Church- 1921 or 2021?

Amish Church hasn't changed much in the past 100 years.

However, there are some changes. In 1921 the meeting would have been held inside the farmhouse. In this photo, taken on 7/18/21 the service is being held inside the white pole building just beyond the buggies.

If you notice, a strip of tin siding has been removed for the purpose of letting air move through the building. This is important for a crowd of people meeting on a hot July day in Iowa. Keep in mind, no air-conditioning, no fans. 

The gathering happens around 9:30. Buggies pull into the driveway and women and children are dropped off near the house. Dad or an older brother drives the buggy out to a green pasture and they unhitch the horse or horses. (Large families come in double buggies which have two rows of seats and require two horses to pull the larger load.)

The men gather in a circle near the barn or under a shade tree until it seems everyone has arrived. They head inside the building, single file, in order of age, eldest first. Once the men and boys have all been seated on the men's side. The women and girls begin to file in and take seats on the women's side in order of age.

 

Services will last until around noon. Everyone will file out in reverse order. The men will gather in their circle and visit quietly. Older boys will form a circle of their own and compare notes from last week's adventures on their own farms. Little boys might step inside the barn to look at a newborn calf or colt.

The women will help the host housewife bring out the meal into the pole barn which the young men have converted into a cafeteria after the morning service ended.

Everything is done in a very orderly and peaceful way. The men return inside and take seats for the meal. Plenty of pickles and cheese are likely. Homemade bread and with the Amish specialty Peanut Butter with Karo syrup mixed into a perfectly creamy consistency. After the meal, the men and older boys gather their family horses and hitch them to the buggy. They stop by and pick up the women and little children and return to their own farms for a quiet Sunday afternoon. Chore time will come soon.

Romantic Buggy Ride

 What could be more romantic than a moonlit ride behind a trotting horse? Even a quiet Sunday drive through a small town, or down along a gurgling stream, can seem quite romantic.

I'm a helpless romantic, both forms of romance:

 1)My books are dominated by idealism, a desire for adventure, and a touch of chivalry.

2) My writing may be characterized by a preoccupation with love or the idealizing of love.

What better backdrop could exist for this type of story, than an Amish countryside?

Horses don't interrupt a couple's conversation. Instead, they produce a rhythmic sound, much like a heartbeat. They pull a cart or wagon with a gentle rocking motion. No loud roars, no distracting radio, or any other electronic devices, unless you bring along your cell phone.
(not bad to have along... just be smart enough to silence the thing!)


They go slow enough that you can look into each other's eyes for a moment and not miss a turn or run a red light.

Bring along a light meal or a refreshing drink. Stop down by the creek and give the horse a much-deserved rest. After you wade in the stream for a while, your horse will be ready to make the return trip.

If it's warm out, leave off those heavy shoes. If it's chilly, snuggle.

 I might want to mention something of the downside to all of this...
      eeerrrchhhh!

You will be behind the horse all the while. Notice the view is always of the backside of a horse. Don't forget, they are living creatures that need to relieve themselves every now and again. Although, they don't use gas... they do produce quite a bit.

Horses don't seem to have a problem with privacy and are not shy about taking care of whatever business is at hand. They don't check with your human conversation to see if their contribution is timely, or not. I have even imagined that my horses use these functions on purpose if they don't like the conversation.

 None of those little issues seem to bother our Amish friends. In fact, they are so accustomed to those things that they may not even notice any of it. If you are really in love, and in tune with nature, you ought to be able to embrace the whole experience.

 Maybe I should have mentioned that, although I'm a romantic, I also enjoy a little humor and a reality check every now and then.

Carjacked by an Amishman

        Imagine, you're a young mother, on your way home from work. As you drive down the quiet streets of a small town in Iowa, you are looking forward to a peaceful evening with your four children. There seems to be some kind of commotion on the street ahead. Cars are pulling over as an Amish buggy swerves out of control. You pull your mini-van over to the side of the road until things calm down.

        An Amishman pulls open your passenger door and jumps in. "Quick, go after that buggy!"

        My wife works in Iowa City. One of her co-workers lives in Kalona, a small town in Iowa with a large Amish population living nearby.

        Her co-worker told her this story of how she was carjacked by an Amishman. After he jumped into her car, he ordered her, "Go after that buggy!" She started after it without knowing what was happening. He encouraged her, "Go, Go, Go ... that's my horse, that's my buggy and nobody is in it!"

        My wife's co-worker asked, "What are we going to do?"
        "Pull your van around in front of my horse and he will stop!" She said that she argued with him. "Maybe your horse will crash into my van and not stop." There wasn't enough time to debate the subject. He insisted, "Pull over right now!" She complied with his demands and pulled in front of his runaway buggy-horse, and in fact, the horse did come to a stop, just as he had expected. He jumped out and quickly grabbed his horse. She headed on home to her family and the quite evening she had planned.

