Dec.16th 7:51 am

I'll be back to another notebook soon but need to remember a few things. this is before quadalupe,when I joined Highwire Gallery in Phila aka, when the mud hit the fan. Out of the blue a friend calls and tells me about this great gallery in Phila. she is a member and wants me to join.She must be kidding! I have no studio,no work,a bunch of junky collage pieces not to mention PUD. I'll give it a shot,nothing to loose. Well,had a lot to loose but wasn't thinking long term. Drug over and up the stairs a 5 x 5 foot painting God knows how old it was and somehow get in!

I'm happy,Pud is not! Tell my sister but decide to surprise my mom. Nobody good believe I had given up my art to live in such horror, we are all excited. July 4th is the opening my sister comes down and what does Mr. PUD do? He invites a bunch of old people over for the afternoon for me to entertain. I'm a wreck,but we finally ditch them and are off to Phila. I had made this ridiculous diorama with a mummy. Who cares I love this place. Mr. Pud doesn't come in. He never takes off his dark glasses and sits in the car waiting. We went to Chinatown to celebrate and my sister raises a glass to toast,Mr. Pud doesn't even touch his glass. In fact, he goes to the car to wait.

This was an important time. I was turning 50 years old and I knew if I didn't get back to my art soon it would be gone forever. I knew what I would be facing. What I didn't know was just how bad it would get or how mean he could be.