Thursday, April 16, 2015

Don't Worry, Be Happy


Worry.  It's something most of us do from time to time.  Like when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep and your mind starts meandering and then often heads down the worry path.  

I think about the state of the world, there's plenty to worry about there. 

Or, I worry that the man will never come to replace our front porch.  It's been over a year now.  So many things to do here and at The Project and I wonder when they'll ever get done.  Oh, they will in due time.  Maybe not as soon as I want them to.
  
I worry that I'll wake up with something out of whack and I'll never be the same again. 

I wonder if a noise of unknown origins woke me up and if I should look around the house, but what if someone is waiting to bop me in the head if I walk down the hall? 

After saying a prayer for whatever the worry of the night is, I fall back asleep until a kitty wakes me up for food.


What I no longer worry about is whether I am using the most correct grammar in my writing.  I know you know what I mean.  I think.  Don't you?  Ha! 

I no longer worry if my house is spotless as I once did and there are a few cat hairs around.  The kitties are part of our family and we all love them. 


I don't worry overmuch about appearance like I did when I was much younger.  So what if I can't hold my tummy in any longer or the neck sags or my skin is getting crepey. 

There's something to be said for getting older, and there's too much life yet to live without worrying about the unimportant things and especially things you have no control over.  Well, maybe I could quit eating chocolate, but the rest is beyond my control and I do use moisturizers daily. 


Some good news...the concrete for the front porch is supposed to be poured Thursday!  We got the phone call just after BG got home from work.  So, one less thing to wonder about if I wake up in the middle of the night.  It is still Wednesday as I write this.

The weather is warmer and we're still getting showers now and then.  The redbuds are blooming and the lilacs are beginning to bloom, too.  It's a beautiful spring! 

Happy Thursday to you!
xo Cheryl

36 comments:

  1. Worry will send you to an early grave if you're not careful. Just drain your brain and let these things go. Things will eventually work out the way they're supposed to. That first picture you posted is glorious. the colors are spectacular.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so right. I didn't mean to convey that I was a worrywart, because I'm really not. I've learned that worrying doesn't change a thing! Glad you liked my sunset, I borrowed that shot from my archives. I haven't been able to get to the lake since the road has closed from my house to there for bridge work. I could take the detour, but it's a long way.

      Delete
  2. Yes the above blogger is right, worry wil send you to an early grave but you have the answer, prya adn then fall asleep if it is in the middle of the night.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good news that the concrete will be poured! Your cats are so precious. The reason I am up EARLY now is because of 2 cats!!! Like you, I used to worry about the house, my appearance etc. but as I get older, I have learned to "relax" a little and just enjoy life.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good Morning Cheryl.... that word Worry is definitely painful. and....it's awful when a worry attack hits during the middle of the night. I'm guessing that this one word is used on a daily basis....more than any other word! lol.
    Be sure to post pics of your new porch....how exciting! Enjoy this sweet day.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Morning Cheryl, happy the porch will be coming along..always enjoy seeing your pretty kitty's. Blessings Francine.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It sounds like to me you have more to be happy for than to worry about. But I understand. I do the same thing! Have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Of course, we all have worrying thoughts that flit through our very human minds, but your attitude is a good one. Why waste time worrying over unimportant things? I love the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34. That puts worry into perspective for sure!

    Have a lovely day..."seeking first the Kingdom"...

