Tag Archives: Life during Covid19

Life During Covid-19 Part 8

23 Apr

We Are So Blessed

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

We have toilet paper, hand sanitizer and paper towels. Two months ago, these items would not have made my thankful list of blessings. Coronavirus has changed our world. We definitely spend more time together.

Saturday night we watched the 25th anniversary of Phantom of the Opera from the Prince Albert Auditorium. It was free on You Tube. I am not a huge fan of the show but Mike and Rebekah love it. The best was the finale. Andrew Lloyd Webber and his wife made an appearance along with the original Phantom. Sarah Brightman sang an except with the original Phantom then with great drama several actors through the years joined them onstage to sing. It was magical.

On Sundays we eagerly tune in to a couple of our favorite churches online services. During the week we each have favorite churches and ministers that we listen to. If nothing else, this virus has created in us soul hunger.

Sunday night we watched Hope Rising, a group of Christian singers and speakers on Facebook.

Over 3 million people watched and worshipped together. Our churches are closed but our hearts are praising. The concert was to raise money for Samaritan’s Purse and their medical team. It accomplished so much more, inspiring all with a sense of unity in Jesus. As of Tuesday 1.6 million dollars were donated and this was a zero budget production!

Our daughter has been fortunate to not be furloughed from her job as most of her team have been. Monday was her first day of working from home. We rode with her to east Orlando (Any reason for an outing!) to meet a coworker and receive the “work” phone. She will be working 3-1130 pm. A shift in our family dynamics, but not a bad thing. Before The meet up for the phone was set in the deserted Chilli’s parking lot (Which felt kind of like a drug hang off. ) Before the meet up we went to the drive through at Culvers and got their cashew chicken for our supper. We really enjoy Culvers. And I love not cooking!

It’s warm in Florida but Wednesday there was a steady breeze that held a hint of cool. Any day now, the winds will shift and feel like they are coming off the equator. After a grocery run to Aldi, my daughter and I decided to sit out on the patio. We have an abundance of birds at the feeders and in the trees. Much more than usual. I choose to believe that God is providing them to enliven our days as we enjoy watching them. Rebekah put up the patio umbrella while I made each of us a granita.

I modified the recipe for the granita, which is an icy coffee drink, from one that I found on Cooking Keto with Kristi. This is a good blog if you eat low carb. Currently she is sharing 10 days of sheet pan meals using meats and foods one has on hand.

As I was writing this, the radio reminded me that SpaceX would be launching in two minutes with a payload of satellites. These satellites are set to create a new internet delivery system. I should have remembered that the radio is on delay. The rocket was already speeding on its journey by the time I grabbed my camera.


Later I went outside to take a picture of the Town Home construction across the street. The construction has been clogging the road making backing out of the drive a pain. Of course the trucks weren’t there. I am choosing to be thankful the crews are working and people will be getting new homes. It’s easy for me to choose thankfulness. I’m not the one who has to back our truck!


This week as I mentally list the good things happening as a result of what I call The Pause, I also feel guilt. There are heartbroken and frightened people around me and I can’t fix them. Thanks to the masks, I can’t even smile at people or receive a smile in the store, unless my eyes send the smile. Families are being separated at the hospital and die with only the staff at their bedside. This is brutal. I pray that those alone are surrounded with comforting angels. I don’t know it that is Biblical but I am praying it.

I am reminded of a favorite Bible verse, Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

I’m counting on this verse!

I almost forgot! Did you see this fun video on Facebook?

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Daily Life During Covid-19 Part 4 My Amazing Egg Experience

26 Mar

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

It’s been over a week since I’ve found eggs in the grocery store. We use a lot of eggs in a week between breakfasts, baking and making ice cream. (Keto of course.)

This morning my husband and I went to Aldi, thinking maybe we had been shopping too late in the day. The store wasn’t crowded but there was not a single egg to be found.

From Aldi we went to Target, then Publix. Still no eggs. Did the hens get the virus? Or are they hoarding?

Mentally I began strategizing how to convince my husband that life would go on without a breakfast of eggs and bacon. I threw out a couple of ideas, but he wasn’t receptive, well except when I mentioned pizza for breakfast. I sent up a prayer that God would send us eggs.

On the way back home, My husband asked if I wanted to check the Dollar General, but I was feeling discouraged and wanted to go home. Just before we turned off the main highway I felt compelled to stop at Save A Lot, a small grocery store.

As I approached the egg section, it appeared bare. I went and stood in front of it, just empty boxes where the eggs should be. Then I looked down at an empty box on the right side of the cooler. In the very back, almost unseen lay two cartons of eggs. I pulled them out sure that they were the cracked rejects but willing to buy them anyway. They all looked fine!

As I thanked God for the eggs a woman, older than me, stood in front of the eggs running her eyes over the empty boxes. She was taller than me and able to see into the top box. Her fingers scrabbled to draw forward a lone carton. As she looked them over, she seemed hesitant. I told her that if they were cracked, I would give her one of my dozen. She brought hers over to me and opened it. They were brown eggs and she wasn’t sure they would be good. I was happy to assure her they were. I decided to tell her about my prayer for eggs. She didn’t smile, but she hesitantly said she had prayed for eggs as well! I love how God cares about the little things in our lives. 

Being home all the time is making me a bit crazy. 

When my husband suggested a drive to his favorite tool store (yes, they are considered essential but libraries aren’t) I said YES! I plan to put together a picnic lunch complete with sanitizer spray to eat at a waterside park. Hopefully one will be open. If not, we will picnic in the car!

UPDATE:

No outing today, husband not feeling his best. I decided to use 11 eggs to make Mango ice cream and pumpkin bread. I think ice cream for breakfast sounds better than pizza! Popping the pumpkin bread in to oven. Shhhhh… I haven’t told family that I put two teaspoons of rum flavoring instead of vanilla in the bread. I wonder if they will notice.

Here is a photo of my husband and daughter keeping busy. Daughter is working on edits for her new novel.

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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