Just because it rained earlier and it’s Monday, I am not down.

It’s shortly half past 9:00 AM and I will soon have my Instacart delivery to put away.

In the meantime, I am at my regular position on the deck, beneath the table umbrella that kept my rocker dry during early morning rains. The sky is a dull steel grey, widely peppered with both white and dark clouds. Two cardinals keep the atmosphere lively with their twin banter and a few other breeds pipe in from time to time.

My first morning cup of coffee accompanied a Zoom chat with my son in London. Twenty minutes into the conversation, David arrived from the airport having been in Virginia Beach for his great-grandmother’s memorial service and cremains commitment to the sea. Not surprisingly, David did take time to Zoom and FaceTime with me while stateside just as he does when he’s in London. I appreciate and am blessed his attentiveness.

I’ve struggled with sleep the past two nights and find myself holding the mug of a stagnate mood; not grumpy, just flat and uninspiring. I’ve not worked on banishing the blahness but will let it reside for a bit.

Sunday was typical except our Zoom frames were adjusted with David and his parents chatting together from Virginia Beach, Josh in London, and me here in Kettering. It was nice to see David with his parents. The rest of the day was spent in tidying up the kitchen, some writing accomplished, plenty of rest, and documentaries. It may sound like a dull life to some, perhaps, many, but for me it is a nice, even blend of doing what I love and taking care of myself.

The pooches are in the accustomed spots around the deck with Bailey and Harrigan perched atop the deck steps to scout the backyard, Chief on his mat, and Erma stretched out beside me, coming to my knee for her periodic reminders for me to rest a minute so she can receive attention. I do look forward to those reminders. Wednesday will be Erma’s third Gotcha Day which feels odd as it seems as though she’s been with me forever.

I’ve just received a notification that my groceries should be here by 10 AM. Perfect timing in wrapping up this post.