Is it too late for Halloween?

I came across this picture from Halloween, and I couldn't resist posting it. Rick and I spent a relaxing weekend at Rough River with some of our closest friends this past October. Jennifer brought along pumpkins for us to carve. Here we all are smiling with our creations.

Good times.

Good Friends

My Mom used to quote old sayings to me when I was growing up. She always had the perfect one for any situation. One that stands out is "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, the other gold." When Rick and I moved 750 miles from home nearly 16 years ago, that saying stayed in the back of my mind. We left behind many good friends, but we've made so many new ones along the way, too. The only "old" friend (all the way back to junior high!) that I've kept up with is Darcie Cash Johnson. We don't talk as often on the phone anymore, and we only see each other once or twice a year, but when we do see each other, I get that comfortable feeling that I hope never goes away -- a feeling that means "I know you and I love you no matter what." Thanks, Darcie, for being my comfortable, old friend!

Elianna's First Christmas

Elianna Ruth Mansfield is not even born, yet, but she had a wonderful Christmas! She received three dolls, three books, a lullaby CD, and a family heirloom nightlight. One of the books is a children's Bible with her name printed on the front cover given by Rick's Mom and stepdad, Sonny. Sonny also gave Elianna his very own duckling nightlight that he used when he was a baby. The family heirloom is over 60 years old and still shining bright!

Elianna's Shelf

Our nine month "Paper Pregnancy" is almost over. Most folks take about 5 or 6 months to get their paperwork completed for a Chinese adoption. Our ordeal has turned into a nine month process. The nine months will actually be over at the end of February. That's when our dossier will hopefully be completed, authenticated, and sent on its way to China. Then we have about a year and a half of waiting before we actually travel to China to get Elianna.

All that has not stopped us and our family and friends from welcoming the new baby with gifts galore, even now. In this post you will see pictures of Elianna's book shelf (she has approximately 20 books already). Also on the shelf are a couple of back packs, two dolls, and a cute little pair of black patent leather shoes. She also has enough clothes to fill two rubbermaid storage containers (given to us by friends with three little girls from China) and two bags of essentials from my boss who has two little girls from China.

Two of the photos are of a doll my Mom ordered for Elianna. The doll looks and feels like a real baby. It's hard to believe that we still have almost two years to go before Elianna gets to enjoy her new things, but we're certainly having fun collecting them all! We're planning a book character-themed nursery, with Curious George as the featured book character. We already have a Curious George-themed guest bathroom with CG border, pictures, and accessories, so a Curious George nursery won't be that much of a stretch! Other characters will be prominent as well, including The Cat in the Hat, Madeline, and Pooh. We've even started a baby registry at Amazon.com. The link is: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/baby/1GRNNLJU7A7NM.

Elianna Update #9

In Elianna Update #8, I mentioned that our final Home Study visit would be last week. We had to reschedule, and we just completed that final Home Study visit today (Sunday, December 10)! Now we wait for the report to be completed and approved by our adoption agency. We have a couple of other items to send to the adoption agency for our dossier to be complete, then we begin waiting for everything to get sent to China (DTC -- "Dossier To China"), and then we wait for our LID ("Log In Date"). The next long wait is for a referral for Elianna. Right now that is taking an average of 14 months after LID.

I've included a picture in this post of our social worker, Amber, sitting with me in our living room and a picture of Amber with Bessie. Bessie immediately fell in love with Amber, by the way. The other picture is of our family all smiles after the Home Study visit. Amber was gracious enough to take a picture to commemorate the occasion!

What Kind of Reader Are You?

Great quiz. I'm "Dedicated Reader." Rick was "Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm." Click the link below to discover your description.

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

HT: Paul Roberts

Elianna Update #8

Our final Home Study visit is scheduled for tomorrow, December 4! One step closer . . .

The Fountain - a movie review

The best part of seeing The Fountain was the $4.00 Pepsi fountain drink I bought. And I HATE Pepsi.

