Dirty Laundry Blog by Jennifer Hynes

Day 8 of 20 Days in a Pandemic

September 28th, 2020
Wow, what a Monday. more fires close to home. I can smell smoke but the thick smoke is in the East Bay right now. The wind blows softly, the freeway hums louder than I’ve heard in many months. It seems like business as usual as more businesses begin to open back up. My eyes burn a bit as I sit outside to write today.

In a continuous cycle of trauma

The dry fall leaves rustle. Tiny pink flowers sprinkle the crab myrtle trees. The Japanese maple are the color of a beautiful piece of rusted metal. But forty five minutes away red fire blankets the hillsides under a 100 degree late fall day.

Zoom meetings and chaos filled our homeschool classroom today as we tried to scramble and stay on time and on task.

I studied my ASL and met with an ASL Pal, (a deaf mentor on ASL connect through Gallaudet). That was so fun but I have such a long way to go to become fluent in ASL. I signed to my Pal about CSDF and Fiona. About mainstream and Audism.

It was the first time I needed to use chat. I wish I could be around ASL for days at a time. The next time CSDF has a family weekend I am going. But we have the coronavirus to wait out. I didn’t like the news I heard this morning about the coronavirus getting worse and the strong possibility of a third wave. Ugh. The news. I don’t like anything I’ve been hearing on the news lately!

It is damn hot out here. I only had a short time in my studio today. Today is Today, I accept today. I’ve done my best.
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Day Seven of 20 Days in a Pandemic

September 27th, 2020
Today is Sunday. The birds are singing, the sky is blue. Fiona glues colorful cotton balls on popsicle sticks. Jack was making a castle but burnt his hand with the hot glue, now he’s taking a break.

Jack working on building a castle

Last night my husband and I had our first date night. The sky was streaked with pink and blue, the street lined with lights. We sat outside on a slanted table set up on blacktop. Cars drove past with radios on.

I felt safe from coronavirus. It was a different nightlife than ever. There were no people walking down the street, no nightlife at all. Only a couple restaurants with tables set up outside. After dinner we walked up and down the Main drag.

Storefront after storefront empty and for lease. So many businesses just gone from our little downtown.

I don’t know if I can work on art today or not. It’s a hard day for me to get away from the family. I still haven’t bought groceries and the fridge is empty. There’s much to do to prepare for our upcoming week. I did clean the classroom last night.

Could I say I’m going to work in my studio today?

Could I ask for that time alone on a Sunday?

Could I say I don’t want to be the butler today?
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Day Six 20 Days in a Pandemic

September 26th, 2020
Fiona sat on the floor crying. She called me over to her and was scared Daddy was going to be so mad. We went to the toilet to find out how bad it was. The toilet was filled with white, soft, squishy toilet paper.

I went to the kitchen and got a plastic bag, I pulled out the soggy mess and flushed the toilet. Everything was fine.

Today is a dry, hot, breezy Saturday. It’s another extreme fire danger day. I’m sneaking writing this, letting the kids watch u-tube. I have dishes to do, laundry to do, shopping list to make, and I must play dolls with Fiona today.

I would rather have the day off today. Relax, work in my studio. I worked hard all week long. But I have homemaker (butler) duties still. That never goes away.

I want to start stitching these silk prints. But I don’t think I can today. Tomorrow, Sunday, I will go in my studio with Fiona. That is acceptable. Me asking for alone time in my studio on the weekend is unacceptable. But bringing my daughter in to work with me makes it ok.
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Day 8 of 20 Days in a Pandemic

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Day Seven of 20 Days in a Pandemic

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Day Six 20 Days in a Pandemic

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