Oh, the paparazzi!

Yesterday my chickens had a photo op. This photo op was arranged by their press secretary (that would be me) and attended by the paparazzi and other media people. It was crazy, and we weren't sure how we were going to get out of their safely without running over media with our get-away car. I don't know how the celebrities do it.

Ok, actually, it was one cool photographer, a really nice reporter from our local paper and her little girl (who is SO cute!). The location was my backyard and there were no cars involved. But I'm sticking by my title of "Chicken Press Secretary."

The reporter, Mara Stein, was from our local paper, The Gresham Outlook. She and her photographer, Jim, were here to interview me for a story they are doing about my chickens. We had a good time "talkin' chicken" and they took great pictures of the girls. It was a fun afternoon.

The article will be in The Gresham Outlook on this Saturday - September 20. I'll post a link if I can.

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My friend Kari called me yesterday and asked me if I was still going to can applesauce and pears this year. My answer was very honest and so telling of my life right now: "I want to do applesauce and pears this year, but I'm feeling very overwhelmed right now and I'm not sure how I'm going to come up with the time!!"

Someone asked me how I do it all and I laughed - until I wasn't laughing anymore. I don't do it all! There are so many things that I don't have time for right now. Like a clean house. *sigh* I do what I have to do, and the "optionals" slide. Unfortunately, right now, laundry, a clean house, and calling my good friends, are all optional.

But there are seasons in life, right? Right now is a busy season: new job, chicken fight, kids back to school, kids sports, family drama, and all the other stuff. Before too long, I'll be in a different season and scrubbing toilets, laundry and lunch with friends will be the have-to's, and media requests will be optional.

I just have to remember that time with the kids and the husband are NEVER optional!

I just wish sleep was optional - think how much more time I'd have!

Jill

Missing: Camera (last seen at sister's house)

I have misplaced my camera. I know I didn't lose it, I'm sure I just put it somewhere that I can't remember right now. I just really can't remember! I last remember having it at my sister's house, I was showing her some pictures I had taken and now I can't find it! (I think maybe she stole it - yeah, that's it!)

Needless to say, it is really hard to have a blog when you have no camera!!!

So, while I frantically try to find my dang camera - I will be posting without pictures or with pictures that I took awhile ago that don't actually fit with what I am posting. Sorry. Life is like that.

Anyone seen a camera lying around?

Jill

You Go, Girl!

My oldest daughter passed her driver's permit test today and can now terrorize the road (and her parents!). She passed on the first try, ain't she a smarty?!

Congrats, Jana!

The beginning of the end

Tomorrow I start my last term of college. Well, actually it is my last term of undergraduate work. In March I will graduate from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. In June I will, hopefully, start a Master of Fine Arts program at Pacific University. So while this isn't the end, it still feels like a milestone.
I went back to school at the age of 39 with four kids. When I started I met with an advisor who told me I "only" had 125 credits left! I figured I would be stretching myself to take 12 credits a term and when I did the math that meant that I had. . . . . a long time 'til I would graduate. I remember calling my husband on my cell phone from campus after that meeting and crying, "I can't do this, it is so long! I'll be 41 when I graduate!" He asked me how old I would be in two years if I didn't go back to school and I admitted that I'd still be 41. He said, "Do you want to be 41 with a degree or 41 without?" Pretty smart guy. The really amazing thing is that I did it! I made it through those 125 credits (except for the 12 I'm taking this term), and I'm actually going to graduate from college.
Graduating from college was one of those things I was going to accomplish "someday" and now it is actually here. It has not been easy. My kids were 14, 12, 9 and 3 when I started and it took a lot of juggling to make it work. I couldn't have done it without a terrifically supportive husband and kids who were willing to be independent. The best time was last year when there were five family members in five different schools (preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school and college). I told my husband he needed to go get his Masters and then we'd have six in six. His response was "Honey, one of us needs to be sane and I nominate me."
He's been amazingly sane and often was truly the only one of us who was!!
So, tomorrow is the beginning of the end. What a journey it has been.