Don Shaw’s art comes with me to the new place.

The move was grueling. Even with the help of the company across the street, their 20-foot flatbed and two of their employees. The owner had ulterior motives as I gave him quite a bit of sculpture that I just did not feel like moving.

Don Shaw, an artist and my previous landlord of 16 years left all of his sculptures behind. I wanted one very badly and moved her. Most of his sculpture is abstract and just not my taste. But there was one that was more figurative and reminded me of a little girl with pigtails, her face a great big circle. It looked like she is waving from behind a picket fence. Now I understand that this is only my own interpretation, but I can not tell you how many of my writing students, over the years, wrote about her. I immediately called dibbs on this sculpture. She was moved in the first load, I had stayed behind at the studio to pack boxes. The men left the sculpture in the front yard of my house. David took all the rest of Shaw’s artwork they were very large pieces. I am glad that he took them. I can hardly believe that they were left behind. If left on the property they would end up in a landfill.

Upon my return to the new house I found Shaws sculpture, the little girl, standing. She was waving at me and smiling. I kind of felt like she was saying welcome home! I moved her into the back yard that evening, not wanting to take a chance that she would be stolen. On Saturday we are going to get the few things that remain, my kiln, some plants and a few sculpture left behind. I am anxious to get everything out. Today when I went to pick up some paint from the building next store it looked like someone tried to break into the lock. The entire place sure looks strange.

On the original move many of the items were moved to the back yard, so I had to bring many things in to the new studio. It was a lot of work. I have so much work putting everything away.

The business across the street also helped me take down this old, somewhat rusted metal beam-shelving unit that was in the back of the studio. I had no idea how to get it down, or how to put it back together. But they helped and now the 9′x 9′ x 4′ shelving unit holds all of my molds for all of my sculptures in the new studio

Today the cable guy came and hooked up roadrunner in the offices. Now Mike feels like he can move. But the drywall needs to be sanded and my office needs the second part of floating the drywall and then sanding.

I need to work on the upstairs offices but I am so ready to get the downstairs organized and get ready to work. That is the update. We are almost moved in. I have been so busy I have yet to really absorb the entire thing. It does feel good to be able to work so late and then walk home. The last couple of nights I worked until I would drop, then locked up the studio, walked past the pond and stream and turned it off as well as the twinkle lights that I plugged in earlier in the evening. Then took the 40′ walk home.

This is great!

This weekend I learned to balance a ladder on a sloped 10-foot high roof, using a piece of foam on the roofing tiles to keep the ladder from

This is our sculpture studio in our back yard. Downstairs is sculpting space upstairs office. Love the 40' commute

slipping. Then I proceeded to climb up another 9 feet to paint the dormers. Did I tell you I am afraid of heights? I was pretty proud of myself; I was walking around atop that roof like a regular roofer.

Staining handrails, painting the back of the building and trim, and trying to hang a French door were the goal of our weekend. I was very thankful to have my daughter pitch in on Sunday. This is where I wish I had 12 strong friends. I think we will have to do the drywall ourselves. We just don’t have it in the budget. It is a massive job that I am not looking forward to it. Today I am wiring the building for the phone, and packing and moving.

The building does look cute though. I still have to paint the stairs going up stairs, but trying to find 48 hours of drying time where no one can go up or down is almost impossible.

I’m also going to take photographs of all of the interior walls before the insulation. I have done this before on other projects. It is a handy thing to have when you are trying to figure out studs or wiring or plumbing in the future.

All in all the building and moving are coming along, but I am tired and sore most of the time and thought it is only 3 weeks away, it is hard to see myself through these last few weeks. Breathe, and proceed to the next thing and keep going until it is time for bed. That is all I can do. Breathe, Breathe.

Making the decision to hold off on sculpting Patsy until I move into the studio has relieved me of quite a bit of pressure. For the first time I could go to the studio and just pack. I sat down at my sculpting table cleaned off all of my tools and packed them into a special box. I wrapped up Patsy dress, collected the many photos and tossed a working smock into the box. Then I marked the outside of the box “Patsy and tools”. Even as I packed it up I thought, “Maybe given a little time and space I can pull these tools and work on the bust while sitting on my new porch.” It will be a welcome reunion between Patsy and I as I open the box and begin to work. I look forward to having her be the first thing created in the new space.