By Kevin Williams
Florence Henderson made a cameo as an Amish woman in Weird Al Yankovic's "Amish Paradise"
FLORENCE HENDERSON: SIGH, what a gem she was. So sad to see that this American icon passed away over the holiday weekend. She grew up in Indiana so I sort of connect with her midwestern roots. We all know her as the cheery, wholesome "everymom" in the Brady Bunch, but her career spanned decades and encompassed all sorts of roles. She even made a cameo in Weird Al Yankovic's "Amish Paradise" parody. The video is fun. Some slightly coarse moments in the video but if you're okay with that, it is fun to watch...check out the 33 second mark when Florence Henderson makes her first appearance. RIP, Florence Henderson...I have many happy memories of coming home from school and watching the Brady Bunch with that gaudy awful orange kitchen, maid that seemed to effortlessly keep the place mess-free, and squeaky clean family crises.
AMISH HELP TRUMP WIN? A super piece in the Hillsboro, Ohio newspaper hints that the Amish vote may have indeed helped Donald Trump seal the deal. My own analysis of voting rolls doesn't necessarily come to the same conclusion. I'll share my analysis soon. I think. Part of me is just tired of the whole topic. Anyway, click here to read this piece.
AMISH TOURISM: The Lancaster, PA newspaper had an interesting article this past week that looks at the genesis of tourism as a way of life among the Amish. It traces the roots to the 1950s. Click here for the article.
THE AMISH PAGE: I just thought this was interesting, the Waterloo Courier in Iowa apparently has a weekly page just devoted to ads from Amish businesses in the area. That would be super interesting to look at week in and week out. Click here for a sample.
DUTCH TREATS: Read an interview with Pennsylvania Dutch food historian William Woys Weaver about his new cookbook. I've interviewed William before and he is a fascinating repository of authentic Pennsylvania Dutch food culture! Click here to read.
MILLIE'S TOFFEE DROP COOKIES: Man, these cookies sound amazing! Check out this recipe and the latest musings from Illinois Amish columnist, Millie Otto.
Linda from KY
I was sad to learn of Florence Henderson's passing too. In the early 1970s, during my elementary school years, my Friday evenings consisted of watching The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch.
I'm just gonna skip right over the talk about the election; I'm so done with it all. I don't blame you for hesitating about writing about the Amish voting rolls. My only interest is because it involves the Amish. Right now, I just want to hide under a rock until about January 20th.
I kind of wondered about Millie complaining about deadlines publicly. How do you feel about that as an editor? I really enjoyed that cookie recipe. Thinking about making that one during this holiday season.
Oh, speaking of goodies...I made butterscotch pie for Thanksgiving. I used my mom's recipe instead of the one you posted, but they were so close there's probably no difference at all. How yummy it was!
Kevin
Hi, Linda....Butterscotch pie is my favorite! Well, I am not Millie's editor, she works for a paper in Illinois but I didn't view her comment as mean-spirited, just a typical writer grumbling about deadlines! Always good to hear from you!
Linda from KY
I know you're not her editor; just curious about your take on it. Thanks for sharing your take on those comments. 🙂