Casino Royale - a movie review

I just returned from the Shelbyville Great Escape Movie Theater after seeing what I believe to be the best of all the James Bond movies, Casino Royale. Based on the first Ian Fleming book published in 1953, this most recent Bond movie lets us in on the beginning of Bond's career as a 007 agent. This Bond is rougher than the James Bonds we've come to know over the past 40 years in films. Daniel Craig plays the lethal agent with the perfect blend of toughness and charm. He's a real man with real scars. The scrapes he finds himself in are much more believable than the sometimes laughable escapades of Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. His baby blue eyes can melt the heart of any woman, but they can stare down an evil nemesis, too.

I enjoyed the love story in Casino Royale. James Bond is usually on the fast track when it comes to women, but in this movie he is a one woman man. And the woman (Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green) is not some bimbo "Bond girl." Vesper Lynd is a British Treasury official who spars easily with James and stands her ground when faced with several opportune romantic moments. Love indeed blossoms and is put to a weighty test.

Of some note: the opening sequence doesn't feature nude women in silouette as in previous Bond films. I definitely like this "non-womanizing" aspect of James Bond.

I must admit that I went to see Casino Royale with my heart firmly in the Pierce Brosnan camp, knowing that this unknown-to-me actor, Daniel Craig, could never fill the shoes that Pierce so suavely and handsomely did. But, I walked out of the theater realizing that Daniel Craig is the new and improved and much more real Bond than any before him. I hope he stays around for a whole new round of Bond thrillers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adoption from China

The link above is on the Families With Children from China website. If you are wondering about the details of our long and arduous process, this link tells it all! Click on the title of this blog entry to go to the Frequently Asked Questions page, or enter this url: http://www.fwcc.org/FAQ.htm

Elianna Update #7

Our paperwork is almost complete! Rick's passport arrived in the mail yesterday. Mine should be here soon. Our employer letters are completed and notarized, our bank statement forms were signed by bank officials last week, and Rick's physical was done. We're waiting on Rick's final test results and my passport. Then our final home study visit will be conducted. Once the home study is complete, we'll be able to get our dossier finalized. The dossier will have to be authenticated, then it will be sent to China to wait to be logged in. If things go as planned, we'll expect a referral for Elianna sometime in Summer, 2008.

One roadblock: I have to redo my physical because it will expire before our dossier can be sent to China. We'll be cutting things close with our criminal background checks. Physicals and background checks expire after 6 months. Ours were done in June and July.

Library Haikus

Librarians across the state of Kentucky were invited to enter a haiku contest as part of the annual Kentucky Library Association/Kentucky School Media Association Fall Conference. The entries are posted at the website below. You can find my haiku in the bottom right corner. All the haikus are about libraries and books. Welcome to "geeksville!"

http://www.kysma.org/haiku.htm

Happy Librarian's Day

October 16 was Librarian's Day, and I didn't even know it until I received emails and cards wishing me a happy day! Below are some of the well-wishes included in homemade cards from some of my students.

Dear Mrs. Mansfield,
How was your break? Well you know what mine was horrible. How was Librarian's Day? It sure does sound good.
P.S. Your a great librarian.

Dear Mrs. Mansfield,
Thank you for being so nice to use. Thank you for being so kind to us when we misbehave. I like you as a librain and I hope you can stay one!

Dear Mrs. Mansfield
You keep us safe from falling back in are chair and busting are head and having to go hostpitle. Thank you for letting us check out so many books.

Happy Librarian's day!! You go Girl. Thank you Ms. Mansfield for running the library. That is a big responcible job you now. You sould be prowd for what you dun over the years. Agan thank you.

Dear Mrs. Mansfield,
Thank you for running the library because if you weren't hear the school would not know how to use the library. Thank you for keeping the library up like putting the books up where they go. Thank you for all that you do. Happy Librarian's Day.

