5/2 Here for Good T-shirts

Here's a pic of mine:

Again, all the money I receive from the sale of these shirts will go to local food banks, beginning with St. Francis Food Pantry and Ladies of Charity Food Pantry. Thanks for considering this.

4/28 Here for Good t-shirts

For these special t-shirts, Landmarx is giving back $10 to the local business. If you buy one of the Jerilyn Dufresne, Author t-shirts, I will donate every cent I receive to local food banks in Quincy, starting with St. Francis food pantry and the Ladies of Charity food pantry. Landmarx makes quality shirts.


https://store.landmarxwear.com/sites/heretostay/category/424

4/5 through 4/19 From the bunker...

4/19, Day 37 of my unfortunate incarceration. Got up early. After playing on the computer, I attended Mass virtually with a lot of my family. Then I drove to pick up Gus from Jan and Tim’s house. It was glorious driving in the country. What a lovely, lovely day. I sat in my car and they were a safe distance away and we got to talk awhile as I petted my sweet boy.

It was such a gorgeous day. And from 1-3 I played online Werewolf with my friends. There were seven of us today, and it was a laugh fest from start to finish. Age 12-72, so quite a range. But everyone plays the game really well and so strategically. We ended up playing until 3:10.

My daughter Jill called me, but it was when I was going to pick up Gus, so we didn’t get to FaceTime, but hearing her sweet voice was good enough.

I walked a half block two different times with Gus. That wasn’t easy, but glad I did it. The other times, he just had to potty in front of the house. But he didn’t complain. :) It felt so good to have my little buddy here. 

4/18, Day 36 from my dark office. Started with Retro Trivia at 7. It actually started at 6, but…

 Read a lot. Walked about half a block. 

Four years ago today my brother-in-law Pete died suddenly so my sisters and I always plan to do something memorable. Today we just had a Zoom chat with extended family. Nice to see their faces. Tomorrow I’ll get Gus home for a while. I miss his sweet face. 

4/17, Day 35 from the bunker. Started with coffee with Gretchen and Dana. As always, that started my day in the best possible way. Spent a good part of the morning reading my book club book. In the afternoon I only had one counseling session, so no work stress. Really took it easy today. Watched a lot of TV. Missed my dog. Gus is coming home this weekend sometime. I didn’t hear from the back brace people as I was told, so that’s a disappointment. Oh well, I’ll keep on keepin’ on.

4/16, Day 34, and it’s snowing. Coffee—that’s what I want. Spent a good part of the day reading my book club book. So delightful to read it without guilt. My sister came over, wearing her surgical mask, to change some light bulbs for me. Talked to the neurosurgeon and I’m going to get a brace to wear until they he can do the surgery. They’re thinking non-emergency surgeries may be able to happen beginning in early May but it’s subject to change. Of course. In early evening I gave another presentation. Third in three days. Went well. Now it’s time to rest. 

4/15, Day 33 of my solitary confinement. Started with coffee and Facebook. Exciting, huh? Then I met with my boss, via phone, to prepare for tonight’s presentation to a lot of Au Pairs. The APs are concerned because they are worried about their families back in countries they currently can’t return to. When I feel bad about having to stay inside by myself, I think about them, and how scary it must be. I worked hard on the presentation and it paid off because there were around 100 Au Pairs. They were great. 

4/14, Day 32 of my solitude. Why do I keep writing this stuff? Every day is more boring than the day before. However, it’s helping me track a lot of stuff, including my feelings. Most of the time, I don’t feel depressed normally, but every now and then I do. It’s quite normal for any of us to feel depressed or anxious, especially those of us who live alone. Had coffee with Gretchen and Dana, which always starts off my day perfectly. I gave a presentation at 11 AM (CT), and I think it went well. I was told it did. Did some counseling. Worked on my puzzle, and it’s gone absolutely nowhere. It’s too dark in my office, even though I have one light shining right on the puzzle table. Oh well, it gives me something to do. Then I cut masks as well. It gives me a feeling of giving back.

