Time Away

Been spending some time away this week. Be back home shortly.

Meet a great couple in the next condo.

Be sure & visit her Caring Bridge site.

Facebook Updates

It seems I spend a bit of time on Facebook. The thing is I know it. Here are the last few postings I have had. It goes from newest to oldest.

Katrina Potter Patty is off to bed!
Katrina Potter Patty is off the ball games!
Katrina Potter Patty has another busy day. Planning scouts for tonight, working on my Kindergarten Wednesday night lesson for Mission's, contemplating going to the pool company for shock, working on Operation Christmas Child stuff (that's right no typo). Well maybe not a busy day but I could fit a couple of more things in. EVIL EVIL Facebook
Katrina Potter Patty Now how about this one. Nobody puts Baby in the corner!
Katrina Potter Patty Grease is the word is the word is the word.....
Katrina Potter Patty just got back from Operation Christmas Child kick off.
Katrina Potter Patty just watched the local 155th leave from Tupelo. It was so sad. Cars pulled over on the side of the road for them. Motorcycles & Police Officers were leading, following & escorting them.
Katrina Potter Patty is headed to the ball fields AGAIN!
Katrina Potter Patty is headed off to lead a bunch of kindergarteners make Mother's Day crafts. FUN FUN FUN.....really!
Katrina Potter Patty dang I am gonna miss my friends tonight while they are supporting LeBonheur. Think of me while I am sitting at the ball fields.
Katrina Potter Patty Women rule the world...men are just here for the company. Just heard it on a commercial.
Katrina Potter Patty has to take her overweight dog for yearly shots, drop off a riding mower with the trailer, get some mulch, spread it, get ready to teach kindergarteners tonight & hopefully have a Mountain Dew somewhere in between.
Katrina Potter Patty is headed to work on new empty bowls for next years Salvation Army Empty Bowls Luncheon.
Katrina Potter Patty is headed out to a baseball game & then to Boy Scouts.
Katrina Potter Patty is back from a wet & cold baseball practice.
Katrina Potter Patty is relaxing & watching movies with her guys tonight.
Katrina Potter Patty What do you think the purpose of life is? To be useful & make a difference in life.
Katrina Potter Patty Wants everyone to know that you can get you some good seats for Alan Jackson tonight. I just checked online & the good seats that have been held back are being released. Section 102 Row 3 near the stage came up.
Katrina Potter Patty wants to update her blog but can't seem to get the gumption (is that a word) up to do it.
Katrina Potter Patty now has an official Boy Scout in the house. Chris did a crossover ceremony at church tonight. It was really special.
Katrina Potter Patty is waiting on word from family that had straight line winds come through Scottsboro early this morning. Tore the town up pretty bad. Alot of people with no electricity. My sister has power so she took my mom that had no power a pot of coffee. All is well in their life now.

The joy of old pictures

This was snapped in my dad's studio.

My mother has albums full of pictures of when we were growing up. Being a photographer's daughter can be that way. If my dad wasn't there mom had the camera. I guess that is why I always have a camera on me. My mom scans some every so often & sends them to me. About 5 minutes ago these popped in.
I look & wonder...What happened to that little girl? Where is she? My answer is she is happily married, has the kids she always wanted & has a good life. She is still within the woman she is now. Every so often she makes an appearance in the company of good friends. She has special friends. Loves to laugh & have fun & believes she is proud of the woman she did become.

My sister Pam & I. Gotta dig my red leather skirt. How about my sisters socks above her knee's? The babies breath we are holding in our hands used to grow along the ditch bank behind the house. It was the same ditch bank we used to have to go cut our own switches from. Not that I would know about that sort of thing. Do you know what a switch is?

The lot behind us is where the Scottsboro Sonic is located today. Before that it is where I played softball as a youth. Hardee's is & was across the road. It was Burger Chef then.

My sister & I. She had received her high school class ring & we were showing them both off. She was class of '85 & I was class of '82. Funny is I do not even remember this picture.

