Sometimes I envy the Amish.

[punkin]

Last week we made a trip to an Amish community, roughly about 20 miles away. We went to the market, which was so crowded with customers, you couldn't turn around. Their produce is beautiful and fresh. It was the only place I could find red bell peppers for roasting. (.75 cents each, Wally-World had them for 1.89 each). We drove back through the farmland and looked at their fields, beautiful, weed-free fields. They had tomato plants 8-10 feet tall in huge hoop houses. Corn, beans and melons had been progressively planted.

The scene was so quite and peaceful, with the exception of our diesel truck. I felt a little guilty as we passed a few horses with buggies. All of them waved, so I suppose they are used to it.

Yesterday, our power went out for about an hour. I had a loaf of banana bread in the oven that lacked about 30 minutes of baking time. I told my DH, "That's something the Amish don't worry about." Their bread would have baked on just fine - mine fell flat.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my modern conveniences that make what I do easier and quicker. Running hot water, washer, A/C, electricity, internet are just some of the things that would be extremely difficult for me to give up.

God (though my beliefs are different from theirs), family and a good, strong work ethic are the core of their lives. They don't stick their aging parents in nursing homes because they think it would make their lives easier (no offense to those who have no alternatives), or grow old and stiff because they set in front of the TV all day.

I would like to go "hang out" with them. I'll bet I would learn alot.

 

[MorelCabin]

I've always wanted to go hang out with them and learn from them too...I wonder if they would allow that, especially if you are a believer anyway. We went to buy a shed from the Amish near here and I felt so out of place in my 'pants'

I don't have to worry about my banana bread going flat if the power goes out here...I actually bought a propane stove that doesn't have that electric ignition they all seem to have now. Mine is more designed for a hunt camp but it doesn't look so bad and I can cook with no power

 

[the simple life]

They definitely have a different way of life. It seems much simpler at least.
When I was looking for a new puppy a friend told me that they knew an amish family that was selling some from their litter.
They told them about me and they agreed to meet.
I had to call a phone somewhere in their vicinity. When the man answered it he told me that it was a community phone and when they located the person I was looking for he would contact me.
He did call me and gave me directions to his house.
When we got there he met us outside and told us to head into his house while he put his buggy away.

I felt funny just going in without him, his family was in the living room when we walked in.
His wife had a beautiful quilt out that she was working on and they were all very gracious.
The kids were all dressed like the traditional amish and they were looking at my kids up and down and kind of curious.
I suddenly became very self concious in my pants and shirt.They didn't make me feel that way but it was definitely two different cultures and I was on their turf.
Which is probably how they feel every time they have to go into town.

The husband took my kids out to see his horse and buggy and all that, it was really a once in a lifetime experience to see first hand how they live and I really appreciated it.
They were very gracious about explaining their way of living and asking about ours.
They explained that alot of the younger amish are now getting phones and computers and working outside the community.

I think the husband almost fell over when it was time to discuss business and I whipped out the check book.
He had sat down at the table and said well lets talk about these pups, my husband motioned for me to go ahead since I was the one getting the puppies (ended up buying 2) so I sat down and opened my check book and said how do you want this made out.
He looked genuinely shocked for a minute and looked at my husband who wasn't fazed in the least and then he regained his composure.
The wife looked surprised too and the I saw her look at her daughters and they were kind of grinning at eachother.
I hadn't thought about it before hand it was just a natural way of doing things for me and then I worried that he was offended. My husband said he didn't get that vibe at all and he thinks he was just surprised.

I know the amish are usually very private and they were so hospitable that I felt like I as intruding into their lives.
It was really amazing to be in their house, and have the wife show me how she was working on that enormous quilt and her husband showing us around the property.

To see my kids running around the front lawn with the amish children was really special.
I have the utmost respect for the Amish and how they live.

 

[pioneergirl]

Since we're telling Amish stories, I have one myself. We live about 20-ish miles from a community. About 3 years ago my neighbors were having some work done on their house and barn, and had hired an Amish man and his 3 older sons. Well, I needed my deck built, and my in-laws needed some roof work done. So, I was the one elected to go pick them up and take them home each day.

As with everyone else, I felt a bit odd because I was not only wearing pants, but I was driving (being a woman, I wasn't sure how they would take it)...but they were so nice. His name was Freddy, and he had 9 children all together, including 2 sets of twins!! I never met his wife, nor went into his house, but after about a month of riding around with them, I did gain some knowledge.

His boys started helping him in carpentry when they were about 6 years old. Doing odd things like picking up nails, and running tools, etc. As they got older, they were given more responsibility. The girls (I saw 3 young ones only once) were treated the same way only with household chores. I saw 2 of them, with one set of the twins, and they were butchering chickens for the meals that day. There were probably 5 headless chickens in a wheelbarrow they were taking to the house. The younger boys (pre-teen and younger) were hitching up horses to the fertilizer spreader for the fields, and a few were filling the wagon. It was all very inspiring, and humbling at the same time. Freddy didn't have a phone. If you wanted his services, you either went to his house, or wrote him a letter. It was really great!!

