Daughter Lovina is recovering well from her surgery. She had a cyst removed close to her right eyebrow. The doctor did a very good job of hiding the scar under her eyebrow.

Lovina had a few painful days when her eyes were swollen shut and bruised. She always called the cyst her "bump." After we were home from the hospital, she said the doctor "took my bump away, but put one on my eye."

Now, Lovina is happier, since she sees the swelling going down. She is back to singing her little songs. Her favorite one now is "This Old Man."

In addition to singing songs, she can't wait until her fourth birthday in May. She is a little talker and does all the talking for her and 2-year-old Kevin.

This morning, shortly after 6 a.m., sister Emma and Jacob dropped their four children off here. They were leaving for the two hour journey to the hospital for Baby Steven's appointment. I fed their children a breakfast of grilled cheese and scrambled eggs. They left here with our five children at 7 a.m. to go to school. They were all excited to go to school together!

Steven's heart surgery is still set for Monday, March 3. We hope and pray everything will go well. God is above all and we must accept whatever he wants. We know sometimes we tend to want our way. Prayers do wonders and let us all leave it in His hands.

Jacob's parents, Verena and Susan, and Joe and I, have plans to spend the day at the hospital with Jacob and Emma. The surgery will take four to five hours, so that will be a long wait for them. Jacob and Emma came home from the hospital last weekend and were very happy to be together with their children.

Steven has had a feeding tube on, as he refuses to take a bottle. Emma has her day filled feeding him through the tube eight times a day and breast feeding eight times a day around the clock. Yesterday, my sisters and I gave her a lift by coming over to do her laundry for her. We also washed her kitchen walls and refrigerator and stove.

Meanwhile, we heard the sad news of Mom's cousin Reuben having a massive heart attack at the age of 62. Our sympathy goes to his wife and the family. We never know who God will pick next so let us all be prepared to meet our maker when our time on Earth is done. I must get back to my work soon.

We are getting more snow and ice and have six to eight inches already, but Joe and I still plan to go into town in the buggy to get groceries after he gets home from work. Our horse, that was trained last year, is getting more used to going into town, which is a relief. She hated the white lines at the traffic light at first, but has learned to stop and wait for the signal.

A reader in David City, Neb., asked for a good, quick and easy coffeecake. Try this one:

Cinnamon Coffee cake

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups flour

For topping:

1 /2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

* Stir together the first five ingredients until well-moistened.

* Pour into greased and floured 9-inch- by-9-inch pan.

* Sprinkle brown sugar over cake top with pats of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.

* Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean - about 25 minutes.

Editor's note: Wondering about the status of a back-ordered cookbook? Please call (877) 583-2059 for an update. No new orders are being taken.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Lovina Eicher is Old Order Amish. Visit www.amishcookonline.com for more recipes, videos, Amish cultural pieces, cookbook information and more. She can be reached at Lovina Eicher, The Amish Cook, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, OH 45042.