Are you a “quilt person”? I’ve slept under them, written about the people who make them, and watched them go up for auction. But I have to admit, I’ve probably under-appreciated Amish quilts, and quilts in general for that matter. Lately that has begun to change. I’ve got a section on quilts in an upcoming book. That led me to learn a bit more about…
A couple of heart-breaking stories this week. An 11-month-old Amish baby died (article removed) late Sunday night when it fell from a moving buggy in Missouri. The person holding it had fallen asleep. Yesterday morning, an Amish woman in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, succumbed to serious burns suffered in a home explosion. She had thrown kerosene on a fire to get it burning better. The regularity…
A picture in need of a caption. Taken outside of Shartlesville, Berks County, Pennsylvania. I’m still not sure–would meeting this pair make me smile…or give me nightmares? Either way, one more reason to love America. Photo credit: Colin Grey
Amish housewives have quite the workload. They do get some help in managing the household, though. Amish homes often feature modified appliances, built to run on power sources other than public electricity. Depending on what is allowed in a given church, you might see an air-powered mixer, or gas-powered refrigerator. Wringer-style washing machines are common. The most conservative Amish groups use only minimal technology though….
I’ve picked up a lot of interesting, and often delicious, items while visiting Amish businesses around the country. Here are my top 3 buys: 1. Hickory rocker Technically, this was more “barter” than “buy”. It was 2005, and I was selling books in the sprawling Holmes County, Ohio Amish community. I had stopped in one afternoon at an Amish furniture place – a hickory rocker…
From an Andy Weaver Amish home, a quilt in frame: Zooming in: Thanks to Karen Johnson-Weiner for the photo. Here are a few more Amish interiors: Amish Kitchen Amish Living Room Amish Wall Decor
Last year I visited the Ethridge, Tennesse Amish community. I was surprised to find that Ethridge is the Amish mecca of the South. For being a conservative Swartzentruber community, the place is crawling with tourists (relatively speaking, of course. Lancaster County, this ain’t). It’s also a charming place to visit. It’s got a rural feel despite the oversized tour wagons rumbling about. I hope you…
This question got a lot of interesting responses on the Amish America Facebook page this weekend. Four years ago, I wrote about my top 5 Amish settlements. Is that post still valid? Since then, I’ve visited around 20 more communities. But I’d say yes–with maybe one or two changes. So what’s your favorite Amish community? For ‘bonus points’, tell us why! NY Amish photo: las-initially
This October will mark 5 years since the Nickel Mines shootings. The Amish forgiveness story was hugely powerful and quickly spread around the world, in part because it was so unusual. People just don’t forgive, so quickly, after a crime of such magnitude. Five years on, one wonders how much the lessons of the Amish at Nickel Mines have stuck with us. The Young Center…
Mention “Ohio Amish”, and most people think of the large settlement at Holmes County, or perhaps Geauga County to its north. But just a short ways down the road from the large Holmes settlement lies an often-overlooked but sizeable Amish community. Amish have lived in Ashland and neighboring Medina County for nearly sixty years. Ashland and Medina County Amish About 2,000 Amish live here, in…