I rarely get ill, but when I do, it’s more often than not in the summertime. I put this down to the constant temperature swings of modern life–going from a scorching 100+ degrees outside to the frigid air conditioned interiors of the car, work, home or store. I try to be proactive about this. If I’m going to, say, the supermarket to do some shopping,…
Brenda shares some photos from Carroll County, Tennessee, taken on a recent laundry day. We’ve had a lot of posts on the Ethridge, TN Amish, but not much from the other communities in the Volunteer State. There are only a few other Amish in Tennessee, and they are quite small settlements, so nice to hear from a lesser-known corner of Amish America. On to the…
Fifteen-year-old Rachel Yoder was killed in Holmes County, Ohio last December when an Amish hunter fired his weapon into the air from over a mile away. Rachel was hit in the head while driving her buggy home from a Christmas gathering. The news is that Marion Yoder, the shooter, will be charged with reckless homicide. If convicted the 28-year-old faces the possibility of several years…
“Hello, do I have a twin out there?” Despite how it may sound, this isn’t a plea for a long-lost identical sibling. The above comes from The Diary newspaper, which features a regular “Twins and Circle Letters” section. I remember first learning about Amish “twins” when my friend’s wife, whom I had known for around 4 years at that point, and whose family I had…
Cornhole is a game popular among Amish in some communities. I played it once in Ohio at an Amish birthday cookout. I’d say it’s got elements of horseshoes and shuffleboard to it. If you’re not familiar with cornhole, it’s pretty simple. You’ve got two slightly elevated boards with a medium-sized hole towards one end of each board. You place them some distance apart and take…
You’ll find guide dogs, schools, Amish visiting other churches, and more in the latest batch of questions: Al in KY: What is the present status of farming as the primary source of income for Amish, especially among the more progressive Amish? Do they lament having to be employed off the farm and do they hope that some day there once again will be more Amish farmers? The general trend…
Amos Hertzler is a one-year-old Amish boy who was born with a rare esophageal condition. His story came to public attention last October as his parents were having difficulties raising the funds for the expensive procedure Amos needed. Thankfully, Amos has since had his surgery and now the family is trying to pay off the remaining $60,000 in debt (having already covered $175,000). Last Saturday…
Well overdue, here is our second batch of Amish questions-and-answers. I meant to get to more of these, faster, but as they say “circumstances intervened” 🙂 Thanks for your patience. SharonR: Since the Amish farmers and their neighbors mostly eat farm fresh products, are they generally healthier than the “Englishers”, or have they also fallen to eating “junk” like so many of us Englishers have,…
Now that we’re finally on the right side of the Spring Equinox many of us have our minds on warmer topics. But let’s pause for a moment before diving into spring to think about a technology we often take for granted – refrigeration. Most Amish do use some variety of refrigerator. Amish who don’t typically rely on ice for cooling. Today Tom offers us some…
I often take along my running shoes when I travel to Amish communities. When you’re in the car for long hours and saddled up next to the table for many more, hitting the pavement for a jog becomes a basic necessity. The scenic roads of Lancaster County are popular among recreational athletes. In parts of the County there is almost a steady stream of runners…