Amish Blogs

Since we've been in Michigan, we have been able to spend more time with Steve's grandparents, Matt and Arlene Woods. They are so sweet. I love talking to both of them.

Recently, I shared with Matt that I have always been interested in Amish people and their lifestyle. He is also very interested. He even has amish friends who he spends time with (and drives around). Matt has a ton of funny stories about Amish people and a wealth of knowledge, but he isn't much of a talker (maybe that's where Steve gets it) so he sends me home with reading material.

Last week, he sent me home with a book that I HAD to read (haha). This week, my assignment was to read The Budget. It's a national newspaper for Amish communities.

Let me tell you...it's HILARIOUS! The funny part about it is the form. It doesn't have "front page" stories or anything like that. Basically, it's a blog on paper for the amish. People write in from different communities to tell what's going on in their area. Mostly, people tell about the weather, crops, weddings, birth, deaths, who was at church, who is traveling, and (gasp) who wasn't at church.

Some people write random blurbs about unexpected things that happen in their life or funny things that happen. I didn't read all 50 pages, but here are some things I found on the first few pages.

Topeka, IN-"Mrs. Clara Miller had her 101st birthday on June 17th. We heard that she was hoeing weeds in her garden that day." (haha....way to go, Clara!)

Conneautville, PA-"While helping pick strawberries, Lydia M. Delagrange, 3, stepped on a rusty pin sticking straight up. As small as a pin is, how often would the chance be of it falling and sticking straight up? She is still not walking on it as it was really sore. Luckily she had a tetanus shot not long ago, when she had her forehead cut with a chain saw." (No joke, that was in there....a THREE year old....cut with a chain saw!)

Cross Hill, SC-"Our little three year old neighbor boy came the back way to our place with his bicycle and his daddy was here and asked the boy why he had that sleeveless bed shirt on and he said that was the only muscle shirt he had." (too funny)

Sugar Grove, PA-"The Mrs. had a sore foot so she soaked it several times and we put drawing salve on. One evening I saw a small dark thing and got a hold of it with tweezers and pulled out a piece of (I think) thread around 3/4" long. It is healing now. Must be she swallowed it and it came out of her foot?" (Nurse Karla, is that possible?)

There are more, but I won't bore you with them. I think the next lesson in my Amish class with Steve's grandpa involves a field trip to Shishewana. :) I hope it involves snacks!