At OU, I'm a member of a new organization on campus called Okie Belles. We are a non-Greek women's organization that focuses on leadership, sisterhood, and service. With Okie Belles, I've volunteered with the Regional Food Bank, Second Chance Animal Shelter, JD McCarty Center, and Heavenly Hospice.
I began running outdoors during my freshman year at OU and loved it. I've run in a few 5k races, a 10k race, and two half-marathons. While I'm not nearly as fast as I was last year, I've kept up with running as a hobby and hope to continue with it for the rest of my life.
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| My boyfriend, Stoffel, and I at the Tulsa Color Run (2013) |
I also enjoy being lazy and watching Netflix. My favorite shows include: The Office (U.S.), Walking Dead, and Parks and Recreation.
What makes Netflix marathons (and everything else) even better for me is the company of our two cats.
We first got Velma at the beginning of the summer (2014) as a scrawny, fearful kitten from OKC Animal Welfare. She hid under the couch for the first few days and we were afraid she would never warm up to people.
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| Little Velma on a rare expedition from her hiding spot (Summer of 2014) |
But with care, patience, and a LOT of food, Velma grew to love us and (mostly) tolerate other people. She also grew fat, but she's still just as beautiful!
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| Velma showing off her belly (Fall of 2014) |
Then, just before finals week of 2014, we found a friendly young cat in the parking lot of the apartment complex. We fed her, and the rest is history. Velma got a sister, Annie.
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| Velma and Annie on Annie's first night in the apartment (December 2014) |
But soon they began to play instead of fight, and now it's clear that they love each other.
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| Velma and Annie share the recliner for an afternoon nap (January 2015) |
I've found that two cats are even better than one. They keep us constantly entertained by their cuteness and antics.
Looking forward to a great 2015!
I am also interested in work with children in the field of psychology. Not the same specific field as you, but the same general area. I think it is so rewarding to help children in any form or fashion. I love the fact that you have the two cats! My family has two dogs at home and they act the exact same way as Velma and Annie. They used to not even tolerate each other but now we can't even get them to go outside, or inside, without each other.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I have heard about Okie Belles, Brianne, and it sounds wonderful! If you ever have any events you want to publicize through the class announcements, just let me know! It is always more fun to announce events when they are connected to people who are in the class. And I can tell already that Velma and Annie are practically members of the class already, ha ha - they are both so cute! It looks like they get along sooooo much better than our two cats. Our cats don't fight exactly, but our boy cat sure does like to annoy our girl cat. Mostly she just hisses at him, but every once in a while she has to give him a real swat on the nose. I'm not sure they will ever learn to get along as well as your cats... but our house and the outdoors are big enough for them to share! Thank goodness! :-)
ReplyDeleteLet me just say, your cats are awesome! You're so right about two cats being better than one. We have two that are siblings at my house back in Garland, and they are inseparable. Good luck with your psychology career! My girlfriend is a psych major, and it doesn't seem easy at all. Wanting to help kids is very admirable, and I hope it all works out for you!
ReplyDeleteHello Brianne it is nice to meet you. Congrats on the running, in my younger days I did a half marathon and I know the commitment that goes into training for those, so once again kudos. Also, I also love Netflix. I can search through there and always find some wacky new show I have never seen. Two of my fav finds have be Bojack the cartoon about the horse and Marco Polo. I love those two shows. Well it was great meeting you and good luck on the semester.
ReplyDeleteYour cats are too cute! I have a cat, Bella, who will be 5 this year. She recently got a younger brother, our dog Cobi, back in August. I was definitely afraid that they wouldn’t get along, which sometimes they don’t. It’s actually quite funny though because Bella beats that crap out of Cobi and you would think it would be the other way around. That’s really cool that you watch the Walking Dead. I am so read for it to come back on tv in a few weeks. I’m needing some more zombies in my life.
ReplyDeleteHi Brianne. I have some family in Flower Mound, so I’ve visited there a few times and it’s an awesome place! Psychology seems like a very interesting major, and that’s awesome that you want to work with kids in the future. I’ve never heard of the Okie Belles organization, but it seems like a great way to get involved in the community and on campus.
ReplyDeleteAh cuuttee cats! My roommate just got a cat a couple weeks ago, and we've been trying to get him to get along with our dog. He finally stopped hissing at him today, and they are tentative friends (maybe) now, haha. I'm from Allen and know a bunch of people from Flower Mound. Dallas area is just such a fun place, definitely get homesick for it every now and then.
ReplyDeleteand YAY for another Walking Dead fan. So obsessed with that show.
