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Spring Unfurling

9 Apr

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

  We left Florida earlier than usual this year and arrived in North Carolina before spring. Our daffodils greeted us with their beautiful faces and the Bradford Pear trees were spectacular but everything else was brown. Temperatures continued to drop into the upper twenties and lower thirties and it seemed spring might forget to arrive.IMG_2476   Each day we searched for signs our plants were waking up. The first to awaken were the forsythia. We seldomsee them in their bright yellow coat and they are a treat to our eyes. Don’t you think it is cool the way God staggers the arrival of spring so each plant gets it own time to shine? IMG_2486   The weather warmed this week and it seems the rest of nature is anxious to share its beauty. While the forsythia is shedding its yellow coat and daffodils are beginning to fade the blueberries and apple buds are swelling. Plants that had lain hidden all winter are sending out new shoots.   I am especially thrilled with one of our peony plants. You see, it came from the yard of a precious friend who passed away. One day, as I sat with her I asked if I might have a root from one of her beautiful plants and she said yes. We had spent many hours rocking on her porch and admiring them and I wanted something special to keep those memories close. Sadly, at the end of the summer it seemed to die. Imagine my joy this morning when my husband told me the plant was coming back to life! IMG_2490   So far, we have late daffodils, one tulip, bleeding heart and a fat bee on a dandelion!

On Wednesay we drove down to Clayton, Georgia to see the cherry blossoms. We had gone the week before and they were bare sticks but this week they were glorious.

The weather today is warm bordering on hot so I know spring will be fully unfurled in a few more days. My husband decided today was a good time to erect a handrail for the stairs down to his workshop. I sneeked a picutre thorugh the screeon of him and our porch dog gus. Mike and gus copy 3   I’m not sure why, but I kind of like the texture the screen adds to the picture.

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Baking for Cystic Fibrosis

2 Apr

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

UPDATE 4/6/2016

The bake sale was a huge success and over $2,000.00 was raised for Cystic Fibrosis!  My friend was thrilled and grateful for the communiy support.

This Saturday, April 4, 2015, a determined grandmother will be setting up a card table in front of our local K-Mart and selling fabulous baked goods, She does this every year to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research. Her friends and church family bake the items.

My friend has three precious granddaughters, two of which have active CF and the other one is a carrier. Until Wednesday, I had no idea that Cystic Fibrosis research was largely funded through donations, because Cystic Fibrosis affects a relatively small number of children, in the United States approximately 30,000 and worldwide 70,000.

 Nearly every #cysticfibrosis drug available today was made possible because of @CF_Foundation support. (Click to Tweet)

Today I am baking a triple chocolate buttermilk pound cake for the auction, along with some cookies.

triple-chocolate-buttermilk-pound-cake-sl

This cake was featured on the cover of the February Southern Living Magazine and I made it during our stay in Florida. It was incredible!  It seems the recipe came from a professional baker who charges cake lovers  $36.00  to take one home or have it shipped!  If you would like to make it, here is the RECIPE.  I don’t add the white frosting since it has buttermilk in it and I am not sure if it would require refrigeration. Would love for my baker friends to weigh in on this as I think the white makes the cake look great.

If you would like to know more about Cystic Fibrosis you can visit the Cystic Foundation home page and if you have an opportunity to give, I know these three girls and their family would be grateful. Thanks to research, these girls already have a brighter future  than children in the past.

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Settling In

26 Mar

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

I’ve spent the past week settling into our home for the summer. The way I can tell I am settled in is that my previously tidy house is no longer tidy. What can I say, I am messy.

The weather has been cool, but not cold and I have enjoyed it. Florida was beginning to heat up. This morning we took a drive down to Cornelia, Georgia to pick up a meat order. We pass Cornelia frequently on our way to Gainesville or Atlanta but have never explored it so I was looking forward to the trip. After we picked up our order I asked Siri to find the local McDonalds. It was time for a bathroom break and some coffee. Siri was not very cooperative but she and I finally worked it out and she set us on our way.

Have you ever heard to the Habersham Candle Company? They make wax pottery vessels. Mike’s cousin gave us one for our North Carolina home and I love it. I knew they are located in Cornelia so I nicely asked Siri to route us there and she complied. To my amazement. It isn’t a small company like I had imagined. , I thought I could go there and buy one or two. Wrong. I was too intimidated to go up to the door so I called them to see if they are open to the public. Sadly, they aren’t. I’m not sure why I had it in my mind that they were.

