It’s Monday afternoon, and what a lovely March day it is! The temperature is almost 70 degrees, the sun is shining, but it’s windy. I have clothes hanging on the lines, which were a little challenging to hang, especially bed sheets and blankets. I love my Polygrip clothespins. I still don’t have enough for a big laundry, so I still use some wooden ones. The Polygrip is so much stronger.

This weekend was busy but enjoyable. Friday, around 11:30 a.m., daughter Lovina and Daniel brought 6-month-old Brooklyn here while they traveled an hour to a doctor’s appointment. She was very content. She’s getting so active and really chatting now. On Fridays, my husband Joe is usually home by 1 p.m., so he was here to help spoil her, too.

Around 3:30 p.m., daughter Elizabeth brought Timothy (TJ), Allison, and Andrea while they went to town for an appointment. While at the hospital, they had to take shelter because of a tornado warning. Daniel and Lovina were on their way home when the tornado sirens went off in every nearby town. It did a lot of damage in several nearby towns. Our prayers go out to everyone who lost their homes and especially to the families who lost their loved ones. The sun was shining here, and it was hard to believe that only 20 miles away, there was such devastation. I cannot imagine what they must have experienced – having their homes ripped apart and their belongings scattered around. Elizabeth picked up their children around 7:30 p.m. It was enjoyable to have the grandchildren here.

Saturday morning, daughter Susan and Ervin brought Kaitlyn, Jennifer, Isaiah, Ryan, Curtis and Ervin Jr. here to stay with us while they went to town for groceries. Baby Sharlene went with them. I made breakfast for the children: breakfast casserole, pon hoss (which was given to us by niece Emma and Menno), toast, butter and jelly.

Son Joseph and Grace came before lunchtime. They brought bacon sides from the pig they had butchered the previous weekend. Joe sliced the bacon for them with our meat slicer while Grace vacuum-sealed it. Joseph and Daniel Ray installed a new door in our kitchen that needed replacing. The old one was letting in a lot of cold air this winter. This was the first door we’ve had to change since we built the house 20 years ago. It’s the main door we use. Joanna (son Benjamin’s special friend) helped daughter Verena with laundry so Daniel Ray could help Joseph. Son Benjamin was working in the barn. We have four weeks from Sunday to get cleaned up to host church services here.

Our supper guests were Joseph and Grace, Daniel Ray and Verena, Dustin, Loretta and their children, and Joanna. Joseph and Grace stayed the night. Joe grilled chicken and wings, and I made noodle soup to go with it. We played games after supper – Marble Chase and Rook.

Sunday, I made brunch for Joseph and Grace, Daniel Ray and Verena, Dustin, Loretta and their children, Daniel, Lovina and Brooklyn, and Joanna. Son Kevin also had a few friends here for the weekend. Brunch included fried eggs, potatoes, bacon (we sampled Joseph and Grace’s bacon), cheese, hot peppers, toast, butter, and jelly, plus milk, coffee, orange juice, donuts, cookies and coffee cake. In the afternoon, Daniel and Lovina, Joseph and Grace, Benjamin and Joanna went to nephew Ben and Crystal’s house to meet baby Brinley Ranae. Joseph and Grace, Benjamin and Joanna stayed there for supper, and son Kevin joined them later.

Granddaughter Abigail gave me a note to add to my column. She was so excited and never expected all the books she received.

Hi, this is Abigail. Thank you for all the books people sent to me. I am making thank-you notes, but I don’t have everybody’s address. I was so surprised when people sent me books. I didn’t know I was going to get any. I was so excited. That is so nice of them.

Thanks again for being so thoughtful. Tim and Elizabeth had to throw away so much of their belongings due to mold that took over their house, including books. May God bless you for your kindness. They are in the process of getting the house emptied so it can be torn down. Anything they can save has to have special treatment to preserve it from mold.

God bless!

Pizza Burgers

1½ pounds ground beef

1 pound processed cheese

1 can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon butter

¾ teaspoon onion salt

1 tablespoon oregano

Hamburger buns

Melt butter and cheese. Add tomatoes and spices to cooked and drained beef. Mix everything together. Put on half a bun. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

• Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, an Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight. Her three cookbooks, “The Cherished Table,” “The Essential Amish Cookbook” and “Amish Family Recipes,” are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, P.O. Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply), or email questionsforlovina@gmail.com and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.