Late Fall

It's time to pick the last few rows of corn, clear off the garden and brace ourselves for an icy blast.

Early fall is bright and cheery with colorful leaves and pumpkins. Late fall has another type of beauty.

Iowa turns various shades of browns and tans during this season. Some call those "earth tones." There is a certain beauty in it.

Amish children romp and play outside in all weather.

Amish horses get a long break during winter months. There isn't as much fieldwork to do. Although, during winter months manure hauling gets into full swing.

With crops out of the fields, it's time to pour on nature's best fertilizer. Not to mention, the barn is full of livestock keeping warm and dry. That means more manure needs to be hauled out.

Amish like to quote this verse:

"Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox." Proverbs 14:4

The idea is that life might seem simple if you don't have to clean out the barn. But, life is more productive if you are willing to put in the work.

Fall is also Pie Season! Pick up the last of the apples that fell because you couldn't reach the highest bow. If they are too bruised for pie, toss them to the hogs or horses.

What could be more pleasant than stepping out of blustery cold winds into a warm kitchen with pies sizzling in the oven? Cinnamon sugary filling oozing out of the edges and wafting out their perfect aroma.

Another pleasant treat is stepping inside a warm barn to be greeted by livestock. They nicker or bawl for their evening meal.

I do have two books with fall settings on the Amish farm. English River and a collection book titled Love's Thankful Heart.

English River is the third book in the Amish Horses Series but is full of fall scenes.

Love's Thankful Heart is a collection book. Laura V. Hilton, Rachel J. Good, and I collaborated, each writing a short story about Thanksgiving with an Amish setting.

If you are interested in reading these you can find them on Amazon and Barnes and Noble as eBooks and paperbacks. 

Here is the Amazon link: Thomas Nye on Amazon

Or, to order a paperback copy directly from me: Order a Book

Amish Farm Fall Tour

Who doesn't enjoy Fall? 

Let's take a tour through Amish farm country as the season and leaves turn.

Horses under brightly colored trees.

 Sunlight breaking through the leaves in heavenly rays.

You can almost smell the apples!

Above: a horse rests while at a hitching rack. 

Above: A young Amish woman heads into Kalona, Iowa. She gave me a friendly wave just before I snapped this pic. It's common for Amish in Iowa to wave to all who are friendly enough to greet them.

Above: Crisp fall air, drying clothes on a line. Amish families often use a pulley system to hang clothes on a line. If you look closely, you can see the pulley on a pole near the windmill. This way the person hanging out the wash can stand in one spot and move the line forward as they hang the laundry.

Above: an Amish woman rides her bike along a crackling crisp field of corn.

The leaves began to fall away as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

Horses stand in what little shade is left. A few weeks from now they'll be standing under the sunshine trying to soak it in.

Children from a plain Mennonite group play on a playground. Light jackets are all they need.

Interested in reading about Thanksgiving on an Amish farm. My story, The Thanksgiving Frolic is the third novella in "Love's Thankful Heart"

Click on this link:
LOVE'S THANKFUL HEART

Amish Thanksgiving

If you know anything about the Amish, you've learned that they have their own set of holidays.

You won't find Christmas trees or colored lights flashing on an Amish farm.

Many Amish families choose to celebrate "Old Christmas" on January 6th instead of modern America's December 25th.
It's unlikely that you'd see anyone Amish at a 4th-of-July parade or trick-or-treating at Halloween. Instead, Ascension Day and Good Friday are major Amish holidays, something the rest of us Americans almost overlook.

When Celebrate Lit Publishing asked if I'd be interested in writing an Amish Thanksgiving short story for a collection, I began to wonder what Amish do on Thanksgiving.

 I asked a number of Amish and formerly Amish friends how they celebrate Thanksgiving and found that, for the most part, they take time to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal with family. It turns out, this is one American holiday the Amish share with the rest of us. Minus- the after-the-meal football and setting up of a Christmas tree.
Amish families might not spend time watching Christmas movies or football during the "Holiday Season" but they love a good sale as much as anyone! You may notice a few Amish shoppers in an aisle near you this Friday.

Here are a few lines from Love's Thankful Heart  a book with three Amish Thanksgiving stories.

On sale now. .99 cents for an eBook copy.

Thomas Nye's story: Thanksgiving Frolic

Finally, Esther called everyone to the table for the late afternoon meal. The whole family chatted and laughed as they gathered around, squeezing together closely in an effort to fit every member in. When they were finally seated, the talking hushed until the room became filled with silence. Even the smallest children sensed that it was time for prayer.

Instead of saying let's pray, as he usually did, Joe cleared his voice and began to speak. "You know, this accident of mine has proven to be one of the best things that ever happened to me." A tear rolled down his cheek as he spoke. "I lost track of what is most important in life." He took a moment to compose himself, then continued. "At first, I was actually angry with God. I thought, why would God allow me to suffer an injury that will keep me from being a good steward of the possessions He has entrusted to me? I didn't understand that I was failing to be a good steward of something more important than possessions. I was failing to be a good steward of the relationships God has given me..."

 Everyone around the table sniffled, and Esther passed around napkins for them to wipe their eyes and blow their noses. The children watched in amazement at the unusual display of emotion. 

 I

Amazon Link

click here: Love's Thankful Heart

Join Our Thanksgiving Frolic

This Thanksgiving you can spend a little time with three Amish families... through the pages of Love's Thankful Heart, a collection of three Thanksgiving Amish stories.

Here's a sampling:

 On Thanksgiving Day, Monroe could only think of Rosemary. He listened to the sounds of his mom and sisters toiling in the kitchen as they prepared a Thanksgiving feast of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, scalloped corn, and multiple side dishes—too many to count. 





The house was warm and moist because of all the simmering pots on the stove. So much so, the windows fogged over and dripped condensation. The aroma of baking turkey seeped into every room, tantalizing the entire family.

Finally, Esther called everyone to the table for the late afternoon meal. The whole family chatted and laughed as they gathered around, squeezing together closely in an effort to fit every member in. When they were finally seated, the talking hushed until the room became filled with silence. Even the smallest children sensed that it was time for prayer. Instead of saying let’s pray, as he usually did, Joe cleared his voice and began to speak...

 Monroe loaded his plate with everything his mother and sisters had fixed. He poured gravy over a mound of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, letting the steam rise under his nose. Esther’s table fell silent except for the tinkling of spoons and forks as everyone fellowshipped in the abundance of God’s provision. Everything in the world seemed perfect, except for one thing.

Just as the meal came to an end, a knock sounded on the door. Monroe stood up before anyone else could move.

“I’ll see who’s here,” he announced. He didn’t know if the others suspected what was on his mind. He didn’t care. His heart swelled with hope, expecting to see Rosemary’s sweet face. He pulled open the door and there stood...

You have just read a section of The Thanksgiving Frolic

One of three Amish Thanksgiving stories in,

Love's Thankful Heart