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From My Heart

24 Nov

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I spoke with my son on the phone yesterday. I never take that for granted. You see, in September of 2021 my son had Covid really bad. As on a ventilator bad. The prognosis wasn’t good. In his early 40s he had tons of co-morbidities. He was in a local community hospital and eventually transferred by helicopter to a major medical center over 300 miles away. (Truly a God thing.)

And as per Protocol, no one could be with him. It was traumatic for those who love him. But praise God, after more than two weeks in the hospital he was off the ventilator and able to go home.

Here is what I want to share. As we talked about his time in the hospital, he said he didn’t remember anything. Not going to the local hospital, not been intubated. Nothing except being asleep and having weird dreams.

We were devastated that he was alone. My mother heart could barely endure that.without the comfort that only God can give, I don’t think I could have endured it at all. Yet, our son doesn’t recall experiencing any anxiety.

As we talked I felt that sharing his experience might bring comfort to the heart of someone whose loved one didn’t survive and was alone.

I truly don’t know if his experience was the norm, but I hope it was.

I'm a winner

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  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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The Missing Fork

19 Nov

One the Porch

Onisha Ellis

On Wednesday we spent hours at an out of town hospital while my husband underwent an entire day of medical tests. I had prepared by packing a lunch bag with cheese and nuts to snack on and since it was cold I also wore a hoodie( With The Chosen logo on it. Mine is teal.)

Photo Credit https://thechosengifts.com/products/against-the-current-zip-up-limited-edition-hoodie

I don’t do waiting well so I had slipped my Kindle into my purse to ease the boredom. I do reading well.

To break up the time I decided to get a light lunch in the cafeteria. By now, I had shed the hoodie during a hot flash and I didn’t want to put it back on but I did so I wouldn’t have to carry it. The cafeteria was a good distance but I found it with no problem thanks to excellent signage. There were multiple serving stations and after wandering past each, I chose a delicious chicken salad sandwich on thick pumpernickel. Not Keto but really good. It came with a side of coleslaw. And of course I had to have a cup of coffee.

I paid and found a nice table by a window and spread out to eat. I removed my hoodie, draping it over the back of my chair then I sat my purse in another chair and the lunch bag on the table. The sandwich and coleslaw were in a Styrofoam container and as I opened it and laid out the napkins and coleslaw I realized I didn’t have a fork for the coleslaw. I looked around at all my stuff and just didn’t want to get up and go get a fork. So I prayed, “God would you please send someone, to my table with a fork? They don’t have to know why.”. And I waited expectantly. And no one brought me a fork. 

I decided rather than gathering up all my stuff to go and find a fork I would eat my sandwich and then gather it all up and go in search of a fork. I put the Styrofoam and napkins and cup into a nearby trashcan and was walking around with the empty tray when a young man who worked there asked if I was looking for the tray return. He was so sweet and pointed me in that direction. I looked at him and said actually I’m looking for a fork. He pointed to the direction I needed. Turns out the forks are in the opposite direction to the tray return and it was very easy to find. I got the fork and found another table to sit and eat the coleslaw.

So maybe God didn’t send me a fork but he did send me someone to tell me where to find one. Plus I now knew where to find the tray return.

A note about The Chosen

The Chosen series is telling the story of Jesus over 7 seasons. Throw out your preconceived ideas of a Christian production. This is beautifully filmed and produced and it is totally free to watch. Each season is crowdfunded through donations and the sale of branded items. Additionally, last Christmas a special theatre viewing was offered for those who desired a big screen experience. It was then made free for in home viewing. This week the premiere of the first two episodes of season 3 is showing in theaters and I hope to be able to attend. If not, it will be available online and on some TV channels. I hope you will check it out. Let me know if you do!

I'm a winner

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  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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We Did It!

20 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

We are blessed to spend part of the year in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The mountains are beautiful in every season drawing visitors from across the globe. But the two weeks of peak fall color entices a steady stream of visitors to view and enjoy the foliage.

