered that the classes and labs weren’t paired up and didn’t let you know which lab to register for which class. It was really pick-and-choose-and-pray-you’re-right. Well, I was wrong. And I remembered about it after the add/drop period, meaning I couldn’t drop the lab I was in and add the correct one. Instead, I have to send in a petition to make an even exchange of the labs. I had to have my professor sign an “Add Class” form and another professor sign a “Drop Class” form, as well as write a personal statement about why I was doing this. Luckily, my advisor talked me through this and seemed positive I could get this changed without any hassles. It’s a 1 credit course and is standing in the way of my graduation, not to mention it means I’m not in the right lab for my class! It’s been a stressful few days dealing with this, but I have high hopes that everything would turn out OK in the end.
  • My classes themselves are going great. My Spanish teacher is wonderful and has such a passion for the language. It’s exciting to see! Signing up for a creative writing class was the best decision I made (even though it’s making me question majoring in journalism and not English). I feel a kindred spirit with all of my classmates. I can’t say much about my literature course, although it’s going to require a lot of me. I’m a little nervous about that class! And lastly, my capstone course is going to be pretty awesome since it’s all about what to do once we graduate, plus it’s filled with all the people I’ve been through the program with!
  • I bought my first pair of eyeglasses this past week. I know, I know. I am well on my way to becoming a Grown-Up. Visionworks is having a half-off sale so I got a cute pair of frames, as well as lenses for just $129! I opted out of the no-glare because I’ve never had it on my glasses and haven’t really seen a problem.
  • My mom came home to work on Monday night and said, “I think it’s time.” Time for what? TIME FOR HER TO QUIT HER SECOND JOB! I’m so stoked about this. She has worked there for 4 1/2 years, working 6-day work weeks and really having no days to herself. Mondays, she works from 8:30-5 at her job, then heads right over to her second job and works there from 5:30-8:30. Saturdays, she has to be at work at 7, and works anywhere from 3-5 with only a half-hour lunch break. The work isn’t bad, she just doesn’t like working that much and not having much in common with her coworkers. Before, we desperately needed that second income but we’re doing much better financially and I’m hoping to snag some type of job when I graduate to begin contributing to the bills. I’m just so thrilled for her because she deserves to have a normal weekend!
  • I’m only completing 2 out of my 5 goals currently. My water intake has been dreadful and while I made it last Saturday with no media, I always forget that I’m supposed to cut myself off from technology at 9pm! And let’s not even get started on my finances. But I still have 10 days left in January. I can still do this.
  • The amount of homework I have waiting for me this weekend is a little terrifying. Poems to read, discussions to submit, a test to take, lectures to watch, a letter to write, an article to submit, and a resume to draft. Along with old-school I-feel-like-I’m-back-in-high-school homework from the textbook for Spanish. I just need to buckle down and get to it!

I hope everyone has a splendid weekend! What are your plans? Please, make me jealous with anything not involving homework! Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a $55 gift certificate to CSN Stores. It ends Sunday at 7pm, the winner will be announced on Monday.

P.S. Go Steelers and Packers this weekend! Woop, woop!

Categories: Recurring Series

Ten on Tuesday (Vol. 26)

Another installment of Chelsea’s Ten on Tuesday for your viewing pleasure!

1. What’s your favorite color to paint your nails?
I am really, really bad at remembering to paint my nails. I should just fork over the money for a pedicure once a month, but I never seem to get around to it. Right now, they’re red and I don’t really have a favorite color. Whatever catches my eye, really!

2. Do you like to sneeze?
No! No, no, no, no, no! I avoid it at all costs, which I know is horrible for you. I hold all my sneezes in when I’m in public unless I have a tissue. I don’t have a cute sneeze and always have tons of snot. I’m awkward enough as it is without having to deal with my snot nose.

(Although, when I have a stuffy nose, sneezing feels like heaven!)

3. How often do you fill up your car with gas?
It gets filled up twice a week, once by me and once by my mom.

4. Were you named after anyone?
Nope.

5. Have you made any good recipes lately?
I made these awesome snickerdoodle cookies for my sister-in-law for Christmas. She liked them so much, she requested me to make more for her New Year’s Eve party! Oh, and last night, I made Hungry Girl’s turkey chili which is so good. And makes enough leftovers to last at least a week!

6. What’s an easy money-saving tip that you use regularly?
I try to use the “Come Back Later” rule to stop impulsive purchases. If I see something I want, I make myself wait at least 3 days before buying it. If I still want it as badly as I did 3 days ago, then I can buy it. But I usually find that I didn’t really need it as badly as I first thought.

7. Would you rather have a sore throat or an earache?
Probably a sore throat. They can be annoying but pain falls on maybe a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1-10. When I was little, I got earache’s all the time, although I haven’t gotten any in recent memory. Still, I can’t imagine they would be pleasant. With the 5+ sore throats I got last year, I’m a pro at handling them.

8. Do you have any scars? What are they from?
I have a small, barely recognizable scar on the inside of my thumb from when I had stitches in September. And I have a scar on my belly where a dog bit me when I was in 5th grade. But that’s about it!

9. What are you “known for” in your circle of friends/family?
Probably my intense love for football and my writing. I want to say my humor, but it may just be me who thinks I’m funny. 😉

10. How do you like to eat your pancakes?
Can I admit that I’m not a big fan of pancakes? I’m really not a big breakfast fan, period. When I do eat them, usually plain with no butter and lots of syrup. Sometimes, with chocolate chips. Mmm…chocolate chip pancakes! I cringe to know what the PointsPlus value of those would be!

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway – a $55 gift card to CSN Stores! Giveaway closes at 7pm on Sunday.