"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
Humor
Snow Stories— Two Broken Bones, a Close Call with a Horse, and a Tulip Snow
We just got our first snow this week, a few inches of pretty, fluffy snow. Living in eastern Pennsylvania, we can usually expect a few measurable snowfalls each winter, nothing too serious. But there's always the chance of something more exciting happening when there's snow, such as the winter both my brother and I had broken bones, or the time I nearly got trampled by a horse on a snowy back road on my way to church. My brother had the first broken bone. After school one day, he and the … [Read more...] about Snow Stories— Two Broken Bones, a Close Call with a Horse, and a Tulip Snow
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
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
Camping with the Cows
We won't forgot that night. The story begins when my aunt and uncle invited us to their farm for a campout. Uncle Norman's farm had a shady pasture with a flat, secluded spot to set up tents. My parents, my younger brother, and I, plus my aunt and uncle and three of their children would all sleep out together. I was thirteen and very excited about camping. What wasn't quite as exciting was realizing that Uncle Norman kept his cows in the same pasture we would be sleeping in. "It … [Read more...] about Camping with the Cows