Just back from Pennsylvania and the Elizabethtown College Amish conference. Lest you think I was on campus all week, I share a few photos here proving I ventured out. Early June is a beautiful time in Lancaster County, and though it rained the first two days of the conference, Saturday and Sunday the weather was just dandy. I spent some time with the youth over…
Amish use of technology often puzzles outsiders. This is exacerbated when observers see Amish using a piece of technology that doesn’t seem to fit their notion of what the Amish should be. Simply put, people are disappointed when they discover the Amish aren’t as “Amish” as they expected, due to the technologies they allow. Sometimes this leads to accusations that Amish have “betrayed their roots”…
A couple of things I wanted to bring to your attention: Gravatar Recently I was asked again about getting an image which will appear next to your name when you leave comments. You’ll notice some commenters have custom images and some have the grey silhouette figure (the default image). We use the widely-used “Gravatar” system (“globally-recognized avatar”). If you’d like one, go to gravatar.com and…
Below, the menu items for the Amish youth mystery supper, courtesy of Don Curtis. Some of these were pretty tough. How did you do? 1. Hygiene Essential – water 2. Colorful Downfall – mixed fruit salad 3. Healthy Rollups – dinner rolls 4. Variety Pack – broccoli and veggie salad 5. Point of Decision – fork 6. Pigs Disgrace – meatloaf 7. Foreign Fundraiser –…
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…
In a previous post on Amish wall decor, reader Kate had this to say on visiting an Amish friend’s home: I realized that I could see six picture calendars from where I was sitting in the kitchen [featuring] horses, barns, lighthouses, bluebirds, and wildflowers. It’s true, as Kate’s example suggests, that Amish are partial to calendars. Amish generally don’t display art for its own sake….
A good, comfortable seat is nothing to sneeze at. The more so since we sit so much nowadays, be it for work, in the car, or just using a computer. I’ve lately been contemplating a new swivel chair for my desk. The one I’m sitting on as I write this post is a bit thin on the cushion. My back lets me know about this…
Pinecraft in Sarasota, Florida is a place where Amish and Mennonites like to congregate in the colder months. If you’re Amish and traveling to Pinecraft, there’s a good chance you’ll hop on a bus such as that operated by Pioneer Trails. The company makes regular runs from Ohio and Indiana from September to July. For Pennsylvanians, Elite Coach provides service from January to March. Heading…
Though they’re known to put in long hours, Amish life is not all work. Today’s question for Pennsylvania Amishman John Stoltzfus: What kind of things do Amish do for fun? John’s answer follows. Do you enjoy any of these pastimes? This is a very interesting question, however first I needed to look up the description of “fun” -enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure. Entertainment or amusements…