The seventh podcast in Donald Kraybill’s series “What I Learned From The Amish” looks at the concept of choice. Does having more choices make people happier? Or is that just an illusion? Drive or fly? How about some cinnamon roll-flavored coffee creamer at the gas station? Premium insurance package on my new laptop or just the standard (or none at all)? Even if many of…
Really nice photos in this Amish home listing. This one is located in Gladwin County, Michigan, and actually just sold. Reader Seth Elmore who sends this in notes that this community is similar to Kenton, Ohio, which would make it one of the more conservative. This happened to be his uncle’s home (Seth has Amish roots). The description via realtor.com: Like New-built in 2018, beautiful…
A month ago came the sad news of the deaths of an Amish mother and father in a Virginia car-buggy accident, leaving behind eight children without parents, and hospitalized with their own injuries. Since that accident, the organizer of one of the fundraisers for the children has given several updates. First, on October 22, Elmer Zook wrote: Thanks to everyone that has donated, the support…
This might be the most “shop”-looking Amish shop home I’ve seen in quite some time. The location is Mahnomen County in Minnesota, way up in the northern end of the state. According to Wikipedia, this is the only county in the state lying entirely within an Indian reservation (White Earth Indian Reservation). There is a small Amish community – one church district – in the…
This has been described alternately as a Pennsylvania Dutch couple or an Amish couple. The statue is well-known and has been around for at least 70 years, previously part of the now-defunct “Roadside America” exhibit. Via wfmz.com: HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. — Less than a year after it left the confines of its longtime home in Berks County, an iconic sculpture is forever scarred. “You don’t…
A “hit-skip” accident, which is what it is called in this article, is what I’ve always known as a “hit-and-run”. Maybe that is a regional expression. In any case, three weeks ago an Amish buggy in north-central Ohio was struck by a driver who failed to stop. That missing driver was located earlier this week, thanks to a tip. From News 5 Cleveland: ASHLAND, Ohio…
While this is not exactly an Amish business, Amish Maid To Order caught my eye because the name suggests it is. House cleaning is a pretty common side or main occupation for Amish women, both married and those not yet baptized. So I first thought this may be someone arranging housecleaning by Amish ladies. This is a Goshen, Indiana-based business, so right near a lot…
This barn-raising story has some history attached. In Amish history, the name Joseph Johns is noteworthy, as he was the founder of present-day Johnstown, Pennsylvania. An Amish crew has rebuilt a barn which burned down on Johns’ former farm, and which had been built by his grandson Joseph Johns III. You might be wondering both about the surname here and the idea of an Amishman…
Podcast #6 in Donald Kraybill’s series “What I Learned From The Amish” covers the idea of “smallness”. Via the show notes: “Professor Kraybill explains why the Amish think bigness ruins things and shows how small-scale life, including small schools, preserve the dignity of individuals.” In the podcast he explains that “smallness” is seen across Amish society – in everything from small egos to small congregations,…
Though this home has a Pennsylvania address, I would hazard to guess it is actually part of the community in Ashtabula County, Ohio, lying in the vicinity of Conneaut and Pierpont. The address happens to be a mere stone’s throw from the Ohio border. Here’s the Zillow description from which I got the title of this post: Large Amish built home with huge front porch!…