A New Endeavor?

Mark and I are tossing around the idea of buying a commercial building in Greenfield that we can convert into a gallery/artist studio space. We went to see it today. It is 10,000 square feet and very funky, i.e. would need a lot of work. Probably a ridiculous idea, a real money pit. But it is an intriguing idea.

Last night we were invited to a poetry reading/live music/gallery in another hill town. We loved the scene with live musicians and lots of energy to promote local arts and culture. There was a little shop next door that sold local-made artist stuff. I've also been thinking a lot recently about how seemingly impossible it is to buy anything that's not made in China or some other country. Which got me to thinking about creating a retail space not just for art/craft, but also products from this county. We live in the poorest county in the state and there are so few good jobs. So this is the idea that has captured us. Local sheep wool spun into blankets?

How easy it is to order stuff online -- in fact I just ordered not 1 but 2 pairs of shoes recently. That is terrible for the local economy! I didn't check, but would guess that the clogs were made somewhere other than the US. So what I spent doesn't even go to a local store.

Mark and I drove out here (out West) last night. There is still a lot of snow on the ground at our place but down in the valley everything is melted off. The gardens are still under snow. I took Sasha for a long walk in the woods and wore winter boots but not snow shoes.

Speaking of Sasha, she is 10 months old today. She seems to have a problem with her hip the last few days. She does not seem to be in pain but is favoring one side. So unless she gets much better in a few days, I'll have to take her to the vet.

Tonight we're expecting Marian for dinner. A lovely weekend on our hill!