It is a rainy Tuesday morning. We sure appreciate this rain — it has been really dry here. I need to get this column written. I wish I wouldn’t always wait until the last minute to write it. Life gets too busy sometimes and we need to stop and take time to read God’s wonderful words of encouragement daily. Without His love what would we have?

On Wednesday my sister Emma, my husband, Joe, and I attended the funeral of his Uncle Jonas in Hicksville, Ohio. Jonas was married to Joe and Jacob’s (Emma’s late husband) Aunt Mandy. She was a sister to both their mothers. Jonas left to mourn his wife, seven children and 14 grandchildren.

Jonas and Mandy have three out of seven children that have muscular dystrophy and are wheelchair bound. It is good to talk to others who also face life’s challenges of having handicaps in the family. As my children have often let me see, life can still be rewarding even if there’s a limit to what you can do.

We have so much to be thankful for. We also want to thank everyone for all the nice notes that have been sent to son Kevin. May God bless you all for your kindness. He really appreciates the help he has received toward his goal of getting his handicap accessible buggy.

Sister Liz and Levi were also at Uncle Jonas’s funeral. They live only a half-hour drive from Hicksville. They told us to stop in and come see where they live. Emma, Joe and I asked our driver if it was okay to go through there on the way home. It was so nice to see the place they call home now. They have a lot to do yet but had their final inspection on the new house approved. They can now live there while they finish it. It will be nice when they have it all done. They live on 22 acres with eight acres of woods.

We also got to visit with Levi and Liz’s daughter Suzanne, their daughter Elizabeth, Samuel and baby Jayla. Levi and Liz had four children, three girls and one boy. Their three daughters moved with them to this new community and they all live just a few miles apart. Their son, Levi Jr., and his family live in a nearby community.

Sunday we heard the sad news that sister-in-law Sarah Irene (brother Albert’s widow) and her friend who drives her were on their way home from a viewing in Bryant, Indiana, when they were in an accident. The accident took the life of her friend. Sarah Irene was very shaken up with lots of bruises. She was going to go see a doctor yesterday. We haven’t heard the results yet. Our prayers and sympathy are with her as she will miss her good friend that took her everywhere. Also our prayers for the lady’s family and to the other vehicle involved. I haven’t heard how the others are. Life is so uncertain.

On Friday sister Verena, Emma and I attended the viewing of a friend Amanda, age 64. We used to go to the same church when we all were younger. She died unexpectedly, leaving her family to mourn. Our sympathy to them. Amanda would be an aunt to sons-in-law Dustin and Daniel and daughter-in-law Grace.

Friday afternoon Dustin, Loretta and their three children left for Alabama. They will be gone for two weeks. Dustin is helping on a construction job while they are out there. They went with some others, so hopefully they will have a nice vacation while still getting paid. We miss them so much and they haven’t even been gone a week. They were able to stop in and visit with Joe’s sister Carol, Pete and some of their family in Tennessee on their way to Alabama.

Friday night we had supper at daughter Lovina and Daniel’s house in honor of Daniel’s 24th birthday, which was Sept. 26. I brought a blueberry pie.

Daughter Verena and Daniel Ray have been trying their luck with hunting. Son-in-law Tim built a ramp up to the hunting shack so Verena can drive her mobility scooter up there. That was a thoughtful thing to do.

God’s blessings to all!

PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

½ cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered sugar as needed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Cream together butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and pumpkin. Then, gradually add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, then bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool then add frosting if desired.

For frosting — cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla then gradually add powdered sugar to your desired consistency.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, 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.