We are having real winter weather lately. Snow and ice have accumulated which made road conditions unsafe.

This morning the mercury on our thermometer has dipped down to 2 degrees.

Loretta needs to elevate her leg as often as she can.

She went to her doctor for a checkup and the blood clot she had surgery on is good now. She has another blood clot in a smaller vein that isn’t the deep vein.

The doctor put her on a third blood thinner to dissolve this one without surgery. Hopefully all will heal for her. She appreciates all the prayers and well wishes from you readers. Prayers can do so much.

Baby Kylie is 6 weeks old and is very good to care for. Two-year-old Denzel is doing great at potty training. He empties his potty into the “big” potty after he’s done then flushes the toilet. Hopefully, soon he will get the idea that he could just use the “big” potty and save him a step. Haha!

Saturday we also had a surprise visit from Joe’s sisters Susan from Indiana, and Esther and David and their son Tyrel from Sugarcreek.

Susan is still recovering from breast cancer surgery. We pray her cancer will stay away and she can be pain-free once again.

She looked so much better than last time we saw her. After leaving here they visited with my sister Verena. This was greatly appreciated as she has many lonely days.

Our thoughts and prayers are also with my cousin Sovilla and her family.

Sovilla is also battling cancer. Sisters Verena and Emma visited her recently while in Berne, Indiana. She is very weak. Cancer is such a dreadful disease.

A year ago in March marks when brother Albert found out he had stage 4 colon cancer. Eight weeks later he passed away from that dreadful disease. Gone but never forgotten.

Yesterday I had an extra huge laundry. I’m washing all the curtains, quilts and mattress pads that aren’t in the usual laundry.

Daughter Susan and Ervin brought their six children here while they went to an appointment. School was canceled due to road conditions so she wasn’t prepared to have all of them along. Susan felt bad to bring them here since three of the children were sick. I told her it was okay and daughter Verena was a great nurse to them while they were here.

I made an early supper of spaghetti and meatballs so they could eat before Ervin and Susan were back. I sent supper home for Ervin and Susan as well.

They were surely happy that all six children ate. I well remember how much that meant to me when I had young children.

My to-do list is gradually getting smaller. My daughters and daughter-in-law Grace plan to come for a day later this week if health permits.

I plan to have them clean the basement. Today I want to go organize the clutter so it will be easier to clean. It is extra full with bikes, etc. being stored down there to make room for church services.

I know we could still have church without all the cleaning done but I like the idea that you have a goal to get it all done. I know I would put it off quite often any other way.

Stay healthy and safe! God bless!

Cherry Cheese Pie

Ingredients

9-inch graham crackers crumb crust or baked pastry shell

1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

â…” cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 20-ounce can cherry pie filling

Ingredients

In a medium-sized bowl, mix cream cheese until fluffy and gradually mix in condensed milk until smooth. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla.

After mixing well, pour into the prepared crust and chill it for 3 hours or until set.

Pour pie filling on top after it is chilled.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight who lives in southeastern Michigan.