It was a nice cool morning to do all the cooking outside. Jacob’s had tables set up in their newer building where they hold church services. A lot of homemade food was also brought in. Along with barbecued chicken and campfire stew we also enjoyed homemade bread, butter, strawberry jam, potato salad, cucumber salad, cheese, tomatoes, hot peppers, fresh fruit mixed together and also several puddings, cakes, and butterscotch, cherry, peanut butter, and pecan pies. There was plenty of food for everyone but there was also a lot leftover. The afternoon was spent visiting and some played volleyball and other games outside Dad and Mom are missed so much on days like that.

Everyone brought snacks to eat later in the afternoon. Daughter Verena was okay all day until just before everyone left when she started having another post-concussion episode. She stayed like that until the next morning when she woke up OK. She had most of the day to have fun with her cousins. The last several weeks these episodes seem to come almost every other day. It wears us all out when she has these as she seems to need attention all the time. When she comes out of an episode she doesn’t remember any of it. I feel sorry for her that she has to deal with this. She loves to write, read, and sure enjoys the cards and letters readers have sent her. She also thanks readers for the gifts sent and appreciates them all, She will look at the cards during one of these episodes and then we she comes back to normal she doesn’t remember looking at them so she will look at them again. It is almost like she is two different persons living in two different worlds. Also I would like to thank everyone for their prayers for Verena. I pray for patience to always give her the best care we possibly can. It has been a different spring and summer for our family but God is still in control.

Daughters Elizabeth and Susan are detasseling again today. Detasseling involves removing the tops of the corn stalks so that cross-pollination between different varieties of corn is achieved. They hope to finish up for the season on Thursday. Their detasseling picnic is planned for Wednesday, when the approximately 200 mainly young people will get together for a gathering. Most of the workers are between ages 13 and 16.

A reader from Traverse City, Michigan requested my freezer pickle recipe. This is a great way to use up cucumbers from the garden which are plentiful right now.

Freezer Pickles

2 quart pickles (sliced)

2 tablespoons salt

1 large onion (sliced)

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

Put ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours. Drain. Mix sugar and 1/2 cup vinegar and pour over pickles. Cover and refrigerate for 24 more hours. Take out of refrigerator or cellar and pack in freezer boxes. Pour syrup over pickles and freeze. These are really good and crisp.

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