Fo that reason, we tend to not venture onto any of the well known scenic drives until “peak” is over. We are not fond of heavy traffic and since we are privileged to enjoy the whole Fall season, we are content to leave the scenic drives to our visitors.

But this year we did it! Monday we packed a lunch and joined the “leafers.”( My pet name for our Fall visitors.) The Parkway is 469 miles in length going through North Carolina and Virginia. We accessed the Blue Ridge Parkway at Balsam Mountain and exited at the city of Ashevile, North Carolina, about 50 miles. It was fun, the colors were gorgeous and since it was a weekday, the traffic was light.

The squiggly yellow green line is the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The abrupt explosion of color as we joined up with the Parkway was surprising. My theory is that the Parkway winds through forests undisturbed by urban sprawl. I quickly recorded a short video to share with our daughter in Florida.

Here are some random photos. The Parkway has a lot of tunnels. Honk, honk!

When I packed our lunch, I included a plastic tablecloth as some of the scenic overlooks have picnic tables. The temperature was in the 50s with some wind. A bit too chilly for us so we decided to choose a pretty view and enjoy our picnic in the car. We were very happy to have hot coffee in a thermos bottle to warm us up.

Hubby stayed in the car, but he agreed to let me take his picture.

With health issues, all of our days aren’t good. Thankful we can create memories on the good days, that warm our hearts on the not so good. I’m glad we did it.

I'm a winner

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  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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Nothing Much

13 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I think we are settled back into mountain life after our time in Florida. We’ve restocked our freezer and refrigerator and are ready to enjoy fall. The mornings have been chilly, upper 40s to 50. In the past I would layer my clothes, grab two blankets and enjoy coffee and quiet time on the porch. But this year, I am lazy, so I have my coffee and quiet time inside, then enjoy my second cup on the porch.

It’s been almost two weeks since we put out our hummingbird feeders and we haven’t spied even one. Yesterday I took the feeder down, cleaned and stored it for next year. I am always sad when they migrate south.

When we were in Florida I bought four yellow mum plants that we on sale at Aldi. Last week we visited with friends in South Carolina. After a delicious lunch the ladies left the men home to guard the comfy leather recliners while we ladies visited “the flower man.” He has a name, but I can’t ever remember it. He has several greenhouses in his yard and sells beautiful flowering plants. I chose a flat of darling pansies in several colors. I love how they bloom all winter and I can enjoy their cheerful color over our security camera. I was surprised to see that he was also selling snapdragons. I thought they were only spring and summer flowers. The flower man explained that snapdragons will bloom two or three seasons. I had to get some!

Tuesday my husband planted two of the mums in a large pot that sits on our front walkway. Wednesday he planted one of the mums in a container with snapdragons on each side. I am excited to watch them grow and bloom. In the spring I hope to fill the container with snapdragons.

When we returned from Florida I was delighted to find my geraniums were not only living but thriving. We still have one more mum to put into a pot. I haven’t decided if I will pot it with other flowers or leave it on its own.

When we went down to Florida, we took two of my hanging baskets that don’t tolerate cold, to winter at my daughter’s house. This is the same type of plant, dipladenia, but it was too large to take to Florida at that time. It is so beautiful and I’m glad I get to enjoy its pink and white flowers for a while longer.

The cost of gas has limited our adventures but we hope to take a short drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway soon to enjoy the Fall color. We are thankful to be able to spend time in these beautiful mountains.

Someone is speaking at the end of the video, not sure who. It is a very popular area. One can walk behind the falls.

I'm a winner

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  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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And Then it Was Gone

6 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Earlier this week I wrote a long blog about the days after Hurricane Ian. I spent two hours writing it. Then the internet dropped out and the blog was gone, just gone. What happened to autosave? I decided to view it as a sign that the blog post wasn’t meant to be.

