Our Summer: May Trip to Amish Counrty

  Our summer began with a May trip to Amish country....just me and my girls! We watched the sunrise on the flight out, and watched it set on the flight home; the first ones at a smallish airport the morning we departed, the last ones to arrive " home" at the same airport a few days later!

                      Lots of fun lay-over time in much larger airports :)......always pants on airplanes...always! Just in case we have to slide down one of those exit chutes on the plane!! :)

Most of my memories are stored in my mind as I just can't bring myself to take photos in Amish country. This is a photo of "my" room at our Mennonite relative's house. I love the simplicity and beauty of this space. Among the most restful sights I look for each year is the  white farm houses the plain white curtains framing each window. They are so simple and lovely to me.  The green yards are tidy and uncluttered, the laundry on the line....I just feel at home ( well, except for the tidy yard part....still working on that a little, but it is my ideal!). 

 We enjoyed some corn hole with the relatives one evening.  My most memorable sight in the Amish country this year was on a  Sunday afternoon.  Two conservative Mennonite couples, both young with little babies, were in their side yard as we drove by.  The bearded men laughing and playing corn hole, and the ladies, in those lovely pastel print dresses, bouncing babies as they sat in woven lawn chairs. Their eager visiting reminded me of how I feel when I am visiting with my "mom friends".  Where ever I went I loved the sight of rosy cheeks and simple hair and dress on the ladies, especially among the conservative Mennonites. Something to take back to my normal life for sure!

 Our drives took us to a petting farm this year, and of course, we visited our favorite bulk food pantry. ( I actually had to get the grand "pat down" at the airport because I brought back several containers of arrow root powder in my suitcase!  EEK! Not sure why I thought I could carry a white powder on an airplane these days! But, everyone was super nice about it and I got to give a good talk about food allergies and arrowroot powder  to a captive audience of security officers while we were waiting for the "test" on the "white powder" to get done!)

 I love seeing the different ways the Amish and Mennonite support themselves and employ their children. Ice cream stands, bulk food stores, thrift food stores, roadside stands, pies ( oh, the pies!!!!), sewing....I find busy , creative people so inspiring. Especially when their families are by their side!

 I also had the privilege of visiting my 100 year old birth-grandmother! I love this lady! We poured over a photo album that encompassed the entire century she has lived and what a blessing to be part of her story!

Our time of rest ended before we knew it, but as always we returned refreshed to the boys we missed so much! A pleasant start to the summer!