RETURN TO AMISH DEBUTS NEW SEASON
MARY SCHMUCKER GOES ALL OUT
By Kevin Williams
ILLINOIS AMISH HERITAGE: Arthur, Illinois doesn't get the same tourism exposure as other Amish communities in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. That's too bad, in this editor's opinion, because there's a rich Amish history in Illinois's oldest Amish settlement. More and more is being done to try to preserve and showcase that, one of the centerpieces of this effort is the Illinois Amish Heritage Center (and part of that involved moving a really old house!) Anyway, click here to read more.
FROM AMISH TO GRADUATION: Interesting journey a young man in Virginia has taken from Amish to non-Amish. Shunning is a relatively rare phenomena these days. The Amish do practice it, but it's not as widespread as it once was. But this family somehow managed to get shunned not once, but twice, in two different communities. Still, it seems alls well that ends well and this young man will probably be able to find a good job with his specialized degree. Click here to read more.
Mary Schmucker takes a whirl on a stripper pole. I'm not a fan of this. Yes, Mary is an adult and no one has a gun to her head and she can do whatever she wants (and she clearly is) but I just doubt that TLC has her best interests and heart long-term, that's where my gripe is...what happens to Mary when the show ends? Her community has shunned her....
RETURN TO AMISH: MAMA MARY SCHMUCKER GOES SWIMMING, SHOPPING, AND...: I know a lot of people like this show so I'm not going to be the grinch here (okay, well, maybe a little). Although in many ways I am kind of speechless. Mary Schmucker is one of the "stars" of the TLC reality show "Return to Amish." The show's new season launched last night and preview photos showed her pole dancing, shopping for a swimsuit, and just having all sorts of rebellious fun. You know, I think my gripe is that it is all so artificial. If an Amish woman wants to do this of her own accord, fine, but to have a reality TV crew encouraging and stoking this sort of stuff to get a juice out of ratings...I just don't know, I worry Mama Mary is going to pay a big price after her 15 minutes are up. As I've said before, I had a long phone conversation several years ago with Mary and she's definitely not your typical Amish woman (i.e. buttoned down, demur) and she definitely likes showbiz, but at the time she expressed a wish that she could do both, be Amish and be in TV, clearly she can't do both. Anyway, read more about the upcoming season here .
FRUITY PEBBLES CAKE: While on the topic of confections, this is not an Amish recipe, but, really, who cares when it comes to something as amazing-sounding as "Fruity Pebbles Cake?" I just stumbled upon this when researching something else and had to share. Looks amazing, but I wonder if Capt'n Crunch cake would work? Click here for the recipe.
MAINE AMISH HUNTERS BEING CLOSER TO WEARING RED: Some Amish in Maine object to being required to wear the orange blaze safety vests while hunting, but they will wear red (that's a distinction that I'm a little puzzled about), so Maine lawmakers appear to be willing to grant them that variance. Click here to read more.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AMISH IN MAINE WITH THESE LINKS:
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