Through Thick and Thin

This past weekend I saw two great movies about very different kinds of families: I Am Sam and Little Miss Sunshine. Both movies promote the positive family value of "sticking together through thick and thin," but in quite different ways. Although I would recommend I Am Sam for most audiences (I saw the edited for TV version -- original has some language in it, I believe), I would be cautious in recommending Little Miss Sunshine to anyone I don't know.

The language in Little Miss Sunshine is quite offensive at times, and some of the subject matter is very adult (homosexuality, pornography), BUT the end result (spoiler alert!) is that the family sticks together to overcome the many obstacles facing them as individuals and as a whole. Divorce is not an option for the parents, leaving someone out of the everyday life of the family is not an option, and turning backs on troubled family members is not an option. The belief of the family that the main character, Olive, can win the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant, despite the fact that she is obviously NOT the typical pageant contestant, is heartwarming. Olive has such a great sense of self-esteem that has been fostered by the members of her family.

In I Am Sam, the main character, Sam, (played superbly by Sean Penn) is a mentally challenged father trying to raise his normally developing seven-year old. The court system thinks Sam is not fit to raise his daughter, but the overwhelming love that Sam and his daughter share for each other overcomes even the skeptical social workers and court system. Others around them learn great truths about themselves and their families through the whole process.

Sticking with your family through thick and thin--a great lesson from two creative movies.

On My Nightstand This Month

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Elianna Update #6

Lots of things to report this week:

1. Rick and I both had our first two home study interviews.
2. We turned in our I-600A form to Customs and Immigration Services. (see picture)
3. We had our Federal fingerprinting done. (see picture)
4. I met with our Home Study organization in Louisville and with our Adoption Agency in Lexington to go over paperwork.

Still to do: Apply for passports, get pictures made, wait on references and other paperwork to get done.

Goal: All paperwork turned in by November. Dossier to China by end of December. Dossier logged in February or March. Then approximately 14 month wait for a referral.

Please pray for us that all paperwork will be completed in a timely manner so that we won't have delays. Physical exams and criminal background checks expire after 6 months. We'll be cutting it close!

2006 Embarrassing Moment #3

We had our first home study interview this past Monday evening. Actually it was an individual interview with me that lasted an hour. Rick just came along for the ride. But enough of the boring details, and on to the embarrassing part. Background: My first name is April. I’ve always been called Kathy (short for my middle name, Kathleen).

Me: Hi, I’m Kathy and this is my husband Rick.

Social Worker: Hi. Nice to meet you. I noticed that the name April is used on some of the documents. Do you usually go by “Kathy?”

Me: Yes.

Rick: April’s my concubine.

Me: (saying nothing; staring blankly at the social worker; mortified)

2006 Embarrassing Moment #2

A few weeks ago, I participated in my first ever 5K Walk/Run during Simpsonville's annual Fall Festival. The t-shirt I received upon completion is a testament to the fact that I finished the race. Thankfully, the t-shirt doesn't say how I did in the race.

Entering the 5K Walk/Run was a lark. Several co-workers and students had encouraged me to enter, knowing full well that I'm not an athlete by any stretch. Truthfully, most thought I would never actually show up the morning of the race, especially since the sign-in time was 7:30 a.m., and I'm definitely NOT a morning person.

Well, I surprised everyone by showing up at the starting line. Encouraging hugs from co-workers and students boosted my self-esteem. While folks around me did warm-up stretches, I looked around uneasily trying to figure out how far 5K really is. One of my students announced loudly, "Don't worry Mrs. Mansfield, we'll send an ambulance for you!"

The starting call sent approximately 50 runners, joggers, and walkers on their way. Within three seconds I was far behind. Even the walkers were moving as fast as the runners in the front ranks! Pretty soon I couldn't even see the closest participants. As I passed by the home of one of the families from my school, I hollered out, "I'm afraid to turn around to see if I'm the last one!" They hollered back, "You are!" Then they proudly cheered me on, yelling "Way to go Mrs. Mansfield!"