After we came home, I checked email and found one from a blog I follow, Marketing Christian Books suggesting the reader try a cool website that can make marketing fun. Who wouldn’t want to learn that? I spent the rest of the afternoon playing with it. Here are a couple I made.

Son’s Travel Agency Oasis Travel .org
Daughter’s Novel
Daughter’s Novel

 

Cold weather is supposed to return this weekend. I am looking forward to it. It will be nice to have a chance to wear the winter clothes one last time. How about you, are you sick of the cold or enjoying it?

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My March Madness

19 Mar

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

I know now why March has been named March Madness and it has nothing to do with basketball! I don’t think I have caught my breath yet. I even set my alarm clock an hour earlier to pack more into my day. That is a big deal for me.

The disturbing part is that aside from doing first round edits on Rebekah’s upcoming release, Spring Dawn, I can’t tell you why is has been “mad.” Isn’t this how life goes most of the time, busy, busy, busy with little to show for it.

As I began writing this, the phrase “Be Intentional” came to mind.

Keepand Be Intentional

 

.So I decided to be intentional as I think back on my March activities. I realized that I had accomplished more than I thought.

  1. Created a blog for my son’s travel business, Oasis Travel.
  2. Created and posted content to his blog.
  3. Searched for travel blogs to follow and connect with.
  4. Regularly maintain this blog and Rebekah Lyn Books.
  5. Edited fifty chapters of Spring Dawn.
  6. Actively participated in two book promotions.
  7. Then there is the every day routine of social media networking.

The best part was spending time and sharing laughter with friends and family. I think I will choose to be intentional and be thankful for the things I did accomplish and not fret over what I did not.

If you haven’t visited Rebekah Lyn Books stop by and see our new projects. On Sundays, DiVoran is sharing her serial novel, Go West. It is a historical western romance complete with original artwork. Wednesday is Promise Poster Day. You will certainly want to view them.

Rebekah Lyn Books is a part of an exciting book sale and giveaway March 16-20. One lucky reader will win over FORTY digital books and registration is very easy.

That’s all for now. Our time in Florida is over for a few months and while I will miss my precious friends and family, the beautiful western Carolina Mountains are calling my name!

 

PS I forgot to mention that Rebekah is giving away an autographed copy of Summer Storms. For a chance to win, leave on comment on the blog hop post.

Created this as part of my March Madness

Created this as part of my March Madness photo license free from bing images

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Going Around the Mountain with Turkeys and Eagles

5 Mar

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

Yesterday my husband and I were discussing Netanyahu’s speech to Congress the previous day. The leader of Israel was asking for support against a nuclear Iran. Meanwhile Iran is in talks with the United States and other countries promising peace. My husband pointed out how similar this seemed to the 1940s when Japan was talking peace while planning for war. He voiced his concern of how history repeats its self and we never seem to learn.

This brought to mind, our former pastor, Peter Lord, who taught me lesson of the mountain. God loves us so much, He will allow us to repeat our mistakes and keep going around the mountain until we learn what He is trying to teach us. Is it painful? You bet but I am grateful he is patient and doesn’t give up on me.

History repeating itself, over and over seems to fall into Pastor Lord’s going around the mountain lesson. Time after time, mankind has the chance to make good choices and time after time we have not. I wonder what the world will choose this time turkeys or Eagles.

 

 

Turkeys and Eagles

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A Cat’s Divine Appointment

26 Feb

On the Porch
Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

Here on the porch we believe in Divina appointments.

A Generous Helping

Did you ever believe in a divine appointment? I mean, something that worked together so perfectly that it had to be orchestrated by God in order to unfold properly. Something that, if man touched, would fall apart like a house of cards built on a rickety three-legged table.

It happened to me recently. Actually, it happened to a cat I now own. If you’ve been to my house or been reading my blog for any length of time, you know our pet burden is already far too high. All rescues, we have Winston, the huge, stupid, lovable lab. Toby Flenderson, the dog with a personality deficit. Kitty, a barn cat who came to live with us two years ago. Stanley the Chemo Cat, a sweet fatboy who was chosen by Kylie to sit with her during treatment.

In the last weeks, our little patient wanted a baby kitty. Actually, she…

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This Thrilled My Mama Heart

17 Feb

As a mom, I have to say this review of my daughter’s novel Jessie,  by book blogger Beverly Lynnt thrilled my mama heart. The reviewer went above and beyond the usual review, even creating graphics to illustrate the review. Thank you!

