Three Little Birds … In My Garage

/ Nonie / 3 Comments

Do you believe in signs? Do you believe God talks to us, sending little or maybe not so little messages?

I do.

I do because it has happened a lot in my lifetime.

Tonight I came home, opened my garage door, and pulled my van in just like normal. Tonight though, there was a bird flying around in the garage, bumping into the walls because the noise of the garage door and my engine were probably a tiny bit overwhelming. As I parked, I realized there was also a second bird, and by the time I got out, there was in fact a third bird which flew just inside the door of the van onto the floor.

Three little birds… in my garage.

I swooshed the one out of the van, and then spent the next 15 or 20 minutes trying to get all of them outside, gently with a broom, because I did not want them to be trapped. Once they were all safely outside, I closed the garage door and went into the house. I walked to the kitchen sink to wash my hands, and wondered what in the world were three little birds doing in my garage? That’s when the obvious hit me… three little birds!

They were there to tell me not to worry ’cause every little thing is gonna be alright.

I could not help but to chuckle at the somewhat absurdity of the whole thing. What a wonderful and comical God that cares so much to send three little birds to my garage with a message, and in a moment I really needed to be reminded that things are going to be alright.

Tonight I am sharing this with you, I’m sharing those three little birds, so you too will know not to worry ’cause every little thing is gonna be alright for you too!

 

Three Little Birds – by Bob Marley – 1977

Rise up this mornin’
Smiled with the risin’ sun
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true
Saying’, (this is my message to you)
Singing’ don’t worry ’bout a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Singing’ don’t worry (don’t worry) ’bout a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright
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Grand Grit

/ Nonie / 3 Comments

Daily Post Word Prompt: Grit

I’ve lived in my house for 12 years. It was newly constructed with a freshly landscaped yard. My daughters were teenagers when we moved in. We had a dog and two cats.

My children have since married and moved out. There is only one dog left. The yard is well established.

My house has more grit now though than ever before. Grit on the floor. Grit on the sofas. Ugh, it’s infuriating. You know what causes all this ridiculousness?

Grandchildren.

I love them dearly, but they are the grittiest little people on the planet. 2 of them I keep 3 or 4 days a week. The other 2 visit every month or so. And they all leave grit on everything. Grit, grit, and more grit.

In the story of Hansel and Gretel the children left bread crumbs on purpose to find their way home, but that’s just nonsense. They would have left gritty crumbs without even trying!

The best and worst part about all of this is number 5 is going to bring his gritty little self up in here in a couple of months, and if I was a betting woman, I’d say number 6 won’t be far behind.

Congratulations Nonie, you’re the proud grandmother of all these gritty grandbabies! 

But oh what Grand Grit it is!!!

I love you Babyman, Princess Crazy Pants, Prom King, Dr. Evil and Number 5. Even if you’re gritty, you are all my favorites!

Lazy – Reason #1- to Being Boring

/ Nonie / 2 Comments

DSC03822

I found this sign in St. Thomas at Senor Frogs. It is one of my favorite finds from my cruise last February. I think the grammar is weird, but I am willing to forgive that because of the humor and truth this sign exudes.

What is lazy? Oxford says it is an unwillingness to work or use energy. I tend to consider myself lazy, which is another one of the reasons I am boring. Maybe it’s because I have interpreted things others have said about me to mean such, or maybe it is just because I am.

I don’t know.

Where is the line? Who decides?

The house is clean. The dishes get done. Eventually the clothes get folded.

My laziness seems to pop up when it comes to extra stuff… this blog, random projects, going to the gym, etc.. I just don’t have the motivation, when I am home, to do anything other than the necessary.

I can go on vacation, and I want to do all the things. I will walk all over the place, shop ’till I drop, swim, work out, and play from sun-up to well past sun-down. But once I am back at home, forget it. I am right back to being lazy old me.

I know , I can just hear you now, “Make a to-do list. Prioritize your schedule. Take Vitamin D. Just get up off your butt.” There are probably a million other pieces of advice, and hey, go ahead, give it your best shot. I’m pretty sure I have tried it all.

The reality is, I will do the stuff when I am ready to or when it becomes necessary. That is just me. So I guess Oxford is right, lazy is about unwillingness. I do not possess the will until I have to, and that is just going to have to be okay for now.

Thanks for helping me work that out.

Now I can go think of some more things that make me boring…or maybe I’ll just do that later.

 

 

Why Listen to Another?

/ Nonie / 6 Comments

You keep going to Facebook, Twitter, other medias. You look to the people to tell you who you are, to approve of who you are. You listen to the voices try to dictate and define you. You search for validation and reason for you, your life, your calling. You wait for a like, a view, an answer.

 

But there is only one who really knows. One Voice. One Approver. One Definer. One Validator.

The one who always listens.

This one, designed you. This one, formed you.

 

You are an individual, yet it is easier to compare with others, to compete with others, to listen their voices that scream so loudly.

 

How can they know you, when they barely know themselves?

How can they define you, when they don’t know the definition of you?

How can they approve of you, while they are searching for their own approval?

 

Who then is this one who knows?

 

*whispered… “I am.”

 

It’s as simple as that. God knows. Jesus approves. Holy Spirit listens. You were formed by the Creator in your mother’s womb. You were designed with validation in you. You were formed with a voice that defines you. You have all that you need in him.

 

Why listen to another?

