Here’s a photo of the light over the kitchen table in an Amish home (taken in Mark Curtis’ Ohio home):
Some Amish homes have propane fixtures built-in. You’ll find them in nearly every room of the house, just as you’d find electric fixtures in an English home.
In other houses you may see hooks in the ceiling from which portable lights can be hung. There are also the wheeled floor lamps with built-in fuel source which can be easily moved where light is needed.
A close up of the mantle and fuel regulator:
They give off a lot of heat, which can be helpful in winter, less so in summer.
The light hiss given off by these sorts of lamps is a very specific, soothing sound I associate with Amish homes. Speaking of which, when I was recently ill in Pennsylvania laying on the recliner with a blanket over my head, eyes closed, I spent some time taking in and thinking about the types of sounds you hear in an Amish house.
These include some very characteristic ones such as the lamp’s hiss, or the periodic chiming of the wall clock, or children chattering in Pennsylvania Dutch and creating enough racket to prevent their ill English guests from sleeping 🙂 . Also noteworthy were those sounds which were absent. You can probably guess which ones I mean.
UPDATE: A closer-up photo of the sign on the door.
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That’s interesting. I honestly hadn’t really thought beyond the propane or oil lamps, so it was great to see this hanging from the ceiling. A little off topic, but I was drawn to the sign on the door. What does it say?
Erin I know Don answered you below, but if you’d like to see it better I just updated the post with an up-close photo of the sign.
Thanks Erik!
Looks like a lampshade from Lehmans'
Lehman’s is a store in Kidron, OH that specializes, among other things(!), in lamp fittings and glass shades and chimneys, all types and sizes. Not just for gas and oil lamps, but electric lamps, too. I was able to replace an odd-sized lamp chimney for a vintage lamp at Lehman’s.
Is that a fire alarm I see? Good idea.
Mark's house, again
I don’t get into Mark’s house as much as I used to. His front steps are hard on a ninety year old codger who walks with a walker. Nevertheless, I can recognize his house when I see it. Yep, that is his dining room and that is the kind of light he has. That is, he tells me, a high pressure propane light. He has low pressure lights in his bedrooms and bathrooms. The sign on the door was made for our family by our old Methodist minister. It says: “When I count my blessings I count you twice.” The antique cabinet you see over by the stairs is filled with antique porcelain that was Mark’s great-great grandmother’s on his mom’s side. Way in background you can just see a wall-hanging that Mark brought back from Guatemala. Yes, that is a smoke alarm/carbon monoxide alarm over the basement door.
Mark's house, again
I don’t know if this is a kitchen tool you will see in every Amish home but if look carefully on top of the antique cabinet you will spy a Chinese wok. Yep, Mark cooks up Chinese and Indian food every once in a while. He’s had the youth boys over for Indian food and gets them involved making the chapatis (Indian bread). Not me. I can tolerate Chinese food if I have to. But, Indian is beyond the beyond. Can’t abide it. Never tasted it but I still know I couldn’t abide it if I did so I don’t.
Well, I walked by it half a dozen times, took the photo and posted it, but didn’t once notice Mark’s wok til you mentioned it.
I am the opposite of you Don. I never turn Indian food down. I need to ask Mark if that wok makes Thai food too, maybe on the next visit 😉 .
Sure enough! Now I see the Wok. My husband loves to pull out our Wok on occasion (usually for family events) and make Chinese. I can’t say I’ve ever had Indian, but I don’t care for curry, so may not like many of their dishes. Thanks for pointing that out!
Inside and Amish Home
I have to say that I have just begun learning how to make Indian dishes. It’s a lot healthier than you think. Curry isn’t so much the spice as it is a particular type of dish. It’s more like a stew or a dish that has a mixture of different items in it. Most recipes that have curry in the title do not have any curry powder or leaves in the dish.
I use my wok for almost everything that can be cooked in a skillet. I haven’t tried the chapatis yet still working on the roti.
