Tis A Gift To Be Simple

I spent two weeks with my friend KimberKay driving an Amish family to visit their relatives-  We stayed in Amish communities in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Vermont and Ontario.  Fascinating culture, definitely many things we can learn from the simple life, or as they call it being "Plain".

Kingston, Wisconsin

Kerosene lighting in an Amish home in Shipshawana, Indiana

Kimber and her Aunt Shirley-  Oh my Garsh.

One of many Amish quilts on the beds we slept in~

Amish Children are so well behaved...it was interesting.

A typical Amish laundry room.

A boat ride on the pond

Sink and water pump

Having fun in a bonnet.  : )

Wash tubs for laundry

One room school house- grades 1-8

I visited the school with this group of young teachers- kind of an inservice  Amish style.

One room school house- in Somerset, Pennsylvania 

The St. Bernards of John Yoder

Hiking in the Appalachians with the Amish

Amish Quilts made my Sarah and Annie Renno-  Sinking Valley, PA

We enjoyed our time in this stone farm house is over 200 years old-  built in 1801-

Green house heater

This Produce farm is in the end stages of being certified organic-  Beautiful place to visit.

The plow

Driver of the plow

Enjoyed my tour of the farm

The Amish prefer not to be identifiable in photos.  
There were so many dear people- I took pictures with my heart.

This is Arnold- the grandfather of my Amish friend Hannah (but he is not Amish)
Arnold lives near  Boston- and rides his bike 3000 miles ever year.  He is 87 years old.  

Salisbury Beach,  New Hampshire

Mary Had  A Little Lamb - School House

I visited an Amish Cheese house and helped make cheese
This is Robert the cheese maker preparing cheddar cheese for  aging.

The cheese tub and freshly made wheels of Asiago-
Robert drives the milk wagon (2 horse power ha ha), cultures the cheese,
stirs the cheese (with help from the air compressor powered by a windmill),
drains the whey,  squeezes out the excess whey and presses into wheels of cheese.
It is an all day process.   

Heidi in front of the cheese house.
Smyrna, Maine

This label  shows the same cheese house that I am standing in front of above

The orginal painting on the cheese label- painted by Robert's mother.
Note Mt. Kattdin to the left of the house.  Beginning of the Appalachian trail in Northern Maine.

Horse drawn Milk Wagon

Wheels of Cheddar cheese

Wood burning cook stove-  wonderful way to
1. Cook
2. Heart your home
3. heat your water (note the hot water heater behind the stove)