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Life During Covid-19 Part 20- Road Trip West

27 Aug

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I decided to journal our journey. I know we will make many special memories and I don’t want to forget a single one, even the not perfect ones because sometimes those memories become the most dear.

We spent months planning our 49 1 /2 years anniversary road trip west.  Many days I awoke to doubts that we should take the trip due to Covid concerns, but each day after my morning quiet time and meditation, my worries would banish.

Our biggest challenge was packing the truck!  Our daughter and a friend would be flying to join us in Montana so we were carrying their luggage as well.  Then there were the folding chairs for impromptu picnics and a large tote for the various jackets we would need in the Rocky Mountains. After two attempts to fit everything we resorted to Facetime with our daughter, a master packer!

Day 1

When our children were young we began our annual vacation with a quick video, usually accompanied by the song, On the Road Again. One year, my son held the cat up and gave her a slight squeeze so that she would screech, imitating the movie studio that used a roaring lion as its signature.

My husband and I decided to revive the tradition but 2020 style.  He rummaged through his “stuff” (ladies, you know what I mean) and found two purple full face respirator masks from his working life. We put them on and took a selfie. I posted it on Facebook with the caption Road Trip. I had no idea anyone would think the masks were serious. But several did.

Our first stop would be Georgetown, Kentucky, a little over a 5 hour drive. Most of our drive was through mountainous areas and so beautiful. We wanted to avoid interstate as much as possible but in some areas, the interstate was the better choice.

In Kentucky we stopped at Cumberland Gap, of Davey Crockett fame. We enjoyed our first on the road picnic lunch in the parking lot before driving up to the Pinnacle Overlook.

The road getting to the top was extremely curvy!

Overlook from the Pinnacle

When we arrived at our stop for the night, I was delighted to see that one of our favorite burger and salad restaurants , Culvers, was directly across the street and there was a traffic light to make crossing easy. Perfect!

A nice finish to a good first day…but trouble was on our horizon. The best laid plans.

I'm a winnerAfter 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.

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Life During Covid 19 Part 19

7 Aug

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

After last weeks adventure in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, this week was taken up with routine chores and doctor visits.(ugh) The highlight was a short visit with friends in Anderson, SC.

The mornings on the porch continue to be a delight, especially when a cool breeze adds a hint of chill to the air. So different from a Florida August morning. Tomorrow a friend from Florida will be arriving and I look forward to sharing my porch time with her.

Life during Covid here in the North Carolina mountains is easier on my nerves, than when we were in Florida. We are close enough to Georgia to do the majority of our shopping there and for the most part, the state is open. Fortunately, north east Georgia is a good distance from hot spots like Atlanta. It’s nice to see people going on with their lives.

Bummer, I seem to have misplaced my more comfortable mask. (I hate them) I hope I didn’t drop it somewhere and become one of those people I complain about who throw their mask on the ground.

I made a discovery, quite by accident, this week that I am tickled with. I read on my iPad using the Kindle app. Out of curiosity I highlighted a passage and tapped the share option. To my delight, the app created a graphic of the passage complete with sourcing information.

This is one I “clipped” from a book by my former pastor, Peter Lord in Titusville, Fl

I think this is going to be an outstanding tool for sharing on social media. For my author friends, you can choose a favorite passage from one of your works and instantly create a sharable graphic.

By the way, Peter’s book, Hearing God: An Easy -to-Follow, Step-by-Step Guide for Two-Way Communication with God is available on Amazon. I recommend it.

I'm a winnerAfter 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.

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Life During Covid-19 Part 18

30 Jul

He leads me beside still waters.

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

We finally made it to our home in Western North Carolina last Wednesday. It was a struggle to escape the clutch of doctors who feel entitled to dictate our life with endless rechecks.

The struggle is totally worth it. Saturday morning I settled into my comfy teak lounger on my porch, contentment oozing from my soul. I wrote this:

I declared today a day of reading and refreshment.  74 degrees on the porch. Birds chirping and cheeping and a good romance, mystery book by Colleen Coble on my tablet.  Mike tinkering in the garage. Thunder sounding beyond the mountains, possibly heralding an afternoon shower. A gentle breeze creates joyful melodies on the wind chimes Mike made.

After two days of unpacking and restocking the kitchen, we decided a day trip was in order. I packed a light picnic lunch of meat and cheese and we headed for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. With all the Covid closures, I wasn’t sure if the visitor center (restrooms) would be open and that can be a problem. I was relieved to see the car park was a hive of activity.

The park was busy but not at the usual summer level and we took advantage of empty parking spots to stop and enjoy old favorites. When our children were young they enjoyed playing in this stream. One day an “older”(like maybe she was 40) woman was walking across some rocks and she fell into the water. The stream and bridge has evermore been named, Woman Falling In Water.

