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!

11/23/19 Where have I been? Am I even alive?

To all my wonderful readers: I am here and I am writing. My writing is inconsistent but it's getting better. No excuses, but I will speak a little bit about the "why."

In March, I had an unexpected health scare. I had multiple pulmonary emboli, in every lobe of my lungs, so many that they didn't even attempt to count. After a four day hospitalization, I began a long recovery. The emoboli are gone and I'm fine in that respect, but the "near death" experience changed a lot about me.

I became kind of depressed and more withdrawn. If you know me at all, you know that it isn't me. I hid it fairly well, but didn't have the energy to write.

The good news is that I'm not depressed and am writing again. Where's My Passport? is about half done, and I'm actually enjoying working on it. No book has ever taken me so long. Besides being ill, part of the book takes place in Ireland, so I have to do some research, which I haven't had to do with other books taking place in Quincy.

So I'm back to my old self, and want to make sure that you, my patient readers, are rewarded with another book at the end of this.

Thanks so much for waiting. I appreciate your kind comments when you see me. It never gets old hearing how much you enjoy my books. Never gets old at all. Thanks again.

More later.

8/16 Procrastinator no more!

...at least temporarily. My manuscript has been turned in, sent to the formatter, returned for my viewing (and my publisher's viewing), and sent back to the formatter for a few small changes. He returned everything, but without my picture on the back. So that's been attended to, and book #8 (Is This the End?) should be out any day. As usual it will be out in both ebook and paperback.

To say I am happy is to totally understate my HUGE emotions. For some reason, this book took a little while longer than the others. Still 8 books in five and a half years isn't too bad.

I'm working on Where's My Passport? and I certainly hope it will be done more quickly than ITTE? but we'l see. To hurry it along, I am adding to my usual writing retreat by going to a new one. In October I'll be going to the Isle of Palm off of Charleston, SC with some new writer friends. The funny fact is that I've not met any of them IRL. However, one of them has been my FB friend for a few years, and I'm sure the other ones will soon be friends. I believe there will be six of us there, and I believe all of them are published authors. More about them after I meet them. Then I can recommend some books to you. I do think they are romance writers, at least I know a few of them are. I wonder if I'm the only mystery writer there. Hmmmm, that will be interesting, and perhaps fodder for another book.

What do you think?

3/29 The Great Procrastinator

Everyone has to be good at something, right? It seems I'm good at procrastinating. But I'm writing today, and that's a good feeling.

I really like this book and I know how it ends now, so I don't know why I'm so slow at finishing it. Many people have let me know that it seems like forever since my last book came out and they are right. It's been almost a year. Normally I put out two a year, so I'm vowing to get back on track.

This morning I'm sitting in a coffee shop and I'm the only person here. So there's no excuse, although I do like a little noise of people talking in the background. It motivates me somehow.

I had a marvelous writers' retreat in Vermont in February, and I will be going to my annual writing retreat at Snowmass at the end of April. I'd like to get the first draft of this book finished before I go. I usually start a new book when I'm at the hermitage at Snowmass. It's so inspiring there, plus there's no WiFi or cellphone service, so not too many distractions. Well, except for the marvelous view and the animals that come right up to the door.

So as I look forward to that trip, I also know I need to be mindful of the NOW and to live in the present, so I can complete the task at hand.

Wish me luck! Sam and George are on another excellent adventure.

3/11 Plugging along

The good news is that I got my hearing aid and things seem to be working well. Still takes some getting used to, but I’m very pleased overall.

Regarding writing, it’s going slowly but it’s going. :) I am editing a book for a friend, grading assignments for my QU teaching job, and counseling Au pairs online. However, I’m still making time for writing.

My Work in Progress includes: The heroes climb to great heights. Poor Clancy gets trapped. A priest helps Sam and George escape from a dangerous position. Those are all the hints I’m giving. Still don’t know how to get them out of all the situations. Plus I haven’t figures out who the villain is yet. Well, I know one for sure, but not the other.

