The $10 Terra Cottage

I first learned about the lovely Terra family when Google Alerts sent a link to this blog post in which Victoria Terra talks about the Artist Relocation Program and the prospects of moving her artsy family from upstate New York to Paducah. That was in January 2008 and by March, the Terras had plunked down 10 whole dollars for this incredible (yet dilapidated home) located at 514 North 7th Street. Husband Michael and their 13-year-old daughter Xan (pronounced Zan), packed up a few things — house renovation tools mostly — and drove to Paducah in this big, blue hippy van, for which they paid another $25 (which Xan painted and decorated with Make Coffee Not War stickers), stayed with the Renzullis and went about redoing the whole house which, not surprisingly, was slated for demolition. "We had to present a proposal giving our timeline, budget and our business pro forma before we could get the house," Michael says. "It was 48 pages long. But we did it!" Did it, they did — though there's still a bit of renovation yet to do. In fact, Michael documents every painstaking step in his own blog, The Impossible Before Lunch. The good news is that the Terras are now open for business, with Michael selling his very fun "emotionally engaging" ceramics in the first-floor gallery/studio — perfect for anyone who could use a smile. Look how cute these gravy boats are! And these happy little do-dads are called Squints. They're open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. every day, but you might want to call first, 518.858.3605. "We'll always have a cookie and a cup of something for anyone who stops by," Michel says. In fact, the Terras plan to open a cookie bar in the gallery, with a full view right into Michael's ceramics studio so that anyone can sit and enjoy a cookie while watching the artist in action. Super cute!

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