My husband and I live in a broken down old schoolhouse on the edge of a big hay field. Said field has just come up for sale. Being the back-to-the-land technophiles we are (computers and cows go together...really, they do!), we have decided we MUST have this land.

We want the land for several reasons: to create a buffer zone from development around our house, to build a barn, to have large livestock, to grow more vegetables, to have a woodlot.

Unfortunately, this is probably the worst possible time for us to try to take out a loan. New baby, new job, new business. I wonder if we can really add new land to the list.

As soon as I found out our neighbor had decided to sell, I told AJ we needed to make an offer. I dreamed of the little shop I'd build to sell produce and crafts, the apple orchard we'd plant, and the swimming we'd do in the little pond on the land. Yesterday I was drunk on possibilities.

Today, reality bit me firmly in the tukus. However, as I walked along the edge of the property with Bub this afternoon, I realized I would rather try to buy the land and fail than to not give it a shot at all.

So, here's the plan. I need to make as much money as I did in my last job to be able to afford the land (AJ makes enough to cover all of our expenses now, so that's why I can stay home with Alden). Since I need to make a bunch of money quickly, I am immersing myself in our writing business. We will have the website done, a phone installed, and business account set-up all by next week.

As for writing gigs, I did my first this past weekend for the City of Ashland newsletter. It is a great piece, and I hope to do more like it. Our primary customers for the writing biz will be real estate agencies, accountants, lawyers, municipalities and medium-sized businesses. If you know anyone looking for sales writing (direct-sales letters, ad copy, advertorials, annual reports, brochures) or press releases, please send them my way.

I'm excited to finally be getting this thing off the ground. It has languished too long.

That's my news. What big dream are you taking on these days?