A Kid at Christmas

Every day for the past several weeks I have been religiously checking my mailbox every day after work with the fervor reserved normally for children at Christmastime. Today it was there, tucked inside a dirty and tattered manila envelope- the package I'd been waiting for. I squealed, held it close to protect it from the rain than ran through the blustery winds into the garage to gather the rest of my things before I went in the house. It was here. Finally. It was here.
Once inside safe from the wind and the rain I gingerly opened the package after checking the postmark and return address label for Bow Tie Inc.- soaking in all the details of my first time I'd do this, the first time I'd hold in my hands the results of so many days work and so much stress. I tore away at the mustard colored paper and there it was in the upper right corner. My byline: start a fiber CSA. I was holding a pre-release copy of one of my favorite magazines and it it in full color in the center of the magazine were several pages of something I gave birth to, an article about starting and marketing a fiber CSA.
There's nothing like that feeling of seeing your words in glossy print inside a national magazine. I'm swelling with pride and can't wait to show it off to everyone I know. My baby is here, it's arrived and I want to shout it from the rooftops. I did it. I'm a feature article writer for a national niche magazine. It may not be on newstands yet, but will be soon, and people all over the country can see the name of my blog, right there in black and white. I'm in love. I can't wait to do it again.
I'd love for this blog to eventually grow to be a community, to be like my mentor Jenna Woginrich's blog, Cold Antler, where my readers engage in conversations with me about the things I write about. I want this to be a breathing, living extension of my life, something that sees me at the end of each day reflecting over this homesteading life and touching the lives of people around the world. You can help me grow and evolve.
My next endeavor will be to pitch my other favorite magazine, Mother Earth News to write and article for them about a subject I'm unsure of yet. If you have suggestions for something you'd like to read, please shout it out in the comments. I'd love to hear from you. And, as soon as it hits newstands, I'll tell you the name of the magazine so you can pick up a copy.
Blessings to you and your families tonight. Hope everyone is warm, safe and  happy.