"We're going to Florida, but we're NOT going to Sarasota or Pinecraft," my sister and I agreed when we began planning our February Florida trip. "Absolutely not. That's where all the other Mennonites go, and we're going to be different." "Not Sarasota, and not Pinecraft. All the plain people go to Pinecraft to visit other plain people and play shuffleboard." "What a silly reason to go somewhere on vacation." "We can see plain people at home in Lancaster County." "We can see plain … [Read more...] about Flying with the Snowbirds
Community
Welcoming 2020
"Put your New Year's resolutions in the jar," says Melissa, one of the evening's three party coordinators. "Then, we'll read them aloud, and guess who made each resolution." The room is full— I count twenty-seven people sitting on chairs in the basement. We're celebrating the arrival of a new decade with a big New Year's Eve party and the appropriate festivities— food, games, music, and loud noise at midnight. Three of my friends, Melissa, Regina, and Ada had decided to plan the party for … [Read more...] about Welcoming 2020
Layover of the Seasons
Right now is the layover of the seasons— between Christmas and New Year's. Nourished with clementines and chocolate candy, we're waiting on the fresh, clean start of a new year— actually a new decade this time. Like a layover at some distant airport, it's all a bit strange. Christmas was on Wednesday this year, which especially throws everything off. The festivities began for me this past Sunday with a Christmas breakfast and a special service at church. On Sunday they'll crescendo with all … [Read more...] about Layover of the Seasons
Baking with Bonnet Novelists
The Facebook post read: Come Bake With Us! Author Chat with Sherry Gore. Ladies Luncheon, Holiday Baking. Door Prizes! Limited Seating. Tickets $45. "It's on a Saturday! Let's go!" I say to Mom. "It'll be a fun thing to do together." Both of us like Sherry's cookbook, Me, Myself, and Pie and her memoir, The Plain Choice. We knew Sherry recently moved to Bird-in-Hand, which is close to us. So we signed up and last Saturday, we drove to the Bird-in-Hand fire hall, where the event was being … [Read more...] about Baking with Bonnet Novelists
How Miss Garber Got a Swanky New Front Door
It began with a wave of missing bicycles. When I was growing up, many people in my neighborhood were horse-and-buggy Mennonites who used bikes as transportation. Volunteer firefighters kept their unlocked bicycles by their front doors so they could race to the station when a fire call came. Then their bicycles began disappearing, along with other bikes in the neighborhood. The police were called, but bicycles are easy to steal and hard to trace. There was talk about setting a trap for … [Read more...] about How Miss Garber Got a Swanky New Front Door