US Highway 441, a winding, two land road runs through the park without a lot of opportunities to pass. We were driving behind an SUV that was struggling to pull a sizable RV trailer. Their speed varied from 25-35 miles per hour. The RV had a Florida license plate and we were reminded of our first time hauling our pop-up camper along the same road. Young and inexperienced at mountain driving, I’m sure we crept along too. As we patiently followed the RV up the mountain, we reminisced and laughed at our youthful confidence.

If we followed US 441 all the way through the park, we would have ended up in Gatlinburg, Tennessee but we had decided to only go as far as Newfound Gap.

North Carolina is a mandatory mask state, Tennessee is not. This park straddles the state lines and the restrooms are on the Tennessee side! Mast freedom! I wore a mask anyway. It’s nice to have the choice.

Our family made many memories here. Lingering snow thrilled our Florida hearts and frost laden trees, a winter wonderland left us awe struck. It’s a place where children could run off some energy, exploring the woods behind a monument or as the Appalachian Trail runs through there, you might encounter a Through Hiker.

The elevation of 5,040 feet offers an ever changing vista of the the surrounding mountains.

The National park has a webcam here and I treat myself to a visit as part of my morning quiet time. It snaps a photo every 15 minutes. I thought it would be fun to be “captured” in a photo, an “I was there” kind of moment. I told my daughter in Florida of our plan and she monitored the webcam. I was thrilled when she texted the picture to me. Silly, yes but fun.

We are in the far right circle

We decided to take the short drive to Clingman’s Dome.

At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi.

We were surprised at the amount of cars trying to get into the parking lot and decided to not take up a parking space as we could come back anytime. Families were everywhere, even picnicking in their parking space. I am thinking that caused the slow down, but I am also happy to see families enjoying being together in nature.

My husband suggested I hop out of the car to get some pictures while he drove the circle of the parking area. Clouds were moving in so not much of a view, but it was only 69 degrees. Lovely.

By now, we were hungry! We headed back down the mountain to a large picnic area. Normally in the summer this popular picnic area is crowded but this was not the case. I speculated that the crowd at Clingman’s Dome, may have been first time visitors, not familiar with all the park had to offer. We finished our lunch just as a light rain began.

Several years ago, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park began to reintroduce Elk to the park and they can often be seen in late afternoon near the visitor center. This day they were out early, maybe because of the rain and many were next to the road. We pulled over to snap some pictures.

We made it back home around 3:30 pm. In time for my husband to get in a nap. Covid is taking a sub conscience toll on us. We aren’t afraid but we are weary, especially me. Nature soothes me and brings to mind Psalm 23:2-3

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

I'm a winnerAfter 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.

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Life During Covid-19 Part 18- Dealing with my anger.

11 Jul

Together

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I have a mental exercise for you. Think of someone in government you despise. I chose government since we tend to have strong feelings these days, but you can choose anyone. What is the first adjective that pops into your mind to describe them? My most frequent word is idiot.

In me, an anger reaction quickly follows the adjective. This is not good. Allowing my mind to simmer and at time sauté in anger leads to more anger and a total loss of peace.

Philippians 4:8 has long been my

go-to verse to restore my mind.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 

But what happens if I can’t think of a single good thing about the person or situation? That is where I have been with the rioting and violence. Then something extraordinary happened.

My heart changed and my prayer changed.

Instead of scrolling past fiery news posts on Facebook, I began to stop and place a hand over the picture and simply ask God that His love for the people to flow into my heart for them.

Am I 100% perfect at this? No way. I’m not 100% perfect at anything, But God is and I am counting on him!

For King and Country have a song out titled, Together. It’s another of the songs with the voices recorded remotely. I am sharing two videos. The first is the back story of the video, the second, the actual performance. I always enjoy back stories, but if they are not your thing, skip to the second one

“Filmed in quarantine in our homes during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. ‘TOGETHER’ with Kirk Franklin + Tori Kelly. So grateful to all 2000 of you who lent us your stories and voices to make this music video possible.”

Since local churches shut down, I have been listening to various churches across the country. The July 5, 2020 message at a church in our Florida town was titled The Destruction of Discouragement. One of the speakers one line points was

“Where your brain dwells, it swells.”

If you are interested, here is the LINK for the message.

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The New York Blessing

7 Jul

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

One of the positive effects of Covid-19 is music. I have enjoyed live concerts I would never have been able to afford. Yes the fancy lighting, fog and effects are missing but the enjoyment of seeing musicians performing from their homes for the sheer joy of it makes up for the glitz. Plus, I can watch in my yoga pants and baggy shirt!