Thanks mom for the memories. I really mean that.

Scouts this past Monday

This past Monday was a pack meeting for our Cub Scouts at church. My Tigers had been working hard to earn their Tiger Cub emblem/badge. If you know what it is you know what you have to do. If you don't... well being a new scout (Tiger rank) you have to start out learning the Scout Motto, the Scout Salute & Scout Sign. We also did our Cub Scout promise in front of everyone. It may seem so simple to the older scouts but this is a great accomplishment for 1st graders. My Tigers are so smart. Once they were shown the first time they had no problems. Just like little soldiers. We actually earned it a few weeks ago but really wanted to have the ceremony at the pack meet. It is a parent thing. Photo opportunity. Show off what we know to the older boys. Now that we have the badge we can start earning beads to attach to it. Working out of the book earns you those. Next pack meeting in January we will have several boys earning several beads. 8 of my 12 are in the ceremony. 4 couldn't make it that night.

My oldest son is already a Webelo II rank & it seems like it was forever ago he was a Tiger. He will cross over to an official Boy Scout at the end of the school year. It slips by quick. I have a really great group of boys. I have included some pics of my Tigers. No names for privacy reason's, except my sons though.

Chris (Webelo II (my son) receiving a pin for his uniform from his Scout leader.

Me showing the Tiger Emblem of what we had been working on.

My Tigers growling!!!!

My son Matthew is the 3rd scout from the left.

Cub Scout salute

Cub Scout sign

Something comes to mind. While selling Scout popcorn at Sam's one day some of our Tigers asked someone if they would like to buy some..... his answer was "He didn't recognize the Boy Scouts of America!"

What the...........?

What part could he not agree with.....

The 10 purposes of Cub Scouting are:
Character Development
Spiritual Growth
Good Citizenship
Sportsmanship and Fitness
Family Understanding
Respectful Relationships
Personal Achievement
Friendly Service
Fun and Adventure
Preparation for Boy Scouts

Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values
Citizenship
Compassion
Cooperation
Courage
Faith
Health and fitness
Honesty
Perseverance
Positive attitude
Resourcefulness
Respect
Responsibility

The Cub Scouting colors are blue and gold.

They have special meaning, which will help boys see beyond the fun of Cub Scouting to its ultimate goals.
The blue stands for truth and spirituality, steadfast loyalty, and the sky above.
The gold stands for warm sunlight, good cheer, and happiness.

Sorry I will get off my band wagon now. Just could never understand narrow minded people. Did it phase me? No. I am still the Tiger leader for now. I wished he had not said something like that but he did, it is over & life goes on. The boys never gave it a second thought.

MeMe

I found this at my neice's site of Denise's blog and thought it would be fun to do.
Bold the things you’ve done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (actually hiked up a mountain)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang/played a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Made a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Gotten a speeding ticket

If you decide to do this on your blog, let me know so I can come over and see what you've done.

I will post tomorrow what this little thing has to do with me at the moment.

Wrong place at the wrong time or Are we?

God doesn't make mistakes.

He puts us where we are to be.

They say there are no mistakes, for everything there is a purpose.

Makes you think.

We’ll never know where our paths will take us!

God is not sleeping.

Do you ever feel you are in the "Wrong Place at the Wrong Time" ? I am full of Southern sayings even though I don't know if that is one. We all know the saying but deep down I know that isn't true. God always has us where we need to be.

I have to say I have been in some pretty cool places at what seems like the wrong time.

Once in 2000 in Paris in the Louvre Museum a deafening alarm sounded & all the doors shut & we were locked in Napoleon's bedroom full of priceless furniture along with alot of people that did not speak English. We sat on the floor a bit & then all the doors opened & we were on our way to the next wing. We never found out what happened. Probably never will. Wrong place wrong time.

