On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
Christmas is in ten days. Nine days if you count Christmas eve. It’s is coming on fast and I am moving slow.
Some years will celebrate Christmas in Florida and other years at our home in the North Carolina mountains. This year we will have a mountain Christmas. To jump start the season, our daughter who was visiting over Thanksgiving, prodded us to set up the Christmas tree and decorate it.
We have boxes of ornaments including the special ones from our children’s growing up years. As our daughter rummaged through the decorations I hesitated. While I would love a tree filled with memories, I didn’t think my energy level would be up to the effort required to later take down the tree. We settled on a one color tree.
Our daughter returned to Florida, and the tree stood lonely in the undecorated house.
When our daughter who decorates for every holiday and season told us she wasn’t going to put up any Christmas decorations this year since she was going to be with us, I knew I needed to get moving on the holiday cheer.
My moving started slow. I like to decorate our guest bathroom with the seasons.. I store seasonal flowers and small ornaments under the sink and a change of seasons is a five minute operation.
Next, I ventured to the attic and brought down a small,handmade, net Christmas tree and a matching indoor wreath made by the same crafter.They are a fairly recent addition to our Christmas decorations and they make me smile.
More time passed and I I began to feel twitching of Christmas past. I remembered I had tucked some Christmasy items into the drawer of an antique sideboard. It didn’t take much effort to take them out and place them along the sideboard.
The Christmas spirit in me was moving and it began to spread to my husband. We aren’t able to put up Christmas lights these days, but we do put out Christmas lasers. My husband surprised me by setting them up in the yard. Then I put a big red bow on the artificial topiary on the porch.
The stair bannisters leading to the attic began nagging me to dress them for Christmas as well, followed by the front step bannister. Greenery was abounding.
And finally, I dug into the closet where seasonal tablecloths, chargers and place mats are stored. I chose a cloth with a poinsettia pattern. It looks very nice and Christmasy. I think I am finished decorating. It was a slow process, but I think we enjoyed it more that way than rushing through it.
Now it’s on to baking and making Christmas treats. This year I am corralling my husband to help with the candy making. Christmas is coming fast and we are moving slow-but we are still moving!
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’m a general “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books
My 2023 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.
Old Things R New 
Several people have mentioned struggling with finding the time & desire to decorate this year. I did eventually get out 2 Christmas runners and a single piece nativity.
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