Autumn used to be my favorite season. I once pitied the folks who lived in areas of the country which don’t really have a legitimate autumn. Over the years, I’ve lost a little enthusiasm for the fall (knowing what’s right around the corner – months of frigid air, ice and darkness – prevents you from enjoying it as much). Still, on its own merits, autumn…
From the editor’s notes of a recent issue (August 2012) of The Diary: The Diary has something this month that it has not had for nineteen years! Under BIRTHS this month, you will see that the very first entry is quadruplets! These four girls were born to Amos Masts of Granton, WI. Â Congratulations. Â And good luck. Nineteen years ago, Amos Eshs of Lancaster County also…
I’m calling it “Amish” in the title, though that’s not totally accurate. More of the participants were probably non-Amish, though there were quite a few Amish riders as well, and a heavily Amish crowd. Riders perform each Monday in the spring and summer, but as I understood it the August 27 event at Hill Brook Farm Arena was the highlight show of the season. Â I…
Holmes County, Ohio is one of my favorite Amish communities to visit, in part due to the diversity of groups. There are four main Amish tribes here; adding up the sub-groups and spin-off affiliations you get more than double that. A short list of differences you’ll find among Holmes County Amish: Silent vs. spoken prayer Peeling paint vs. pristine walls Rubber vs. metal rims Singing…
I’ve finally put together some trip highlights from Lancaster County. Today begins a new trip, a week-long journey across Indiana and Ohio. Â Before we get into that, here’s what I liked from last week’s visit: Seven nights, four bonfires, two mountain pie feasts. Amish people like to burn stuff in the summer time. Mostly wood from what I can tell. It makes for a nice…
I’ve just gotten back from Lancaster County after what felt like 2 days in the car driving home yesterday (trucks can be bumpy on highways). I’m going to catch up on comments now and will be sharing more as I settle back into English America for a couple days here before the next trip begins. This photo of a friend of mine was taken a…
I’ll be posting some photos and more from my PA Amish trip when I can get back to a computer (this is another late night flashlight Kindle post, the easiest kind when you’re staying in an Amish home)…For now I thought a quiz would be fun. Do you know what these 10 Amish-related terms mean? Pretty much all of them have come up on this…
Do you recall the 12 Amish children orphaned last year when their parents died in a highway accident in New York?  The  Hershberger children were officially adopted this past Monday by an uncle and aunt from Ohio. From the story: The judge asked each soon-to-be parent and the older children if they wanted to move forward with the adoption: Are you willing “to create a…
Visiting Amish communities you might notice people living in a building meant for something else. Tom shares a little today about these “shop houses” along with a few photos from Angelica, NY: Says Tom: “In Conewango and other conservative settlements I visit young married Amish couples often build a shop house. This a very simple house that they can live in until they are able…
This is an accident the media will call “freak”, and Amish will simply call God’s will. Yesterday an Amish woman picking berries in Pennsylvania woods was struck by lightning as she sheltered under a pine tree. Yesterday was also the woman’s due date; the baby she was carrying died with her. Â The woman’s husband and two children, who took shelter under a different tree, were…