In 2005 Jeff & I went to Paris & London. While in London bombs started to go off on the subway, streets & buses. We were outside of London on a castle tour at the Queen's home. I was in the gift shop when guards took me by my arms & asked if I was done shopping & lead me out of the shop. I thought I had done something wrong. When we first went in a bit before there were these cute little retired guys in beautiful uniforms greeting us. When I came out to the street side the cute little retired guys were gone & these young uniformed guys with berets with semi automatic weapons had took their place. Scary scene & we had no idea what had happened. No one knew. Word slowly got out & we were told "London was Closed". Closed! How can a city be closed? We did not know the severity until we got back to our Hotel that night. Our family had been trying to get ahold of us all of the day. We did get in touch but we were fine. We stayed in that night but was right back out the next day.

Wrong place wrong time.

Mississippi has been a crazy place for weather here lately. On May 8 of this month I took the boys to school as normal. On my way back the lightening was really striking in the sky. I had grabbed my camera on the way out the door. I pulled over at the furniture market buildings to try & get a picture of the lightening. Well the sky got really dark & it poured rain. The hardest I had seen in awhile. I gave up on the lightening & went home. I got a phone call when I got in the door. It was my husbands friend wanting to know if I was OK. Well.....ok as I could be. They had heard on the radio that a tornado had come up the road by my house, hit the furniture market, went across the road to the airport & jumped back up & went toward the mall area. I changed my clothes (in case I see someone I know) grabbed a fresh battery for my camera & headed back out. The tornado had hit the market building up the road from where I was sitting at earlier. WOW. Ripped the roof off. No injuries. I headed toward the mall area. Got alot of great shots. 3 were picked up by an on-line news site. You can view the pics I made here on Flickr.com. One of my sister's called to see if we were ok. She lives in GA & heard a tornado had hit our area. I had to admit to her on the phone where I was. Up where it had hit. The radio was calling for more bad weather to move through. I thought I would head home but wrong place wrong time. I was on a busy highway when the next wave came through. Along with a ton of other people I pulled off the side & waited it through. I had my phone & it worked so I sat & got caught up with my sister I rarely get to see. Well I did get home that day. Tupelo came through with no serious injuries. Alot of property damage but no deaths.

Wrong place wrong time.

Well not much as happened since then.......Wrong

Wrong place wrong time......

Next post to follow explains more......

He puts us where we are to be.

How to tell you are getting older!

How to tell you are getting older!

How can you tell?

When all your daughter's friends from high school start to graduate college, get real jobs & get married!

My daughter's bestest friend has pictures of her conducting a band (she is a music major). She is getting married next month. Kind of ;-( but really ;-) for her.

Congrats TT.

Totally flipped my lid...

"Work like you don't need the money,

love like you've never been hurt,

and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

I have had way tooooo much rest. I have totally flipped my lid. One of the songs playing on my list at the bottom of this page is "I Can Hear Music" by Kathy Troccoli. I got up, starting spinning & dancing & noticed my blind is wide open in my front office at home. Well the neighborhood show is now over. Thank you, Thank you very much for coming! See 'ya next show!

Listen to the song & see what you do. Please tell me it is just not me that does this!

Grounded

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths. ~Etty Hillesum

That word (grounded) should not be in an adults vocabulary for themselves.

