Many thoughts...

So many thoughts today. So many things buzzing around my head in general recently. So, off I go.

1. Etsy:

I've been working pretty consistently on my Etsy site. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time, but needed the right combination of steady work (for capital) and extra free time (to find/prep/photograph/list) to get started. The 8 weeks between Les Miserables and Funny Girl was ideal. My initial goal was simply to make enough profit to cover my crafting binges (and really, I'm fairly frugal even with those - but it felt better buying yarn if I knew that I'd contributed money to the general coffers JUST for that, instead of skimming off the grocery budget). However, as we stare around unknown corners of theatre work, with Alan still applying for artistic directing positions and directing jobs around the country, the idea struck me that this business would be one that could be easily moved to a different location as needed to provide me with continuing work. I'm not there yet, but I've made good progress. The business has already reimbursed my expenses, and left me with a tidy $200 of profit since March. Not a bad start to a brand-new enterprise.

2. Climate Change:

Maybe it's living in Seattle, and maybe it's getting a Prius and finding the DIY site to be very cool, but I'm more and more concerned about our environmental impact, and finding ways to eliminate it. I feel overwhelmed by reports of how quickly things are going to get very bad if we don't make radical changes. But I also believe in the power of ordinary people to make changes even when the powers that be can't. For example, we can get mad all we want at the oil companies and government, but as long as we -the consumer- continue to purchase gas for our car, we're contributing to the problem. If we all just got fed up and switched to electric vehicles (or hybrids, if we drive more), they wouldn't have a consumer base, anyway. I'm beginning to research the Smart Electric car, with the idea of keeping the Prius for hauling, and long trips.

3. Giving Back:

While appalled by the SPU shooting (and more so because my sister is a recent Grad, and her boyfriend who still attends classes was in the lockdown), I was heartened to watch both the GoFundMe Campaign to give a honeymoon and early marriage gift to the kid who stopped the shooter, and the GiveForward Campaign to pay for the funeral of one student, and medical expenses of the others. It is heartening to live in a community that cares that much (and I think the funds have both gone global now).