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.

Vote for Library Makeover!

We have a chance for an "extreme makeover" for our school library! Stop by Coach House Carpet One, 708 Main Street, Shelbyville, to vote for SIMPSONVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Voting continues throughout the month of July. The winning elementary school will be announced in August. If we win, our library will be redone in October.

We are in desperate need of new carpet. Our current carpet is worn, torn, and stained. So, don't foget to vote!

Summer Reading

Don't forget to pick up a good book this summer! The Shelby County Library is offering a super kids' reading program this year. The new children's librarian is updating the look of the library and ordering lots of new books. Stop by to meet the new librarian and to borrow a book (or a whole stack of books) from the public library.

Our school library is being inventoried this summer. If you happen to come across a missing library book, stop by the school to return it. The office is open most of the summer.

New books will be waiting for you when you get back to school in August. Be ready to check out all the latest titles.

See you soon!

Mrs. Mansfield

Student Books Due Friday, May 14

All student library books will be due no later than Friday, May 14. The last day for student book checkout is Friday, May 7. Please help your children look for any missing books. Books that cannot be found must be paid for. A letter stating the cost of books will be sent home the week of May 17.