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
A few years ago my daughter Eve and I were fortunate enough to be able to travel to Spain and Portugal and have in our itinerary an added excursion by ferry to Morocco. To this day I can still envision the tea house in Tangier where we sat at a low table sipping hot sweet … Continue reading Hit the Refresh Button with Moroccan-Style Mint Tea!
Several years ago, I moved from the house where my late husband and I had raised our three children---two girls and a boy. It had three bedrooms so that meant the two girls shared a room in our suburban home. My husband died young of colon cancer at the age of fifty-two. Thus, unfortunately, he … Continue reading Discovering Nuggets of Gold — A Poem Reflecting on Life and What Remains After I’m Gone
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
The months of May and June bring with them the celebration of Mother's Day and then Father's Day in the U.S.A. as well as many other countries throughout the world. As my family treated me this past Mother's Day with helpful hands, sawing up tree branches, trimming bushes, clearing out poison ivy, and more, I … Continue reading Tell Mother I’ll Be There… A Celebration of Mothers & Fathers
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”
This weekend many of us are thinking about the Moms who birthed us, the Moms who raised us, or another parent figure who guided our lives. All of us began our existence totally dependent on a caregiver, without whom we wouldn't have survived. No matter who that special person is, my hope for you is … Continue reading Thanks to Our Moms!
We've all heard the saying, "Take time to smell the roses." Recently my lilac bush sprouted not only beautiful pale purple blooms but had a wonderful fresh fragrance. So, I'm saying "Take time to smell the lilacs!" If at all possible, feel some dirt beneath your feet. Take a deep breath of fresh air. Let … Continue reading Take Time to Smell The Lilacs!
The Easter season for me every year is a time of serious reflection as it was on Easter Sunday in 1999 that my husband at age fifty-two passed from this life into the next. Our three young adult children and I didn't see his death coming until there was a crisis moment when he ended … Continue reading Finding Hope on Holy Ground
Every morning when I walk into my SUNSHINE ROOM my attitude for the day is uplifted. I'm always amazed at how the crystal prism hanging from a window near the ceiling divides the light coming in from the sun. There are patterns splashed over the walls and floor which no computer-generated artificial intelligence can rival! … Continue reading The Sun Still Shines Bright on My Ol’ Kentucky Home
On a recent trip to my near-by grocery store, I saw pots of pansies in a multitude of rich colors. Bold gold. Pale yellow. Sky blue. Royal purple. The name “Pansy” means a thought which engages our mind. That reminds me of an old saying, “Pretty is as pretty does.” I take this to mean … Continue reading Be Careful What You Think
Sometimes it is the simplest things that can bring joy. For me, this week, it was the daffodils blooming in my yard. Happy Spring, dear blog readers! Daffodils! Happy Spring!Connie Carlisle Polley, 2025ConnieCarlislePolley.comNonnyDay.com You can view my new book Play Clay Hooray! and all my children’s books on Amazon
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
"The Hole in My Heart" Poem by Connie Carlisle Polley The hole in my heart will never be filled Yet someday will be not so deep, not so fresh. Someday my body’s shivering deep chill With returning embrace and kiss will be met. So I’ll not lose hope even though I weep. Goodness will help … Continue reading The Hole in My Heart — a poem by Connie Carlisle Polley
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
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