a brief celebration

I'm squeezing in one more post. First, this is the photo on my laptop screen. It is a New Zealand Romney Sheep. I took this photo in New Zealand. I can stare at it for hours and escape my regular life...ahem. As I was saying...
I've spent a lot of time with this super fast laptop lately. And, as Deb, one of my kind blog readers noted recently, it's been a pretty darn stressful year for me. At most of the points when one would be celebrating...woohoo! Book! I'm writing one! I've been racing out the door to a festival, stunned with relief, prostrate on the kitchen floor with the stress, or chasing after a barking bird dog.

Today, however, I reached a completely meaningless milestone, not a real milestone like a book deal, not the signing of the contract or even submitting all the material--but, whatever, it means something to me. As of today, I've submitted every design that will be in the book to my editors. It doesn't mean I wrote them all (I didn't) but I did format them and organize them all. It doesn't mean we've finished all the photography (we haven't). Nor have I finished every last bit of writing. (just most of it...just the intro and conclusion chapters to go)

Whew. What a big relief. I'm very excited. I am, at this moment, in my chair, wiggling my bottom in a happy dance. OK, you can't see it, but that's what I'm doing. Now, I will shut down the speedy laptop and stop visiting with my friend, the NZ Romney. I've got to pack some bags now and organize some stuff...and you know? It's been a really productive day. Now, as a weird kind of reward? I get to go to an airport or two.

Please, privately, do a little happy dance with me. What's that? Did I see you wiggle your bottom in your office chair too? All together now...Wiggle. Wiggle. Wiggle!