 

Not Worth Your Weight in Meddle

/ Nonie / 3 Comments

You talk too much.

You search, listen, and gather intel to fill your coffers.

You draw conclusions that aren’t yours to draw.

You tell stories that aren’t yours to tell.

You give advice where it wasn’t asked. 

You stalk one’s virtual world and perhaps the real one too.

You think you know; you don’t know.

You aren’t one of Scooby’s friends; your meddling doesn’t solve crime.

You aren’t worth your weight in meddle. 

So Stop.

Daily Prompt: meddle

Thought of the Day (6/19/17)

/ Nonie / 2 Comments

Believe it or not your experience does not necessarily prove what is or is not true of the entirety of society or the world. You are not the center of the universe. You cannot possible know everything or everyone. Stop making sweeping judgements​ based solely on your individual experience. 

#talktomorepeople #readsomethingoutsideyourcomfortzone #theworldisnotdefinedbyyourbelief #perceptionisnotreality

The Early Bird Can Have the Worms for All I Care

/ Nonie / 2 Comments

I am a night owl. I enjoy staying up late and then sleeping until I feel like getting out of bed even if that is late morning. I was designed that way. I am not broken. I am not irresponsible. If something calls for my having to be up early, then I adjust accordingly.

I do not normally give this much thought, except when others bring it up or I run into a situation that does not appear to be a societal norm. This last weekend fell into the latter category.

My oldest, her husband, and their boys (Babyman [4] and Dr. Evil [almost 2]) came to stay at my house for a family event. This is a regular occurrence.

The grandboys do not like to sleep in, no matter what time they go to sleep at night. That reality means others do not get to sleep in either. I am not among them. I have very little problem rolling over and going back to sleep when I realize they are up before I want to be.

*Gasp*

Yeah, yeah I heard that.

Here is the thing, the house I live in, my daughter once lived in as well. This was once her home. In fact she met her husband while it was her home, and he has spent more than his fair share of time here. They are at home here. They do not need me to host them.

We seem to, as a society expect the “woman of the house” to always be playing the consummate hostess, no matter the guest. You know what I thing about that?

Forget that noise.

My kids are grown. They know how to take care of themselves. They know where I keep the bagels and the coffee. They know how to work the TV and most anything else they could need. Why do they need me to get my grumpy butt out of bed to take care of them?

They don’t.

So you know what? When the guilt of my defying the societal norm of being the perfect hostess/mother/grandmother comes to taunt me in the early hours of the morning, backed by the voices of my grandboys, I am simply going to pull my eye-mask back down over my eyes, my covers over my head, and nuzzle my pillow until I am fast asleep, guilt free, because I will not be limited to some silly rule that was made up by some judgmental early bird who apparently likes worms.

PS. This is why I am boring reason #8.

 

Eavesdropping

/ Nonie / 4 Comments

 

Image Source – http://sloanreview.mit.edu/content/uploads/2014/11/eavesdropping-1200-1200×627.jpg

 

Eavesdrop

Merriam-Webster.com defines eavesdrop as: to listen secretly to what is said in private. The origin had to do with literally standing under an eave as water dropped on the listener.

Nosey by Nature

I am, by nature, a nosey person; in fact I think more people are than are not. In my maturity though, I have learned a few things, not the least of which is that some things are just not my business. This is a lesson that would undoubtedly make a lot of people much happier in life.

Fly on the Wall

Needless to say, many of you are not going to change your nosey ways. It is understandable; you walk up on a conversation that is happening around the corner or just inside the next room and your ears perk up to the juicy tidbits of information being discussed. Your heart quickens and your mind whirrs at the chance to gain knowledge that you would not have been given otherwise; so you listen.

You Know You’re Listening

Now don’t even act like it is not true, because we know it is. Very few people have the willpower or wisdom to just walk away or at least make their presence known. My kids used to do this and would inevitably give themselves away later, usually because they could not keep their mouths shut about what they thought they heard.

Rules of Engagement

I found myself giving them rules for eavesdropping, and now I am going to share them with you.

  1. If you are going to listen, make sure you hear everything, or don’t listen at all.
  2. Try to make sure you have understood the context in which the overheard words were spoken.
  3. Do not lie about “accidently” overhearing. We all know you stood there on purpose.
  4. Do not enter a conversation without being invited just because you think you have a good grasp of what is being discussed, and/or you believe you have valuable input. If someone had wanted your input, they would have asked you.
  5. Keep your dang mouth shut.

Zip It

Number 5 is key. You were not a member of the conversation to which you were eavesdropping. I do not care how loud someone was talking or what they were talking about, IT IS NOT YOUR BUSINESS until someone makes it your business. No matter what you think you know, you don’t know. So if you heard something, at the very least keep it to yourself (you doubtfully have the details right anyway).

Does this bug others as much as it does me, or am I just fighting human nature? Sound off with your rules and opinions about eavesdropping in the comments. I would love to hear your thoughts, but I won’t stand on the other side of the door to get them!

This Too Shall Pass

/ Nonie / 1 Comment

Recently I was watching Talking with Chris Hardwick (AMC and The Nerdist Podcast) with Michelle Monaghan as the guest. She shared a story about how Kevin Bacon had once told her “this too shall pass” during a conversation in which she was talking about something good in her life.

Now I grew up in church circles where this was/is common advice for when you are going through something crappy or tough. (It is after all from the story of Esther in the Bible.) Kevin Bacon was however making the point that Continue reading →