I tried Indian food at a local buffet (Indian) within the past couple of years. I’m one of those picky eaters who tends to prefer bland food, and even I was able to find a few Indian items that I found palatable. So, Don Curtis, if you could find an Indian buffet (authentic Indian), take the plunge and sample what you can. You might find something you’ll like.
I am always impressed by how the Amish adapt, as with the light fixture. Don, is Mark’s house a former “Englisch” abode? I’m curious, because I’d love to see other “Englisch-to-Amish” adaptations!
Alice Mary
Mark's house, again
To answer your questions, the original part of Mark’s house is old. Probably pre 1900. But, it has been added on to by the previous Amish owners probably about twenty years ago. Amish have lived in the house for quite awhile. Probably close to forty years. Before that it was an English farmhouse. As to the sign on the door, our elderly Methodist minister made it for our family. It says “When I count my blessings I count you twice.” And yes, Mark has smoke and carbon monoxide detectors throughout th house.
Thanks for sharing the history of Mark’s home, Don. Thanks for sharing what the sign on the door said. A very nice saying that I’m often heard!
I took a sneak peek at your son. It took a little bit of googling since I kept getting hits about the Amish of Harmony, MN. Always nice to put a face with a name!
Mark
I’ve mentioned this before but if some of you would like a glimpse of my son then go to Do a search for “Amish Harmony”. Then click on that when it comes up and you will see a photo of the Middle District Belle Center Amish Youth Group singing at a nursing home. Look for a sixty year old balding “youth” among all the teenagers and twenty somethings.
Mark's pic
I don’t know why it didn’t show up but you have to go to then do the search for Amish Harmony. Then click on it when it comes up and the photo will come up.
Don, I think it just defaults to the Amish of Harmony, MN because I’ve looked up info on that area before. All I had to do was add Belle Center and it came right up. Thanks!
When I was a teen and spending a week with my Amish friends, I made the mistake of reaching up and touching the very soft and pliable looking net filament in the gas lantern.
Of course it fell to dust between my finger tips.
Feeling quite guilty, I went and told my host father that he was shocked that I’d do such a thing and that those filaments cost about $50 dollars each.
He got a terrific laugh from my horror, and told me it was no big deal at all, and that they really cost only about a dollar each.
Ha, very funny!
🙂
Annette as I read the first line of your comment I thought this was going to be a burn story.
Glad for your finger it was “switched off” when you touched it! At least you provided your host father a chance to give you a hard time.
I love Indian.
It’s a real treat to watch an Amish person get one of those lights going.
Lattice I’m proof even English people can do it too 🙂
https://amishamerica.com/amish-light-switch/
Impressive! Somehow I missed that post. Could that possibly have been an Amish photographer taking those shots? I’ll bet he got a kick out of it, if so!
It was (using my camera), and I think he did enjoy it Lattice.
Photo
Don,
What a neat photograph that is, the one including your son! That was a sweet thing to do, to go and sing for those people 🙂
I noticed the girls’ cape dresses were different from what I’m used to seeing Amish girls wear. The colors are much more muted, they are longer than many, and they don’t wear any aprons over them. Do you know at all generally what the rules for clothing are in your son’s district? Like, do the boys and men wear hats, what colors are allowed for men and women, etc? I’d be very interested in knowing!
I’m guessing the difference in clothing could be because your son belongs to a New Order group, but I don’t know!
Belle Center clothes
Well, I had no idea what all the rules were so I called up my son, Mark, and asked. He said that the girls are all wearing aprons. He said that they wear two kinds of aprons. For normal daily wear, they wear aprons that come to just below their knees. For church, sewings, and for something like singing for the old folks they wear full length aprons. The reason that they aren’t so obvious is that the are made of the same material as the dress. The men and boys do wear hats. During the winter they often wear what Mark calls “zippel caps” what we always called toboggans or stocking caps. But, for church they are to wear the wool brimmed black hats. During warm weather they are to wear straw hats. As to colors Mark said that muted pastels are allowed. Pink, red, and yellow are not allowed. Bright hues of any color are not allowed. Boys must wear button shirts, no pull overs. Suspenders must be worn. Broadfall trousers. The suspenders can be elastic clip-on suspenders. Mark wears the nylon webbing suspenders that fasten on with buttons to the trousers. He doesn’t care for the elastic suspenders.
