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Sunday, August 14, 2016

Morning in Amish Country


 Morning is stunning in Amish farm country. Imagine the sound of a rooster crowing while you look through these pictures. If you've read any of my books, you know that I love to write about sights and sounds of early morning on an Amish farm.
 You wake up at the crack-of-dawn to go out and do chores. There is nothing on earth closer to heaven than morning on a farm.
Everything is still, except for a soft tinkling of feeders as livestock wait for you to give them their morning grain. Birds began singing softly, as first, as though they also are rubbing sleepy from their eyes, too.

 Horses slowly rise to their feet and nicker deep, warm greetings to their two legged friends, "Come and open the pasture gate." They seem to say.
 Grasses are wet with dew, looking delicious even to the one that opens the gate. Kittens stretch and yawn before they scamper through the barn, hoping for a taste of fresh milk.
 Few words are spoken. Each child knows their morning duties and goes straight to work. As birds began to break into full song, human voices also rise. Some singing hymns, others laugh softly.
 A buggy horse clip-clops with a nice sharp sound on the pavement. Where would an Amish family head this early in the morning? Maybe they are on their way to Grandma's farm to help can tomato sauce or make homemade ketchup.
 Baby foals lay near their mamas until they decide to rise for some warm milk.
 When cows and goats have let down all of their milk, and kittens are full and licking their paws and washing their faces, then the Amish family heads back into the house. Breakfast is sizzling on the stove and Mama says, "Vella essa!" (Let's eat!)

Sunday, August 7, 2016

A Different Kind of Tale

The Amish Horses Series: A Different Kind of Tale
Under the Heavens is a coming of age story about a teenage city boy who spends time with his Amish relatives. Sort of a, Tom Sawyer meets Anne of Greene Gables. Only, instead of taking place in the old days, the setting is in this century on an Amish farm.

Drawings like this are at the heading of every chapter

 Take an adventure with Lenny Gingerich. He visits his grandpa's Amish farm for a summer and discovers a fascinating, old-fashion world exists just around the corner from our modern cities. One day he is playing video games and watching TV in a basement, the next day he is watching huge draft horses pull a tractor out of the mud. Farm dogs, horses, cows, hogs and even roosters have personalities that make a farm full of life and excitement. Add a dose of romance, as Lenny meets a sweet neighbor girl, and we have the ingredients needed to stir up an interesting platter. The table is set. Come on into the Amish farm house and pull up a seat.
Lenny will take you along as he visits Amish Church, Singing, volleyball games, and everyday happenings of life on an Amish farm.

The Amish Horses Series is a different kind of tale.
Climb up onto the buggy seat beside Lenny as he takes the ride of his life!