4/13, Day 31, Report from the condo. Woke up at 7, and enjoyed my coffee. Then I talked to my sweet and thoughtful friend, Nancie, for nearly an hour. I love starting my day with friends. Then I worked for several hours on the three presentations I have to give this week. One is tomorrow morning, so I really needed to get busy. Took a nap in the afternoon before I did some counseling. Messaged with my sister Jan. Stayed awake too late as usual, but I still get up at 7 almost every day.

4/12, Day 30, Bunker Report: Happy Easter! Woke up at 7 as usual. Groceries delivered at 9. Went to Mass online at 9:30. Then in the afternoon I played an online game with my Doctor Who/games friends, using Zoom and the game software. It worked perfectly. I really needed the relaxation and laughter. Didn’t talk to anyone in my family, which made things surreal on this holiday.

4/11 Day 29. Dreamed of Ru Paul 2 nights in a row. Don’t know what it means. Maybe I want to be a drag queen subconsciously. Today we had book club discussion, and it was delightful and informative. Tomorrow we’ll be playing Werewolf through Zoom with my usual game friends. Did a therapy session, then watched Jesus Christ Superstar on YouTube. Had a watch party with friends. It’s a London stage production and the best I’ve seen. Andrew Lloyd Weber is offering free viewing Friday through Sunday. One per week. See this one on YouTube before it goes away. Amazing. Tried to clean the bathroom and almost was able to do it. Damn back of mine! I’ll finish it today. Then only 5 more rooms and a hallway to go. One room a day. I got this!

4/10 Day 28. Yeah, I skipped from Day 23 to Day 25. Just noticed and guess what, it doesn’t matter. It’s been 4 weeks give or take a day. That’s a long time. Talked to Dana and Gretchen via FB Messenger. It really helped me. Today my sister picked up Gus for several days to give my back a break. I only had him for one day and night, and miss him already. I did some counseling but that’s about it. This too shall pass. 

4/9 Day 27 of dancing with myself. Gus came home today. Emotionally it is perfect to have him where he belongs, but physically it hurts. Can’t wait to get the spinal fusion done so I can start feeling better. Went to online Mass through St. Francis, and it was beautiful with a fantastic sermon. My friend Donna and her husband Bill, dropped off a bench that Bill made. Omigosh, it so beautiful. It’s an early birthday present and my heart is happy. Donna also dropped off a lot of fabric for masks. They are such wonderful people and cherished friends.

I did so much counseling and keep getting lots of referrals. Felt a little stress. Will spend the weekend developing the three presentations for next week. Sleep eludes me tonight. But I’m happy and lucky.

4/8 Day 26 of whatever this is. Slept til 7:30. Felt decadent. Talked to my boss and I’ll be giving three presentations next week via Zoom. That’s in addition to the counseling I do.  This will definitely keep me busy. Read the book club book over lunchtime. We’ll have the discussion on the 11th. Talked to my sisters on FB Messenger. My daughter Jill and I video chatted. And tomorrow Gus comes home for a day or two. Yay.

4/7 Day 25 of yada yada yada. Coffee with Gretchen and Dana. Such a wonderful way to connect with friends. Heard from a friend whose wife has died. So sad. Then I talked with my boss about developing two more presentations for staff. Worked on the jigsaw, had groceries delivered, and worked on cutting masks. Went to bed early to watch TV. 

4/6 Day 23 of blah blah blah. Coffee by myself this time. My friend Mike picked up Gus, so Gus could play with his dogs for a few days and get some exercise. Got my jigsaw puzzle out of the box and started working on it. Did a little counseling. Ate food from Little Greek which was perfect. Cut masks for about an hour. Finally took a nap. After that, It was hard to have energy for anything else.