The hurricane damage and tragedies are ongoing, but as in the past, the news coverage moves on while people are still trying to put their lives together again. Sadly it will be a years long process.

We are back in the North Carolina mountains. Every year I am in awe of the vast temperature difference between Florida and the mountains. From hot, sticky and running the air-conditioning, to chilly mornings and heat. I love chilly mornings.

While we were in Florida, I discovered local roast coffee. It is so good! No need for a chain coffee shop. On my last visit to Black Cat coffee I had a cafe leche and my daughter a pumpkins spice latte that was better than the chain shop.

We don’t have local roasters in our mountain town but the beauty of a mountain fall more than compensates.

I love Florida and I love my mountains. I love my forever Florida friends and my new-ish mountain friends. I am blessed.

I'm a winner

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  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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Ian is a Turtle that Keeps on Going

29 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Thankful we made it through Hurricane Ian with no loss of electricity.

We are at our daughter’s house and she has inherited the title, Head of Hurricane Preparedness. My mother was the first leader, then the post was passed on to me. I am very happy to have abdicated the job. She is much better at it than I was.

She scours mark down deals in the off season to augment her preparedness stash-battery operated fans, lanterns and a slew of candles. She also filled multiple containers with water. If only she could find a battery operated room air-conditioner! Of course it would have to be on clearance.

It wasn’t intentional…really it wasn’t, but she also is the one who stays awake and alert. To my amazement, since abdicating, I have discovered that I can sleep through a storm. I woke several times last night to make sure my fan was still running. Didn’t even occur to me that it was the weather waking me up. In case you are wondering why my husband isn’t the one to stay awake and alert, the man has always been able to sleep soundly through a storm. But oddly enough, most nights he sleeps poorly. Hmmm…maybe I need to get him a white noise machine of hurricane winds and rain.

As Hurricane Ian downgraded to a tropical storm, it shifted and the eye passed over us. I slept through it. We are still having wind gusts and rain showers and the public is being advised to stay inside. Ian is still a turtle!

The news on our south west coast is not good. Lots of damage from winds and rising water. I haven’t been able to locate actual numbers on loss of life. A lot of speculation going on but each life is precious and even one is tragic. Please remember these people in your prayers as well as those who are actively rescuing people from rising waters. Central Florida is going to experience serious flooding along rivers.

Hurricane Ian is heading north and probably west. It is a headstrong storm, In fact, the breaking news forecast now is that just off our coast, it is recreating itself into a Category 1 hurricane and make landfall at Charleston, South Carolina. I guess that is why the wind here is picking up again. If you are anywhere near the track, don’t ignore it!

Be safe

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Like Being Stalked by a Turtle

28 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Wednesday has been a long day. We are on the central east coast of Florida and Ian entered Florida from the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast. It’s predicted track would bring it across the state to exit slightly north of us. Since the hurricane was not supposed to impact us until around 6 pm, my daughter and I decided to run some needed errands. Unfortunately they were 40 miles away. And the rain was torrential. We made the trip safely but it was definitely nerve wracking.

Since then we spent the day doing some last minute baking-bread and brownies. One must have stress food and we don’t eat prepackaged ones. We filled containers with water and the bathtub as well. Later we brewed coffee and put it into a thermos. Must have caffeine if the power goes out. Speaking of power, as of 9:00 pm we still have electric power. Feeling very fortunate as some in our town have lost it.

This is a s-l-o-w moving storm. It is creeping across the state at 9 miles per hour and dropping huge amounts of rain. We have had 6 inches already and we are still experiencing the outer bands. I saw this on Facebook and thought it was perfect.

Prayers for those in South West Florida who have experienced 150 mph winds and homes flooded to the roof. If you are in Florida, I would like to hear how your experiences with Ian. Leave a comment. Well, the wind is picking up suddenly. I need to post this before the power goes.