Oh! Thank you Don! Even calling up and asking your son, thank you, how kind of you!
Now that is why I couldn’t see the girls’ aprons–same as the dress fabric! That is interesting about the colors they’re allowed to wear–muted pastels would seem like nice colors to choose from! No pink, red, or yellow though; you know thinking on it, I’ve rarely, if ever, seen an Amish girl or woman of any order in red or yellow, aside from some deeper burgundies. I’ve been surprised seeing some (usually) youth girls wearing pink before in other places, as it doesn’t seem too common. No brighter hues. That is a bit of a change from the deeper blues and greens and purples and other colors I see among several OO districts. I think the pastel hues are so cheery and springlike! If I were a member of a group requiring those colors, oh I think you’d perpetually find me pastel hues of blue, violet, and green. Even deep in Ohio winter (where I live) those colors just have a way of cheering me up, I guess! But then it’s not all about me is it? LOL! It looked to me in the photograph at least that the girls wore the “standard” (which isn’t really) Midwest style of prayer caps, too, the ones that are made with pleats and are rather stiff and opaque compared to caps like the Lancaster OOA usually wear.
I was thinking just this morning about all the types of men’s suspenders that exist. Not that I make it a habit to think of things like that! But I saw a man wearing the sort you mentioned your son wearing and I briefly wondered what sorts different groups might wear. Black wool hats, straw hats and beanies (lol my term for what your son calls “zippel caps”) and broadfall trousers, too. It sounds very much similar to the OO groups I’m familiar with. Definitely more similar than I’d expect a New Order group to be.
I appreciate that the boys’ and men’s rules for clothing are relatively strict and seem in proportion to the girls’ and women’s. It is not my business at all, and I truly don’t mean to cross into judging or gossip. It’s just that I’ve seen several nearby “higher order” churches (not Amish) reach a point where the baptized women still are required to maintain a very plain, very traditional standard of dress, while the baptized men have near total freedom of dress. Most of the men belonging to these groups are not at all recognizable as “plain.” It is not uncommon to see a couple out and about, the wife dressed very plainly, perhaps with a small pattern on her dress at most, while her husband is dressed in loose, faded denim jeans (I don’t believe they are broadfall denims but I don’t make a habit of looking at that area of men’s trousers lol), pullover t-shirts or sweatshirts with logos of all kinds of varieties, and most definitely no suspenders or hats (except an occasional baseball cap). I believe these groups have rules that men must wear long pants and a full-length shirt, but those are the only stipulations. It always has seemed rather odd to me, but again, I’m no one to judge them! I know of a very few “mixed” marriages among these groups, often where the wife is a full church member but her husband is not, which I suppose accounts for some of the discrepancies in plainness of dress.
I do get to rambling lol! Thank you again to you, Don, and to your son, for the very interesting information on how members of his group dress. I thought it was fascinating! I hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend. Supposed to be around 50 here in my part of OH tomorrow! Hope you all are fortunate with that, too. I think the kids around here won’t appreciate it so much. Their poor snowmen have already shrunken into tiny piles of snow.
Aprons
Mark also said that some of the women and girls, during the week, wear like a full white apron, at home. It would be the white cape and apron together. It is more like a everyday apron and cape. But, it is not worn for going away. Mark also said that for baptismal services and for communion the women and girls wear black.
Ed,
That is what I’m more used to seeing: a different color apron, or apron and cape, against the dresses. Interesting — thank you!
