On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
Painting by DiVoran Lites
Morning mist, heavy with moisture shrouded our front yard as I sipped my first cup of coffee for the day. Does any other cup, taste as satisfying as that first cup? Our land has two levels with the house setting on the top while the front yard is flat, then drops sharply towards the road. The mist draped the tress “down below” in white shadows.
My mind drifted to our hopes and dreams eight years ago at my husband’s retirement. Finally we would have a home in the North Carolina mountains, a retreat from Florida’s long and brutal summer heat. And it was all good for a time. My husband enjoyed his woodworking shop and a brand new rider mower. The slope below our house was a challenge to weed whack, but he was able to do it…until he wasn’t. It became evident, that we were going to need to hire help, something of which, we had no experience. We asked our friends and they recommended John, but he came with a caveat. John had served jail time for driving under the influence more than once.
After jail, John began attending our church and eventually married one of the women in the congregation. He was a hard worker and could turn his hand at just about anything from lawn care to home repairs but due to his record, his drivers license was suspended. One of our friends drove John to his job sites for quite a while until his drivers license was returned.
We hired John that summer and he was a blessing. What had taken my husband a couple of hours to clear, John could knock out in 45 minutes or less. He was a regular helper among our friends and we often talked about what John had done for us that week. He kept our yard looking tidy for at least three years. In time, my husband’s health improved and he was eventually able to resume his yard work.
As I continued sipping my coffee, I gave thanks for John and I wondered, did God place him in our lives, kind of like an angel, a redeemed angel?
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 where we frequently host the best in up and coming authors.
Old Things R New 