I want to tell you about some of the other projects I discovered on Kickstarter–and backed myself. I love the idea of Kickstarter. It promotes entrepreneurship, and in today’s economy, that is what we have to fall back on when big business is failing us. We have normal, everyday individuals with big spirits, work ethic, drive, and determination. These are “idea people” who see a need and seek to fill it, making up their own jobs out of thin air when jobs aren’t available. One project I backed is the Snowville Creamery Yogurt project. I have an attachment to anyone in the small dairy business, trying to bring milk products to the consumer that are close to the source and as unadulterated as possible. They slow-pasteurize their milk, which makes it good cheese making milk, and they’re in Ohio, which isn’t far from where I am, so I felt a special connection and wanted to back them.

I also backed the Two Birds project. Their philosophy just appealed to me. They want funding for a grilled cheese sandwich cart–and for each sandwich sold, they will donate to hunger projects. Both the Two Birds project and the Snowville Creamery projects are at risk of not making their funding in time, which also made me want to help them.

And I backed the Victorian Candy Equipment project because, quite honestly, I just wanted some delicious candy and I think they’re doing a really neat thing.

That is what is so wonderful to me about Kickstarter. You can discover entrepreneurial projects that you believe in and back them. It’s a global community effort to support creative idea-driven small business. The best thing we have going for us all in today’s economy are our ideas and our spirits and our willingness to work. Just when I feel as if there is nothing that I can do to help the economy, I realize I can. I can support the heart of entrepreneurship in America.

You can see my Studio at Sassafras Farm project here. It’s nervewracking to watch the “days left” and the funding numbers. It’s all or nothing! You’re required to post the 100 percent completion goal as your number. No halfway stuff! It’s all the way or nothing. You’re accountable to your pledge contributors to finish the job and open your doors.

Every dollar counts, and you can contribute as little as one dollar. If everyone reading this today contributed one dollar, the Studio at Sassafras Farm would be funded. If you can contribute more, for as little as $10, you will receive a reward in the form of a 4 x 6 print from my Smugmug shop of the cute farm animals. (The photo at the top of this post is just one of the many photos from which you could choose.) Rewards are on a graduated level, up to and including workshops and farm suppers at the blazing-new studio this year. Pledges will not be charged until the final day of the funding project, which is March 3. If the project doesn’t meet its goal, the pledges will disappear and you will be charged nothing. The purpose of the all-or-nothing approach is to guarantee that a project can be fully completed. You can also help in a very significant way by nothing more than sharing the link!

I have the “ticker” in my sidebar now so you can bite your nails along with me and watch it! Right now (as I post this), I’m at 19 percent funded! (If you want to use the widget, too, you can get it from my Kickstarter page. At the top of the Kickstarter project page under the photo of Poky, click on Embed.)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! If nothing else, let’s have fun seeing what happens in the 30 days I have to build my fund.

Kickstarter depends on community gathering around ideas and philosophies they believe in. Please keep sharing my Kickstarter link!
The Studio at Sassafras Farm project

Morgan started a blog.

It’s disturbing and strange. My child started a blog! I can’t let my child have a blog. Talk to the world. And yet, she didn’t ask my permission. And I’m so proud of her. If the internet had existed when I was her age, I would have done the same thing.

She had it going for a few days before she told me.

Her blog is called An Open Book, and it’s about the books she reads. (Whew, not personal.) She is an avid reader, and she often recommends books to me–and I read them. Recent recommendations from Morgan include The Secret Life of Bees (I’m still reading that one) and Daddy-Long-Legs, which I’m going to read next. On the downside, she has an enormous fixation with Pride and Prejudice and reads zillions of Mr. Darcy spin-offs. I don’t read those. She’s a very good writer, and passionate about the books she reads.

I told her to email the link to her blog to me, and I read it, then I tried to help her. Morgan, do you want help? How about a design? Can I help you with some design? How about your own domain? Can I get you a domain? Morgan, what can I doooooooooo?

No, no, no, she didn’t want any help.

Except……well…….HA.

SHE IS HER MOTHER’S DAUGHTER.

She just started her blog. She has no readers. No followers. She writes to be read! Ha! She longs to inspire others to read the books she loves.

Excerpt from Morgan’s blog: “Oh, how I wish someone would read this precarious post and be inspired to read at least one of these novels. ”

This precarious post. I swoon. That is so ridiculous, I could have written it myself!

Morgan: “You could post the link on your blog.”

I spent a few days thinking about this. Then I told her, “Morgan, if I post the link to your blog, people are going to read it. I’m not sure you understand how many people will have the link to your blog if I post it. Are you sure that is what you want?”

Am I sure that is what I want? She is my child! The internet! Scary!

And yet she is just writing about books, and if I were her age, I would be doing the same thing, and if I had someone who could help me get people to read it, I would have wanted that, too. I have always written to be read, and she has the gene. And I’m proud of her. She won’t cook! But she is writing a blog.

She knows how to get to me.

The only post on her blog that I found questionable was one on January 31, titled Nothing Special, in which she complains about adults going through kids’ things and not respecting them. I said, “Morgan, I haven’t gone through any of your things! LATELY!” Then she told me the post was about a substitute teacher at school. So just remember that.

You can find Morgan here: An Open Book

She would love to have some followers, and even her first comment.

Thank you!