I think I found a solution! I started researching (Googling) other
thermostats and talked to my handyman about installing a new standard
one when I buy it (as we were standing next to the Google Speaker) and
lo and behold - it’s stayed connected for ...
The easiest solution -albeit a very temporary solution - is to RESTART
the thermostat. Not reset - that erases all the temp settings and
scheduling from the app. But restarting the thermostat reconnects it
within about 7 minutes and stays connected f...