    ReplyDelete
  8. i don't call what you are describing Worry.. i call it using my God Given Female FRETTER... men don't do this, most women do.... if i FRET about something late in the afternoon, most like my fretter will kick in if i wake up to potty... and there is no way to turn it off... sometimes saying scriptures in my head or praying helps to turn it off. but NOTHING helps if i hear a noise in the house until i find out what it is.... bob is deaf when he removes his hearing aid so if i go down the halll to check out the noise, i could be killed screaming and he would not hear me... but then my fretter say, you have 2 dogs in the bedroom IF there were someone in the house they would be sounding off.... and anyone that is a woman and says they can turn off their fretter either they are fibbing or they are one of the few born with out it... worry on, you are in great company. MINE

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is a great post, Cheryl. I don't consider myself a worry wart either but like you, sometimes in our busy lives, things just get kind of stuck there and cause to fret a bit. I used to almost make myself sick by worrying about our prodigal son who is now nearly 36 years old. Although I pray for him constantly, I really have given him over to God and only take him back every now and then. The Lord uses people, sitations and so many things to remind us (me) that He is in charge. I heard someone relate sitting in a rocking chair to worrying...you can rock all day 'til the cows come home but you have gotten nowhere :) And yes, that photo at the beginning is proof of who hold the future!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I hear you, Cheryl. I don't worry like I used to-I think that comes with aging when you realize that no matter how much you worry about something what is going to happen is going to happen....and you don't really have control over most things anyway.
    Your photo today is beautiful and this was a wonderful post! xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  11. I used to be a 24/7 worrier but I been letting it go. It's hard. Last night I couldn't sleep because I couldn't let something my BIL texted to CH stop bugging me. Why do peeps text you a tiny bomb and let it sit there for you to figure out? :) Good Morning Cheryl! Don't know about you but I am ready for some sunshine! So happy for you about the front porch!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Cheryl!

    I spend a good part of my night worrying too - Isn't it funny how our brains process things at night!?

    I agree with you, life is too short to be worrying about things we have no control over, like crepey eyelids and my sweet tooth! I have a big black dog that sheds, and it's a constant battle with sweeping, but we love him, so we deal with it!

    So glad they are fixing your porch - what a headache!

    Gorgeous picture of the sunset, as always!

    Hugs,
    Barb

    ReplyDelete
  13. hooray for porch work! i wish i hadn't inherited my mother's worry gene. thankfully, she also gave me her smile. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. new follower here (and fellow worry wart. LOL) Lovely photos, particularly that sunset! And congrats on the upcoming improved porch!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Lovely pictures! Great post...I make an effort not to worry alot, but pray ;-)
    Lori form LL Farm

    ReplyDelete
  16. I don't worry about the same things you don't worry about anymore. Isn't that wonderful? My only worry is that my pets will out live me. Other than that, I don't worry much.
    That photo is spectacular. A scene like that could take the worry right out of you.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Although I know that worrying is pointless, it seems I do it constantly. On the rare occasion that I find myself carefree I start to worry about why I'm not worrying. Ha!
    Your opening photo is stunning!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. The things you say you are not going to worry about are just the minor irritations of life, anyway. We need to keep remembering that God sees us and has our life in His control;nothing happens without His consent. Gorgeous sky, and even more gorgeous reflection in the water!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Worry doesn't do any good at all! Why do we bother to do it? I am guilty of fretting over crepey skin and my cat's health, John's health, my own health, the state of the country, the world, the universe and whether I want to get re-dressed so I can look presentable at the grocery store. Sigh. Yay, for getting the porch foundation poured. Progress... That is a beautiful sky!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere.
    Ha, wish I didn't worry so much.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Happy Thursday to you, too! I'm having a problem sleeping- waking up, but then I can't go back to sleep. It seems to come in spurts. I keep hoping I'll pass this stage and go back to normal sleep cycles!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Cheryl...
    How different...and how the same we all are, eh??
    I think worrying is part of life...as long as it doesn't consume ones life...
    I worry everyday about my kids...and they say "Mom...I'm fine"...
    I know they are...
    And I do enjoy life...very much so...
    But...I do hate the saggy skin...and the wrinkles...oh well...such is life!
    Love your Sunset pic...
    THanks for always visiting and leaving such nice comments...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

    ReplyDelete
  23. great post...why is it we worry about EVERYTHING in the middle of the night?!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Smiling as I read this, Cheryl, as I have been known as a notorious worry wort! My mom who is not, says, "Sue there is no need for me and God both staying up, so I just go to sleep. "
    I love your list of non worries, seem like I could have written it!~smile~.
    So glad your porch project will soon be completed.
    Blessings,
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  25. I LOVE your attitude. Worry less,about unimportant things and enjoy life more.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Waking up in the middle of the night with worry and concern is not fun.
    I am sure it has happened to most of us . . .
    I have some words and prayerful litany I repeat and very soon I fall back asleep.
    I try to not give the "worry" any energy . . . it keeps me sleepless.

