There are parts of our society which thrive on being confrontational with any idea which doesn’t match their own. This idea may be political, religious, or philosophical. Might we all do better to be open to civil discourse and cooperation. Rather than having a stalemate where nothing is achieved, try stating your position with politeness … Continue reading You Catch More Flies With Honey Than With Vinegar (Sayings I Grew Up With #10)
Whatever job you have, however mundane it may seem, deserves the time and attention to produce a good product. If you can’t commit to that, find another job where you can. Sayings I Grew Up WithConnie Carlisle Polley, 2023ConnieCarlislePolley.comNonnyDay.com
We sometimes get caught up in the attractiveness of a perceived opportunity. Perhaps we need to take a step back to see the big picture. Is that golden opportunity really what it seems to be at its core? Let’s not forget the axiom, “All that glitters is not gold.” Sayings I Grew Up WithConnie Carlisle … Continue reading All That Glitters Is Not Gold (Sayings I Grew Up With #8)
It seems that when a bad or unfortunate event occurs, another and perhaps more than one, happen(s) in rapid succession. We need to remember we can’t always control what happens to us. However, when we find ourselves the recipient of “When it rains it pours,” let’s recall we can control how we react to our … Continue reading When It Rains It Pours (Sayings I Grew Up With #7)
Believe it or not, in years past, I heard the instructions, “Attention! Draw swords! Charge!” all the time in the Bible Sword Drills’ practice at my church. Participants (which included me) in our children’s or youth groups memorized Scriptures and where they were found in the Holy Bible. We stood in single file facing the … Continue reading Attention! Draw Swords! Charge! (Sayings I Grew Up With #6)
In my mind I can still hear my mother’s voice describing a quick cleaning she had done to a room or rooms in her home by saying she had given the job “a lick and a promise.” She meant her dust rag had wiped around the perimeter of perhaps a lamp, some framed photos, and … Continue reading A Lick and A Promise (Sayings I Grew Up With #5)
The maxim, “Better late than never,” advises me that whether it’s a day or maybe even years later than when I should have said ‘thank you’ or ‘I’m sorry,’ to go ahead and do it. Usually even a belated word of thanks is appreciated. And who knows? Maybe a heart-felt admission of regret may bring … Continue reading Better Late Than Never (Sayings I Grew Up With #4)
In sewing if you have a garment/household or other item made of a sewable material and it develops a hole—you’d better mend it quickly before it gets bigger. Beyond its literal meaning, the quote, “A stitch in time saves nine,” advises us that delaying addressing a problem may increase the time, energy, and cost of … Continue reading A Stitch In Time (Sayings I Grew Up With #3)
I grew up with the saying, "A penny saved is a penny earned." On a recent morning television broadcast, I heard how to save almost painlessly over $600 in one year. On day one, put one penny in your savings jar. Thereafter, each day add one more cent toward your daily savings jar deposit. In … Continue reading A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned (Sayings I Grew Up With #2)
There are numerous sayings I grew up with. One of them, “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” was a favorite of my mother as she instructed our family to wash our hands before eating to rid them of germs. But also, after eating to keep our house furnishings clean. It was a good practice then and … Continue reading Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness (Sayings I Grew Up With #1)
Thank you, my blog readers, for allowing me to have some of your time this past year as I shared my thoughts on various topics. I hope you picked out the posts that interested you and maybe found something you could benefit from—whether it was humor, crafts, recipes, activities for children, poetry, music, or reflections on … Continue reading Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthful New Year 🎉
Have you ever started out on a road trip knowing the highway you were going to take, but not quite sure how many miles you were going to travel, or exactly what would become your final destination? This was the kind of journey the “Magi,” or Wise Men from the East” found themselves on as … Continue reading A Journey Full of Hope
I don't think anyone reading my blog today would disagree with the statement that our society has become less and less civil. As information is spread so quickly through mass media, we make snap judgments which may or may not be based on truth. Consequently many allow their perceptions of what is right or wrong … Continue reading A North Star Worthy of Following