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My Thoughts-Hurricane Ian and New Florida Residents

26 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Well, we almost squeaked by experiencing a hurricane while we are in Florida with our daughter. We planned to return to the mountains to enjoy fall on Thursday and Hurricane Ian is set to arrive to our part of Florida on Wednesday.

I have lived in Florida more than 50 years and have experienced more storms than I can remember. The earliest hurricane I do remember was hurricane Donna in 1960. I have a memory of rocking in an old wooden rocker, listening to the wind, and my parents assuring me that we would be just fine. And we were.

Now as hurricane Ian approaches I am concerned for the thousands of new Florida residents who are newbies to hurricane season. I’m going out on a limb here to share my life experience observations. To be clear, these are my thoughts on coping, not official advice. There are multiple excellent sources of advice on how to prepare for a hurricane.

As I write this on Monday evening, September 26, we are supposed to begin experiencing tropical force winds and rains as early as Tuesday evening. At this time, our location on the east coast of Florida is not expected to face hurricane force winds. But Ian hasn’t cleared Cuba yet. And hurricanes are wonky storms, especially if they slow their forward movement or worse yet, stop moving. Then its anyone’s guess. I remember in August 1992 we went to bed expecting to wake up to Hurricane Andrew. Instead, Andrew made an abrupt beeline for South Florida. We felt very like effects from it but South Florida was devastated.

Hurricane Ian

Photo Credit: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov

So here are my thoughts.

  1. Don’t panic. Prepare
  2. Fill your gas tank a couple of days before the storm’s expected arrival. The gas lines can be insane.
  3. Should you choose to evacuate. From experience, if you even think you might want to leave, make a hotel reservation NOW. And if you are not required to work up to the day before the storm, hurricane prep your home and hit the road. Trust me, evacuation traffic jams are not a picnic. I think we only evacuated twice in over 50 yeas.
  4. Don’t count on the weather channel for your hurricane information. They will scare you!
  5. When/ if the power goes out, you will still want to know what the storm is doing. Since the storm is coming from the west, we will be on the east side to the storm and that side is notorious for throwing out tornados. Find a local TV station with a weather person you like and download their app. In central Florida I like WKMG, website clickorlando.com. Their app is News 6 pinpoint weather.,
  6. Sandbags. County agencies are giving out free sandbags. If you have seen water collecting near your house and or doors during a summer thunderstorm, take advantage of these free bags. They can prevent water from invading your garage and home doorways. (Yes, life experience here.)
  7. Cell phones don’t always work well due to tower damage. We downloaded the Zello app. It is not perfect but it helps to keep in touch with family and friends. I did see that Zello has a business version, my version is free. You can use any push to talk app. Just make sure you set it up with those you want to stay in touch with before the storm.
  8. NewsOn- This news channel app plays on devices like phones, tablets and streaming devices. The search function allows you to choose a state, city and TV station. Family and friends can keep up with what is happening in your location.
  9. Charge your devices! If you have power banks charge them too!
  10. Fans. It is going to be hot once the storm passes. I don’t like being hot. Thankfully our daughter has a couple of battery powered fans that are used for camping. These are not necessary, but they do help.

Here is the link to the National Hurricane Center with detailed lists of prep items.

I hope this was helpful to our new Florida neighbors. We will make it through this storm together and afterwards, we will clean up together. Just be careful with those chain saws and power clippers!

2016 Hurricane

I'm a winner

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  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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My Mother’s Chair

8 Sep

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

My mom and dad had matching easy chairs. I inherited one of them. It’s not in the best of shape, but I can’t seem to part with it. A lot of good memories are tethered to the chair. But there is one not so good memory, or so it seemed at the time.

