Milestones

When folks my age had kids

Was Milestone Number One,

Yet doctors said for us

There simply would be none.

Instead we got a dog,

Her name was Bessie Mae,

She helped us both get through

Those baby-crazy days.

When kids of all our friends

Grew up and went to school,

In my mind I witnessed

Milestone Number Two.

I focused on our dog

And smiled at wags and barks,

Sent graduation gifts,

Watched other’s kids embark.

That’s Milestone Number Three,

At a decade and a half,

But for us it was the end

Of our dog-focused path.

As I viewed Facebook pics

Of teens dressed for prom,

I said goodbye to Bessie,

The one who made me “Mom.”

Those milestones with my Bessie,

Though they've come now to an end,

Might set the stage for more

So my broken heart can mend.

What will be those milestones?

Only God can ever know,

But I trust in God with faith

That through them I will grow.

Happy Birthday (48)!

With birthday number forty-eight

I’m here to set the record straight:

The greatest gift that can be found

Is family and friends all round.

I’ll take the gifts; I’ll take the cake;

I’ll take a trip down to the lake,

But what I will remember best

Is time to love and time to rest.

I slept in late and ate my fill,

I had some time to just sit still.

I heard the happy birthday song

And stayed with Mom all day long.

I’ll walk the dog and talk to Rick,

The dinner menu is my pick,

And when I go to sleep tonight
I will have spent my day just right.

Too Late?

Living so far from home

At first does not seem bad –

Enjoying all the freedom,

Away from Mom and Dad.

But when years turn to decades

That speed so quickly by,

I think about my family

And heave a great big sigh.

That sigh conveys so much

Of what I’ve missed these years:

Births and graduations,

And happiness and tears.

That sigh also represents

The friendships that have waned

And the Louisiana life

That once was so ingrained.

But can I move back home?

Have the changes been too great?

Can I readjust my life?
Or is it simply just too late?

Caught Between Two Worlds

I've lived nearly half of my life a 12-hour drive from home. Rick and I moved to Louisville, Kentucky in 1991. I was 24 years old, and we had been married just over a year. At the time, we thought we would be away from home for only a few years -- long enough to finish graduate school. Somehow, we settled into church life, work life, and community life, and nearly 23 years later, we're still there. I say "there" instead of "here" because we're home this week (North Louisiana -- our first home) to celebrate Christmas with our family.

Me at 4 years old

This morning as I got ready for church, I contemplated spending half of my life so far away from our parents and our childhood and college friends. I realized that I live in two different worlds. The inhabitants of one world know the me who was once a little girl. They know that I always liked to sit on the front row in class because I loved school so much. They know that I like to ride my bike and I love cheese pizza. They know that I'm not very good at sports, I'm not fond of alcohol, and I took piano lessons for 10 years. They've eaten at my Mom's house, shared dorm rooms and apartments with me, and held my hand at family funerals.

The inhabitants of the other world have never known me before I was married; they know me as one half of "Rick and Kathy." They know a woman who loves working in the field of education, who likes to hang out at coffee shops, and who enjoys super hero movies.  They have seen me

Me at 46 years old

perform in dinner theaters and skits at church (or performed with me). Most have never met my family, and certainly haven't met my high school and college friends. North Louisiana is a far away place to them, and the only images they have of that world are from "Duck Dynasty" and "Billy the Exterminator."

I feel as if the folks in each of those different worlds know me only half way. They either know the person who grew to 23 years old and got married, or they know the 24+ year old (now 46!) who has been a school librarian for 23 years in Kentucky. I am so grateful for the adventures Rick and I have had in Kentucky and the wonderful opportunities I've had in my career there. I love my Kentucky friends dearly, and will remain their friends for life. Yet, I envy those friends back in Louisiana who have stayed in our hometown and watched their own kids go to Greenacres Middle School and Airline High School, and then on to Louisiana Tech -- all my alma maters! I envy the time they've spent with their families and the positive influences they've been in our hometown. They've seen changes that I only get a glimpse of a few days a year when we visit.

