It’s a beautiful Monday evening here on the Eicher homestead.

We had such a nice sunny day, which made for a good laundry day. The solar eclipse was today. How amazing is God’s creation?

The temperature reached 72 degrees. Our rhubarb is coming up very nicely. Before long, we should be able to use it. The asparagus is peeping through.

Tonight we had dandelion greens made into a salad along with steamed potatoes, bacon and cheese.

I always look forward to that meal in the spring. I saw a few yellow flowers already on the dandelion greens, which make the greens too bitter. The young tender greens are the best to use.

Yesterday, our family was here for the noon meal because we didn’t spend Easter together this year. We hid some eggs for the children. They always enjoy that each year. We have 12 grandchildren, ages 5 months to 7 years old. Each one is so precious.

Our family has once again been reminded how precious good health is. My brother Albert, 59, is in the hospital with stage 4 colon cancer.

Albert worked at the metal shop with my husband Joe. He was working full time, not expecting what was going on in his body.

He had surgery and the doctors removed 2 feet of his colon and it had also spread to other areas. Time will tell, but we pray for his body to go into remission with the chemo treatments they are planning to do. God knows our future and we trust him to lead the way.

The same day Albert was brought to the ER, I took son Benjamin to the same hospital. Benjamin had let the nail gun slip out of his hand and a 3.5-inch nail shot into his leg. It ended up close to his femur. The doctor did surgery the next day to remove the nail.

While Benjamin was in surgery, I visited with Albert before he was transferred to a bigger hospital.

On Thursday, Benjamin will have his stitches taken out. Last fall, Benjamin was laid up for 10 weeks with a broken leg and now another surgery.

Sisters Verena and Emma, Joe and I spent Easter Sunday at the hospital with Albert and Sarah Irene. It was nice to get to visit with them. They need a lot of encouragement. Life looks very dark to them right now. Let’s keep them in our prayers.

On Friday night, Joe and I and sons Benjamin and Kevin visited with Albert again. He seemed weak from his surgery.

Tomorrow, daughter Loretta and I plan to help daughter Susan and Ervin take a hot lunch to the pupils in Kaitlyn’s school. I think Susan said there are 30 students in her school. I imagine Kaitlyn is excited to have us all come.

Our grass is getting nice and green and spring flowers are blooming. Happy spring to everyone and God’s blessings to all!

Dandelion Sour Cream Salad

This is a recipe for dandelions smothered in our favorite homemade sour cream. However, you can use the sour cream part for other seasonal greens as well. This same sour cream is great when used with in-season, fresh-from-the-garden lettuce and endive. Home-cured ham also goes well with it. Any unused sour cream can be refrigerated for up to two days.

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 cups whole milk

salt (to taste)

4 hard-boiled eggs, diced

4 cups packed young

dandelion greens

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, milk and salt in a quart jar. Shake until smooth. Put the eggs and dandelion greens in a large bowl and pour the sour cream mixture over them. Serves 4 to 6.

Lovina Eicher is an Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight who lives in southeastern Michigan. Write to her at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, P.O. Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org.