I have gotten a few days behind on my blog. A week ago yesterday I went up to our land to clear some briars. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was a beautiful day. I had been there for a few minutes & while swinging the swing blade I felt something funny in my chest. I sat down for a bit to drink my refresher drink (Mtn Dew). I know.... not very healthy. I got back up but still felt really weird. I got my cell phone out of the chair & put it in my back pocket in case I dropped to the ground & did not pass out I could at least call someone for help. Well a few minutes passed & I still was hurting in my chest. I was having a hard time breathing & catching my breath. Could it be a heart attack? Could it be a pec muscle pulled. The only thought I was having was "Please Lord don't let me pass out by the water. You know I hate snakes & I don't want to be their lunch." Well I didn't pass out but I loaded what I could back in my little wagon, left some stuff behind, headed for the truck & came home. I took a shower & sit down to relax except I couldn't. Well I am not a person that runs to the doctor but the next morning (last Wednesday) I had an appointment. You knew I was feeling bad because I missed my bible study class at church. (Stepping Up - by Beth Moore) My doctor did a full exam, listened to my heart, took my temp, took my blood pressure, did chest x-rays & etc. Things were normal. As normal as they can be for me. I had "Chest Trauma". (More info at the bottom) He had some fancy smancy word for it but I forget. All I was hearing was I over did it the last few days & just slow down for a few weeks. Well that was going to make my mother happy. She tells me that all the time. Well have I slowed down........well a bit. I haven't been swinging a swing blade since last week. My ladies softball team played last night & I wasn't there. I figured the throwing & batting would be a set back. See...I do listen to my doctor & husband. My house is a wreck but it will still be a wreck in a few days for me then. I have taken it easy. Really.

The boys have started practice for T-ball & baseball & I have been driving them to the practices. Cub scouts is winding down for the school year but the summer stuff for scouts is starting. I am now an official Tiger Cub Leader. My paper work went in Monday at the meeting.

Only 6 more times to meet for Wednesday night Kindergarten Missions class. Then we have a summer break for class. While I am typing this I am trying to finish an idea in my head for the craft tonight for missions class. It will be a card for Mother's day. We are using thumb prints to use as "Thumbody Loves you" "Me that's who". Should be fun. 5 & 6 year old with inked finger prints in class to get all over the place. :-O I need to finish the paper work to get in for Chris to go to christian summer camp in June for his 3rd time. Matthew's spring pictures came in from school. I need to get that order form filled out & get in. I have to take one of my dogs to the vet today for her yearly shots. Get back home in time for my youngest to get off the school bus. Boy... I am sure glad today is not a real busy day. I should be at bible study now but I really need to get my craft ready for tonight. I hate missing but remember, I am taking it easy. If I keep repeating that to myself I may can do it.

Recent Chest Trauma
Cause of pain:Chest trauma of any type can cause chest pain by causing rib fracture or muscle strain or contusion. Not infrequently, seemingly mild chest trauma (sliding into second base during a weekend softball game) can be forgotten when the chest pain becomes apparent a day or two later.
Characteristics of pain:Chest pain caused by trauma is almost invariably localized, is often described as a soreness or a sharp pain. It usually worsens with breathing, and often the chest wall is tender to touch or to pressure.
Evaluation:Chest pain caused by trauma usually becomes quite apparent after the doctor takes a complete medical history, and performs a physical examination. Sometimes a chest x-ray helps in making the diagnosis.

Little Creatures

Click HERE to Visit My Photos on Flickr

It is always so much fun to walk through the woods & see the creatures or critters as my husband calls them. Sunday after church we went to the land to clear some small trees & briar's on a point by the water that my boys have staked out for their own. Jeff & Chris fished a bit & Matthew & I cleared a little. Right before Jeff joined me again on land I happened upon something on the ground just walking around. At first it startled me but then something else caught my eye. It wasn't that scared of me. I thought maybe my swing blade had maybe caught it or I had cut some little tree it was in . I really still don't think so. There is a nest in some briar vines but it looks like an old one. I feed it a crushed snack cracker we had there. (Never go off without bringing snacks for the kids) It was/is a really pretty bird. We came home & looked on Flickr for pictures of one like it. It is a cockatiel. I went back today to take some chairs over there & looked for it again. My plans were to bring it home for a pet. In the wild there or in the wild of my home. Same difference, better food here. I have plans to go back tomorrow & look while I work. It would fly up to a tree branch & watch me work then back down to the ground & visit. I am guessing it had to have been someones pet.