For years, Rebekah heard her father’s tales of growing up on the banks of the Indian River. It was an ideal time to grow up for a boy who loved the freedom to roam the woods, rivers and canals of his hometown. Rebekah incorporated those stories and recreated them in the lives of the four Cole brothers. Of course, the space program was growing at the same time. Jessie tells the story of both.

Jessie (Coastal Chronicles Bk 2) by Rebekah Lyn ~Review~ | Bipolar for Christ.

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Take Time for Pie With Friends

12 Feb

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

It’s Thursday again and I really( I have been editing so I MUST take out that adverb) don’t have much to write about. I had some thoughts this morning, but dealing with insurance company issues stripped my brain. So when my friend called and suggested going to get some pie, I went.

We nibbled our pie, sipped coffee and talked about all kinds of things from funny to serious.  It was a blessed time and I am so glad we made the time for each other.

This morning I read the blog of my cyber friend, Lia. She loves the savior, as we do and is a wonderful author as well. She wrote about her lack of progress on her next novel. The final paragraph in her blog, touched me. She gave me permission to share it here.

When life gets in the way, and we take time to think about what it means, we become deeper, richer human beings.  That will pour into our writing.  If we give ourselves to others in service with compassion, that will show up in the pages of our blogs, books, poetry or journals. We cannot improve the world around us without improving ourselves, and we cannot improve ourselves without improving our message.

One doesn’t have to be an author to feel frustrated when we don’t accomplish our “to do” list. We may not be writing books, poetry or blogs, but we are writing the story of Christ in our lives. Mike and I have started Tai-Chi with a You Tube instructor.  There is a move, that finishes with one pushing their arms forward and releasing their spirit to mingle with other people’s spirits.  Well that is too “new agey” for me. As I exhale and push my arms forward, in my mind I say. “I am pushing the spirit of Christ that lives in me into the world, may His light shine through me.

Click here if you would like to read the rest of Lia’s blog. Is Life Getting in the Way? | Lia London Books.

This in not me. I needed a picture!!

This in not me. I needed a picture!!

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Old Things R New Blogger Dinner

22 Jan

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

Our Old Things R New annual blogger dinner was last night. I spent the week looking forward to  the laughter and fellowship. As I thought about the blog and the wonderful people I blog with, I realized again how blessed  I was and I wanted to do something to  recognize their work and faithfulness. My daughter, Rebekah suggested certificates. At first, I balked, but as I thought about it, I grew to like the idea. It was something I could create  for them.

Since we don’t all live in the same town, we met at a High Tide Harry’s Seafood restaurant. It’s location was convenient for those coming from the east and the ones from the south.photo

We started the dinner off talking hard and fast. It was a challenge to  find an open moment to say a few words about the blog and give them a quick overview of the progress we have made. Our goal has always been to write and share, having readers is a lovely bonus. Our one disappointment was that our blogger/poetess, Louise Gibson  did not feel well enough to attend.

I had been looking forward to this dinner all  week and it did not disappoint So here is our “official” blogger dinner photo. (subject to change if someone took a better photo)

Fred (husband of Judy) Divoran,Bill, Judy, me and Janet

Fred (husband of Judy) Divoran,Bill, Judy, me and Janet

I held off giving out the certificates until the dinner was over . I mean how can you hold  a certificate and eat at the same time? I almost waited too long because suddenly everyone was leaving!  I went for drama and cried STOP!  It was fun giving them out and each one had a gold seal of thanks on it. Since Louise wasn’t able to attend I decided to post a photo of her certificate.  We were pleased her daughters joined us. as well as my husband and daughter. We really are a blogger family.

FullSizeRender

I’m already looking forward to next year’s dinner.

Here is a quiz for you. Match the award to the blogger. I already gave you one free!

Most Comments

Most Adventourous

Most Nostalgic

Most Inspriational

Most Viewed

Leave your guesses in comments and you just may win a prize!!

ps…. If I had created an award for myself it would have been Most Procrastinating!

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I’ll Have a Bite!

15 Jan

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

Have you ever been around one of those people who, no matter what you’re eating,they want a bite? Well I am one of those people.

Day before yesterday my husband was eating a yummy looking hot dog and I couldn’t Hot_Dogresist. I had to have a bite.The next day he came down with  a stomach bug, feeling all nauseated and yucky, and guess what I have today? You guessed it! The next time I ask for a bite of his hotdog or any thing else he’s eating, I’m going to bite from the opposite side.

Since I’m on the subject of eating, next week the blogging family of Old Things R New will be having our second annual bloggers dinner. I’m excited. Last year was the first time we  all  met face to face!  A lot of talking went on and I  know that this year will be the same.

Old Things R New Family

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