Do you know whether English visitors are ever invited to attend church in your son’s district? In The Budget, I read about a lot of visitors to other districts’ services, but they’re always other Amish visitors.
Also, Mark’s district seems so very much like the OO districts I know of; it may have been asked of you before, but if so, I can’t find it! What differentiates your son’s New Order church from the Old Order?
Thank you!!
New Order / Old Order
I asked Mark about this. He said that it is complicated. There is not much difference between Belle Center and most General Run Old Order Amish. Belle Center does allow one phone in the home. Otherwise the dress standards and living standards are about the same. In some ways Belle Center is even more conservative than some Old Order Churches. Belle Center does not allow cell phones, pipeline milking, or computers in any form. There are a number of Old Order Churches that do. Belle Center farms with horses. No electricity in the homes. There are limits to the diesel generators the shops may have. It is probably the most conservative of the New Order Amish Churches. The New Order Churches do make a definite stand against smoking, drinking, and what is termed “bed courtship.” Those were practices that caused the New Orders to break away from the Old Orders in the first place.
Visitors in church
Mark says that occasionally they have English visitors. They are more often neighbors and such that are invited for the evening singings. But sometimes somebody comes for church. It is difficult to just drop in on Amish church because a visitor wouldn’t kinow where it was being held. A visitor would almost have to be invited by an Amish just to know where church was that Sunday. The only other way would be to drive around until you saw a bunch of buggies in the farmyard.
Dear Ed,
I can just imagine an English person who wants to attend, but hasn’t been invited, driving around and around until they found the right place — the image I get of that in my mind makes me laugh for some reason!
I can understand ( as best I can ) why New Orders would break away over those issues. Those are some very meaningful, important topics. I’d guess it wasn’t easy when the Old and New Orders split, with some family members likely becoming members of each. And again, I respect the stance the New Orders take on those topics. I know not all people, not at all, have trouble with alcohol, but I have had and seen so many in my family negatively impacted by it that it is nice to think that it was such a very important issue that people were willing to give up their former affiliation because of it.
Mark’s Church does sound conservative when compared to what I had previously known of New Order Churches. It is very interesting that they are a completely different Order, yet so very similar to many OO Churches. It makes sense to me, also, that it would be mostly neighbors and community friends who would be invited to events being held. I still just can’t believe I had no idea the Belle Center community was there, living so near it for the last 26 or so years! I’ve no real desire to go up and “gawk” at the Amish, like I hear of people doing in Lancaster Co., PA, or even Holmes Co., but I would truly like to visit the store with the bakery that you mentioned, and just see what the general feeling of the community is like. And, I am definitely waiting until spring! The buds are on my maple tree now so it can’t be too long LOL!
Thank you again for your ( and Mark’s ) help, and for the information!
Oops! And Another Question for Don
Don,
I am so sorry! Why I called you “Ed” in my earlier post I have absolutely no idea. It must be my insomnia tonight — at least, that’s a convenient excuse lol!
I have another question (or questions) for you about how things are in your son’s New Order Church; I hope you don’t mind. At any time, please, feel free to decide I’ve asked more than enough (I do type and talk a lot sometimes, especially when I’m really interested!).
How are the youth (or in your son’s case at the time, young men!) baptized? Is it similar to many OO groups, with those wanting to be baptized following instruction classes by the ministers for a certain amount of time? Does his church accept the Bible being read (on one’s own) in English?
Does Mark’s district allow members to travel by van or car with a hired driver? What about buses, trains, or planes?
And (finally!), what is the rule on photography? Are members allowed to use cameras? Can they pose for photos? Can they own or keep photographs in their homes?
I hope I am not asking too many annoying questions! Also, if you want to answer, and if you would rather e-mail me directly, my e-mail address is: sadie.troyer@aol.com
Thank you — again — so much, Don!