Your cats definitely seem like they have quite the personality! I bet they keep you entertained! I don't have any cats, but I certainly know how you feel about them being part of the family. I have a black lab, and she has a mind of her own for sure. Also, one of my roommates is originally from Flower Mound, so I know exactly where that is. I've heard all about what a great place it was to grow up. Hope your semester is going well!
ReplyDeleteI love all of your pictures! My mom is allergic to cats, so I never had any growing up. The people I know who have cats wouldn't trade them for the world. I did have a rat in high school, and she was the most lovely thing in my life. I have just recently started running. It's definitely not the easiest thing I've ever done. Im joining the Navy this summer, so I'm trying to get in shape. It's encouraging to hear how much people enjoy it. Thanks for the motivation!
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to get into running lately. I enjoy working out but I haven't been the biggest runner. I've never had a cat as a pet but my girlfriend has two inside cats and multiple cats that live outside around her porch. My family have always had dogs but no cats. I have also done volunteer work at the Regional Food Bank and I found it quite enjoyable. I really liked working in the gardens they had out behind the building.
ReplyDeleteHi, Brianne! What beautiful cats you have! I am happy they were able to get along, because they are the cutest in your pictures. I got a good laugh at Velma looking a Annie like "who are you?" I am also a Psychology major. I think it is really cool that your are going to graduate school. Child Psychology is a really good field.
ReplyDeleteWhat a small world that we are both from the same city and in the same class. Okie Belles sounds like a wonderful organization. I have also volunteered at Second Chance and can say that it is one of my favorite ways to volunteer here in Norman. The Office and Parks and Recreation are two of my favorite shows too. I'm sad that this is the final season of Parks and Recreation because it is so funny.
ReplyDeleteHi Brianne! It's so great that you found Okie Belles, an organization that you support and can develop your leadership skills with friends. I think volunteering is such a great thing, and it sounds like you've had the opportunity to help at some great nonprofit organizations. I saw your picture from the Tulsa Color Run--and that makes me excited. I'm running my first Color Run in OKC in April, so I'm super excited for that! I think running is so great, but I completely understand the love for Netflix. Walking Dead is also one of my favorite shows, and I love keeping up with it each Sunday night.
ReplyDeleteHey Brianne,
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing all your cat pictures! Like you, I am a cat lover myself and have one cat that lives with me and one back home. I think it’s great when people rescue animals. I rescued both my cats and a dog as well and they make the best pets. We have very similar taste in tv shows as well. The Office is such a classic, it will never get old and Parks and Rec is another one of my favorites. I’m so sad this is the last season.
Hello fellow cat person!!! I also love cats. We have 4 of them right now...1 male & 3 females. Your cats are adorable! It's also nice to meet another person who has chosen Psychology as their major. I find it to be a fascinating field of study. What do you plan to do with your degree once you're done? Never mind my questions...I just went back and reread your Intro. There are a lot of great child psychologists that I have met in my lifetime. I am a foster parent and it is my opinion that all kids in foster care need good, quality counselors in their lives. I plan to use my degree in Psychology to become a foster care or adoptions worker. I also wanted to say that I admire you for being so dedicated to running. It looks like a lot of fun, but my body wouldn't be able to handle running for very long. I love my elliptical because there's not as much impact of my joints. Lol Now, I'm starting to sound like a little, old lady. Anyway, it's nice to meet you and have a great final year at OU!
ReplyDeleteHey, Brianne! Nice to meet you. I love your plans for after you graduate! One of my majors is psychology, and I always love hearing about other people that study it. It's so rewarding! I wish you all the best for your future. Major props for being a runner! I can never keep it up for too long, so I admire your drive and discipline. Have a great rest of your semester!
ReplyDeleteHey, Brianne! Let me just begin by saying that I would totally be a cat person if they didn't make me itch so much! I guess that makes me (begrudgingly) a dog person... Anyway, kudos to you for being a runner. I've never been able to run simply for the sake of running. For me, there has to be a larger purpose like chasing a ball (I play lacrosse). It was nice to "meet" you. Good luck in the future!
ReplyDeleteHey Brianne! I love the photos you included of your two cats! They sound like a lot of fun. I absolutely agree that Netflix marathons can be made better with the company of a cat or even two. Okie Belles sounds like a really great organization to be a part of. I had never heard of it before. I wish you luck with the rest of your semester!
ReplyDeleteHey Brianne!
ReplyDeleteI am also a psychology major. I plan to go to grad school and become a sports psychologist. Before I found sports psychology, I too wanted to become a child psychologist. Okie Belles sounds like a wonderful organization. I am a member of Alpha Phi Omega co-ed service fraternity so I have also volunteered at some of the places you mentioned. Even though you say that you are not as fast as you used to be, I applaud you for just participating in marathons! Good luck with the rest of the semester!