It came . . . I cried.

I was not planning on posting today, but I could not miss the opportunity to tell you of my stupendously strange reaction and amazingly awesome feeling.

Yesterday I picked up the mail on my way home.  There was a parcel in the mailbox for me.  I assumed it was a book I had won on a blog that I follow called Girls With Pens.  (I love that blog and was so excited when I found out I won a contest.)  I tossed the parcel and the mail on the passenger seat and drove home.

After parking my van in the garage, I reached over and scooped the mail up in my arms.  My eyes caught the sight of the return address.  I stopped breathing.

Thomas Nelson Publishers
1151 Martin Grove Rd
Etobicoke, ON
M9W 4W7

I squealed from my front seat, "I-it`s here.  M-m-my book came!"  I tore through the yard, into the house and dropped everything but the prized parcel on the linoleum floor.  I hugged the parcel as I walked to the desk that held my scissors.  With a shaking hand I cut open the plastic protector and gently, with the grace of an antique`s dealer, I slid my book out of the envelope.

I held the book up, sniffed the pristine cover and gently flipped back the first pages.  It was beautiful.  I couldn`t believe my eyes. I was holding my book.