Okay, done talking about what is involved in Is This the End? As I write, I’m thinking about the next one.

What do you think about a murder taking place in a dementia unit, and how difficult that would be for the investigators to get information? I think the concept is intriguing.

2/24/18 Life is interesting....

I should be writing, and I will.

I should be editing a friend's manuscript, and I will.

But for now, I'm sitting in a coffee shop willing the tinnitus to stop.

But it won't.

Willing my right ear to start hearing again.

But it won't.

Went to bed on 12/27 hearing out of both ears. Woke up 12/28 with almost all hearing gone in my right ear. Tests show I do have a brain and it works okay. (A little MRI humor there.) Explanations are unsatisfactory. "Sometimes this just happens. Something goes wrong with the cochlea in the inner ear. We don't really know how it happens. It just does." Of course the doctor didn't really say it in those exact words, but it's what I heard.

I'm not complaining, truly I'm not. I'm grateful to have one ear that works perfectly. This is just such a big change. And I know that soon I'll get used to hearing in monaural instead of stereo. And hopefully I'll get used to the noises that my ear insists on making. Oh, and walking into walls.

In the meantime I'll get back to my writing and editing, and trying to remember to hold my phone to my left ear. Laughing, because so far that's been one of the hardest things about this situation.

I do feel incredibly lucky that my livelihood doesn't depend on my hearing. Another appointment with the audiologist next week will determine if a hearing aid will help. Here's hoping...

Now, back to the main event: Writing. Happy Saturday, everyone. I am one lucky bug.

2/12/18 Last full day here

I was supposed to leave yesterday, but am leaving tomorrow instead. Luckily I have a flexible schedule and was able to extend my journey by two days. A few others have as well.

I think my favorite part of this whole journey has been sitting around the fire every evening and listening to other people's writing from the day, then discussing it, hashing it out. And also the fear and joy of reading my own stuff aloud and hearing helpful critiques as well. This has been invaluable.

The setting is certainly gorgeous. The food is some of the best I've had.

So pardon me if I don't write much here, because I'm working on my manuscript.

2/9/18 Hey, I am a writer!

Yesterday was an amazing patchwork of laughter, wine, and primarily writing. I wrote a few thousand words and could have written more, but tiredness overtook me. After a perfect dinner (which followed a perfect lunch), all the writers gathered in the Gertrude Stein salon. It's expected that every evening we gather for a "hash session" where we read part of our work in progress and critique each other's work.

It's kind of scary to put your work out there and to hear what people honestly think of it. Of course, when my work is published people read it and judge it all the time. But I don't hear them. And I'm not sitting there taking it in person.

So I was nervous.

However, it was a super experience—enlightening, encouraging, and energizing. Not only did I get valuable feedback on Is This the End?, I also was able to give feedback to others. There are some talented folks here. Right now there are five female writers staying here. Everyone writes so differently, yet all have a gift. Really enjoyed hearing others read their prose. We'll do that every night while here.

I'm getting a lot done, and eating like a queen. The food is unbelievable. Two of the women are wives and mothers and are sure enjoying not cooking. I just say Yum a lot.

I was supposed to go home Sunday but have extended until Tuesday morning. It's because I'm getting so much work done here with no distractions, plus getting helpful feedback.

Supposed to snow again soon. This is a beautiful postcard of a place.

2/8/18 Maybe my life IS an adventure after all

I'm in Vermont at a Writers' Retreat. However, getting here fills the requirement of being an adventure. I left Quincy, IL yesterday morning quite early, after bidding a tearful farewell to my animals, even knowing the house sitter loved them and would take good care of them.