I hope to have the rest of the briar's & little trees by the water gone tomorrow. While Chris was at scouts tonight Matthew & I went to Harbor Freight Tools that recently opened & bought them both 18" MACHETES . We had been using one to cut the really tough vines & the boys kept fighting over who got to use it. So what does a responsible mother do....go out & buy your 6 & 10 year old one each. This is a tool that will be like the BB gun, 22 rifle & sling shots & etc. You don't let little boys out to play with machete's in the subdivision. Neighbors just don't like that sort of thing. With this though comes responsibility. We are teaching them the right use, even though I caught site of them pretending to be swordsmen Sunday & pretending to cut the others head off. Such a proud moment. ;-( That is a joke. I hate it but they are boys with vivid imaginations.

Have I accomplished anything?

The days pass & I look back & have I gotten anything done? I have my hand in several pots stiring (Is that a southern saying?) I don't do those!)

The boys are great. Both had dentist appointments yesterday. Both had no cavities. Chris had to have a capped molar tooth pulled. It had been loss for a bit & the stubborn thing would not come out. While there the dentist did it for us. Boy that saved alot of whining & complaining around here not to mention what Chris would have done. When I was leaving to get them back to school I told them they would not have to go back for another 6 months now. My 6 year old shouted "Praise the Lord". The funny thing is he really meant that to the Lord.

My Wednesday night church Missions (w/Crafts) class----I have had so much fun taking over the roll this year. I always come up with a good craft I think. I want it to be something that is somewhat useful. You know the kind you usually get. You go to pick up your child from their room & they have made something that as soon as they are in the door it is thrown on the counter & as soon as they are out of the room you bury it deep in the trash so it is NEVER seen again. This past week we worked on a 5 peice puzzle that has to be put in the shape of a cross. Quite difficult. Even grownups have trouble. Our talk was even though life can be puzzleing in the end God has been in each piece of it." The Cross". I have attached a picture you can print it, cut it out & see if you can put it together. I will post the answer in my next post. I promise it is not a joke. It can be done.

The boys now have both of their baseball team assignments. Both coaches seem to be really nice over the phone. Practice starts Saturday. Can't believe the season is upon us. While fitting their games in I also play softball each season for the church league. We all have so much fun.

I got an e-mail a couple of days ago. I have found out what Russian Volunteered is. I believe it has to do with having a gun at your head & being told you will be doing something against your will. Part of it is true for me except the "against your will" part & the gun also. My youngest son will begin in Cub Scouts this summer. He will start as the rank of Tiger Scout. They haven't found a cub leader & have asked if I would be interested in doing it. I beleive I will. Tiger parents have to be present at each meeting so I might as well. I do like leading the younger ones & sharing the things I know. They are just young enough to not know the difference if I am just totally lost. We will be going camping this summer. Thank goodness my Webelo 2 will be sleeping on the ground in tents with his group but my husband & I will have a cabin with the Tigers. Me & the ground just do not go together.

Pray that the Lord will give me an answer if I should do this. I need the brick to the head answer.

Back to my Kindergartener missionaries. We have done several little mission projects this year. We collected food for the Sanctuary Hospice House, change for LeBonheur Childrens Hospital & still collecting Pop Tabs for LeBonheur. Our next project before we finish out our year next month is going to be the Humane Society here in Tupleo. Before you go out to ever buy your next pet please visit a shelter & save a life. The shelters all around are never for profit. They have a really low budget so they have to rely on the public to help. Our kindergarteners are so excited to get to help on this one. They have such giving hearts. We sent home a wish list to the parents & hope to collect alot in the next 7 weeks we have left. http://www.tupelo-leehumane.org/

---I had to throw this in. I am really not much of an April Fool's person. In other words I don't pull any major one's. Well we all got up to start our day & while the boys were eating breakfast I got on my laptop in the office to check my e-mail. I read a friends (C.P.) April Fool. So funny. She got alot of us. Well it hit me to try one. I went back to the breakfast room & told the boys because of the really bad storm weather that school had been delayed a couple of hours. You should have seen the cheers & jumps. How cruel---I had to tell them April Fools. They did not laugh as I did. Now to look back it was cruel (but so fun).

And after all of this we hope to get our house SOLD. Pray for a buyer for us.