Pattie Needs...

It is far more impressive when others discover

your good qualities without your help. ~ Miss Manners

I think I hit a nerve with my post about ta-tas on display. Thank you for the insightful, and in some cases hysterical, comments that you made! It seems we all agree: less is more. While a little cleavage showing can be a lovely thing, too much is just uncomfortable for all who are viewing -- except for the guys who see it, I guess. But then I have to wonder about the message that's being sent to those men.

Oh well, I'm not the morality police -- and I don't want to come off that way. I have no control over fashion and what people chose to wear. I'll just have to learn to keep my eyes closed when I'm getting my hair done!

* * * * *

On a sillier note... I pulled this little piece from Hootin' Anni's post today. Her list peaked my curiosity, so I wanted to try it. Please play along, if you feel like it. The results were kinda funny!

The rules: All you have to do is Google your first name with the word 'needs' behind it, and post the first 10 results. Here's what Google listed, although I had to use the second page to come up with ten:


Pattie needs to go back to law school and finish getting her degree (What if never started one??)

Pattie needs water (Can't argue with that one.)

Pattie needs a job (I have one: domestic goddess.)

Pattie needs a new background (Oh no: they found out about my mob connections!)

Pattie needs our prayers ( Always. No joke.)

Patti needs a man! (Got a good one: thanks so much.)

Pattie needs a copy of our insurance (Did you back into my car again??)

Pattie needs sweatpants (C'mon - it's WAY too hot for sweatpants!)

Pattie needs to be a guest judge on ANTM with Twiggy, her compatriot and friend (Somebody's been reading my diary. How else could they have learned about me and Twiggy, BFF??)


Now, I have to tell you what Pattie really needs...

Ahhhh! Wouldn't that feel nice? I'd be grinning like that kitty too, if someone would rub my back!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Until next time...

Maybe I'm Just Getting Old...

I am not one of those who in expressing opinions

confine themselves to facts. ~ Mark Twain

I've been thinking lately (a dangerous thing to do!) about a couple of things that bug me. Well, let's be honest: lots more than a couple of things bug me, but these happen to be in the front of my mind, so to speak. I'm going to put on my Andy Rooney hat for a moment because I'm kinda curious to see if anyone else shares my feelings.

Have you noticed how tricky spammers are getting lately?

Nobody likes SPAM mail. I've learned through the years to just delete it because as of this moment, I haven't found a way to stop it from getting in. 99% gets put into my Spam folder, so it's easy to pick out. But unfortunately, a lot of real email gets put there too, so I can't just blindly delete all of it. I have to sort the wheat from the chaff, as it were.

But the new trend I'm seeing is how well the spam mail is disguised. They're making it look like a politically-themed email. The older I'm getting, the more I'm getting into all things political, so I'm very interested in reading emails about the upcoming presidential race. So if the subject line references John McCain or Barack Omama, I open it...

... and find links to porn sites. Grrrr.

Now while many people might think politics and porn are the same thing, I don't. So stop sending me this junk, ok?

* * * * *

The other thing I want to rant about is not related to porn. It's about women's breasts (hmmm... maybe there is a tie-in.) :-)

Have you noticed that breasts are everywhere, displayed for all the world to see? Don't get me wrong: I love breasts. I happen to have two that I'm very fond of (even if they aren't as perky as they once were!) I think breasts are a beautiful thing and a great part of being a woman.

I just don't want to see them every time I turn around.

I went in to get my hair done last week, and my stylist greeted me wearing jeans and one of those spaghetti-strapped baby-doll tops. She looked fantastic: she's got a figure that I would kill for. She's also got a large, proud pair of ta-tas that were right there. The whole time she's coloring my hair and shampooing me, I kept my eyes closed. Seriously. Because I was sitting and she was standing, her girls were literally at eye level for me and frankly, it's hard to carry on a conversation when all you can see are breasts (and I'm a straight female. Imagine how flustered her poor male and lesbian clients feel!)

This trend to show more and more seems to be everywhere: in the mall, at restaurants. A few months back, hubby and I were having lunch at one of those places that has one continuous bench a long one wall, and small tables with a chair facing it. We were happily munching away when two young women were seated next to us. The gal facing me was lovely and very well-endowed -- and all I could see when I looked her way were her girls. I finally admitted to hubby that I couldn't help looking: they were so right there. Hubby calmly (and wisely) said, "I think that's what she's after - to be stared at."

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating that we go back to Victorian dress, when women were covered from head to toe. I'm truly not a prude, and I think if ya got 'em, flaunt 'em. But be choosy about when and around whom you do it, ladies. There's a time and a place for everything.

* * * * *

So there you have it. And now I'm curious: what are your thoughts? Am I just getting to be an old fart?

Maybe you shouldn't answer that last question!

Until next time...

One Step Forward

Dreams and dedication are a powerful combination.

~ William Longgood

Thanks to all of you who posted words of encouragement yesterday. I sure appreciate being able to write out all the conflicting emotions that were going on inside my head over the tutoring experience. I'm feeling much calmer about it today, after speaking yesterday to the folks who run the literacy program. I am prepared now to go back tonight and give Mark the help he needs -- at the more advanced level he's at. It's all good!