From 4/4 and 4/5 I think I'll do a puzzle

4/5 Day 22 of whatever. Attended mass online. Talked with sisters immediately after. Both of those things lifted my spirits. Cut masks. Talked with my daughter Jill. Made arrangements for Gus to go to my friend Mike’s tomorrow. Took my usual nap. Read book club book on front porch. That was lovely. One thing I haven't posted is that prior to the self-distancing, I was supposed to have a spinal fusion. It got postponed, like every other non-emergency surgery. So trying to walk Gus keeps increasing the pain. As much as I love him, I've been "pawning him off" on my friend Mike Alcorn and my sister Jan. Both of them have dogs and they also have fenced yards, so Gus can finally run and get enough exercise. I hate, hate, hate sending him away even for a few days, but I have to think what's best for him. After a few days I'll get lonely for him and he'll come back for another week or so. Then he'll go to my sister's again. So grateful for a wonderful sister and a good friend.

4/4 Day 21 of being Artist in Residence. Coffee with my sister Jan at 7:30. It was nice and I’m glad she offered. Spent time on my writers’ bb. Did three counseling session. Ate too much per usual. Made stir fry with brown rice. Yum. Happy Gus is here. Watch party for Joseph and His Technicolor Dream Coat. A jigsaw puzzle arrived. I hope my cats allow me to put it together.

4/3 Day 20

4/3 Day 20 of being Artist-in-Residence. Coffee with Gretchen, which was a super way to start the day. Something I realized. I talk to my dog all the time. All the time. When he’s gone, I talk to the cats. When they’re in another room, I talk to myself. I need to say things out loud. Being the extrovert that I am, it’s hard to process things without hearing them. I know it drives people crazy, but that’s who I am. Did? more laundry. Cut more masks. Watched more Drag Race. Envy my life?

4/2 I always post the next day.

4/2 Day 19 of being Artist-in-Residence. Coffee with Gretchen. Since Dana could’t make it, we’ll talk again tomorrow. Fine with me. I love having coffee with friends, and this way I don’t have to buy expensive coffee. (Although I have expensive stuff at home.) :) I read a while. My son Rob called. Made my day. He’s calling more since he’s off this week. Today I accomplished something big. I made my bed. I mean totally, with the extra pillows on it and everything. Since I’ve been alone these 19 days I’ve changed the sheets and pulled up the covers. But I haven’t made my bed the way I normally do. It made me feel good, so I guess I have to do it every day. Did laundry, a necessary evil. Then I cut masks., which makes me feel useful. Had groceries delivered. Talked to my sis. Can you handle the excitement?

Tomorrow I'm going to write some more.

4/1 from yesterday

3/31 Day 17 of being Artist-in-Residence. In the morning was my favorite part of the week. I had coffee with Gretchen and Dana. Gretchen phone died, so talking with her was short and sweet. We’ll talk again on Thursday instead of Friday, so we can get our Gretchen fix.

Rob called me as he was driving from their old house to their new one. They are moving to Southern Pines, NC which is a pretty town, and only 40 minutes from Ft. Bragg, so not too bad.

My bed broke last night, and today Jane and John came and took it apart (with my help). We put it in the garage and John will take it to the scrap metal place later. The put together the gifted frame for me, so by 6 I had a new bed, and was happily ensconced there with my pets.

Since Jane works at a medical clinic, she had a mask and gloves, and I wore a mask because we knew John wouldn't think of such things. :) Anyway, I still have to go around and clean areas John touched, which is basically the door knobs. I won't cleanse the old bed because it's in the garage and probably has already cleaned itself.

I really appreciate niece Sarah and nephew-in-law Dalton giving me the bed frame. And I also am so grateful for Jane and John. This is not the time for me needing people to help me, but because of my back, I just can’t do things like that alone.

So happy for family and friends.

3/31 The times aren't changing--yet

3/30 Day 16 of being Artist-in-Residence. My groceries were delivered in the morning, and I worked a little bit on my book. In the afternoon, my Gus  came home, delivered by my sister and b-i-l, Jan and Tim. It was so nice that we sat outside. They brought their lawn chairs and sat 6-10 feet away, but we had a nice visit. Then Gus and I had a nap. It was awesome to have his little body next to me. I worked on cutting masks, but it wasn’t easy on my back, so I have to figure out a better way to do it. Around 7, I spoke to my daughter Jill  on FB Messenger, and while we talked my bed broke. What a shocker. Working on getting that fixed. My niece Sarah is giving me a queen-sized frame, which is so kind.

