Old Order Mennonite Memoirs

Like a see-saw ride, April gave us heart-sinking thumps and breath-taking heights last week. In the first exhilarating days we planted potatoes as the purple martins cheered us on. Mrs. Killdeer kept an eye on me, when I declared war on weeds close to her nest. Mulching flowerbeds and even planting some flowers was part of the 'high' ride. As my husband worked to cross the last of manure hauling off the list, I planted more lettuce and kale and patted mulch around their new beginning.

But then Old Mother West Wind heralded a cruel reversal into the Cove, whipping heartlessly to bring us down f...