I know I'm not that same little girl who grew up in Bossier City, Louisiana. I've grown and changed and become someone that I hope my family and friends are proud of. But who I am now is a combination of those first 24 years spent in Louisiana and the last 22+ years spent in Kentucky. And I often wish that at least one person could have walked that journey with me from little girl to the woman I am now.

Thank you, "Wheel of Fortune"!

Just got back from the 8-day trip to Panama for two that I won on "Wheel of Fortune!" It was the BEST vacation I've every had.  Rick and I were able to go on our 23rd wedding anniversary. I'm so grateful for the experience of being on "Wheel of Fortune" and the experience of spending 8 days in beautiful Panama!

Click the links below to read about my experience on the "Wheel of Fortune" episode that was aired November 23, 2012.

Blog Post 1

Blog Post 2

Remembering Clark (1952-2012)

At Christmastime each year,

My brother handed out large bags

Filled with odds and ends—

All labeled with one tag.

Clark didn’t wrap the gifts—

He piled them all together,

And stretched the limits of the bags

All tied with ribbon tethers.

But every item in those bags

Was chosen with much care.

Each gift connected to the one

Who reached in to see its wares.

Sometimes the gifts were odd,

Sometimes they brought a tear,

Sometimes they were just right

And brought grins from ear to ear.

Like Santa with his sack of toys,

Clark brought joy with bags of gifts,

And this Christmastime without him

He’ll be loved and dearly missed.

Grandpa's Apron - UPDATE

Grandpa’s Apron

Once as white as snow
Now stained with blood and sweat,
Butcher’s string for ties,
The hemline frayed like net.

Butcher’s hat crisply starched
High above his brow;
A proud workingman--
I can see him even now.

Grandpa was a butcher. I remember him coming home from work with his white butcher's hat. I'm sure he usually left his work apron at work, but he had a few at home that Grandma would sometimes wear when she cooked. I didn't realize until last Christmas that Mom had one of his aprons. Here's a picture of me modeling it.

Grandpa died when I was 9 years old, so I only have snapshots of memories of him -- the smell of chewing tobacco, the image of him sitting in his chair on Grandma's front porch, the gruff sound of his voice (never mean, just deep and kind of gravelly).

Mom doesn't collect or display lots of family mementos like that apron, so I was pleasantly surprised to see she had it. I was glad to have the opportunity to place that piece of family history over my neck and pose for posterity.

Next step: Find a picture of Grandpa in that apron . . .

UPDATE: Mom sent a picture! My Grandpa is on the far right in the white cap.

The Gold Compact

The dainty gold compact
So intricately designed
Holds memories of a romance
From another day and time.

He gave it to her early
In their young courtship days
A promise for a future—
A symbol for his praise.


The years flew by too quickly,
And death came much too soon,
But the memory of their love
In this trinket had been hewn.

She laid the much-loved object
In her only daughter’s hands—
With the hope that love’s legacy
Would continue in God’s plans.

Holidays Back Home

It’s holidays back home,
Where time somehow stands still,
It’s holidays back home,
Where I go back to what is real.

When we get there Mom will say "You've gained a little weight."
But, bless my soul she’ll pile her cooking high upon my plate.

Dad will ask the umpteenth time, “When ya’ll gonna have kids?”
By the time the sun goes down, he’s snoring behind closed lids.

On the roads you’re sure to see gun racks on every truck,
The daily news is filled with color pics of “first-kill bucks.”

Cotton bales are piled up high and catfish fill the ponds,
Our family spends the afternoon picking up pecans.

Screen doors slam and cowbells ring as day turns into dusk,
Mom hollers for some help -- peas to shell and corn to husk.

After supper we take a walk and slap mosquitoes from our arms.
We watch the lights go out down the road at neighbors’ farms.

No matter where life takes me, no matter the heights I climb,
Back home is where I go when I need a quieter time.

It’s holidays back home
Where time somehow stands still,
It’s holidays back home
Where I go back to what is real.

Messy Bessie

Rick came home to find that Bessie had gotten into the trash he accidentally left at the front door. I never saw any of it in real life since Rick had every bit cleaned up by the time I came home.

Bessie seems to be saying, "Who, me? This is the first I've seen of it."