3/30/20 What I've been up to. Not much.

3/29/20 Day 15 of being Artist-in-Residence. “Went” to Mass online. Spent time interacting with some friends through text and FB Messenger. Then worked some more with Sam and George, et al. Writing is a good way for me to spend time, but I’m just doing a little bit. Outside twice. Once to pick up mail from yesterday, and second time to pick up the material left for me to cut for masks for local healthcare workers. It will be nice to have a job since I don’t have any referrals for Monday. 

3/28 Day 14 of being Artist-in-Residence. Can’t believe it’s been two weeks. For the first time I’m wondering how long I’ll be here alone. Not even complaining. Just wondering. I decide that today is going to be a day with words. I will read some of the book from my book club, and I will work on Where’s My Passport? This is my 9th book, and for various reasons it’s taken me more than a year to write. It’s not that I’m not interested in it, I am. Just had excuses. Right now I’m trying to keep Sam and George (and a few other people) safe after a friend was kidnapped (killed?) in Ireland. Keep your fingers crossed that our heroes survive. They haven’t told me yet if they do or don’t.

Tonight several family members met on FB Messenger and as usual I laughed a lot, even when my nephew was making fun of me. 😂 

3/27 Day 13 of being Artist-in-Residence. Had coffee with Dana and Gretchen again. How could I even get through this without my friends. Took the day off from work. Slept a lot. My life is good even though I’m alone. 

3/26 Day 12 of being Artist-in-Residence. I am so lucky that my job was work-from-home even before the coronavirus. I’m also lucky that I have three wonderful pets to keep me company. As a flaming extravert, it becomes difficult to always be alone. Thank God for the internet and videoconferencing. Did another workshop, attended by about 60 more people, and had a few counseling sessions as well. Then had a consultation with a colleague. Lots of work. My sister Jan picked up my dog Gus in the morning, to keep him for a few days. He’s not getting enough exercise with me since my back surgery has been postponed and it’s difficult to walk any distance with him. Poor dude. But he’ll have a ball at Jan and Tim’s house. He and their dog Rocky enjoy each other’s company and they have a fenced in yard. Gus will be able to run, so even though I’ll miss him, he will be quite happy. Oh, and I’m going to start cutting material for masks. I don’t have a sewing machine, but I can sure cut. My daughter Jill called, but I was in the middle of work and could only say “Hi/Bye.” Love you, Jill.

I worked until 6:30 PM and remembered why I’d retired. My butt was tired. 

3/25 Day 11 of being Artist-in-Residence

I talked with another BFF, Nancie, via FaceTime, yesterday morning. Such a nice way to start the day--with laughter and a dear friend. Later in the day my niece Sarah, used FB Messenger and connected so I could talk to 1 year old AJ. She and AJ were both bored, and it was a delight to be able to try to entertain my sweet great-niece.

I did several counseling sessions in the afternoon, joined an online book club with friends, and in the evening caught up with Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Don't judge. I love it.

3/24 Day 10 of being an Artist-in-Residence: There is life out there. Here’s how I know. People answer my texts and emails.; 100 people attended an online workshop I did; when I walked Gus there were two other neighbors out with their dogs; and I took Gus with me to a drive through pharmacy and I saw people all over the place, without getting out of my car. But the best of all was I had coffee in the morning via FB Messenger with Dana and Gretchen. What a delightful way to start the morning. Then around dinner time my daughter Jill and I had a video chat. And by the way, naps are my friend. Yes, plural. NAPS. I’m loving it. Oh, after dinner I had a video chat with my sisters which caused a lot of laughter. Then my ex-daughter-in-law called (still my daughter). What a busy and wonderful day!