At every turn of the route, race officials and sheriff's deputies radioed that "the lady in the gray shirt is making the turn." That was the signal to open up that part of the route for traffic. The midway water break was shutting down by the time I meandered towards it. I yelled, "Wait for me! I need water, too! I'm in the race!" They saved a cup of water for me.

As I approached the final hill, I couldn't see anyone at the finish line. I knew the others had long passed the final mark and were enjoying the free biscuit and gravy breakfast provided to all runners. Suddenly one of my students ran down the hill and started shouting, "You can do it Mrs. Mansfield! Just a little ways more. I'll run with you!" I panted back, "I AM running." Of course my slow, laborious walk didn't look much like running. I couldn't believe my student would help run me in for the final stretch. I huffed and puffed as I asked, "Did everyone else already finish?" "Yep. A long time ago," he smiled.

A finish line never looked so good. I completed the race in 50 minutes. Dead last. I was so proud. Not one ambulance had to be called. And I got a t-shirt.

New-to-me clamshell iBook

I've recently discovered a need/want for my own laptop computer. Thanks to my husband's ingenuity, I now have an inexpensive, but way cool indigo blue clamshell iBook! At the state library conference last weekend I won an iPod nano. Since Rick received a free iPod nano with his new MacBook, we decided to sell the prize one on eBay. The money from the sale paid for my new iBook. With minimal upgrades, I now have wireless internet capabilities, Keynote, iPhoto, Microsoft Office, and tons of other stuff I might possibly need down the road. It currently has 320 MB of RAM. It came with OS 9, but Rick upgraded it to OS X Panther. All of this for about $100!

Rick captured me on his camera phone during my first outing with the iBook. We're at the Java Brewing Company. Don't I look cool!

Elianna Update #5

Our first Home Study interview has been scheduled! I will have my first interview with the social worker next week. Rick's interview will be later in the week. Then we will have a joint interview at some point. The last interview will be with both of us in our home. This is our next big step in our journey to get Elianna!

I'm a Magazine Reader: A Librarian's Confession

As a 16-year career librarian, I am ashamed to admit that I rarely have time (take time?) to read books. I read the occasional picture book so that I'm familiar with what is new, but I usually skim the new picture book orders that arrive at my school rather than read them straight through. The bain of my job is that although I am the person responsible for previewing, ordering, and promoting children's books, I am not able to actually sit and read the books while doing my job. This is tantamount to "sitting down on the job" in the eyes of many of my coworkers. So, over the years I've become a magazine reader more than anything else. I can pick up a magazine and read an article fairly quickly, whether at work, at home, or in the supermarket. Besides the monthly kids' mags that I read (American Girl, Nick, Ranger Rick, etc.), the following is a list of grown-up magazines that are a staple for me right now.

• Adoptive Families
• Time
• National Geographic
• Entertainment Weekly
• Christianity Today

By the way, I DO have a copy of Where the Red Fern Grows checked out from my school library. Although I've had it in my bookbag for two weeks, I haven't cracked it open. Fall Break will be here soon, so maybe I can tackle an actual book then!

Which Veggie Tales Character Are You?

What Veggie Tales character are you?

Pa Grape Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Rick scored as Larry the Cucumber!

Elianna Update #4

The adoption process is up and going again. We sent off our next paperwork to get the Home Study going this past week. We received in the mail our birth certificates, and we sent out in the mail the requests from references.

Such Innocence

7-year-old: "I have a loose tooth."

Me: "Oh! That's exciting!"

7-year-old: "Guess what I'm going to do with the money from the tooth fairy? I'm going to give the money to my Mom because she lost her job."

The First Day of School

On my way to school
I saw the children wait,
Looking for a bus
They hoped would not be late.

