Chickenblog is nearly five years old. Chickenblog is a spectrum that ranges from sublime yet glorious expression to tedious whining, with a lot of cute pictures for variety and interest. I like to think that all this writing and self expression is only for dear friends and interested family, and that Chickenblog is only a means of staying in touch without having to lick a stamp. But, late at night, when the house is quiet and I've fallen in bed, I close my eyes and let my dreams wander, and often those dreams take me to Fresh Air. Yes, Terry Gross wants to talk to a regular mom kind of woman and she's picked me because besides being regular, I am also witty and interesting. She likes what I have to say about sunsets and raising four children, living in two cultures, while home schooling. She likes that I'm a smart ass that cooks, quilts and knows how to pop corn on the stove top. Don't listen to any of my modest remarks or self deprecating humor. It's not as though I don't want to stand out, to be recognized for my deep thoughts and musings. From the safety of my dreams it seems awfully nice when Terry Gross leans in to hear about my childhood, and my reflections on the disappearance of the middle age in American culture. But then there is the rest of my day, when kids need to be picked up from school and the mess in my car is a driving hazard, and a hundred other things are keeping me from believing I have the time or skill to be anything more than a regular mom. And hey, I have a lot to say about being a regular mom, because it's something amazing and full of more than most suspect, but I can't get in to any of that because I do have to pick those kids up from school. Chickenblog is nearly five years of scratching the surface, making dinners, cleaning messes, finding joy and grace.

Janice, you make me feel exceptional, even when I answer the door naked. Thank you.