The Last Summer Blooms

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

With thankful hearts we loaded our truck last Thursday and headed back to the North Carolina mountains. The temperatures in the mountains were warm, but after the heat of Florida, it was delightful to sit on my porch again and enjoy the soft, morning air.

Yesterday a cool front pushed into the area and it is windows open weather! I will need a light blanket or jacket when I enjoy the porch tomorrow. My kind of weather!

I picked a few of summer’s last blooms yesterday. I will miss their bright welcome as the car comes up the driveway or when I open the blinds, first thing each morning but fall has it own colors.

Our Coleus plants have had a phenomenal summer. I don’t think I can recall ever having such lush growth! The Pink Splash I planted with it went crazy too. Our hanging basket that “winters’ in Florida has flourished. I think this winter will be its fourth. We had to move it to a larger pot and it is too heavy for me to lift. For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the plant. I think it starts with a “d”. If you know what it is, let me know.

While we were in Florida the pansy flowers from last winter played out. I can’t believe they thrived through the summer. We planted mums for fall in our moose planter but I need some contrast. I am thinking of Dusty Miller.

Before leaving for Florida we set up a game camera not expecting much would be captured. To our delight, a doe and two babies visited to eat the grapes on my husband’s vines and top off the Hosta plants. I know that deer liked eating hosta, but this is the first time they have bothered ours. They are so cute, I don’t mind a bit.

Monday officially kicks off fall. Let the pumpkin fest begin! I have a decadent recipe for Keto Pumpkin Spice Muffins from the Keto Gatherings cookbook by Kristi Sullivan. (If you are eating Keto, I recommend this cookbook for holiday recipes.) that will be perfect served with pumpkin spice coffee made with heavy cream!

Full disclosure, I am an Amazon Affiliate and may receive a monetary benefit from your purchase.

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  where we frequently host the best in up and coming authors.

My 2019 goal is to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media. You can visit Real Life Books and Media You Tube Channel if you would like to view some of the mini-videos I have created for our church, Gateway Community in Titusville, Fl.

Tags: Fall