The Sunday church service was held at Sister Emma's home for her sons Benjamin and Crystal, which also happened to be Benjamin's 22nd birthday and Mother's Day.
The men washed the dishes after lunch so the women could sit and chat in celebration of Mother's Day. To celebrate Mother's Day and Benjamin's birthday, cupcakes and ice cream were served with lunch for everyone. The menu also included homemade wheat and white bread, ham, three kinds of cheese, peanut butter spread, pickles, red beets, chili peppers, jam, butter, coffee, and iced tea.
The ladies who normally bring cookies to the church lunch brought cupcakes instead. Our daughter, Lovina, had fun decorating the cupcakes that our daughter, Elizabeth, brought. Lovina wants to bake a cake for our grandson, Isaiah, who turned 6 on May 10. We plan to have a cake for Isaiah on Saturday when we will be home as a family to help with some work around here that needs to be done before the wedding.
My son-in-law, Ervin's birthday is May 11th, and my daughter, Lovina's birthday is Saturday, May 18th. My birthday is on the 22nd, so there are quite a few people born in May. My sister, Susan's birthday was also on May 10th. Rest in peace, my dear sister. She left us far too soon. She would have been 48 this year. She passed away at 44.
This was the first time a service was held in Sister Emma's home since she lost her beloved husband, Jacob, in 2021. She missed Jacob so much on Sunday.
I need to make dessert and have it ready by 10am today to help with lunch for the workers cleaning up and rebuilding from last week's tornado. Last Tuesday an EF2 tornado touched down and passed 6 miles north of us causing a lot of damage in many places. Maximum wind speeds were 130 mph and the tornado path was almost 20 miles long and a half mile wide.
This tornado caused an estimated 100+ damages and uprooted many trees. There was another tornado that night further north. We are truly blessed that no lives were lost and God's protective hand was upon everyone. There is so much to clean up and rebuild, and while material things can be replaced, lives cannot. Many of the Amish families in this area have suffered greatly and we are so grateful to have such an amazing community to help ease the burden.
On a positive note, we were all thrilled to look out into the pasture on May 10th and see that my son Joseph's horse Sugar had given birth to her first foal. There was a cute little foal running beside Sugar. It's always fun to see an inquisitive foal. Sugar is a great mother and very protective of her foal. Our horse Midnight should be having a foal soon as well.
Yesterday I received an invitation from my nephew Isaac and Susan to their wedding in Kentucky. God willing, they will be exchanging vows on June 6th. Isaac is Joe's sister Salome's son with Morris. We would love to attend this wedding if we can. It is two weeks before Lovina and Daniel's wedding and it is nearly 300 miles away from here. Until next week… God bless.
Easy Shortcake
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
4tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons sprinkling sugar
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter. Add egg and milk mixture in another bowl. Mix until combined. Pour into skillet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Lovina's Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, an Old Order Amish author, cook, wife, and mother of eight children. Readers can send a letter to Eicher at Lovina's Amish Kitchen, PO Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a stamped self-addressed envelope for return mail) or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and Eicher will send your message for reading. Eicher does not personally respond to emails.