(I may have a few of the details wrong in this story... but it was pretty close.)

        If you have read my novels, you know that my writing is about the clashing of two worlds. Have you ever eaten a candy bar and intermittently sipped from a glass of sour lemonade? Well, I enjoy that contrast. Sour lemonade makes chocolate taste sweeter.

        I have had many experiences where two worlds clash; modern life contrasting the old-fashioned Amish world. I work in a college town (Iowa City, Iowa) I drive through those busy streets filled with scantily dressed students, every hand holds a cell-phone, earbuds pouring private music selections into each ear. One moment I'm at a busy intersection. (always one person with road-rage nearby) Fifteen minutes later, I'm driving down a quiet country road. Two little Amish boys wave at me as they pull a wagon with a container of milk they are delivering to a neighbor family. Teenage girls hoe between rows of garden produce singing hymns together. Sometimes I would rather just enjoy the chocolate and skip the lemonade. However, after a sip of lemonade, chocolate sure does taste sweet!

Life is interesting... you never know when you will get carjacked by an Amishman!

Amish Families

There was something unexpected, that happened to me at the recent Horse Progress Days

        I almost felt as if the Lord had set me down in this booth and said, "Sit here and observe." For two days I didn't have any choice but to sit in that red lawn-chair (right behind the horse) and watch Amish folks interact with each other. 

        I knew it would be enjoyable for me, as an Amish novelist and a draft horse enthusiast, to visit Horse Progress Days, but I had no idea that I was about to observe something powerful. There were Amish families at booths on all sides of mine, and for two days I watched how they interacted with each other. I came out of my booth with a new respect for my Amish friends.

        Many criticize the Amish for their strict rules. Some say they are legalistic and that many of their man-made laws are unnecessary and don't make sense. I challenge you to go sit where I sat for two days, and then come back and tell me that they don't have something wonderful going on.

This is the only photo I took from my two-day seat.

         A Pennsylvania Amish family had a booth displaying their horse-drawn farm equipment, right across from my table. It seemed to be an extended family that have a business together. There were two young couples with their toddlers, and both women had a baby in arms. For two days I watched them peacefully care for their children in a confined area, under sweltering, southern-Indiana heat and humidity. The women had smiles on their faces the entire time. They visited cheerfully with every Amish woman that passed by and often had a group of women around them all laughing and talking. Meanwhile, they dawdled their infants on their laps and gently herded their toddlers, a set of adorable little girls in their Amish dresses. The little girls were busy the whole time playing at the feet of their parents. They spent one block of time arranging and re-arranging everything their mother had stored in a picnic cooler. They looked like they were used to watching their mama work and were imitating her. The husbands were often busy showing potential customers their products, yet, often took time to help their wives quiet a crying baby. I watched one of the dads gently feed a dropper-full of medicine to his baby. (I'm guessing something to sooth the teething process.) 

        Both days ended with a show. All of us crowded around a ring where six and eight-horse hitches pranced. A group of Amish teens performed a synchronized, horseback "dance" for lack of a better term. They showed some impressive horse handling, while weaving their mounts in what resembled a square dance. The non-Amish man with a microphone kept suggesting that we applaud. A few did clap, but it is not the Amish way. That didn't mean they weren't enjoying the show, they stood perfectly still, all with smiles on their faces.

         After the main event, a procession of local Amish families left in their buggies, while visiting Amish folks, that were waiting for tour buses to come pick them up, watched. I stood with them and watched too. I really liked how mothers and daughters often wore dresses made from the same piece of cloth. Husbands and brothers sometimes had a shirt that matched.

        Somehow it seemed so peaceful to see young families crowd into their buggies. Mamas with baby in arms, a little boy standing between daddy's knees, holding onto the driving lines. Older sisters with younger siblings on their laps. Families that lived nearby waked home together.

        It hit me, that these families stay together. These children probably wont be caught in a custody battle and torn between their fighting parents, who use them as leverage to outdo each other.

 I have lived near an Amish community for about 35 years. I have eaten many meals in my Amish friend's homes and visited Amish Church, Singings, volley-ball games. I have had the opportunity on numerous occasions to help make hay with Amish families. Yet, this two days of observing hit me in a new way. I became convinced that the choice to stay within the guidelines of strict Amish rules has payed off for these families more than they might even be aware of themselves. I am so thankful that there are horse-drawn communities around us. The rest of us have a lot to learn from them.

Notice the little girls in the back with a balloon

Sweet Music to Sleep By

 If you've been following my blog, you know that I made several trips to Amish communities in Indiana this summer. Twice I went to Shipshewanna (northern Indiana) and most recently to Odon (southern Indiana) to do book signings. My goal: to make sure those Amish communities know about the Amish Horses Book Series. Mission accomplished.

