It’s Monday evening, and I wanted to get this column written tonight so I can get an earlier start with my work in the morning. It was a windy day with the temperature reaching sixty-six degrees. I hung all the laundry outside, and everything is dried, folded, and put away. Oh, how wonderful! Sister Verena came here yesterday and spent the night. Tonight, her neighbor Mary came to take her home with her Gator. It was warm enough for that. Mary sure has been good with Verena. Good neighbors are precious! Times change and people are less dependent on each other and less neighborly. We are fortun ..read more

As I write down today’s date, many memories flow through my mind. Twenty years ago we left Geneva, Indiana with all our belongings and headed north to our new home in Michigan. We had six children at that time: Elizabeth, age 9, Susan, 8, Verena, 6, Benjamin, 4, Loretta, 3, and Joseph, 20 months. The years have passed so quickly. Daughter Lovina joined our family eight weeks later, coming three and a half weeks earlier than expected. I was sick in the hospital for a week, and she was delivered by emergency C-section. We were not unpacked yet and not at all prepared for a newborn. Then fifteen ..read more

We sure have had mild weather the past few weeks. It brings on some spring fever! Now we have entered into March. It seems so hard to comprehend that the year is already in the third month of 2024. Last week I spent a day at daughter Susan and Ervin’s. Susan and I painted the bathroom and entry area in their pole barn. That is where they will host church services. After we were done painting, I cleaned some of her canning jars and put them on the new shelves that Ervin built for them. They don’t have a basement in their house, so Ervin built the shelves in the pole barn entrance room—they keep ..read more

Saturday was a very cold and windy day, so the men were unable to put the roof metal on the new pole barn. They kept busy doing other work on the barn such as building the sliding doors, putting on the wainscoting, and more. This week, they will work on putting on the roof metal at night since temperatures have warmed up again. It’s getting done slower than we had anticipated, but it helps to not have to pay for labor. Those helping Saturday were son-in-law Dustin, Daniel (daughter Lovina’s special friend), Daniel Ray (daughter Verena’s special friend) and his brother Marvin, sons Benjamin and ..read more

This is a diary of Monday, February 26, 2024. 3:50 a.m. My alarm goes off. I get up, unlock the door, and wait for Dustin, daughter Loretta, and their two boys to arrive. After getting them settled down for a nap, Dustin leaves for work at the RV factory. Son Joeseph gets up too, as he’s leaving earlier today to do concrete work. Joseph and I pack his lunch. I make him a breakfast sandwich: grilled cheese with an egg and sausage patty in it. 4:30 a.m. Joseph leaves, and my husband Joe gets up. He refuels the coal stove in the basement while I make his breakfast and pack his lunch. Nineteen-mon ..read more

It’s another sunshiny February day with the temperatures above freezing. Yesterday, I hung the laundry out on the wash lines to dry. Once again, I was able to bring it all in and fold it and put it away the same day. I don’t remember ever having this many days in February that laundry could be dried outside the same day. I am sure we will see plenty of winter weather yet. I was hoping to take advantage of the weather yet and clean my windows. Time will tell if I get that far. It’s so quiet here this morning. Daughter Loretta and her little boys aren’t here. Daughter Verena went over to their h ..read more

We have entered the first week of February, though it would be hard to tell by the weather. Yesterday was sunny and 50 degrees. I hung all the laundry out to dry, and most of it could be folded and put away the same day. Happy birthday to Grace (son Joseph’s special friend). Her birthday is today (February 6). Yesterday would’ve been son-in-law Mose’s birthday. Rest in peace Mose. We will forever treasure the memories we have of you. Gone but never forgotten. Sister Verena is back home after staying a month with sister Emma and sons. Daughters Verena and Lovina took advantage of the nice weath ..read more

The ground is covered with snow again, which will probably be gone by tomorrow. On Sunday morning the ground was also covered, but it was gone by afternoon. Other than the cold spell the other week, we have had a pretty mild winter so far. Daughter Loretta doesn’t mind if there isn’t any snow on the ground when she drives her mobility scooter over every weekday morning a little before 4 a.m. Dustin started working back in the RV factory since being low in work for several months. He walks over every morning with Loretta and Denzel, 18 months, and Byron, 5 1/2 months. He carries Byron and Denze ..read more

First of all, a happy 28th birthday to daughter Susan on January 24. Also a happy 55th birthday to my sister Liz. I wish both of them many more happy and healthy years. I don’t get to see Liz too often. I think I only saw her a few times in over a year and not very long each time. There is over one hundred miles between our houses, and we both are busy with our families. Liz and Levi have ten grandchildren who keep them occupied. They sure are a joy to have around. On Sunday afternoon, Joe and I went to daughter Elizabeth and Tim’s house for an afternoon snack after church services. Their four ..read more

As I write down today’s date, many memories flow through my mind. Twenty years ago we left Geneva, Indiana with all our belongings and headed north to our new home in Michigan. We had six children at that time: Elizabeth, age 9, Susan, 8, Verena, 6, Benjamin, 4, Loretta, 3, and Joseph, 20 months. The years have passed so quickly. Daughter Lovina joined our family eight weeks later, coming three and a half weeks earlier than expected. I was sick in the hospital for a week, and she was delivered by emergency C-section. We were not unpacked yet and not at all prepared for a newborn. Then fifteen ..read more