Backstory

Last year my daughter and I drove across the country with my two horses. I am now settled in Tucson, Arizona and she is back in Virginia finishing up school. My friend and I just bought a ranch house on the far east edge of Tucson, bordering the Saguaro National Monument. The views are lovely, the pool an anodyne to the stress of moving and ALL THAT SUNSHINE. The horses are in heaven with a barn with a cooler! But I need a real turnout, I am amazed that Arizonians keep there horses with no room to run and play. I have a ton to learn about horsekeeping and gardening in Arizona, that's for sure. Like where do you put all the manure if you don't have a pasture? And then, I have the farm in Powhatan VA to sell. Ah, nostalgia. 16 acres of the best pasture I've ever seen, no need to ever buy hay, along with a 19th century farmhouse. Amazing changes! As we talk to the architect about lifting the roof of our ranch house, I am beginning to wonder if I'm crazy. Then there's the small matter of finding a job...

Two Months Later

The house and carport are at least unpacked. The studio is a mess. My dissertation is in tatters and my horses are wondering if I'm ever going to ride them again. I'm sitting in the living room, because despite my best efforts, and those of a real-honest-to-God IT person, my internet doesn't work in my office. The sky is blue, and big puffy clouds are on the horizon. We actually got monsoon rains last week, and it was wonderful. The locals complained about the humidity. Yeh. Must have been 25 or 30%!!!

Anyway, it's back to reading Art Bulletin, my dis advisor has told me to read 20 or so articles and analyze their thesis and the topic sentence for every paragraph. Oh, who knew it would be so much fun!