My book series is about a non-Amish teenage guy that spends time with his Amish relatives. So, as you may well imagine, I'm very interested in knowing more about life as an Amish teen.

My original ideas come from my own experience, moving to the Kalona, Iowa area as a teenager, and spending a summer hanging out with a certain group of Amish young folks (as they like to call themselves)

On my most recent trip to Odon, Indiana for the Horse Progress Days, I spent two nights camping in this parking lot. You can see campers in the background behind the buggies. The buggies are parked outside of a Recreation Center. I spent about an hour on both evenings inside of the Rec. center re-charging my phone. The drivers of the buggies were Amish young people, who were inside playing basketball and volleyball. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out listening to them laugh and play. When they passed by my perch, near an outlet charging my phone, they all spoke friendly words to me. When I retired to my pickup-topper to sleep for the night, I dozed off to the sound of horses clip-clopping on a road nearby. I woke to the sound of Amish young people talking as they rode horseback directing traffic in the parking lot. It was 6 am and a group of Amish young people (male and female) sat on their horses in the fog, showing incoming vans and cars where to park.

After two peaceful days among the Amish, it was time to head home. I didn't think I could make it all the way back to Iowa without falling asleep at the wheel and it happened to be the 4th of July. I started out my trip and passed by several large crowds of English people setting off fireworks, with loud music and partying. I decided to head for Arthur, Illinois, where there is a large Amish community I hadn't visited, yet. I prayed for a peaceful campground where I might wake up to the sound of horses trotting past in the morning. Prayers answered.

My cell-phone doesn't take clear pics when it's dark, but I wanted to show you some of the Amish teens at the park

 Once in Arthur, I inquired from local businesses about where there may be a campground. They directed me to the city park. I pulled in and noticed a softball game going on, near where a few other campers were parked. I walked around looking for a place to charge my cell-phone and realized I was in the midst of a huge crowd of Amish young folks. One of the young guys suggested I charge my phone in the 4-H building you see on the right. I watched some of their softball game as my phone charged and then headed to my pickup to get some sleep.

view from my pickup bed. it's too dark to see the buggies or small groups of Amish teens here and there

same view in the morning, notice, not one piece of trash

 I didn't realize that just beyond my pickup were two long rows of horses (and buggies.)

My pickup topper has two small screen windows for ventilation. I drifted off to sleep to the sound of Amish teens laughing and visiting quietly. Every now and then, I would wake to the sound of a horse whinnying to their teenage owner, "Don't forget me... I'm still here!" One by one, horses trotted off into the dark night. You can see my camper below. I use a bob-sled for my book-selling table. My horse collars and hay-bales for decor. I not only had the sound of hoof-beats as music, but the smell of hay and harness leather for effect.

 In the morning I surveyed the spot where all the horses were tied. There was not one piece of litter, except a for a few piles of road apples (manure.) You can see my pick-up truck in the background, through the fence.

 The sign says "No hitching to fences" I believe the horses were tied to the steel bar and not the fence. In either case, these young folks caused no harm. The only "wild" actions I witnessed, were two boys riding around on the top of their buggy.

I truly had a peaceful night's rest, with the sweet music of buggy-horses clip-clopping off into the darkness. In the morning, I drove around the Arthur, Illinois Amish community and took a few beautiful pics before heading back to Iowa.

My Favorite Blurry Pictures

 There is something about this picture that I love. I like how up close and personal it is, without invading anyone's privacy. The Amish are not looking for attention, however, that draws us to them even more. I like how you can see the driving lines in his hands and the female passenger's bare feet.

  Father and son, harnessing up a horse as part of their daily work routine. Maybe they're having a conversation about life, or working without words? When I drive by a scene like this one, I feel like I'm seeing a vision of my grandpa working with his dad in the early 1900s.

 I was heading down a highway when I noticed these children going for a pony-cart ride. I snapped the photo first, and then realized that they were on their way to look at a camel. I'm not sure if they are going for fun, or if it is part of their daily chores.

 My wife took this picture while I was driving slowly past an Amish Singing. It was a perfect evening and we slowed down because we could hear beautiful four-part harmonies. We could see into a long pole building filled with Amish young folks (that is what they call themselves), opposite this buggy scene. When I look at this photo, I can still hear their beautiful voices.

 I barely caught this moment, as an Amishman drove his four-horse team around a corner with a full load of manure. I like the action of his horses bumping into each other as they round the intersection. He really shouldn't let his driving lines drag like that... if he runs over them with a wheel it may jerk them out of his hand.

This photo is not only blurry, but crooked. These girls stopped at a four-way intersection and waited for me to go. I waved and they all waved back. I was hoping to catch their friendly gesture, but it didn't work out that way. I was also hoping that the buggy disappearing behind them would show up better. Oh well, I'm an author, not a photographer.

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