Today was a big day for Marie whose first book has just been published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang, an imprint of Abrams. A launch had been organized at our neighborhood bookstore, Book Court on Court Street, a very appropriate vector considering the local essence of 66 Square Feet: A Delicious Life.

The real thing! Sorry about the red line, it’s on my raw file too, might be the register’s barcode scanner…

Through the mingling and wine pouring and delicious snacks and many friends dropping by and lively chatting and praise and the immense sense of relief I perceived in her when it was all over, I was reminded of the incalculable amount of time she has invested in her blog and book, of her unyielding commitment to keep everything accurate, beautiful and up to her self-imposed Himalayanesque standards, of her relentless quest for perfection, an attribute so alien to the human race and yet so often sought and at times momentarily reached.

These have been a couple of very trying years for her. There have been dark times. Doubt would creep under the door in the darkest of nights, thick as molasses. Stress escalated progressively, like the crescendo of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Tears were an occasional visitor, but they usually brought along their best friend, laughter.

I can only imagine how, after so much investment of one’s self into a labor of love, it must, on a deep, intimate level, become just as vital and central as a child to a mother.

So kudos to you, Marie. The book is beautiful. I am immensely proud, and somewhat relieved. It is time for the child to grow up and take on the world by itself. The cat can now regain control of our lives. ;-)

And to all of you who were here tonight, thank you for dropping by!