Here’s a page from Lovina Eicher’s diary:

4 a.m. — My alarm rings. I get up to make breakfast for son Joseph, 18. He helps me fill his water cooler and pack his lunch. His work crew is leaving early because they are building a pole barn close to Lake Erie, which is a two-hour drive away.

For breakfast I make scrambled eggs with bacon, green pepper and onions.

4:30 a.m. — Joseph leaves for work. I take a short rest in my recliner until son Benjamin, 21, gets up to leave. He doesn’t want breakfast.

The RV factory where he works is off this week because it was not able to order enough parts. It seems that building material is scarce everywhere. Benjamin is going to help Loretta’s special friend, Dustin, with some construction work that they are doing for our friends John and Barb.

(Our sympathy goes to Barb and John as they mourn the passing of her father. May God be with them through this trial in life.)

5:30 a.m. — Benjamin leaves and my husband, Joe, gets up to feed the horses and do the chores, which aren’t too many right now. I make him the same breakfast I did for Joseph, along with a pot of coffee.

6:45 a.m. — Joe leaves with our horse Midnight and buggy to help at Mose and Susan’s. Mose’s dad also will be there. So far, Joe hasn’t been able to find work again. That makes it hard to make ends meet, but the good Lord watches over us, and it means that Joe can help out at Mose and Susan’s house.

Mose is still off work due to an accident with a saw at work. The doctor wants to make sure his cut heals well. The saw hit his bone, which makes it harder to heal.

8 a.m. — Daughter Susan and children Jennifer and Ryan arrive. She brought her laundry because she doesn’t have her wash lines back up and has no hot water.

9 a.m. — I make Egg Dutch — a simple, easy breakfast — for the rest of us. I slice some tomatoes to go with it. Jennifer loves tomatoes.

10 a.m. — Daughter Lovina, 16, leaves to help daughter Elizabeth for the day. Elizabeth also has plans to wash her laundry.

Noon — My clothes lines are all filled. We washed yesterday, but I also washed the laundry we had this morning, and a day’s worth of clothes for eight people adds up. The sun is out, but it’s chilly. The temperature is in the 50s and was 41 degrees this morning.

1 p.m. — We make an easy lunch of meat and cheese roll-ups, using tortilla shells with ranch dressing, deli meat, cheese and lettuce. Some of us like diced hot peppers with them.

4 p.m. — Susan leaves for home. Her laundry is all dry and folded. Ours is folded as well.

I finish sewing a new white apron for Jennifer and sew Susan a new white cape.

4:30 p.m. — Lovina comes home. Benjamin came home earlier, but is across the road helping Dustin with building his patio, which he is trying to get finished.

6:30 p.m. — Joseph is finally home — his crew put in extra hours to finish the job.

7 p.m. — Benjamin and Kevin finish evening chores. Joe still isn’t home. Susan left a voicemail on our phone to say that he went to pick potatoes in a field near their house.

Supper is ready, so we don’t wait on Joe. We have cooked potatoes, beef chunks, cheese, leftover casserole from last night, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and sour cream.

8 p.m. — Joe is home and eats his supper. It’s been a long day.

Last Saturday, we helped Tim and Elizabeth with their work. Granddaughter Abigail, 4, came home with us for the night. On Sunday, we made sweet banana poppers — sweet banana peppers stuffed with cream cheese and shredded cheese, wrapped with bacon and then grilled. Abigail wanted to help stuff the peppers. Her little fingers looked so cute stuffing them.

Egg Dutch

5 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

ground pepper, as desired

1 heaping tablespoon flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cheese, shredded (any kind)

bacon bits, cooked (optional)

In a bowl, beat together eggs, salt, pepper, flour and milk. Pour into a heated, greased skillet and cover with a tight lid. Place over medium-low heat.

When mixture begins to set and bubble, cut into four pie-shaped pieces and turn each piece over to finish cooking. Top with shredded cheese when almost cooked through. Add bacon bits, if desired.