Anxious parents cried
At the kindergarten door
Wishing that their babies
Were babies one year more.

Brightly colored paper
Hung on every wall
Welcoming new students
As they hurried down the hall.

Teachers checked the roll
While students made new friends,
And soon the closing bell
Signaled the day's end.

On my way back home
I saw the children run
To tell their parents
All about "School Day Number One."

Tomorrow will be different--
The newness will be gone,
But memories of that First School Day
Will always linger on.

Kathy Mansfield, 2006

Elianna Update #3

We're still in the middle of the paperwork process, but we're making a dent! My criminal background check came back this past week (all clear!), and we received copies of our marriage certificate. Still waiting on our birth certificates, though. Several other forms were sent on their merry way last week, too. Rick brought home file folders so that I can begin organizing everything. Thus far I have been stacking papers on top of the bread maker. It hasn't been the best system.

On My Nightstand This Month . . .

LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel

THE BIBLE IN 90 DAYS (NIV): Cover to Cover in 12 Pages a Day
(or in my case, the Bible in 90 Weeks . . .)

Marks on the Walls

I want a home marked by time
With scratchings on the wall--
Lines that record life and growth
As little ones grow tall.

I want a home marked by love
With kisses, hugs, and smiles--
Happiness that knows no bounds,
A warmth that transcends miles.

I want a home marked by God
With faith, hope, and love--
Lives that leave legacies
Of fulfillment from above.

© 2006/Kathy Mansfield

Tact?

TACT |takt|
noun

adroitness and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues

Synonyms: sensitivity, understanding, thoughtfulness, consideration, delicacy, discretion, prudence, judiciousness, subtlety, savoir faire

2006 Embarrassing Moment #1 (Caution: graphic content)

The ultimate in humiliation happened to me Wednesday. I suffer from what I call "sick headaches" (named after the headaches Mrs. Howell used to get on Gilligan's Island). They're a hereditary condition passed down from Grandma to Mom to me, and they include not only a migraine strength headache, but are accompanied 90% of the time by nausea and throwing up, followed by a 2-3 hour nap. Then all is well!

I never know when my sick headaches will strike. I've had to leave social events, take off from work, and miss all sorts of wonderful activities through the years. Anyway, enough of the history . . . on to the present. Wednesday I was running errands with my mother-in-law in Ruston, Louisiana. We were taking Mamaw and Papaw to doctors' visits when I realized that a sick headache was coming on. While everyone else was in with the doctor, I found a pharmacy in the clinic we were visiting and mooched a couple of aspirin. I think they could tell I was in a miserable state. They weren't doing the trick, so I slowly made my way to a receptionist who agreed to find me a real Coke. Again, I think I must have looked pretty pitiful . . . everyone seemed to sense my distress!

I had taken about 2 sips of my Coke when Mamaw, Papaw, and Barbara walked out of the doctor's office ready to go. I didn't want to mention my sick headache because I knew we needed to get things taken care of for Mamaw and Papaw, and I just knew that the two aspirin and the 2 sips of Coke would magically cure me. I began to doubt that prognosis as we traveled the winding road in the July Louisiana heat to Mamaw and Papaw's assisted living center.

After we dropped Mamaw and Papaw off, I anxiously got back into the car, still hoping my sick headache was more headache than sick, especially since we still had 5 more errands to run! I called Rick to leave him a message that I had a sick headache. He instant-messasged me to "come home immediately. Tell Mom to bring you home." I IM'd back that I was going to try to stick it out. Again, Rick IM'd me "Come home NOW. Tell Mom." (After 16 years of marriage he knows me better than I know myself). As Barbara put on her blinker to turn left, I casually asked, "So how do you get to the Peach Orchard?" (one of our next stops). As she described the long, curvy, winding, hilly road to the Peach Orchard, I finally decided that going home sounded pretty good. I calmly muttered, "Um, can we go home instead? I have a bit of a headache."

