I recently sent the readers of my Nonny’s Blog a photo of my Christmas Cactus. Well, here she is in her abundant glory still blooming! How do I do it? 1) Keep it in a windowsill where the temperature is about 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 2) Give it plenty of daytime natural sunlight. 3) … Continue reading Christmas Cactus Going Strong Into The New Year
I feel a great sense of responsibility for what I write in my weekly blog posts. I think deeply about what I am going to say and make multiple revisions before it is finally posted. In a world of turbulent thought and turbulent events, the last thing I want to do is add to the … Continue reading Watching My Blog Post Statistics
In times of conflict, disappointment, or even utter despair in our lives, is there a place where can we go to find Hope? Yes, there is. Jesus, the Author of Hope, tells us in Holy Scripture, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has … Continue reading Heavy Hearts Sustained by Hope
I recently discovered a trick to more pleasurable reading of my NIV DAILY SCRIPTURE paperback. No, it’s not how much I read daily. Nor is it what time of the day I read it. I discovered I needed to break the spine of this paperback so it would lie flat to allow me to read … Continue reading Sometimes You Have to Break the Spine
The Pool of Bethesda [buh THEZ duh] in Jerusalem is one of the many places where Jesus performed miraculous healings during His three years of ministry before His crucifixion on a Roman cross. This New Testament story can be found in the Gospel of John, chapter 5, verses 1 through 18. Although the story we … Continue reading Stir the Waters
My dear friend Ruthe Chambers Lusk died a few days ago. My first reaction of shock insulated me from breaking down in tears upon learning of her death. However, her passing was the first thing on my mind when I awoke this morning and little streams of hurt flowed down my cheeks. Ruthe, ten years … Continue reading On the Other Side
HOPE is . . . Happiness Deferred Opportunity to Do Good Possibilities Unlimited Energy to Keep Trying My Definition of HopeConnie Carlisle Polley, 2025ConnieCarlislePolley.comNonnyDay.com Shop for Play Clay Hooray! or Learn about all my children’s books
There’s an old but interesting story I’d like to share with you today to help us all be sustained while life throws in our direction spears and arrows of disease, disability, defeat, and disappointment in ourselves and others. This narrative, a New Testament parable the Rabbi Jesus used to teach his disciples the power of … Continue reading The Power of Persistence
Millions of people in the U.S.A. and other parts of the world have gastric disorders related to the foods they eat. I’m one of them. With me, my first symptoms of abdominal pain after eating occurred in my fifties after coming home from a marvelous two-week vacation aboard a cruise ship. Since then, I have … Continue reading Calming Your Gut and Spirit at the Same Time
Millions of people in the U.S.A. and other parts of the world have gastric disorders related to the foods they eat. I’m one of them. With me, my first symptoms of abdominal pain after eating occurred in my fifties after coming home from a marvelous two-week vacation aboard a cruise ship. Since then, I have … Continue reading Calming Your Gut and Spirit at the Same Time
Toward the end of last year when the air was crisp but not cold, I experienced a fright which took hold of my body pushing my adrenaline to cause me to react in what might be called a super-natural way. It was late afternoon when I heard a loud boom . . . The next … Continue reading The Fright of My Life
Recently I was driving home after a short trip to my pharmacy when I approached a red traffic light. There was a city bus to my left beginning to make a turn onto this narrow street with cars parked on both sides. It was obvious that the driver of the city bus was going to … Continue reading When Push Comes to Shove
When I was growing up, I had a Michigan cousin whose family visited my Kentucky Aunt Genie on her rural Shepherdsville plot of land usually twice a year for a Carlisle Reunion. Most of my other Carlisle aunts and uncles lived in Greater Louisville or about an hour and a half away in Lexington. And … Continue reading Our Playtime Turtles
Messages today are not always from reliable sources. And for all of us it's hard to tell what is truth from what is false. If you have done your due diligence (checked out your sources) and you are trying to persuade your readers to come to your point of view, why not present it with … Continue reading How to Make Your Message Successful
Maybe you have heard of the movie and television fictitious “Walton Family” living their everyday challenges and joys on their rural Walton’s Mountain in Virginia. If you have, let me do a little review. If you haven’t, let me introduce you. Events are set during the time of 1933 to 1946 which include the Great … Continue reading Journeying with the Twists and Turns of TV’s “The Waltons”
