Tag Archives: Fall

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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The Last Summer Blooms

19 Sep

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.

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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Today I Choose “I Get To”

19 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

A friend posted on Facebook yesterday, her choice to focus on the positives in her life. One example being, her husband did not receive a full pay check for the week. She chose to be thankful for having a pay check.  This morning I read this in Jesus Always by Sarah Young,

“Make the effort to replace your “I have to” mentality with an “I get to” approach. 

 

 

Anyone want to join me in falling

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Settling in for Fall

8 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

I think we may be settled into the mountains for the duration of fall.  Of course, I may be wrong about that. We tend to have trouble settling in one place.  Last weekend we attended a family reunion in the Raleigh, NC area. When my mom’s family gets together, a lot of talking and laughing goes on and a lot of food gets eaten. As the food line was forming, my cousin, Nancy and I were eyeing the homemade mac and cheese and considering our chance of getting some before it was gone. I talked Nancy into sliding through the line and getting us a plate of the yellow yuminess to share while we assessed the various cakes and pies on display. As the line shortened, Nancy took up a place in line but I headed straight to the desserts and grabbed a piece of the chocolate cake that had been teasing my taste buds. Have you ever eaten a ding-dong cake? Oh my. For a while now, eat dessert first, has been my motto when the desserts look especially good.  It would have been a tragedy if I had choked on a fried corn bread stick and missed that cake!

On our drive back to the mountains, we noticed that more trees had begun to clothe themselves in their fall wardrobe. Next week the colored leaves are supposed to be at their peak and we are looking forward to having family come and stay for the week. Fall also ushers in craft shows, festivals and an abundance of apples. I have apples cooking in my crock pot as I type this. I went to the vegetable stand this morning and chose an assortment of local varieties to make applesauce and I added a touch of local honey to it. I know it will be delicious because I think I sampled every type of apple as I peeled them.

This morning a low fog hung over the mountains. The contrast of fog and fall color was beautiful and oddly soothing. Our flowers haven’t made up their mind about fall. The roses continue to bloom and the blue Hydrangea, which did not bloom all summer, are blooming now. I think we missed giving them a spring feeding and confused them with a late summer feed.

Got a little behind on weeding!

The cool weather here is a blessing after the heat of Florida. I plan to enjoy every moment of it. Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy your version of fall too.

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Nothing Exciting Going on Here

30 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

I don’t have anything exciting or interesting to say today. Life seems to be hurrying along, pushing me with it. We took two drives while Rebekah was visiting, to enjoy the Fall color. The trees in our front yard are putting on quite a show this week and I am amazed the Knock Out Roses are still in bloom. This morning, fog was hovering low while the sky was a crisp, clear blue. Colder weather has moved in and the”S” word has even be mentioned for the weekend.

Foggy Fall

We are enjoying a visit from my aunt and cousin who live in Raleigh. Since today is chilly, I am going to cook Pasta Fagioli with bread sticks for supper. The recipe is suppose to be as good as Olive Gardens. We don’t have an Olive Garden in our town so this is the next best thing. Rebekah will post the recipe over on Rebekah Ly Books.

Pasta Fagioli

I don’t have all the ingredients so that gives me a good reason to take a trip into town. I have some mulled apple cider that will be just the thing to warm me up after the outing.

Hubby has been busy in his wood working shop. Last week he finished up a tortilla press for our son. Today he is working on a bread rack for our daughter. It should be a practical fix for her lack of kitchen counter space.

tortilla press copy

 

I would like to add here, that our son, Matt, is doing wonderfully well after his hip surgery. We give thanks to God for His perfect plan and timing, although watching Matt suffer was very difficult.

 

Well, this pretty much sums up my last few weeks. What have you been up to?

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