Amish youth at Belle Center, Ohio (and elsewhere) may take part in a fun social event called a “Mystery Supper”. Mark Curtis shares how this unusual meal works (thanks to Don Curtis for relaying the details): The youth come in and sit down for supper. At their place is a plate and a list of numbered blanks. The blanks must be completely filled out in…
Valerie Weaver-Zercher is the author of the newly-released Thrill of the Chaste: The Allure of Amish Romance Novels. Valerie is a writer and editor whose work has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Mennonite Weekly Review, and other publications. In examining the topics raised in Thrill of the Chaste over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at Amish fiction readers, authenticity, and how readers choose Amish…
This ice kiosk is located just south of Shipshewana, Indiana. The person who shares it explains that “it’s fully automated, takes bills and dispenses ice in bags or bulk.” Though some Amish use ice houses, Amish in this northern Indiana community permit home refrigerators and freezers such as those made by companies like Crystal Cold of Arcola, Illinois, or Shipshewana-area E-Z Freeze. Update: Not all Amish…
This is technically a repair shop (Mullet’s Repair Shop in northern Indiana) but they make a popular stove used by Amish. The reader who sent these photos in notes that Mullet’s Repair “are the makers of the Mullet Coal Stove which is without a doubt the most commonly used stove in the community.” The Mullet Coal Stove brochure: Inside you’ll find technical and safety info. The…
Energy companies are apparently losing enthusiasm for oil drilling in Ohio’s Utica Shale. Oil in the Utica has proven more difficult than expected to extract, according to this article from Bloomberg: U.S. drillers that set up rigs amid the rolling farmland of eastern Ohio on projections underground shale held $500 billion of oil are packing up. Four of the biggest stakeholders in untapped deposits known…
Is cursive doomed to become a relic of history? New national teaching standards, to be implemented by 45 states next year, are pointing away from cursive in favor of technology. From the Goshen News (hat-tip to Linda): Those standards include proficiency in computer keyboarding by the fourth grade, but make no mention of the need for cursive writing ability, even though it has been integral to…
I think (or maybe just hope) this is the hardest quiz yet. The last one was solved pretty quickly. Hopefully this will stump you for a little longer. Either way I’d recommend making your guesses before you check the comments section. Special thanks to Linda for suggesting some of these terms. We did the best we could spelling the PA Dutch words. What do these…
This photo was taken in February in northern Indiana. Can you tell what’s in the back there, under the plastic? The reader who shares this writes that it’s from “a company called Lambright Comfort Chairs. They make the Amish version of the LazyBoy recliner. They have small versions that they sell to the RV market.” Another example of Amish seating. Closer-up: I know there have…
How do Amish deal with special needs children? We’ve often had questions here about how Amish approach individuals with disabilities, and children in particular. I confess the meaning of “special needs” has never been totally clear to me. From what I understand it can cover a broad variety of situations, from moderate learning issues to much more severe handicaps. English society attaches a stigma to…
“Are they accurate?” In Thrill of the Chaste, Valerie Weaver-Zercher observes that the question of factual accuracy was the most frequently asked of her during her research. It’s one which, she explains in a late chapter of the book, she was reluctant, for various reasons, to address. She does cover the issue in much depth, though. One quote in support of Amish fiction authors: Many…