A wide open question!

["Bob Hackett" <kinfolk@zzzzzzz>]

Kathy,

  Like any relationship start slow and easy.Take a class in dry stack
walling or volunteer to help rebuild a wall.
Walling gets you thinking about spaces instead of rocks,a good thing to have
in your pocket later on.Walling also gets you into how to handle stone and
how stone moves,feels,and acts.It also gives you an appreciation for the
material as alot of stone passes thru your hands in a relatively short
time.If you are fitting a wall it teaches you how stone cuts and splits and
what tools work best for removing those unwanted lumps and bumps,yet another
good skill to have later.Some folks never move past walling as it's all they
ever need in a relationship.
Tools,Mallet,3 pound hammer,pinch bar,2 long bars,wheelbarrow, heavy shoes
and gloves.

If you and the stone decide to take your relationship to the next level then
I'd suggest taking every opportunity to visit working artists in your
area.What,no artists?Think about this for a minute,there's the monument guy
and the stone countertop company that just moved in last year.Both can offer
up useable info on how to make stone do what you want it to.They polish and
shape and it's worth it to visit even if it does nothing but put you off on
the idea of working with large machinery.
Talk to the local art foundations,the museums,etc.Visit with the pieces
while you're there but find out where the work's getting done and spend most
of your time where the work's happening,you want to be a participant not a
spectator.
Tools will be self evident as you see what everybody else is using and
decide what it is you REALLY want to do.

Most importantly keep coming back to places like this.We'll keep you pumped
up and running,even if it is down dead ends and into culdesacs.Just
kidding,it's like being insured with Allstate here"You're in good
hands".Callused but good.
BTW-This is probably the most important tools in your kit.Just think of us
as the "support group from hell".

Bob

----- Original Message -----
 From: "Kathy Clegg" <Kathryn.Clegg@------------ >