As I was recently going through some old family documents, I came across a United States Postal Service first class stamp with the denomination of six cents. “Wow!” I thought. “When I sent a Christmas card this year, the cost was ten times as much-sixty cents.” The stamp had never been used to send a … Continue reading In the Beginning…
I remember a game passed along in the Carlisle family, now still finding interest down to the fourth generation---passing from my father to me, to my children, and to my grandchildren. My son says he has done research trying to find an earlier origin of the game, or to see if there is another family … Continue reading Carlisle Family Christmas Eve Gift Game
Some of you may be thinking, “What in the world is a house for Toddler Jesus?” Let me give you some background information before I jump into telling you how my two school age granddaughters and I recently made a little cardboard and popsicle stick house. We are going to use it at Christmastime alongside … Continue reading A House for Toddler Jesus (craft project)
We see a wide-eyed little girl, maybe six or so, in a church worship service. She’s standing next to her mother in a pew at the left side of the sanctuary, very close to the pianist whose fingers move adroitly over the keys of the ebony baby grand piano. The child’s eyes shift from the … Continue reading Vibrant Vibes: A Musical Phenomenon
There are times when life can become overwhelming. The sense of not being able to shoulder alone what is being thrown at you is very real for all of us at one time or another. It may be the loss of a loved one. Or losing one’s job. Struggling with health issues. Betrayal of a … Continue reading Carrying Each Other’s Burdens
One of my climbing red rose bushes a couple of years ago developed a really thick stem with huge prickly thorns for practically its entire length of about four feet. That started me to think about the thorns we are enduring in our daily lives which have been turned topsy-turvy since 2020 as we continue … Continue reading Enduring Thorns 🌹
As I was video-chatting with one of my grandsons recently, my casual conversation drifted to a time in my marriage before children. I told him I had had my first full-time teaching position in the adjacent community of Jeffersontown, or known by most of us as J-town. And my husband was working as a machinist … Continue reading Special Delivery
For a long time, I interpreted the judge in one of Jesus’ New Testament parables as a figure representing God. I even had a family member whose instruction to me was, “Worry the Judge!” when I would complain to him about some disturbing aspect of my life. However, now upon closer examination of the Gospel … Continue reading Worry the Judge!
Because of family food allergies and preferences, I created my own Vegetarian Crock Pot Dressing a few years ago. Even though it may be lacking the traditional chicken or turkey broth as an ingredient, it is not lacking in flavor! In fact, it has become a family favorite! Ingredients 1 ½ cups finely minced celery … Continue reading Nonny’s Favorite Holiday Recipes – Vegetarian Crock Pot Dressing (with Step-by-Step Photos)
During the fall and winter months—or anytime, for that matter—taking a little extra time to prepare a special treat to eat can help take our minds off things that may be challenging in our lives. Here is a favorite recipe of mine for Sweet Potato Pie. Sweet Potato Preparation 2 cups cooked sweet potatoes drained … Continue reading Nonny’s Favorite Holiday Recipes – Sweet Potato Pie
It’s that time of the year again when we begin to think about the upcoming holidays. And, of course, that means visions of delectable foods we might prepare start to dance in our heads! Some of mine take a good bit of preparation. But some are super easy to make! What I am sharing today … Continue reading Nonny’s Favorite Holiday Recipes – Magic Chocolate Cake – No eggs or dairy!
As days are getting cooler, I begin to want to use the last of the green tomatoes which are growing right outside my kitchen door. But, if you haven’t grown them yourself, you may have a neighbor who has some and would be happy to share. Or check out your food market. My children loved … Continue reading Nonny’s Favorite Holiday Recipes – Fried Green Tomatoes
In the twentieth century, the practice of cryonics (preserving dead bodies for a future ‘resurrection’) came into being. Though dismissed by many as a pseudo-science, others have clung to its hope by having their own or loved one’s body go through the preservation procedure. According to my Google search, there are at least four cryonic … Continue reading How to Live Forever
It’s not too early to start thinking about meaningful and educational holiday gifts for the youngsters in your life! If you haven’t purchased Volume 3 in my Nonny Day Series, Alphabet Excursion and Higgledy-Piggledy (perhaps because you didn’t find sample pages to view on Amazon--a story for another day!), below is what its delightful art … Continue reading The Holiday Season is Closer than You think – Shop Early for the Kids in Your Life (and their Caregivers!)
Nonny's Blog 