I recently pulled out a couple of my Travel Scrapbooks and I started thinking about trips I’ve been fortunate to take: France in 1992 Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in 1998 Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 2000 Alaska in 2005 These Scrapbooks are currently sitting on the top shelf of a Bookcase in what we call … Continue reading My Travel Scrapbooks
How do you define the word “translate”? If you currently live or have lived in a family where more than one language is spoken, you may have found yourself in the position of being a translator for a family member who needs help navigating the linguistic demands of daily living. A memo comes from school. … Continue reading The Power of the Word
Have you ever wondered where the expression “When it rains, it pours” comes from? It dates back at least to the slogan associated with the girl on the cylinder of Morton Salt, which first appeared in 1914. I happened to purchase a container recently when grocery shopping. And there she was! Looking just as playful … Continue reading When It Rains, It Pours
You can’t sing The Twelve Days of Christmas without smiling. Its references from the sublime “swans a-swimming” to the merry “lords a-leaping” keep us in a festive mood. However, the early Christian Church did not view these twelve images as trivial; each was viewed as signifying a spiritual truth. The book of Christmas Carols that … Continue reading More Than A Rollicking Christmas Song: The True Meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas
Like all of Nonny’s children’s books, Play Clay Hooray! includes activity instructions and Nonny’s Nurturing Tips. This particular book features a recipe for homemade play clay from everyday kitchen ingredients. Reading a book, making & playing with some play clay… makes for a great day! You can view Play Clay Hooray! and all my children’s … Continue reading Holiday Cheer: Discover Fun Activities in Nonny’s New Book!
Hello, Blog Readers! Thank you for being along with me on the journey to the publication of my most recent children’s book, Play Clay Hooray! As the holiday season approaches, I invite you to consider my books as delightful and educational gifts for the little ones in your life. I appreciate greatly your sharing of … Continue reading Gift the Joy of Language, Learning, and Life: Exploring My Children’s Book Series
My new book is out! If you have children ages 3-8 on your shopping list for this holiday season, this might just be the perfect gift for them. It’s also great for their parents or other caregivers, too. PLAY CLAY HOORAY! is not only beautifully illustrated and fun to read, but also includes activities and … Continue reading Unwrap Joy This Holiday Season: My New Children’s Book, PLAY CLAY HOORAY!
Hello, faithful readers! There are just 5 days left until the release of my latest children's book, PLAY CLAY HOORAY! Your support means the world to me, and I’d be grateful if you would like, comment, review, and share this excitement with your friends and family. It truly makes a difference. You can share this … Continue reading Count Down to PLAY CLAY HOORAY: Your Likes, Comments, Shares, and Reviews Requested!
We’re thrilled to announce that my latest children’s book PLAY CLAY HOORAY! will be released on November 27th. We’ve been fine-tuning the promotional text and would love for you to take a look at our current book description. Your feedback is always welcome as we get closer to this exciting launch! Discover the Joy of … Continue reading Get Ready to Celebrate: Release of ‘Play Clay Hooray!’ on November 27
Hello everyone! As I gear up for the release of my upcoming children's book, I wanted to share some valuable insights about the self-publishing journey that I’ve learned along the way. My first submission in 2019 brought a few surprises, including a detailed list of “fix-it” notes from Kindle Direct Press (KDP)—even when I thought … Continue reading Insights from the Final Steps of Self-Publishing
Building a book is like building a house. For me, first comes the story I'm going to narrate—the basic framework of my house, those pieces of wood nailed in place. Next, I share my story with my artist collaborator, Courtney Coriell Williams, and tell her the illustrations I have in my mind. When she delivers … Continue reading Building a Book
Another update about my soon-to-be-published children's book... All of the books in my Nonny Day Series include activities that relate to the story. In Play Clay Hooray! the activity is two-fold: 1) Making Homemade Play Clay, and (of course) 2) Playing With It! Included in the book is an easy recipe for play clay, along … Continue reading Reading + Activity = Language, Learning, and Life!
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