5/6 I got the wood for the ceiling today. Sonny helped me stack it under the house to keep it dry. His oldest boy is going to be valedictorian of the seventh grade and Sonny’s wife can no longer recognize their children. 5/10 Dad has started on the ceiling. My parents both look good- daddy …
4/1 Went to town with money today. Good stuff is being said about my show. It does look good- at least it has a theme- some line to tie it all together. The sculptures appear in the paintings- the paintings tell a story about the sculptures. It’s not just another show of recent works. It’s …
3/2 My notebook was lost somewhere under the white dust from hell. Didn’t care- didn’t want to write- wanted walls done, dust gone. Walls are done- white dust will never be gone. While I worked the walls, two snowstorms came and went. Much firewood was cut and burned- beasts and kids were fed and driven …
2/2 & 3 Went on a fire standby call yesterday evening. The trailer was fully involved sending heavy black smoke into a multi-colored sunset. The firemen in bright yellow slickers snaked their hoses through the slush- the firetrucks, ambulances, cop cars all had their flashers on- looked like disco lighting. People were rushing around looking …
1/2 Lost my notebook again- have been doing very little except sitting outside in my hot tub or thinking about sitting in my hot tub. Sat in it so long New Year’s Eve, my skin got parboiled. Lovely to be outside naked with the cold unable to touch you. This is a high point in …
12/1 Winter came back today- got an inside/outside thermometer- 85 degrees by the stove and 33 degrees and raining outside. I’ll just spend the rest of my life next to the stove. 12/2 State written test is Thursday. Haven’t begun to study- I’m clenching my teeth again. Will have to sleep with a football mouth …
11/1 Tonight while I was cooking dinner, husband addressed a complaint to me. He said I didn’t treat his art form with enough respect. He has a point. Although I have a very wide definition of art, I still think playing the air guitar on stage with local rock bands is a bit pathetic. I …
10/1 Eight and a half hours standing on the damn rickety ladder to sand and caulk outside the big south wall. My feet feel like they will never uncurl and I’ll walk like an ape for the rest of my life. Shock/Trauma class till 10 pm. I want to go to sleep. 10/2 Felt much …
LABOR DAY Again the pounding rain made it hard to get up. I have leaks-called Mike and he said new roofs leak and to call him back if it doesn’t stop. Fine by me- I love do nothing solutions. Worked on blocking the deck door- I tried to do a good job but the door …
8/1 At work by 6:30- took the deck supports down and when Cunninghame showed up we put nice sturdy ones up. Sonny showed up with my wood just as I was ready for it. He spent 15 minutes coaxing his big truck way up the hill to make it a little easier for me to …
7/1Two paintings in three days and pretty good ones I think (now). Worked on them till time to pick up girls in town. Had Cunninghame help me bring some windows up from the horse shed for me to work on tomorrow. A mud dauber’s nest was on a glass pane. I went to brush it …
6/1A full day. No money. No fame. But for some reason I felt pretty powerful. I loved taking the three younger kids to Roanoke with me. Love the feelings of having them so close- enforced closeness- arms, legs, bodies, heads all packed into the front of the old Ford pickup truck. We talked of being …
5/21/86Finished the stone and cement pillars today. I wore out 12 pairs of rubber gloves. My fingers are raw and bleeding; to even think of touching anything is painful. My best pillar is 9 feet tall and I made it in one go without waiting for the lower parts to dry. What a pleasure to …
Sometime in the late fall of 1985, my best hope for the end of my marriage was destroyed. My husband was in the habit of getting drunk, then riding his BMW motorcycle the 20 miles to his favorite bar. Every time he rode off, I hoped for him to crash, burn and die. But one …