So my flight from Quincy to Chicago was uneventful. My flight from Chicago to Boston was cancelled because of weather and we had to go on a later flight. I'd paid for Economy Plus because I wanted to be able to get out of the plane quickly and be able to make my next flight. So on the new flight to Boston they had me in the back of the plane. I went to a customer service person and explained my plight, and for an additional $25 I got First Class. It really was a treat. They even had a ton of vegan choices for snacks. I had barbecue chickpeas and cocoa-dusted almonds. Yum.

I shouldn't have hurried to get out of the plane. After all, the flight to Rutland, Vermont was going to leave in 10 minutes, and I was sure there was no way I could make it. But another customer service person said, "All flights are delayed because of the weather."

Hope springs eternal. Right?

So I walked as fast as these short old legs would carry me. Turns out that Cape Air was in another terminal and it meant I needed to go outside of security and then back through it again. Yeah, I was getting irritated, not to mention breathless.

I get to Cape Air and there's a sign that said, "Because of weather, all evening flights are cancelled."

When I was finally able to breathe, I said a bad word. Then I said out loud, "I wonder if I can sleep here tonight."

A lady stopped and said, "They won't let you do that."

"Thanks," I said, and smiled. After all, I wasn't serious about sleeping there, but she didn't know that.

There was a sign saying, "Need help?"

I thought, I sure do. And I followed the directions to a kind gentleman who told me which hotels had free shuttles and how far away each one was, as well as the cost of each. I chose the cheapest that I knew was still decent (Holiday Inn Express), and when I got there I ordered a huge Chinese meal to be delivered. The tofu, vegetables, and hot sauce were tremendous.

Then I thought I needed a little culture, and watched Big Brother Celebrity Edition. I was thoroughly cultured by the time it was over.

This morning I hopped a flight to Rutland, VT without incident. Jill, the manager, picked me up and drove me the 45 minutes to the When Words Count Retreat Center in Rochester.

It is GORGEOUS, you guys. The house is very old, and each room is named for a famous writer. I'm writing in the Gertrude Stein salon. My bedroom (the Fitzgerald) is so beautiful and has a private bath and a huge desk. Here's a picture of my bed and the view out my window.

I just got here and am already writing. But before writing I did have a delightful lunch with two other writers, as I wait for my friend Nancie to arrive. She has an even bigger adventure to share and I hope she does. I'll try to get her permission to post it here. It's a doozy. 

2/4/18 Writing and...

Is This the End? is flowing along. I'm excited about finding out who the murderer is. Yeah, that's how I write. I get an idea and just start writing. At that point, there's no idea of who dies, how the person dies, or who committed the murder. It works for me. In this 8th book in the Sam Darling series, it's even more difficult to figure out who did it. But I'm sure that by the end of the book, Sam and George will not only solve the crime, but will be ready to take on another one.

I felt compelled to say that because the title scared a few readers. No, this is not the last book in the series. There will be at least two more after this one.

However, I already have ideas about another series. What do you think about a nun whose dad is a mafia boss? That idea makes my toes tingle. (No, not when George kisses Sam and her toes tingle. This is another type.) I get so excited about the idea of another series, but I hate to leave Sam and George. Of course, it has to happen at some point. Sigh. BUT NOT NOW!

By the way, the nun, Sister Jordan, makes her appearance in Mostly Murder: Til Death, an anthology of murderous short stories. The book has some great mysteries in it and is only $2.99 for the Kindle version. Check it out if you wan to meet Sister Jordan. I hope you like her. Let me know, please.

1/29/18 Ah...writing again.

It feels so good to be writing again. My goal is only 1,000 words a day for at least five days a week. I have friends who are much more prolific than I am, but for me 1,000 words does it. It's a good goal because I can easily reach it, and if I go over, well then that's all the better.

Is This the End? provides us an entirely different mystery. I know many of us have "skeletons in the closet," but what would you do if you found a skeleton in your attic? Hmmm. Yeah, Sam and George are confronted with a different kind of crime in this book.

1/25/18 Where have I been?

Too many excuses and none of them are good enough excuses for me not to be here.