Mom and Paul Visit!

Family Trip to Niagara Falls

Garden Treats

Rick and our friend Steve planted a small garden for the second year in a row. Rick and I used to not eat many vegetables, especially green ones, but somewhere along the way to middle-age, our taste buds changed. Now we look forward to treats from the garden!

Pictured in this post are some of the spoils: cabbage, cucumbers, squash, green beans, and peppers. We made fresh cabbage slaw, a squash-cabbage casserole (original recipe below), and sliced cucumbers with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. Yum!

Cabbage and Squash Casserole

1 head of cabbage, washed and shredded
2 large yellow squash, peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped (or sliced depending on preference)
2 TBS Olive oil
½ stick butter, sliced into small pieces
1 cup of water
Salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs or Tortilla crumbs

Boil the cabbage in salted water for 20 minutes, then drain. While cabbage is boiling, grease large casserole dish with spray Pam and lay pieces of butter all around. Sauté onions in olive oil until almost caramelized. Place cooked cabbage, sliced squash, and sautéed onions on top of the butter. Add 1 cup of water, salt, and pepper. Stir mixture and spread evenly in casserole dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

©Kathy Mansfield

Deacon Ordination: October 17, 2010

Simpsonville Baptist Church

Camping Adventure #2

Rick and I spent the weekend with friends camping on the hottest weekend so far this summer. Are we crazy? Bessie was glad to get back to her air-conditioned comforts of home, as were we. We had lots of fun, though, sitting around and visiting with our friends, grilling, make s'mores around the campfire, and sleeping with the cool breeze blowing through the tent at night.



Somehow Rick managed to escape all 80 of the pictures we took.

Rick Hits the Big 4-0!

Rick turned 40 a few weeks ago. To celebrate, I planned (with Kelland's help) a Halo 3 Surprise Party for Rick and 9 of his friends. After dinner with a group of friends at a local eatery, I drove Rick to the clubhouse of our subdivision where Kelland and Steve had already set up 3 separate screens with 3 controllers at each one to play Halo 3 til their heart's content (which usually translates to somewhere between midnight and 4 a.m.). Rick even had a Halo 3 birthday cake! The guys try to get together for large group tournaments about once a month or so. Must be some sort of "mid-life crisis" thing . . . (although Rick vehemently denies being anywhere NEAR midlife)!

Clark Wins Employee of the Year!

My brother, Joel Clark Putman, won the Employee of the Year Award at his company in Louisiana. He's always been a hard worker, and I'm glad he was recognized for his accomplishments. Way to go Big Brother!

Mom's Famous Dressing

My Mom's dressing is always the best ever, and I've never even attempted to learn how to make it. But this year, I decided to help Mom out and to write down the recipe for future use, too. There's a funny family story about Rick calling Mom one day from Kentucky the night before some potluck event we were going to attend. We had decided that Mom's dressing would be the perfect thing to take. When Mom answered the phone, Rick said, "Can I get your recipe for dressing? I want to make some for a potluck." Mom said, "Sure. About 3 months ahead of time, start saving leftover cornbread and put in the freezer." Rick just sighed and said "Nevermind." We bought a premade batch at Kroger instead.

Well, this year for Christmas, I watched and learned. Mom pulled out the leftover cornbread and crumbled it up while I stirred together all the other secret ingredients. Mmmm, mmm, good!

Sunday Nap on the Couch

Mitcham's Peach Orchard

We missed the annual Ruston, Louisiana Peach Festival by a couple of weeks, but we did take a trip out to Mitcham's Peach Orchard to get my Mom a couple of boxes of peaches. Rick's Mom drove me out to the Orchard, and we only had to wait in line about 10 minutes. Sometimes the wait is an hour long! The pictures show the line we were waiting in, workers sorting peaches, and the boxes of delicious Ruston peaches that Mom will enjoy this summer.


Rick's Mom was the grand prize winner in the annual Peach Festival Cook-Off a few years ago. Her peach pie recipe is incredible. Rick and I don't usually eat peaches that much, but we love his Mom's prize-winning recipe!