As my mom aged, I lent a hand with the housekeeping. One of the chores I found annoying was dusting their dual level end tables. I think when my parents passed to Glory, we donated them to a local charity. They are now called mid-century collectibles and I found this picture on Etsy. If you like mid-century, check out their store, this one is handmade! The picture below is a modern version.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1072100018/two-tier-mcm-mid-century-end-table-in?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=mid+century+end+tables&ref=sr_gallery-1-24&frs=1

Back to the annoying part…dusting was easy but moving all the stuff my mom kept scattered all over it was a pain. I frequently murmured internally, “geez mom, can’t you put stuff away?” Hand creams, foot creams, nail files, peanut butter crackers that she called “nabs”, lottery scratch off tickets, a magnifying glass..you get the picture. Some items I would return to their proper places but for the most part, I moved them, dusted and put them back.

I didn’t get then why she was so messy but having just attained septuagenarian status, I am beginning to get it. One, my septuagenarian self tires more easily than my forty-ish self. Why put something away that I am going to have to go back and get. Two and this is the big one for me, if something gets put away, there is a good chance I might not remember where I put it!

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

I was thinking this week that mom would have gotten a kick out of seeing my messy self now.

One of our friends made up this cool gift for my big 7-0. On each dollar bill she placed a Post-it note with a birthday message on it.

The length of the one dollar bills brought to mind Proverbs 3:1-2

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

I'm a winner

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  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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Celebrating our Poet Louise Gibson

30 Aug

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Our sister blogger, Louise Gibson began sharing her poetry with us in 2013. She appropriately titled her writings From the Heart. Her offerings were the most popular on the blog and always drew in new subscribers. On August 20, 2022 Louise and her love-filled heart met face to face with the One who loves best. Her Jesus.

I’ve known her since my high school days, the mother of my best friend. Even at age 70 I still call her Mrs. Gibson. In the self-absorbed way of teenagers, she was simply Lynn’s mom. Of course as time went on I realized she was an amazing woman and later learned of her love for poetry. After reading her life story that her daughter shared with me, I realized her life was so much more than I knew. I decided to share her beautiful life story with our readers.

Louise Eleanor Gibson, age 93, of Orlando, Florida, passed away Saturday, August 20, 2022 of natural causes. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Retired Lt. Col Doyle Gene Gibson, her infant son Gary Gibson, her parents Edgar Brown and Clara Swaising Brown, and her brother Edward Brown.

She was born on February 13,1929 in Akron OH, her life shaped by growing up during the Great Depression. Riding her bike was a favorite pastime in her youth, she was always a voracious reader, and she had a lifelong love of writing poetry. As a young teenager, she worked as a hospital volunteer known as a candy striper and she often talked of making coffee for the doctors at Akron City Hospital. Always outgoing, she made friends easily and often reminisced of fun times at Portage Lakes. There were also great stories of dancing the night away with the weekly music of Big Bands at both Meyers Lake and the YMCA. In her high school years, she was fondly nicknamed “Jinx” and “Legs” and the green-eyed, raven-haired beauty was on the May Queen Court. Once graduating business school, she became an executive secretary at Goodyear and was chosen as a model for many of the company’s business ads. 

Louise and her husband raised their children while living as an Air Force family. They enjoyed living in Ohio, Florida, Oregon, Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska, and California before finally resettling in Florida. She enjoyed sewing her own elegant clothing, decorating beautiful cakes, making elegant crafts, and loved her cats. Wherever she moved, she immediately made her house a home. Once becoming a grandmother, she enjoyed spending quality time with her grandchildren each summer. Her great grandchildren were also adored. 

Writing poetry became a renewed passion in her later years. Her uplifting, clever, spiritual, and inspirational poems were posted on the Old Things R New blog along with other very talented writers and artists. She touched many people with her awesome words of encouragement. 

In all stages of her life, Louise built a legacy of love. She will always be remembered for her kindness and dedication to loving the people God placed in her path. She had a heart of gratitude and encouraged others. 

I’m not certain if I will continue to re-post her poems. Her family is planning to create a book for them. Prayers for her family appreciated.

Left to right-Judy Wills, DiVoran Lites, Onisha Ellis, Lynn Shepherd (Louise daughter) Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles, Back row Bill Lites

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