Last week, Haley Straw took us to the most recent edition of the Jamesport, Missouri Amish School Auction. She follows that up with a look back at an earlier visit to the same auction – and some of the many and varied things you find at one of these events. “I always get what I want” is one of my personal mantras. Evidence of that…
Haley Straw is back with a look at the Jamesport, Missouri Amish School Auction. If that sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen it covered here before – by Don Burke back in 2014. Let’s have a look at Haley’s experience at the big event, a dozen years later. My daughter and I arrived at the Jamesport Amish School Auction around 10 o’clock, two hours after…
Rain tapped steadily against the metal roof while muddy boots shuffled across the floor of the open shed. The building wasn’t insulated — just a tall shell of a structure with church benches lined up beneath dim gray light filtering in through the open doors. Outside, vans sat parked in a wet field, tires slowly sinking deeper into the mud as the rain kept falling….
The church parking lot in Holmes County was already filling when Lizzie and I pulled in. Women in plain dresses, women in jeans, and women in dress slacks moved steadily toward the doors carrying coffee cups, purses, notebooks, and homemade snacks. Some greeted each other like old friends. Others looked nervous, like they were still trying to decide whether they belonged there at all. Inside,…
The van heater hummed while the sky was still black outside, and I was deep asleep when— Rap tap tap, rap tap tap, rap tap tap. “Hey, Haley, are you awake?” David B’s baritone voice jolted me upright. I blinked at the clock. 6:00 a.m. Seriously? I thought. Don’t these Amish let their drivers sleep? Apparently not. I slipped out of bed quietly so I…
After last week’s story of an Amish neighbor unexpectedly returning a favor, Haley Straw returns with a story in a similar vein. Only this time the favor is of the “pay-it-forward” variety – and on a much larger scale. Snuggled warm in bed, hoping to catch up on sleep, my phone rang interrupting a sweet dream. Blurry eyed, I fumbled for my phone thinking, “It…
Author and Amish taxi driver Haley Straw is back to share a new story – of an Amish neighbor who remembered a kindness – and made sure to pay it back, in his own way. The gravel crunched under my tires as I pulled into the pasture, the old ticket booth still sitting where it had been for two years—waiting. I had big plans for…
Lizzie Hershberger grew up Amish in Minnesota. She is the subject of a new documentary called Keep Quiet and Forgive, which premieres nationally on PBS’ Independent Lens on March 23. In today’s post, author Haley Straw shares how she met Lizzie, more on her story, and what she hopes to achieve. Lizzie Hershberger didn’t expect the moment to stand out. About seven years ago she…
Author Haley Straw returns today with the final part – 8 of 8 – of a new winter-themed series, drawing on one of her more challenging experiences as an Amish taxi driver. Part 1 is here, part 2 here, part 3 here, part 4 here, and part 5 here, part 6 here, and part 7 here if you missed them. A special thanks to Haley for sharing this story with…
Author Haley Straw returns today with part 7 (of 8 parts) of a new winter-themed series, drawing on one of her more challenging experiences as an Amish taxi driver. Part 1 is here, part 2 here, part 3 here, part 4 here, and part 5 here, and part 6 here if you missed them. Everyone’s hard work and patience paid off. The families were safe and warm in their relatives’…