Every other Wednesday I visit my local Amish community to purchase milk, eggs, and fresh vegetables. Yesterday was a bit cooler, gray and overcast so I decided to take my camera and linger.
They don't use electricity, nor do they drive cars, but instead rely on horse-drawn buggies and wagons.
Summer is ending soon so harvest season is winding down.
Each house sells produce, services and homemade products. There are still many items available.
At this house, you can purchase okra, peppers, squash, and your burial casket all at the same time. Need a mare and colt? No problem, they have them also.
They all used the same type of lunchboxes which were lined up neatly beside the front door.
Their ingenuity for living without electricity is impressive. The barns have downspouts on the gutters which fill the water tanks for the livestock.
Instead of cutting grass with a manual lawnmower, this house has blackberry bushes and fruit trees in their front yard.
This massive barn was filled to the top with hay. How did they manage to get it so far up?
What brave soul is able and willing to climb up the ladder on the outside?
Not using modern-day conveniences forces them to work together as a community to survive. It is the life they choose.
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So pretty. I used to live in Amish country after college. Such and interesting way of life.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy how quiet it is when you step out of your car.
DeleteThe last two sentences of your interesting report are the most important ones. You need a
ReplyDeletestrong community to live in the way the Amish do. I have large respect for their way of living.
It is their choice. I admire their responsible treatment of nature.
Christel
WELCOME BACK CHRISTEL!!!! Everyone, especially me has missed your comments. I know life has been difficult for you lately and I have been praying for you.
DeleteI think you would love the Amish because you could understand them when they speak German. I often wonder what they are saying about me when they are talking. I think they are saying, "What a silly woman."
I go to Kentucky to visit my good friend every few years. We spend 3 weeks doing fun things like going to Amish country and Aldi's (which we don't have where I live) Also love my White Lilly flour which I bring back in my luggage or she sends me when I need it. lol. Plus we spend Days in PJ's if we don't feel like going out and watch the Hallmark channel and eat deep fried food to my hearts content. Last time I made it my mission to find the place that served the best catfish! Amish country is so beautiful and peaceful. Take care. P.S. She doesn't live in Actual Amish Country but close by.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like my kind of vacation! I agree about White Lilly flour. It is different from other brands and really is the best...something about the type of grain. My husband is the fried catfish connoisseur in our family. He dearly loves it.
DeleteWow! I haven't been on the blog in while and missed most of your beautiful posts. This is very interesting specially how they kept the life without electricity. Twas my best childhood experience ever living at my dad's hometown in a countryside back in the days. A small village of over 200 populations. I remember those hide and seeks under the moon until the electricity came followed by the television. All the while I thought we were all related but later learned that we're not. We left the place when I was 10, I am 43 now and I still cherish those beauty of life with no electricity. The last time I visited it was 4 years ago turned into a different place. It broke my heart to have found myself being a totally stranger to a once upon a time, my beautiful home. So I totally agree with you. Not using modern-day conveniences forces them to work together as a community to survive. It is the life they choose. And my great respect to them..
ReplyDeleteInteresting what you said about your childhood memories. The Amish children have idyllic childhoods; they run wild through the fields, have many siblings with which to play and are protected by a safe community. They are happy and blessed. However, it is the women, the mothers who seem exhausted to me. They are raising many children without a refrigerator, or vacuum cleaner, hot water, air conditioning and are using outdoor washing machines, wood burning stoves and it goes on. I enjoy visiting, but would not want to give up my electricity.
DeleteYou know, I am also fascinated by the Amish, but my first thought is also, "how do they get it all done?" I struggle to get done what needs doing in my small town house, on my town lot WITH electricity and many other conveniences. I still marvel at their amazing work ethic.
ReplyDeleteI wondered the same thing until I got to know them - now I understand. They have learned to lower their standards, not worry about everything being clean and don't do all the things we do. No time is spent watching TV, surfing the internet, taking pictures then uploading them to send to everyone, no checking email, no jumping in the car to go to the store, no meeting friends for lunch, never ever talking on the phone, forget putting on make-up, or dyeing their hair, or even going to the beauty parlor for a professional hair cut. The list goes on and on. I just wasted 30 minutes trying to get my camera pictures to upload to my computer, (some button somewhere was pushed and it would not cooperate). I spent hours this week scrubbing, sanding, and painting my front porch floor so it would look nicer, not them. I do more things than they would ever do and so do you. They get everything done because they do less.
DeleteAmish are my neighbors. I grew up around Amish also so not much of a culture shock when we bought this house which was owned by Amish and we converted it to English.
ReplyDeleteJuls, I have enjoyed reading about your adventures in renovating a house. It exhausts me thinking about all the work it has required. I am glad you now have HOT water! Such a luxury we all take for granted.
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