It's actually been "slim pickin's" the past few weeks in the blogosphere when it comes to anything Amish. So I'm sort of reaching this week, but there are some items oef note to share:
AMISH SCOOTERS: See, we are reaching this week for Amish posts in the blogosphere because this one isn't even a blog, although I have seen these mentioned recently in passing on some blogs. It was probably only a matter of time...scooters are popular in some Amish settlements because hey provide some wheeled-mobility, without the ability to travel the distance or speed of a traditional bicycle. Anything that gives the Amish the ability to travel long distances begins to run up against their desire to keep life home-centered, so bikes are not viewed favorably in all Amish settlements. A compromise? Scooters. One Lancaster County based company is now selling them. Click here to read more, see where they are made, etc. Adult scooters run around $250.
HIGH SCHOOL FIELD TRIP: Last week I posted about an "Amish day" in a Lancaster, Pennsylvania elementary school. This morning I read about a high school field trip to Lancaster County. I did cringe a little. Sheesh, after a two-hour or more journey to go to Lancaster, they toured a model Amish home and ate at Kitchen Kettle? Give me a day of planning and I could have arranged a tour in an actual home. And watching Frozen on the bus ride there? In my mind, that would have been the perfect time to have them watch Witness. Yes, there are some violent and inappropriate scenes in that movie (maybe about 5 minutes worth) that could have been redacted. I just think that movie does do a very decent job - especially for a young audience accustomed o action - of setting the scene in an Amish settlement. Or better yet - no violence in this - is a British series available on YouTube called Living With The Amish. Excellent series focusing on British teens visiting Amish in the USA. I probably would have shown them that. Anyway, click here to read about their field trip.
AMISH BREAKFAST CASSEROLE: These recipes are a dime a dozen among the Amish but this one has a bit of a twist: cottage cheese as an ingredient. Great picture with the recipe. Click here to read more and get a great-sounding recipe!
SOLAR AMISH: I've written before about the Amish and the increasing acceptance of solar power. It's an off-the-grid way of selectively choosing what items they with to "electrify." This blog post does a very good job of explaining why solar is not incompatible with Amish beliefs.
KATIE TROYER: Always worth scrolling through Katie Troyer's blog chronicling Pinecraft, Florida. Love her photo this week of the "oldest curtain" in Pinecraft. And she makes mention of an Amish wedding occurring in Pinecraft this week. Wow, I would love, love to have been there. Click here to check out Katie's blog and look for that old curtain!:)
A. Klopfenstein.
There is a school in South Bend , Indiana that went to Shipshewana to a school for a day. In return the school in Sheshewana sent 6 students to their school for an exchange. Both groups learned a lot about each of the cultures. I read about this in the South Bend Tribune the other day.