7:30 a.m. Breakfast is ready. Our menu consist of egg dutch (omelet), toast, and milk.

8:15 a.m. - Everyone is working now. Elizabeth is sweeping and mopping floors. Susan and Verena are baking chocolate chip and ranger cookies. The three boys and Lovina are weeding in the garden and Loretta is washing breakfast dishes. I am mending some clothes. Seems there is always a lose button or a tear here and there to fix. Somehow the boys always manage to get holes in their pants by their knees.

Noon - I have a lunch ready for everyone which is potato soup, crackers, cheese, and ice tea. The floors are clean again, cookies baked, and my mending is done. I walk down to the garden to see how much weeding the children have done. It looks like one of my banana pepper plants got pulled out but no one seems to know what happened. Joseph says it was probably our dog, Buddy, and Kevin says it might have been a raccoon . It made me smile to hear them come up with excuses but it did make me happy to see what they did get weeded.

1 p.m. - Lunch is over and the children are taking a break. Most of them have their bags all packed for our trip to Florida. Our editor, Kevin, and his wife. Rachel, are driving us to Sarasota in a 15-passenger van. We’ll be doing a couple of book-signings in Bradenton where the column runs in The Bradenton Herald and one in Lecanto, Florida where the column runs in the Citrus County Chronicle. I am looking forward to meeting our readers in Florida.

We start out Thursday afternoon and will probably arrive in Florida on Saturday sometime. The whole family is excited to get to see the Gulf of Mexico. None of us have ever seen the ocean before It will also be interesting to get to see Pinecraft. Pinecraft is an Amish settlement in Sarasota.

Along with the excitement of our upcoming trip we were shocked and saddened to hear the news of Joe’s 41-year-old cousin Susan’s death. Her cause of her death was from a stroke and aneurysm. She leaves her husband and 12 children to mourn. The oldest is 19 years old and the youngest a 2-week old baby. Family will all need a lot of prayers and encouragement losing a wife and mother. Susan died on their 20th wedding anniversary. Life can change so fast. We wish them God’s blessings and God’s guiding hand at this sorrowful time and in the future. Our plans are to stop in Berne, Indiana to attend the viewing. With us traveling to Florida we regret not being able to attend the funeral on Friday.

2 p.m. - Joe arrives home from work.

3:30 p.m. - A lady that lives on down the road stops by to pick up Elizabeth and Susan. She wanted to take them to her house to show them what she wants cleaned tomorrow. Joe and the boys are doing evening chores.

4:30 p.m. - Jacob, Emma, and family come to see what chores they need to do for us while we are gone. I told them to stay for supper.

5:15 p.m. - Emma and I are getting supper ready. The girls took Tiger the miniature pony for a ride. Susan likes to drive him everyday if she can. The boys are biking and Joe and Jacob are relaxing after a day’s work.

6:30 p.m. - Supper is ready. On the menu is mashed potatoes, beef and noodles, peas, lettuce salad, cheese, radishes, onions, and cookies.

8:45 p.m. - Jacob’s leave for home and everyone is getting cleaned up for bed.

This is a recipe for a homemade “date nut pudding” which is a really popular cool, refreshing dessert in some Amish settlements.

Date Nut Pudding

1 package fresh dates

1 cup boiling water

1 cup sugar

1-2/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon soda

4 tablespoons shortening

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup nuts

Directions: Pit and quarter dates. Add soda and pour over boiling water. Let cool. Cream shortening and add sugar and egg. Beat. Add flour and salt alternately with date mixture. Add flavoring and nut meats. Pour into a greased and floured pan. Bake 40 minutes at 350 and then top with whipped cream. Yield: 15 servings.