This n That

1. Here, have a cup of empowerment! By long tradition (I think this is the third year?) I am making a donation on behalf of Fangirls. This year it's Heifer International, and I donated $100 for "share of women's empowerment." (cut for length)
The catalog says "Change a woman's life and she will transform her entire community. In the developing world, where much of Heifer's work takes place, women are responsible for producing 80% of the food. Yet they own less than 1% of the land.
Heifer International works to empower women around the world to overcome this burden of discrimination. Your gift will help women who have few resources and little self-esteem bring new energy, ideas, work, and change to their families and communities.
Your gift provides Heifer training and assistance so that mothers will be able to work and become self-sufficient. They will be able to afford to send their children to school, pay medical bills, and most importantly, will give women a way to lift themselves out of hunger and poverty.

Once you give anybody $5, you will never be lonely, because you will be deluged with appeals. I note that the holiday charity catalogs are now stressing services to women and girls, including education for girls.

2. I finished my Yuletide story! It is thoroughly mediocre, but it's about 4,000 words so at least it looks like I tried. And it can reasonably be described as having a plot. And, like the source property, it is an ensemble piece, but, like the source property, has a good role for the attractive and charming lead actor*. I'll look it over later and then steel myself for the ordeal of trying to get it posted.

*I don't think that description counts as too big a clue to what source property I'm writing about.