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…
Daylight saving time (DST) kicked in yesterday, so if you haven’t tweaked your clocks yet, here’s a reminder. I mean, of course, your non-computerized timekeepers, those grandfathers and cuckoos and analog wristwatches, since these days the ones in our phones and laptops do our remembering for us. Also your alarm clock, though if you had to be at work today, it may be a little…
You might recall our recent look at the kid box, a special compartment on the backs of some open-top Swiss Amish buggies. These allow children to ride protected from the weather. Torey has sent in some further photos of much larger (adult-sized) carriage compartments, taken in the two large Swiss Amish communities in Indiana. The first photo is from the Allen County settlement: The second…
I got an email yesterday from Bill Coleman’s archivist asking about an unusual photo found in his collection. He described it as “one of Bill’s earliest Amish photographs” and that he had not seen anything similar in any of Bill’s other photos. This photo “was taken in the early 1980’s…”[women in] scoop hats” is the only thing written on the negative sleeve, which is odd…
What do you find on the walls of Amish homes? As we discussed in a previous post on Amish wall decor, these items tend toward the practical–things like decorative calendars or zip code charts. Even the ostensibly “non-practical” pieces are practical in their own, higher-purpose way–a framed inspirational saying or Biblical verse, for example, daily reminders of where to set one’s heart and head. One…
An Amish Man on Valentine’s Day In anticipation of February 14th, I passed this question along to John Stoltzfus, an Amish husband and father of five living in a Pennsylvania community: Do Amish people do anything for Valentine’s Day? How do they observe the day? John’s response hints at differing attitudes about Valentine’s Day. The usual caveat about Amish customs being different in different places…
I just returned late last night from a trip which took in four Amish communities in Ohio. Over the roughly three-and-a-half days I spent in the state there was a lot of visiting with Amish and English friends and acquaintances. I just did a count and besides things like auctions, shops and church gatherings, I was able to squeeze in sixteen visits over that time….
I grew up washing my hands in the kitchen sink when I came in from outdoors and often before meals. Mostly because it was the most convenient one, and for that matter, really the only one, unless you wanted to walk to one of the bathrooms in the back of the house. I just spent some time visiting with Mark Curtis in the Amish community…