Amish Day

Very interesting day.  I love learning about other cultures.  Today we carpooled to the "Amish Experience" just a few miles away.  We are actually camped in the middle of many Amish farms. 33,000 Amish live in Lancaster County. We started the experience with a film depicting an Amish teenage boys' tough decision about whether to join the church.  His father was really questioning all the time about when he was going to but his grandfather was giving him time and space to decide.  What we learned was that the Amish are a break off group from the Mennonites.  Amish are more strict about anything that would "tie" them to the outside world.  For instance Mennonites use electricity but Amish do not.  They will use propane gas, solar and battery power as there is no "tie" to the outside.  No gas lines to the house tho. If they take a job with a corporation, the corporation needs to have an exemption from paying social security taxes for them as they cannot collect in later life so do not have to contribute either. We had the most wonderful "dinner" at noon.  Total comfort food to us, fried chicken, beef, chicken pot pie, sausage, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn and breads.  Had Shoo Fly pie for the first time.  Expected it to taste heavy with molasses but it was just a hint and oh so very good!!  Was called Shoo Fly pie because it is sweet and when put in the window to cool the women had to shoo the flies away.  Cute.  

There was a nine room display house which is apparently very authentic.  Seems very normal except.....  propane lights, no electric plug ins, treadle sewing machine, propane frig, etc.  They ride scooters but not bikes as bikes are too fast.

School is a one room building for all the children and is taught by a young girl just out of school herself.  They only go until age 15 and between about 15 and 18 they will have their "adult baptism" which means that they will be Amish, if they choose. That is part of what got them into trouble in Denmark was that they were baptised twice.

No calculators or anything considered modern.  Penmanship is still taught in several languages.








After lunch we went on a carriage ride. About 14 in each carriage with just two horses pulling. We had a woman driver and she was very quick with the humor.  Great ride through a couple of farms even stopping at one where the owner came out with homemade root beer, lemonade and cookies for sale. Whoops, almost forgot, mustard pretzels too. Only $2 each and pretty much on the honor system.  One couple didn't quite have enough money out for what they were buying and so he gave them the senior discount. That sure brought on the laughs! This was all done through the windows, we didn't get out of the buggy.  

Our driver told us that she lives a 45 minutes horse ride from work but only works a day or two a week.  Today she decided to have a neighbor bring her when they were coming into town because she is going away this weekend and wants to rest her horses before hand.  The trip will be ten miles away. She said that her oldest son made the decision not to be Amish and he has a car so sometimes he drives them where they need to go.  Does not sound like Amish shun their family who decides not to be Amish. Also, there is NO Amish Mafia as depicted in the reality show.  Sounds like that show is made by people who are no longer Amish and is very untrue.  We heard that from several people. Amish are very caring and compassionate even forgiving the murderers of the ten Amish girls recently at their school.  That was only about 20 miles from where we are.

Our driver also said that in this area the Amish farm corn and have peach and apple orchards.  They do not farm soy beans as that would take mechanized equipment to harvest the crops and they would not be able to do that.

These drivers have a hard job with all the traffic in the area including the huge trucks and on two lane roads.

Tomorrow is a free day to travel wherever we want but Ken is getting sick so not sure we will do much.  Was planning on Hershey for chocolate but we will see how he feels.  Several people have been sick this past week.  Only seems to last a day or two.  That is good.  We can't be laid up here ! ! !