Ed,
What a shame I didn’t come across the Belle Center Amish settlement a decade or so ago. I think I’d probably have been up to visit the community, and in the end followed a similar path as your son and joined them, if it worked out to be that way. I’ve got quite a lot of respect for your son Mark, being able to do what he did, and quite a lot of respect for the way things are done there in that community. The more I learn, the more I’m interested.
Today, though, I think I’m just too set in my ways to up and make a move like that! I’m not even as old as your son was when he made that move, but I just can’t imagine learning all there is to learn in order to make a change like that. Ten years ago, though, I think I’d have been happy to go into a life decision like that head-on: when you’re in your early 20’s, everything somehow seems so much more possible. At least that’s how it was for me.
I think I’ll end up visiting that community in the spring anyway, just to see what’s what there 🙂 It surprises me I didn’t know of the area sooner, seeing as I live so close that Bellefontaine schools show up on our TV channels when schools are closed!
Thank you for all you post about both your son and the community there. I always read with great interest!
Mark's answers
Hi Sadie,
Well, I was wondering why you kept addressing me as Ed. You did it at least three times but that’s alright. I’ve been called a lot worse than Ed.
I asked Mark about baptism. He said that after they have had communion in the sprng or te fall that the ministers will inivite any youth interested in becoming members of the church to start instruction classes. The instruction classes are held on the Sunday they have church. The baptismal candidates follow the ministers when they go to Abrot (minister’s meeting held during the beginnin part of church). The ministers meet with the candidates. They question them as to their conversion experience. They also go over two of the eighteen articles of the Dortrect Confession of Faith. In Mark’s community they have church every other Sunday. Sunday school on the intervening Sundays. So, to go through all eighteen articles takes nine church Sundays or actually eighteen weeks. Mark says that baptism is not automatic at the end of that time. If a candidate’s behavior or whatever is not what it should be than their baptism may be postponed or they may be asked to take counseling with the ministers or whatever.
Mark says that, like most Amish, the Belle Center Amish do hire drivers to take them places that are too far to travel by horse and buggy. They are also allowed to travel by bus, train, and plane.
The Belle Center Amish are NOT allowed to own cameras or to pose for pictures. They do not display photos in their homes, either.
We bought an Amish homes and still have the hook/reflectors on the ceiling in the bathroom and kitchen. Just have not gotten around to taking them down. All of our friends are either Amish or Beachy (from our church) and either get a kick out of them still being there (the Amish friends) or ask why in the world we would still have them up (the church friends who were almost all at one time Amish aand have zero desire to relive their days without electricity lol!)I for us, we have just been lazy about taking them down but they make a good conversation piece.
Sadie, I am not sure where the picture is but our good friends just moved to Manton Michigan and the clothes were different but still Old order. The capes were much like ours (square with no point in the back and not pinned on) aand the dresses were longer and very muted in color. We picked the new “Michigan “She fabric out together for her new dresses and she was a little bummed about the colors. The dresses had gathers at the waste instead of pleats and no apron for church. A big difference! They also have a church house AND Sunday school. We both had never heard of those things in an Old order church!a
Stephanie, thank you for sharing your friend’s experience! I can imagine being kind of disappointed in the colors. I know there are more important things in life, but I know when I’m standing there looking at all the beautiful colors of fabric in a store, I’d be a little disappointed, too, to have to pick a muted one, instead of a deep forest green or navy! I think it’d be a lot nicer to have the cape sewn on, rather than pinned. I know I’d be one who would constantly be sticking myself with the pins, or having them fall out!
Inside an Amish Home
I was looking at the lamp shade on the ceiling and the wall hanging on the stairs wall. I’ve been under the impression that the Amish dress plain because of modesty and pride; that to dress fancy would cause pride. Why is it different for a home? I’ve seen beautifully embroidered hankies, doilies, floral furniture and now the fancy lamps. Does that not cause pride in the home? I’m hoping for an explanation of this seeming discrepancy.