MizFit hit the nail on the head when she left a comment, asking about my almost-overwhelming need to hit a fast food joint after I tutored. She wondered if I knew what triggered it:

... the overwhelmingness of the situation/experience? ( I so felt that when I tutored. prepared to help and yet felt wholly inadequate at times...)

That's exactly the feeling had when I left the Work Furlough facility. So anxious, so conflicted. But I did not give in to the siren call of fast food because I knew I was looking for comfort that food could not bring me. I just wanted the anxiety I was feeling to stop, and that's not on the menu at Taco Bell (think of the fortune they'd make, if it were!) Instead, I was comforted by my hubby when I got home, had my fears allied by the folks at the literacy program, and I got lots of support from everyone here in blogland! Thank you.

AND I'm very proud to report that I lost another 2.5 pounds last night at weigh in. That's 8.5 pounds in three weeks. I am one happy camper!

We CAN do whatever we set our minds to!


Until next time...

Healthy Me Check-in and Encouragement

Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble
the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of
praise or encouragement -- and we will make the goal.

~ Jerome P. Fleishman

It's been another good week for me, as far as healthy eating goes. I've written down everything I've eaten (included that fabulous hot dog and popcorn at Saturday night's movie!) I've stayed within my Points, with a few to spare. But I have to admit that it was tougher this week. I wasn’t quite as calm about it all as I was the first two weeks. Nerves? Hormones? Who knows! I was tempted more often, but I stuck it out. Weigh in is tonight... we'll see.

* * * * *

Last night was my first tutoring event. Talk about an emotional eating experience! I was far too nervous to eat anything before I went, but after... boy, the pull to stop on my way home for some kind of fast-food comfort fix was incredibly strong! I just kept telling myself, "Go home and eat something good there." I made it - but again, the temptation to calm myself with food was really strong (which as we all know, brings about five actual minutes of comfort, then you're back to square one!)

It was an interesting experience, going into this minimum security facility to tutor. The room where we meet is in the men's section and luckily, one of my fellow tutors was there to escort me to the room we're allowed to use. She and I chatted while we set up, then I waited for Mark. Turns out he's a young man of 20, with deep piercing eyes and arms covered with tattoos. I started out by asking him to tell me a little about himself and his goals. One of the things he mentioned a few times is that he loves to draw. And he's really motivated to earn his GED. That's his primary goal at this point, and he's been studying hard on his own to make that happen. He'll be released in December and is ready to pull his life together.

I have to admit to being at a bit of a loss of what to do to help him, however. I had him do some cold reading of material I thought for sure he'd stumble on. He didn’t falter one bit. Even the words I'd thought might catch him up were not a problem. I had him answer the questions following the reading, to check on his comprehension. No problem there: he got every one right. Then I gave him pencil and paper and asked him to write down his goals for me. He wrote a full paragraph, correctly spelled and punctuated. I found myself thinking, "Now what??" I went in expecting to teach this young man phonetics and site words and find that he's a very capable young man. I'm so pleased for him, but I've got a call in to the folks who supervise the literacy program to ask where I go next.

Part of my goal last night was to encourage him as much as possible, and I found that very easy to do since he is so capable. At the end of our time together, we shook hands and he left the room. As I was gathering my things, feeling a bit confused on where to go next with him, I heard the door open. I looked up and it was Mark. He said, "I wanted to show you some of the drawings I did." He brought in two pencil sketches he'd done of eagles, their talons clasping wood in one picture, and fish in another. The drawings were incredibly well done - this guy is really good! I encouraged him to think about pursuing graphic design training after he gets his GED.

Can I tell you how good that felt to me, that he went back to his cell and got these drawings to show me? I left there beaming! It truly reinforced my belief that what most of us need in life is a little encouragement, someone to say, "You bet you can do it!"

One last thing... and don’t you dare laugh! When I'm nervous, I tend to perspire from my head. Well, I was very nervous last night. For some reason, this triggered a hot flash. The whole time I was with my learner, trying to be helpful and encouraging, I'm mopping my face and fanning myself for dear life! He must have thought I was melting - and I was!

So much for first impressions, eh? :-)

Until next time...

Outside the Comfort Zone

Habit is necessary; it is the habit of having habits,
of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly

fought against if one is to remain alive.

~ Edith Wharton

Last night, hubby and I had a fun evening out. We saw the new Batman movie Dark Knight, which was pretty incredible (I'll second those who are voting for a posthumous Oscar nomination for Heath Ledger.) We don’t often go to movies while they're in the theatre, preferring instead to get them from Netflix so we can take potty and stretch breaks when needed. But sometimes, seeing a movie in a darken theatre, with one hundred of your closest friends (yes, it was packed last night) is an experience in itself. Don't you agree that there's something about the crowd that feeds the excitement of an action movie?