I too, sometimes wonder what it would be like to live as they do. Yes, I would dearly miss my A/C, my computer, and even my tv a bit...but just think how much more we'd get done in a day!! LOL

 

[Dodgegal79]

I would love to live the way they do. I love the simple way of doing things and taking care of your family.

 

[FarmerChick]

I respect their living their lives the way they want. Me, I sure couldn't do it.

I think if you never had the conveniences, then you don't miss what you didn't grow up with. I grew up with all conveniences....so it is very hard for me to give things up. Maybe I don't want to enough..LOL

I do ENVY one thing about their lifestyle, they do live on their own timetable more than I do. I live on the world's timetable and schedule more or less, and I hate it. I hate set times for anything! I want a free day everyday without the stress of, Oh I must drive here by 1 pm, then over to the bank by 5 pm, then over to here by 9 pm cause they are closing, up early to call so and so by 10 am....UGH

So I don't know...just rambling. I think of the "grass is always greener on the other side"--til you get there..LOL

 

[Beekissed]

I, too, think of their life as more in rhythm with the Earth and the seasons. I grew up sort of living like this...no electricity, no running water, working all day to make food, firewood, clearing the land, planting, hoeing, harvesting. We moved there when I was 11 years old. It wasn't nearly as nice as their setup, though, as my dad had little interest in farming and more in just getting "back to the land". My mother and us kids would have loved more of an Amish kind of existence.

I like the orderliness of their farms, the straight lines of their clothing, the clean lines of their horses. It may seem hard work but, its a different kind of work than we do every day....they can look back at the end of their day and see a tangible result. Larders full, laundry fresh off the line and neatly pressed, oats shocked neatly in the field, animals fed and bedded. That would be so wonderful...that feeling of working hard and seeing the results every day. I bet they sleep wonderfully!

I know when we were living like that, the world seemed so distant. We didn't have TV, phone, only one radio that Dad controlled. We went to bed early, got up early, every Saturday was a "work" day, which was kind of funny, as every day was a work day! The only difference was that, on Saturday, we had to get up around 5 am and had to work for 2 hours before breakfast to "earn our meal"! My typical school morning was this: Haul water to pigs and chickens (both pens were very far from the house and so was the spring...in the opposite direction from each other), tie up the cow for milking, take the calf to pasture, get ready for school, walk a mile to the hard road and catch the bus by 7:10 am. In the evening it was getting in firewood (we cooked on a wood cook stove), hauling a million milk jugs of water from the spring, filter the mosquito larvae out of it, haul water to pigs and chickens, ducks, turkeys, take the cow and calf to water down in the holler, do the supper dishes and do whatever other chores Dad required according to what season it was... hoeing, mowing, clearing brush, etc. Homework was done by kerosene lamp (the globes had to be washed and the lamp filled before dark) and usually to bed by 8:30 pm.

You know, I really learned to appreciate the luxuries in life....running water, a hot shower (or any shower for that matter!), a washing machine and dryer. The other stuff like TV, computer, phone...I can take them or leave them!

 

[coopy]

We have some Amish friends. They are wonderful people. The reason the Amish gentleman probably looked at you funny when you went to pay for the pups is because usually that is what the man does. He is the head of the house.
If you notice sometimes they will speak to the man and not the woman. Not out of disrespect for her but out of respect for him.
When I was a child we lived sorta like beekissed. Outhouse and all. Had to draw water from the well. Believe me I don't miss going to the outhouse in the winter at all.
If you know some of the Amish in your area get better aquainted with them. They usually don't mind showing a person how to do something.
I share my ideas with the woman of the house and she shares hers with me.

 

[punkin]

One of the men there (Lester) is building a chicken tractor for me. It should be ready in the next 2 weeks.(I'll post pics when I get it) I don't think he really makes any money off of them, though. It is a 4x8 with a partially covered run. It's made from good materials (treated lumber, 14" wheels) and he asked only $125. I know the wheels are $30 alone, because I picked up 3 sets at Lowe's for him.

I don't know how he has the time. I think he runs the sawmill (supplies all the wood for their community) and it is harvest season. They have their animal sale the last Saturday of the month. Their animals are very well cared for. Last time they had a beautiful BO rooster and 3 hens for $60. The should start laying in about a month. I would have snatched those up, but I don't have the room right now. It's OK, though. A man that we are friends with bought them, so I get to go see them when I want to.

 

[Nuggetsowner:)]

Learning form the Amish would be a cool experience. They live an amazing life and have such dedication to their beliefs. We do not have an amish community anywhere near us. We do have a menonite (spelling) community about 10 miles away. They are similar I believe.