We are having nice, sunny autumn weather with temperature in the 60’s by the end of the day. It’s a good time to get the leaves raked and the yard cleaned up before the snow flies. We did have a coating of snow on Sunday, but it didn’t accumulate much.

I also have some tulip bulbs I want to plant this week.

The leaves are absolutely amazing in their fall colors—scenery that only our Master Artist can create. Daughter Lovina, 16, and I drove to town with the horse and buggy. We saw a lot of nice scenery on the back roads.

Last week we helped Mose and Susan finish painting their house, although the pantry needs to be painted yet. My husband Joe helped Mose install their kitchen cabinets. On Saturday Joe, our sons, son-in-law Tim, his nephew, and Dustin (daughter Loretta’s boyfriend) helped Mose move in enough of their furniture so they can live in the house while they finish remodeling. Dustin and son Joseph also put up some trim. The back porch still needs to be turned into another bedroom and the laundry room remodeled, but the doors can be shut while finishing those rooms.

Mose and Susan heat with an outside wood boiler, so their house is nice and cozy now. What a relief for Susan to have an indoor bathroom and running water again. The fruits of their labor are worth all the time invested. I know they appreciated everyone’s help during this busy time.

On Friday afternoon Joe, son Kevin, and I went to daughter Elizabeth and Tim’s house. I helped Elizabeth in the house while Joe helped Tim grill forty pounds of chicken. Kevin helped keep the children entertained. Daughters Verena and Lovina also came to help with supper. They invited Elizabeth’s pen pal and extended family from a nearby community for supper. They had almost forty guests that night. On the menu were tater tot casserole, barbequed chicken, lettuce salad, cheese slices, pumpkin and apple pies, Swiss roll bars, ice cream, lemonade, punch, and coffee.

After supper dishes, we spent time visiting and singing. Elizabeth’s pen pal, also named Elizabeth, has two children.

The girls and I washed our clothes and Mose and Susan’s clothes on Monday. It was such a beautiful week to hang clothes outside to dry.

Dustin went hunting with a bow and arrow and landed a seven-point buck. Loretta is also hunting with a bow and arrow again this year. She hasn’t been able to get any deer yet. I like venison meat for sloppy joes, as it’s drier to fry. I always mix some sausage with it.

Sons Benjamin and Joseph have also gone deer hunting a few times. And sons-in-law Tim and Mose have put one or two deer in the freezer already.

I received my reader mail again and was very humbled to receive the gifts from readers. May God bless you for thinking of us. I try not to worry and let God be in control. Something will come along, I’m sure, and Mose has been very glad for Joe’s help.

Today Joe is at home and not feeling well, so I hope it’s nothing serious. God’s blessings to all and lots of prayer for our government. May God guide them in the right way to guide our country.

Plain Apple Pie

6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (6 cups)
1 (9-inch) pie shell, unbaked
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup water

Place apples in pie shell. In a small bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and water. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over apples. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until apples are soft. Makes 1 pie.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her newest cookbook, Amish Family Recipes, is available now from the publisher, Herald Press, 800-245-7894. Readers can write to Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email  LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.