after moving back to the us, the southerns stayed with friends for several months until they were able to buy their own home. they were looking for a rural retreat close enough to new york to allow terry to commute there. southern met and became friendly with jazz musician and bandleader artie shaw and they began looking for properties together. shaw put down a deposit on a farm in east canaan, connecticut, but at the urging of a friend southern convinced shaw to let him buy the farm, which he purchased for $23,000.