This video began making the rounds this week. You may have already seen it, I think it is awesome enough to watch again. Hope you enjoy it.

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Life During Covid 19-Part 17

3 Jul

I am Weary

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I’ve been in a bit of a slump. I checked past posts and saw that I haven’t written anything since June 16, when we were back home in the mountains.

In a normal time, we would be firmly ensconced for the summer and fall and welcoming houseguests. But these aren’t normal times. Two weeks was not enough! We returned to Florida for my husband to have a scheduled surgery.

It’s really hot here. I think I have had trouble adjusting from open windows and cool mornings on the porch to sweltering heat and non-stop air-conditioning. (Having spent my entire life in Florida, one would think I would be accustomed to it.) Or maybe I am simply Covid weary.

I am weary of people being angry and the great mask debate. I am weary of worrying about the people who are out of work. I am weary of wondering how our economy can possibly survive this massive shut down. I am weary of the isolation which draws me deeper into my usual introvert state.

And I am weary of trying to decide if our planned road trip needs to be cancelled. That sounds trite. I know. We had a health scare with my husband last week. He is fine now, but we really wanted to do this trip while he is able.

Yet in the midst of the weariness, I am thankful and blessed.

I am thankful for my friend, Pam, whose indomitable spirit and gift for chatter lifted my spirits this week. I am thankful for my friend and mentor, DiVoran, who understands my unsociable state and loves me still.

I am thankful my husband is doing well, his surgery is rescheduled and we may be able to return to the mountains in a few weeks. And I am thankful our daughter, who works from home has time off to visit with a friend for the weekend. She badly needed the break.

Most of all I am thankful for my faith in God that sustains me when I walk through shadows and teaches my heart to trust in Him. I read Psalm 57:1 this week, written by David when he fled from Saul into the cave. I especially related to the last two lines.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

Until these calamities have passed by.

In a morning meditation I remembered an old hymn my Depression era parents would sing. I looked it up on You Tube and found this one by a group called Grace Thrillers from 6 years ago. Beautiful and I like that the video showcases scripture rather than images of the singers.

Wishing our American readers a happy, healthy and blessed 4th of July. It’s a special day for our family, my mother’s birthday. She loved her dog Max, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts!

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A Morning of Memories

16 Jun

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Monday, I sat on my porch savoring the morning flurry of bird’s wings as they enjoyed breakfast at our feeder. My tablet was open to a daily reading and I soaked up the peaceful combination of nature and scripture. One verse brought a chuckle to my heart.

“So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” HEBREWS 13:6

I recalled the first time I claimed and clung to this verse, especially the last part. What can man do to me?

It was 1978 and I was a stay at home mother of two small children. After years of a stagnant economy on the Florida Space Coast, my husband was blessed with a job offer working on the Shuttle program. The downside was that for a time, he would be making less money than he was earning as a gas station attendant.

By coincidence…? I was taking Medical terminology courses at our local hospital and was currently enrolled in a class teaching the duties of a Ward Clerk. ( I figured out the only way to be sure to get some me time was if I was taking a class.)

My husband was definitely taking the job at the space center and on a whim, I asked the instructor if the hospital hired part-time clerks. Part time work would keep us afloat financially.

Before I knew it, I had a part time job working 2 days per week on second shift. I even had a neighbor’s teen lined up to watch the children until my husband got off work.

There is a thorn in this story, though. Although most of the doctors were kind, there was one who was a terror. I think the man lived to yell and belittle people. Every time he made rounds on the unit, I was terrified.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

That’s where the verse comes in. As the doctor created chaos I would silently repeat…The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can MAN do to me?

It worked and I have called on that verse many times. And the best part? Several months later the doctor went into semi-retirement and no longer admitted patients to the hospital where I worked.

Once my husband got his foot into the door at the space center, he soon transferred to another company that paid more. I continued working for the hospital for 32 years.

I'm a winnerAfter 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.

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Life During Covid-19 Part 16

5 Jun

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

As I said in my last post, plans are made to be changed. We planned to have lunch on Tuesday with friends we had not seen in 4 months. Well, Monday morning my husband woke up with a sniffleszx and sneezing. Of course, my first concern was is he coming down with the virus? I let our friends know we wouldn’t be meeting for lunch, because and I am not sure how this happened, but we are all in THAT age group.

He spent a lot of time outdoors over the weekend, tidying up the yard and installing a backup camera on the truck. It took three mowings to get the grass down. I decided to treat his sniffles as allergy and after two days he began to clear up.

Our lawn a combination of grass and weeds looks much better!

Sunday we attended church. North Carolina ordered churches to shut down (Unlike Florida which suggested it and the churches willingly complied) so our church began to hold drive-in services in March. I was looking forward to seeing friends and curious how it would be done.

