TUTT (+1) - Week ???? - Berries

OK, OK – I know I am late again....This week, as I said last week the story was born when I first saw Mariette’s theme “BERRIES”...

My first thought was BLACKBERRIES – no not because they are my favourite fruit....but because Blackberry Torch/Curve or Bold is a hot topic in our house a the moment....It is funny, when you own a teenager, it is amazing how one week something can be a matter of life and death and the next week, it is almost a non-existent issue....

Bradley has an old hand me down phone – it is an ok phone – it has a camera and he can get Mxit on it...He can’t get the internet or BBM (Black Berry Messaging) on it and that for him is a big problem,because “....mom, my social life is suffering, because no-one goes on Mxit anymore”....

So Brad has been miserable for the last few weeks, ...So miserable in fact that Gramps (my dad) noticed and questioned why...a couple of days after I had told my dad about Brad’s desperate need for a Blackberry, my dad phoned me and asked if Brad would like to help him do a job on the weekend...R100-00 an hour was what my dad was offering – Brad was smiling – they worked for 19 hours....it was not hard work – in fact it was helping out on a surveillance, so it was actually pretty boring and by the end of the weekend Brad had had enough of sitting in parked car, doing nothing, but he now has  almost enough for his Blackberry....This morning Brad said to me, that he may not go for a Blackberry – R2000-00 is a lot of money to spend on a phone and the only person he really needs to speak to is Tamaryn (his girlfriend), and she goes on Mxit for him.. “Say What!!!!” – Oh, I give up – I will never understand teenagers.....

I took my photo of two borrowed Blackberries with a map as the background – I did try to get the two phones/Afica/UK/and North America in the photo to depict that technology is indeed making our world smaller and bringing us closer together, and it seemed fitting to include all the areas where the TUTT(+1) girls can be found, but I could not get it all to fit nicely – but you get the idea anyway...

Kayla-Fern also wants a Blackberry, not because it has any bearing on her social life (and in fact her social life still involves chasing each other around a field – she actually does not need a cell phone at all except to phone me when another little girl or little boy is bothering her...)  Kayla-Fern wants a blackberry because she says she is being teased because she has an old fashioned phone...This really makes me wander about where we are going with technology and how materialistic our society has become....I think as adults, life is much easier, to be in constant contact with our loved ones, travelling has become easier and international business has become easier, but it is a trade off....It means that a boss or business partner or customer/client can contact us any time of the night or day, what happens when a cell phone rings when the family is sitting together eating dinner????  What is happening to family life????  I know that for children being exposed to technology – computers/cell phones etc is a vital part of their development and we as parents are doing them a disservice if we deny them access.  I just find it sad that my ten year old daughter is more worried about what cell phone she has then whether she should do her hair in a pony tail or pig tails and that my teenagers social life is so reliant on technolochy (cell phones/facebook etc)....and I do worry that they have lost the value of a decent face to face conversation or the sentimentality of a hand written letter – using full English words and properly formed sentances. or the simple joy of playing a game of cards or a board game together.  It is all about trying to create a balance.

Pam’s photo is of their Rottweiler Budgie called Blueberry – who teases and taunts the cats all the time - funny how Pam and I both went off the beaten track a little bit this week...

Mariette and Claire stayed with the “traditional” interpretation of the theme....

Well done girls, both are lovely photos....

Claire, may be opting out of TUTT(+1) for  awhile – We will miss you Claire, but we understand and hope that you return to us soon....

Pam has suggested our theme for next week - it is all about what we do, see or hear "daily" - sounds like it is a theme that we could take of almost anything, but it is proving to be challenging about what is the "right" anything....

Lots of love