    Good news about the porch cement being poured . . .

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Cheryl!

    First off...I'm so glad you heard from the concrete guy! Our porch is 70 years old and I never realized how bad it looked in comparison to my neighbors and wow, it's embarrassing (and dangerous!!). Soon we can cross that off our list, too. Good luck.

    I laughed about how you are okay with letting things go...the grammar especially. My daughter teaches HS English and when she finds the time to read my blog I get a long email about all my punctuation errors! lol!

    I so agree with you about letting things go. I wake up quite a bit during the night...no rhyme or reason so I think it must have something to do with things that are bothering me, and yes, down the worry slope I go. Why is it we can't toss and turn while remember good, fun times and great things on the horizon? lol!

    Life, to me is so uncertain. Having lost so many loved ones in recent years, almost losing my husband, watching my kids grow up and go off on their own only to encounter the trials and tribulations of adult life...I guess I try to hang on to what I CAN control. I'm always trying some far flung beauty treatment, or fiddling with recipes or redoing a table or mantel arrangement. Sometimes I feel if I stop for too long I will have to address the not so "certain" things in life. The things that keep us awake.

    Thank you for your sweet comment. Happy Weekend!!!

    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  29. A good mantra is Don't Worry Be Happy. I enjoy reading your thoughts and I feel a lot like you. I don't worry about a lot of things I used too. However, I do have a hard time falling asleep sometimes because of worrying about children problems. I use prayer to chase the thoughts away.
    We just had snow two days ago and now it is spring like again; very weird weather. I hope it stays nice since we took the snow tires off. Have a sweet week end and give those cute cats a hug from me. Hugs for you!

    ReplyDelete
  30. ahhh, Farmer's Daughter...you are such a delight to visit. And, so right about things we worry less about as we age. O, my....I couldn't leave my house with a dirty dish left in the sink...or the bed unmade...or dust on the furniture...SHOOT....waaay too many things to do that are fun...with the birth of my first grandchild, things sure did change around our place. :)
    OOO, and did you find something you couldn't live without on your flea market shopping

    ReplyDelete
  31. I enjoyed your post. I 'm aging too and with it comes the confidence that I have never had. I probably made a grammatical error somewhere here.... So wonderful to complete a needed project!

    ReplyDelete
  32. When I wake up in the night instead of worrying I begin to pray for everyone I can think of with a special need. I am a night owl...and rarely sleep more than four hours at a time.
    I am becoming less of a perfectionist everyday. :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. i love that view. wow. that is gorgeous. love the kitty kat shot. too cute!! i guess to me i don't really worry about aging but i dislike grey hair. they keep popping in & i keep pulling them out ... they are just so ugly ... don't mix with my regular hair. ha. ha!! have a great weekend!! ( :

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi There, Great picture. WOW!!! I used to say that I was NOT going to be like my mother. She was a WORRIER bigtime.... BUT--I do find myself worrying at times --over things I cannot control at all (like politics).... I try not to worry--but human nature just pops in to visit at times!!!!! ha

    I know you'll love getting the porch finished. Can't wait to see pictures...

    Hugs,
    Betsy ---who loves to get out in nature so that I can relax and be calm --and NOT WORRY about the state of the world....

    ReplyDelete
  35. I am a worrier, too...but not so much in the night. Though I do that some. I like to be prepared with a plan...if this happens I will do this, and if that happens, a plan for that.

    ReplyDelete