Another question: why are the Amish worried about taking pride in themselves, their clothing and such but the Mennonites don’t seem to.
What is the difference in thinking between the two?
Are Amish homes truly plain?
I’ll take a stab at part of your question Lisa. Pound for pound the homes are generally plainer than the vast majority of English ones. I believe Mark has some items from his mother as well (he used to be English). As for the lamp I’ve never thought of these typical Amish lights as fancy. They seem highly plain and old fashioned in the design of the shade…kind of like something my deceased grandmother would have had.
Come to think of it a good bit of Amish furnishings might fit that description (linoleum floors, creaky recliners, homely wall hangings)…I can understand why some items like nice clocks or fine wood furniture you see in some Amish homes might give a different impression. There was a good discussion on this on the recent wall clock post.
Eric, I just replied to Don Curtis about the picture of the home. When I said the lamp shade looks fancy, it does to me. When I think of plain I think of simple white paper shades. I’ve always thought hobnail shades with fluted edges as being very pretty and fancy. I guess it’s just my perspective. Apparently I need to adjust my thinking of what “plain” means.
Amish styles
I guess we do have different perceptions Lisa…if this was a Tiffany lamp or something in neon, that would probably get me to raise an eyebrow 😉
For me, I am just so used to seeing this type of lamp and decor, I would even call it “standard Amish issue” 🙂 You do see a good bit of uniformity in the styles in Amish homes. There is something comforting about that. On the other hand there are bits of flair here and there if you keep your eyes open for it.
Amish people of course are individuals and that can be expressed, somewhat, in the type of material goods they own. Being an individual is not over-emphasized as it is in English society. But you are not just an automaton fulfilling orders.
People have preferences for certain colors, or styles, or whatever it might be. There may not be as much range in what is seen as compared to the million different styles we see in English homes, but it is there within the bounds.
Hmmm. Well, Mark is my son and I certainly wouldn’t classify him as a proud person. But, I guess if his putting a wall hanging up on his wall is prideful to somebody then that’s how they’ll have to think. Mark got that wall hanging when he was in Guatemala from a Mayan Indian family. He knew them, personally, and their daughter had made the hanging. He bought it to remember them by and to help them out, financially. He didn’t know what else to do with it so he hung it up on his staircase. If that makes him proud to you then I guess he’ll survive. I wonder what you have hanging on your wall and who they benefitted?
I apologize if I sounded judgemental. I was just going by what I’ve read about the Amish not wanting to look or be prideful because of ‘fancy’ looking clothes and I wondered if that meant that their homes had to be plain also. Some of the homes I’ve seen in photos don’t have anything on the walls but calendars and had simple lamps, etc. I thought maybe there is a difference in the communities as to what is plain and what is not. I’m all for a pretty home and I think Mark’s home is very nice. It’s just that the photo was different from what I’ve read and I was curious. Again, I’m sorry if I offended you or anyone else.
"Taking pride" in a home well kept
You know I have gotten to know Mark a bit and stayed in Mark’s home and I have never thought of him as a prideful person Don. However we’ve seen before that expectations of what Amish people “should be like” don’t always match the reality.
On that note I would be curious Lisa how you formed your impression of Amish homes–was it by visiting them, reading about them, perhaps viewing something…? Maybe you have only visited Amish homes that are among the most plain, as there are some ultra-traditional people in terms of material goods, and I can see how seeing a somewhat “higher” home may be surprising. This is interesting to me.
To elaborate on this response, I do think that people can “take pride” in a clean home and nice garden…but that can be a misleading phrase–in its best meaning it’s different than being a prideful person, where you are thinking you are better than someone else. Fine and flashy clothes would tend to draw attention directly to the individual.
In describing “pride” in a home, maybe “taking satisfaction” would be a better phrase? Or having a feeling you are doing a good job in providing an environment that “feels like home”, that is warm and comfortable, for your family? Like anything, it can lead to personal pride if overdone (Amish caution about this too) but that’s a matter of the individual.