I didn't want to tell my mother-in-law that not only did I have a sick headache (with a 90% throw-up rate), but I also get car sick, so combining those two things is not the smartest pairing. But, I had no other way to get home. As Barbara chatted on about the day's events and swerved around cars like a maniac race-car driver (or so it seemed in my current state), I prayed "God, just let me get home before I throw up. I can't throw up in the car." I closed my eyes and repeated that prayer over and over.

The sight of my in-laws' drive-way was a wonder to behold. Just a few more feet, I thought! Before the car even pulled all the way into the carport, I flung the door open and yelled, "I've got to go!" I ran to the door. It was locked. I knocked and knocked with ever-increasing intensity. I yelled back at Barbara (who was still parking the car) "It's locked! It's locked!" Just as she made her way towards me with the key, I turned slightly and proceeded to throw up all over the carport. I could see the terrified look in my mother-in-law's eyes as she eyed her doggie statue and pretty summer flowers. I ran to the back yard because I knew it wasn't over, yet. I was so embarrassed!! As I heaved in the backyard, hoping that neighbors would not drive by, I heard the locked door open. My husband stuck his head out. I turned to look at him and burst into tears. "I'm so sorry!" I said. There I was, sick as a dog, out in the yard for all the world to see while my husband stood by saying "It's okay," and my mother-in-law analyzed the contents ("No wonder you're sick; you didn't even chew anything!"). By the time my father-in-law came on the scene, I was mortified beyond words.

At least I didn't throw up in the car. Rick and I couldn't afford to buy his Mom a new car. Next time, I'll be more specific in my prayer: "God, please let me get to a bathroom!"

Saturday Dinner at the Mansfield's

Baked pork chops (seasoned with Italian bread crumbs)
Lima beans (seasoned with bacon)
Squash and onion (cooked in a skillet until almost carmalized, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a tad of sugar)
Jiffy cornbread muffins

Mmm, Mmm, good!

Elianna Update #2

Our first official piece of paperwork for our dossier has been completed! Yay! I had my physical exam last week and the paperwork was signed by my doctor and a notary (thanks Pat White!) today. Now for the next 999 pieces of paperwork . . .

Empty Arms

I wrote the following poem 8 years ago following two years of infertility treatments (fertility drugs, artifical inseminations, surgeries, etc.). I believe that God knew even back then that Elianna would become our little girl. I believe that NOW. Back then I just blamed God for ignoring my pleas. I'm so grateful for our little Elianna. She's not even born, and it will probably be another 15 months or so before I ever meet her, but I know that Elianna has already been chosen by God to be our daughter. I'm glad God didn't give up on me like I once gave up on him. I'm posting this poem to remind me that even though we go through deep, dark valleys in life, God does not ignore us. He has a plan in place and a time table we cannot always understand.



Empty arms that never hold
A babe wrapped warm against the cold

A lullaby that’s never sung
To comfort one so very young

A broken heart that never mends --
A Mom whose child God didn’t send.


Kathy Mansfield
1998

Gamer chick?

My husband and I attended the World Series Video Gaming competition in Louisville this past weekend. Despite the fact that I was the oldest female in the entire place (except for a few moms of teenagers), I enjoyed myself. As I climbed into a really cool racing car hooked up to a computer and large screen monitor for my contribution to the sport of video gaming, an assistant commented that I was the first female all day long to race. The look in his eyes gave away his unspoken comment that I was also the oldest contestant he'd seen as he graciously held my elbow while I tried to squeeze into the way too tiny driver's compartment. He suggested I might want to keep my shoes on in spite of the fact that all the other racers had removed theirs. Since the other racers before me were stinky-footed teenage boys, I was happy to comply. I knew I was out of my league when about half way through the race the assistant walked over and asked, "You did know that the object is to go as fast as possible, didn't you?" I, of course, was just trying to stay on the race track, which I managed to do by slowing to 20 mph on each curve. I didn't come in first place, but I was proud of myself nonetheless. I can now say that I was a World Series Video Gaming contestant. Not too shabby for a graying 39 year old!

