If you were a newsletter, what would you say?

This shouldn't be a very big deal. I've written newsletters before that have gone out to 400 different households. A simple puppetry guild newsletter is easy, right? I mean, I write for my descriptions on Etsy all the time, it's all puppetry related, it should be a piece of cake to master a simple newsletter.

It should be.

For some reason it's not.

Our previous guild president, Ed Rogers, has been amazing and has written them for I don't even know how long. For June, he handed the newsletter duties off to me. It's about time I stepped up, anyway. And this is something I probably should have had written several weeks ago. I've been trying to second-guess what people might want to read.

When writing descriptions for my puppets, or writing puppet shows--or even writing this--I do it from a standpoint of "fooey on you and your mom, this is for me." But when writing for the newsletter, I feel as though it's selfish to write for myself. Let me rephrase--It's inappropriate to be selfish and write for myself when writing a newsletter for the guild. I think.

On the internet, you have a choice whether or not to keep reading. And you have somewhere else to go....but guild newsletter readers are hostage to my every whim. Which gives me all kinds of wonderful ideas for things to put in the newsletter, but with my sense of humor--it would only be funny to me. Like...nobody wants to see my grocery list there, however, I really want to put it in. Like...really badly. No really, I need to get Ziploc baggies and the guild needs to know.

Maybe I'll have to write a few horrible articles in order to get it out of my system.

If I do, I may post them here.

I think another thing holding me back is my lack of experience. Most of these puppeteers have at *lease* 20 years on me. Most of them have 40+ years on me. I know, I know, everyone can teach someone something. I should teach them about how much I need Ziploc baggies.

So if you were to read a puppetry guild's real newsletter, what do you want to read about?

It's a good stress, right?

My first show is Monday.

I've been car-shopping all weekend.

I think I'll do okay for the first show. I worry nonetheless.

I'm pretty darn stressed out, but I look at the reasons & think Ok, this is because life is good, right? Still, stress is there. (I need to get a car by Monday, by the way.)

Can't decide between a pre-owned Rav4 (Toyota) with 11,000miles (bottom of the line, but drives like a car & has great space inside) and a CR-V (Honda) with 17,000miles (higher model, higher price, drives more like an SUV--but not much more--and is just in general, prettier.

Ok just so everyone can tell me what I should do (please tell me--even if I don't know you or you don't care--just tell me)

Rav4 is good for the: Driveability, cargo area is flat (a plus when loading in puppet stages/boxes) 11,000 miles, back door opens from the side (not sure if/why that's good or bad), better gas mileage by 2mpg (which gives you a free gallon of gas per tank in comparison), Airflow of the A/C is better in the backseats (I have an almost-5-yr-old), parking break is in a better location for me (I like them where a passenger can use it in an emergency), better Consumer Reports rating from the 07 Rav4, Slightly more spacious than a CR-V, it was a reposessed car--so it's practically new (cupholders are in plastic). (the 2007 Rav4 was rated the least depreciated vehicle in its class by someone--not kelly blue book.) Rav4 wins in the cool "push a button and it makes things open/close" category--their 'extra' glove box is pretty cool like that.

CRV is good for the: Exterior looks are better than a rav4 (let's face it , that's important), Cargo area is easy to fold back, mileage is 17,000, It's a certified pre-owned, which means it comes with an extended warranty, back door opens up like a hatch-back (again, not sure which is better), Hondas don't depreciate--dude..really, they don't--ever, it's all "upgraded" n' stuff, it has an mp3 player BUILT INTO THE CAR! (it records your cd's onto a chip in the car & you play them that way...WOW), Its light blue (better than the gold option for the Rav4 as I am not yet 65), gear shift location is pretty cool, although it will take getting used to, kelly blue book is higher on this model by about $3,000...the price we buy it for is going to be close to the Rav4, but its a car that's worth more...and then there's the cupholders. CR-V wins in the cupholder department,

Salesmen: Have been awesome at both places, however the girl that showed us the Rav4 was really, really nice. If its a matter of people to give my $ to, she'd win. Honestly, to the point that if we don't buy the car from her, I'm going to make her cookies. super-uber no-pressure. (The nice folks at the Ford dealership lost the no-pressure round of Sell Todd & Stacey A Car.)

Neither car comes in green. This makes me sad. Very sad indeed.

Ok, so if you don't mind, please leave me your opinion. pretty please. Thank you.