Kevin enjoyed his seventh birthday with his new bike

School doors opened on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The house seemed pretty empty after the six youngest left for school at 7 a.m.

They had Rich for their bus driver again which made them happy. Rich has been the bus driver for the children ever since we moved to Michigan eight years ago. He is a good bus driver.

(Editor’s Note: Amish schooling differs from place to place. In some communities Amish children primarily attend parochial schools, in others it is public. In Lovina’s settlement, children attend public school, attend the Amish parochial school or are home-schooled.)

Son Kevin enjoyed his seventh birthday on Sunday. Daughter Loretta baked a cake for Kevin. She didn’t know he wanted cupcakes instead but he said it didn’t matter.

I decorated his cake using candy to write “happy birthday.” He looked pretty happy when he saw it.

We gave him a bike for his birthday. He has never had his own.

He would just use the other old bikes we have around here. He is so proud to have his very own bike and all of his free time riding.

I even caught him riding it in our basement the other night. He found a big bottle of baby powder and sprinkled “trails” on the basement floor. He was biking on the trails until I came downstairs and stopped him. He told me since we told him he couldn’t bike on the roads that he was trying to make roads in the basement. It left quite a dusty floor and mess to clean up.

Loretta is getting nervous about her surgery which will be on Monday.

We will all be glad when it is over with.

I hope and pray everything will turn out okay. She is very tired after a day spent at school.

My husband Joe and Joseph took the boat out on the lake on Monday, Labor Day. They fished most of the day.

Elizabeth and Benjamin went with Elizabeth’s friend Timothy on a boat on a different lake. They all came home with some fish which were mostly bluegill.

The rest of the children and I spent the day relaxing at home. It was a nice day and would have been a good afternoon to do laundry, but we waited until Tuesday, though, so Susan and I could do it after the children left for school.

We all needed that break.

Elizabeth was glad to have a day off from the factory. They are putting in long hours every day. It sounds like she will have to work Saturdays now.

When I worked at a sewing factory before I was married I did not like working Saturdays. It seemed like enough to work five days and Saturday was the day to get caught up on work at home.

A lot of the deer hunters are doing target practice with their bows. They are getting excited for opening day of deer season.

The boys picked five big buckets of tomatoes out of our garden last night.

Susan and I did laundry this morning and it looks like we will be working up tomatoes this afternoon. I am glad to fill more jars.

Sister Emma will drop off Steven, 5, in a little bit. She has to take one of her children to a doctor’s appointment this afternoon.

Since Steven goes to school in the morning I imagine he will have plenty of stories to share with us. Kevin was excited to have Steven at school this year.

This is a delicious, easy breakfast and you could use potatoes from your garden in it.

POTATO

OMELET

6 small potatoes

3 medium onions

6 to 8 ounces smoked ham

12 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil

Slice potatoes, onions, and ham as thinly as possible. Saute potatoes and onions in oil until soft but not brown.

Butter a 7 1/2 by 11 3/4 glass baking dish. Layer potatoes, onions, and ham in the dish.

Stir eggs with salt and pepper to taste and pour over top.

Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set.

Readers with culinary or cultural questions or to share recipes write Lovina at: Lovina Eicher, c/o Oasis Newsfeatures, P.O. Box 157, Middletown, OH 45042. To learn more about Amish culture and the Amish Cook column and to sign up for the twice weekly newsletter, visit www.amishcookonline.com or “The Amish Cook Fan Page” on Facebook.