We have a middle name!

Last night Rick and I talked about middle names. Rick had the honor of choosing Elianna's first name. (Elianna means "God answers" in modern Hebrew). Well, he also has the honor of choosing her middle name, as well. We thought an Old Testament name would be good to go along with a Hebrew first name, so we proceeded to recall all the female names we could think of from the Bible. When Rick said "Ruth," we both knew immediately that it was the perfect name. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Ruth's famous line spoken to her mother-in-law was, "I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God" (Ruth 1:16, NLT). What a perfect name for our daughter from China: Elianna Ruth!

Elianna Update #1

Our application for the adoption agency was mailed Wednesday, May 24. We received email confirmation of its arrival the very next day. Today (May 27) we received the information for the next steps in the process: dossier and home study. I hope we won't get too frustrated with the paperwork!

Our neighbors who have 3 little girls from China gave us a huge box of baby clothes. Everything is starting to seem so real!

"Life's Scars"

If ever someone has been broken and fixed
I think it would be I.
And lo, and behold, I figured out
The answer to my “Why?”

Sometimes God must let us fall
And feel Life’s harshest wrath,
Only then can we arise
To walk straighter on His path.

To others I might seem to be
Someone whose life is marred,
But God sees me as clean and new,
Not as someone scarred.

by Kathy Mansfield
© 2005

Horror Movie or Real Life?

I just talked to my oldest and dearest friend from back home whose husband broke his thigh bone last week. He had to have major surgery to repair it. When he woke up, his wife noticed that his foot was turned in the wrong direction! The doctors are going back into surgery again this week to reset the leg and try to put it back with the foot facing the right direction. Can you believe it? Even the physical therapist and other folks who were in and out of the room noticed it. We're talking about 40 degrees in the wrong direction here, yet my friend was the one who had to point out the fiasco to the doctor! Talk about scary . . .

What I'm Reading Right Now

LOST DAUGHTERS OF CHINA by Karin Evans (to prepare for Elianna -- see post below)
AUGUSTINE FOR ARMCHAIR THEOLOGIANS by Stephen A. Cooper (to prepare for theological discussions with my husband)

Elianna

Elianna. Hebrew meaning: "God answers." Significance? God has answered our prayers for a little girl. We are in the process of completing the initial paperwork to adopt a baby girl from China! My husband and I have struggled with infertility issues since 1993. Wow, has it actually been 13 years? Well, the wait was worth it, because God had Elianna planned for us from the start. She may not even be born, yet, but I know she is the perfect little girl for us.

I look forward to sharing our journey with you through this blog.

Isaiah 54:1

Where Have I Been?

My new start with this blog has not gone too well, it seems. Does life ever get this busy for other folks? I've spent practically every evening/night after work for the past 3 weeks meeting with a committee to choose a new principal for our school. Well, that is a done deal now, so now maybe I can get on with my own life . . .

Nosy Neighbors?

I was heading home just a few minutes ago after a long walk when I heard two of my elderly neighbors say, "Look at her! She's looking SO good! She's lost a bunch of weight, and she's not waddling anymore." I was quite excited until I realized they were talking about my basset hound whom I was walking on a leash at the time. At least I think they were talking about Bessie . . .

New Name, New Focus

This blog was started in 2003 as merely an electronic bulletin board to advertise events for my school library. Needless to say, after 2 years of not posting any events, I have come to realize that my other means of advertising library happenings is sufficient and the purpose of this blog should be more personal. Thus, a name change from "Simpsonville Elementary School Library Blog" to "Kathy's Colloquy." Although many of my postings will probably deal with book, library, and education themes, some will inevitably be personal in nature. Feel free to visit any time, and hopefully another 2 years won't roll by before I'm heard from again.