The other unusual thing we did last night was having "dinner" while we watched the movie. I don’t think I've ever eaten a hot dog at a movie theatre. I know it sounds silly, but it was so fun (and so yummy!)

What this all made me realize is how important it is to break out of our ruts, to do something different once in a while. How nice it is to see ourselves in a new situation, in a new light (in our case, with mustard dripping down our chins!)


I think the same idea applies when we're trying to progress as individuals. There certainly is comfort in routine, but there isn’t growth. It's important to step outside our comfort zone once in a while - that place that feels safe and familiar - and stretch our wings. We'll never know what we're fully capable of until we do.

All of this thinking about ruts and new adventures is in the forefront of my mind today, as I prepare to do my first-ever tutoring session tomorrow night. I am incredibly nervous, and incredibly excited all at once. I know I will grow from the experience, and I can’t seem to settle the butterflies in my stomach. But I know it’s all part of stepping outside of my comfort zone.

We all get in a rut in our lives. Good emotional health requires that we occasionally do something new to shake things up. I can highly recommend a hot dog and a movie -- just not too often. That treat ate up a lot of my calories for the week. But what a great way to spend them!


Until next time...

Ready to Begin

To teach is to learn twice. ~ Joseph Joubert, 1842

I just got word last night that I'm cleared and ready to begin as an adult literacy tutor. Best of all, I have an eager student waiting for me!

I'll be working with adult offenders through the work furlough program of our county probation offices. These folks have been convicted of a minor crime of some kind, but rather than receiving jail time, they were sentenced to probation. They're offered lots of opportunities to improve their lives, making them better citizens who hopefully won't break the law again. One of those opportunities is studying for their GED's. From that group of students, some are recognized as needing individual help learning to read. That's where we volunteer literacy tutors come in.

All I know at this point is that my student's name is Mark, and I'll be meeting with him twice a week for an hour each time, helping him learn to read. He's very eager to get his GED, and has been waiting for my security clearance to come through (background check, finger-printing, etc.) I've not yet met him, but I keep hearing from other tutors that he's enthusiastic and raring to go. I couldn't ask for more in my first assignment!

As I mentioned in a post a month or so ago, I can't image how difficult it is for an adult to step forward and say, "I don't know how to read. Please help me." I love to read, and always have my nose buried in a book or magazine of some kind. What would it be like to go through life not being able to escape into a good novel? Or more importantly, to be unable to read a menu or a perscription bottle or street signs? We take so much for granted when we can read, don't we?

So I'm excited to begin on Monday -- and scared as heck! Every time I misspell a word, or make a blunder in one of my crossword puzzles, I think, "Good grief, who am I to be teaching somehow how to read??" But then I remember that old expression about how in life, there will always be someone more knowledgeable than you, and always someone not quite as skilled. I've had some incredible teachers in my lifetime - both in traditional classrooms settings and out in the world. Now it's my turn to give something back.



Until next time...

You Become What You Think About

Listen to the Musn't's child,

Listen to the Don't's.
Listen to the Shouldn't's,

the Impossibles, the Won't's.
Listen to the Never Haves,

then Listen close to me:
Anything can happen, child,

Anything can Be!

~ Shel Silverstein

Drum roll, please... I lost six pounds last night at weigh in! Woo hoo! I'm a happy camper!

I've been thinking a lot lately about thinking. Specifically, how our thoughts can make or break us in life. I'm reading a great little book right now (recommend by Rebecca over at Ready Maid) called Being in Balance, by Dr. Wayne Dyer. He has a wonderful way of putting it:

You get what you think about, whether you want it or not.

Pretty simple, but pretty powerful. If you think that making a change in your life (like paying your bills on time, or losing weight, or being a better a friend) is hard, then it will be hard. But if you look at the positive aspects of what you're doing, the experience will be positive. Yep, it's that old Law of Attraction idea: you draw to you the same energy you put out to the world.

I struggle with being too hard on myself, and I know from experience that I'm not alone in that. I am encouraging of others who take a step and fall. But when I do it? Oh boy - the inner tirades begin! But these past two weeks, I worked on letting go of past mistakes and instead focused on how good it felt to be eating healthy again. I created very positive thoughts that translated into very positive actions.

So here's an idea:

What if we all focus on the positive things about ourselves?

Quick! Name all the areas where you think you’re lacking. Go ahead - I'll wait. :-)

You can probably make a long list, can’t you? I’m not smart, I’m not thin, I’m not wealthy, I’m not stylish, I’m not active… I’m not, I’m not, I’m not!

How about listing all the things you are?

Focusing on the positive parts of ourselves is much more of a challenge because we’re used to looking at all the ways we think we don’t measure up. We’ve set a self-imposed standard inside us that constantly points out our shortcomings.

So here's my challenge for all of us today: take time to write down all of the good things you are. If you’re having trouble making a list, ask a trusted friend or loved one what they see as your strengths. It’s time we start defining ourselves in terms of what we ARE, not what we aren't. Remember Dr. Dyer's words: You become what you think about.

I'm a proud and capable woman who is six pounds lighter today! What are you?


Until next time...