It’s been more than a year in the making, but my coauthor and I, chef Kelly Geary of Sweet Deliverance NYC, have officially handed in the manuscript for our first cookbook — about canning, published by Rodale, on shelves April 2011  – and we just received word back from our kind, gracious and obviously exceptionally brilliant and talented editor that she likes it. She really likes it!

This is a big sigh of relief as it means I probably, hopefully won’t have to rewrite it from top to bottom before it publishes. But even if it does require extensive revisions — which is often the case even when an editor loves the work — at least I will do so secure in the knowledge she doesn’t think we’re — I mean, I’M — a hack who just fell off the pickle wagon.

I’ve been validated. VINDICATED!  (Cause in the mind of every writer lurks the conviction that you really do just suck and ought to go get a real job already.)

If I could booze it up right now, I would pour myself a giant glass of champagne and celebrate the news by dancing the merengue down at the coop with the chickens.

As it is, I’m pregnant, can barely see the tips of my toes anymore so I’ll have to celebrate by….eating another piece of venison jerky!  Yeah!