Our sanctuary sits on a hill with parking on a lower level. A tent was erected with a pulpit. The congregation tuned their radios to a specific Fm station .

One of our members brought a visitor, and I must say the visitor was very well behaved.

Overall it has been a good first week back. My husband’s health and energy, aside from sniffles, has been great and he has enjoyed getting resettling chores done. Thursday he replaced the front brakes on the truck and still felt well enough to join friends for a night of card playing. I treasure the good days.

In a matter of three weeks, the county has gone from less than five cases of Covid to over 80. I sense a level of anxiety and resentment in their social media posts. The first case in the county was a visitor from New York and now the summer people and part-time residents (Like us) are invading .

I understand how they feel. South Florida’s Covid cases soared as residents from New York fled there to escape the virus and its consequences. I rarely see a New York license plate in our Florida community but I saw two within a week. I admit to feeling a moment of resentment. Our area had been doing well without these “infectors”. Awful, right? I confessed my unkindness to God and asked forgiveness and for my heart to change.

And then Sunday arrived our church was finally allowed to gather. As we waited for service to start, one of the greeters escorted a woman inside and introduced her to the pastor. I made note of where she chose a seat. It was on the other side of the sanctuary.

I felt compelled to speak words of welcome to the visitor and as this was to be our last Sunday before returning to the mountains, it was now or never. I made my way across the room, being mindful of social distancing and began a conversation. I felt a connection and hoped she would choose to attend our church She shared that she had only been living in the area a year. Of course, I asked where she was from…New York. And not just New York, but NYC.

God definitely has a sense of humor as he works on teaching me to love as He loves.

This is from one of the albums I played with my children. I think I am going to re-listen to them. Simple truths.

Ok, the trip down memory lane with the kid’s praise album made my heart ache a little for bygone days. My son was my instant gratification child. I not only played this song, I would sing the chorus to him as well. I think the message remains relevant and it is fun!

We rescheduled our lunch plans with our friends for today. Both my husband and myself have been checking our temperatures just in case our supposition that allergies caused the sniffles is wrong.

I'm a winnerAfter 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.

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Finally Back in North Carolina!

2 Jun

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

We made it back to our home in the mountains! I’m not sure how I accumulate so much stuff over the winter but it seems that I will be spending days unpacking.

Our grass was really high.

I was pleased to see that the pansies I planted last winter are thriving amidst the tangle of grass. Hopefully my husband will set-up the moose fountain that goes on the pedestal.

Thursday I plan to have a full blog to post. But plans are made to be changed. Lunch with friends tomorrow that I haven’t seen in 4 months!

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Life During Covid-19 Part 14

23 May

…And We’re Still in Florida

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

Last week I was confident I would be writing from our home in North Carolina but as Proverbs 19:21 explains, many plans are made but the purpose of the Lord will prevail.

Last Sunday we were all set to leave the following morning except for some final packing. Allergy season has been rough this year and Sunday afternoon, the wretched oak pollen destroyed me, sapping my energy.

Monday my husband awoke with breathing issues, so we pushed our leave taking until Tuesday. Tuesday morning our daughter informed us that during the night she had experienced nausea and well, you know, the other stuff. We decided a road trip with limited facilities available wasn’t a good idea until we could confirm her malady wasn’t contagious.Thankfully, she wasn’t contagious but she was quite ill and being a mother, I didn’t want to leave her on her own.

Now you know, this story has to come around to my hair.My long, unsightly hair.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

At the end of the previous week my hair stylist texted me with an appointment date of May 21st. With great sadness I turned it down as we were not going to be in Florida. I decided to stop fussing about it and put God in charge of my hair. I felt excited about who I would meet in North Carolina to do my hair.

Wednesday, our daughter was still unwell so I decided to text my hair stylist to let her know I was in town and available, hoping she might have a cancellation. She replied with a date the following Thursday, May 28th. I really didn’t want to commit to staying another week. I asked my husband’s opinion and suggested we pray about it then see if we are in agreement.

All afternoon, I dithered. Leave on Thursday or stay another week. Groomed hair or cool mornings on our mountain house porch. Late in the day I decided that if I had put my hair situation in God’s hands, who was I to grouse over the extra days in Florida?

When I shared this with my husband, he agreed. And since we are staying longer, I was able to get him a doctor appointment that was cancelled due to the lockdown. Our daughter is recovering and returned to work. We will be able to enjoy being together in church Sunday after weeks of separation AND if the SpaceX launch goes as planned on Wednesday, we will be here for the return to manned space flight.

They say good things come to those who wait. I guess it holds true even if the waiting wasn’t the first choice.

Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

I'm a winnerAfter 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.

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