So Scouts' Honor, I will be posting. One of the main reasons is that I have a nifty new website to connect to. My Nifty New Website

My 8th book in the Sam Darling Mystery series will be out this summer. It's called Is This the End? and delivers a whole new type of mystery to Sam's doorstep.

Also, I'm doing two writing retreats this year. In February I'll be at When Words Count Retreat in Vermont and in April will be with my friend Nancie at our 4th Annual hermitage retreat in Snowmass, CO. Quite excited about both of these.

Friday, 9/15, Day 8, Dublin to Glasgow and Ft. William

Friday, 9/15

I got up at 2:30 and took my shower and Nan was up at 3. We had arranged for a cab and he was there by 4:10. The driver was from Poland and was one of the most intelligent dudes we'd met. If he'd been around 20 years older he would have been mine, I tell ya.

Our flight wasn’t until 6 AM, but we were told we had to get to the airport 1 1/2 to 2 hours in advance for the flight because of stringent checks they do when going through security. Boy, were they right. Because of my knee replacements I often have to get patted and wanded. Sounds vaguely dirty. Anyway, I’m used to that. But what took us longer, was they made Nancie throw away everything that didn’t fit into the quart bag (or maybe it was a litre bag). She had a hard time deciding. Finally I was able to take one thing for her and put it in mine. 

So we took RyanAir from Dublin to Glasgow. The flight was perfect. It’s a budget airline so no free soda, etc. However, at that hour we didn’t need anything, so were quite content. The one odd thing was what was on the tray table. So I looked at this the entire way.

We took a cab to Queen Street Station where we had three hours before our train was to leave. So we sat in a coffee shop across the street for a few hours.

The train to Ft. William was so much fun. We had hilarious neighboring passengers.

No Wi-Fi on train AND no electric plugs. We were sad. Yet it made us have to look at scenery and to converse, with each other and with other passengers.

Drank Bitter and Twisted ale with a neighboring woman. She said the title accurately described her. She (72 years old) and her friend (78) were on their way to the smallest island in the Irish Sea where they’d been going for many years. They used to backpack and camp but a few years ago gave themselves permission to start staying in a cabin. They were delightful.

We past the River Clyde estuary, where the Clyde meets the sea. Gorgeous. And Loch Long lived up to it’s name.

At our table, Graeme and Clare were going with friends to a wedding at Ft. William. 

Their friends Karen and David were across the aisle, sitting with the older women. 

The four friends played a card game called Scabby Queen to see who got the ensuite room at their Guesthouse. Karen and David won. It was a fun kids’ game and I look forward to teaching it to my great-nieces and -nephews.

We saw Loch Lomond, of fabled song and story. I well remembered it from my trip 13 years ago. When I get caught up I’m going to compare that trip’s blogs with this one’s.

So the party people kept offering me drinks and I kept taking them. Some were just small tastes, so it wasn’t as bad as it looks. I had:

Bitter and Twisted Ale

Vodka and juice (Irn Bru)

McClaren whisky (which I bought for myself)

Prosecco

Tenant Lager

Insert “drunk” picture

All in all, these people made an enjoyable trip even more fun.

We arrived at the Ft. William train station and grabbed a cab. Andrew and his son Andy own and operate A and A Taxis, so we’ll use them if we need other rides. He was an interesting dude.

 Acorn Lodge, our new home, sits like a tree house above the village. We’ve walked it a few times now, and it is really hard work. No wonder I’m hungry all the time. We do have a gorgeous view from our tree house.

Insert pictures.

I dearly love little oddities like how things work, plugs in the wall have to be turned on, refrigerator is behind a closet door, lights work differently. All these things are part of why I love traveling to different countries with different cultures.

We’ve noticed that both Ireland and the UK, not typically known for their fabulous food, both have fantastic fares. Every day I’ve been able to have a vegan soup for my starter. And there are so many vegan and vegetarian meals around. Every single restaurant has them. I feel so lucky.