And as usual we have to remember the differences. There are ultra-plain Amish that wouldn’t have the same technology (propane lamps) or wall hangings like calendars or quotes from Scripture. They themselves may see Mark’s home as “fancy”. But their Ordnung may very well also prohibit things like indoor plumbing, flower gardens and safety triangles. There are different ways to be Old Order Amish. But it seems to me that even the less plain Amish homes are a long way from fancy.
2nd part of your question: “Mennonite” means a lot of things, there are some quite plain people under that name.
Eric, THANK YOU! This is the answer I was looking for. I’ve read some novels by authors who lived near, among the Amish, or have Amish heritage, and a few non-fiction ones. I understand about the different churches having rules about dress, occupation and such but not the decor of the home. I do now and I thank you for your understanding answer. I’ve ruffled some feathers that I didn’t mean to ruffle 🙁
Mark's house,again
I forgot to comment on the lights. Those were in the house when Mark bought it. The light shades are for a practical reason. They help to diffuse some of the heat from the lights from going right up to the ceiling. Those lights put out a lot of heat. The shades are there for a reason as is the little reflector hanging from the chain. Some of the ceilings in Mark’s house have had the plaster crack and fall down because of that heat. As for the china in the antique cabinet that comes from Mark’s great-great grandmother on his mom’s side and has been passed down in the family. One thing that bugs me is how some non-Amish people will criticize the Amish for what they see as discrepencies in their perceptions of what it is to be Amish. Who asked you? Why is that your business? If the Amish have a problem with somebody in their community being prideful with their home or whatever, they will deal with it. It’s not really any of your concern.
Don, again I apologize. I was just trying to understand, not judge. Many of us non-Amish are attracted to the Amish way of life because of it’s simplicity (as opposed to our lifestyles), it’s deep sense of family and faith. It is something that is missing in so much of our world. The original comment I made was just a casual question meant as an observation not a condemnation and I guess I didn’t phrase it correctly. No, you didn’t ask me what I thought but since I see so many other questions and comments on here I mistakenly thought I could ask this one. Sorry.
Whoops, looks like you two got 3 or 4 comments in while I was cooking up my (probably too-long) single comment.
Well the differences between Amish groups sometimes creates understandable confusion, and it’s an interesting topic to bring up Lisa. I can see by your follow-up you didn’t mean anything bad by it..and as always glad to Don for being a good sport and helping out with some answers 🙂
Mark's house,again
Well, as you’ve probably read there are all kinds of Amish. Because of that they allow all kinds of things in their homes that other Amish might forbid. Mark’s church allows these kinds of lights. There are very conservative Amish who live in the next county north who don’t allow propane lights at all. Just kerosene lamps.. They don’t even allow upholstered furniture like sofas or recliners or such. But, every one of those homes will have a daybed or cot in the living. That’s what they sit on. It isn’t a sofa. It’s a bed. But, it’s more comfortable to sit on and it’s within their standards so that is what they do. Mark’s church allows upholstered furniture so you won’t see a daybed in the living room. It just all depends upon what kind of Amish they are and what they allow.
Thank you for that explanation. It clears a lot up.
Apology
Well,Lisa, your apology is accepted and rereading these posts I realize I came across kind of testy. I apologize also. I guess it’s hard for a parent not to defend their child even when the parent is 90 and the child is 60, already. If Mark were to read my posts he wouldn’t like it at all. I know he wouldn’t. He’d say, “Dad, you were being unkind. You shouldn’t take offense. Try to reply in kindness.” But, that’s Mark and I’m still my ninety year old cranky self. Sorry, Lisa.
Well, Don, if I could have my 95 year old father back I would let him be testy all he wanted. Mark is lucky to have you still around. I’m glad we got our differences worked out 🙂
Gas lights
We had carbide lights in our farm house when I was a child-they were very bright!