2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you doing on this bright and beautiful Saturday morning? Alvin and I are really good. He slept through until 4:30 this morning and then we hit the sofa and were up and down. He heard the neighbor cat who was sitting on our deck railing and I heard Bogart’s Mom, so we went out and had an early morning “visit” while coaxing Bogart to go back home. That was about 6:00 a.m., I believe. Anyway, I think it could be said that Mr. Alvin is an earlier riser and even though most of my life I have “had” to get up and going early, I am not an earlier riser. Not saying that I could or would sleep till late morning but not a 4:30, 5:00 kind of gal. I think the most perfect time to rise is 6:45 or 7:00 a.m. but on the weekends it usually is 7:30-8:00 a.m.. Some mornings you just want to remain curled up under the blanket even if you are not “sleeping” or even tired. Just a relaxing thing to do. Perhaps planning the day or just letting your mind dreamily wander from topic to topic. Anyway we are up and at it now. After this post, it will be a quick early breakfast and coffee before I give Mr. Alvin another hair cut and bath. I think it will be warmer today than has been forecast as it was nice earlier and I was outside on the deck in my pj’s with no shoes only socks and no jacket. The sky is a brilliant blue and I noticed that there are BUDS on the trees. That is a wonderful sign that in a few weeks or sooner we will wake up one morning and there will be LEAVES on the trees. Because that seems to be how it works. With a snap of one’s fingers! We enjoyed our walk at lunchtime yesterday.

Our evening was quiet. I figured out something with Alvin. We were chilled on the sofa and he was cuddled at my left side. I was kind of watching television and was doing one thing or another on my smartphone when he put his paw on me. I put the phone down and gave him a massage. After a bit I realized that he just wanted me to put the phone down and that it had nothing to do with attention or a massage. Once I put the phone out of reach – he laid down and that was it. When we are on the sofa ….. no phone. I now realized how much I am on that rectangular piece of technology. If I am on it alot what about others with pets OR with small children. It is likely that we all are guilty of spending way too much time on it. After all, at the end of the day, it is a phone that can access the internet. How much time do we have to be on the internet and on social media. Do we really care about everyone’s business? Do we really need to know that you baked a cake, got your COVID vaccine or bought a new pair of shoes? Do we really need to post some that happens in our life immediately as it happens? No, I do not think that we do. I am going to put my phone down and away. After all it is a phone. I let my other phone go to voicemail because that is why I paid for that option. A convenience so that I did not miss important calls. One thing that I don’t do and that is carry the phone with me when I am out for a walk. Our walks are for me and Alvin and a phone is not a part of that time. I do notice folks most especially younger ones out walking with others or with their pet and they are walking looking at the screen, not paying attention to what is around them and definitely not any never mind to their pet. Pay attention folks, pay attention. I am also going to limit my time on social media. I have been keeping posts to a minimum. Social media and smartphones seem to bring out the addictive nature in us all.

Funny how one can go from a beautiful morning to cell phone talk. Anyway, I am pretty sure that everyone can relate to what I am saying. We have to take a step back and put the phone down. If my Alvin is noticing and giving me the nudge to put away the phone …. then clearly I have a problem. Keep the phone out of instant reach.

One more thing. Life slips away quickly ….. put the phone down. No one is going to care at the end of it all that you liked every post or posted that photo! Call someone instead. Go for that walk without your phone.

Well those are my thoughts for this Saturday morning. I had better get the coffee perking and have my breakfast so that I can get Mr. Alvin’s haircut in good time and then move onto housework.

I hope that you have an awesome day.

Remembering to live with kindness, compassion, respect and patience.

Always, Love Carol & Alvin