Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Winter Nights

That first winter in New York was cold. We had a little wood stove in the livingroom that did it's best to keep our drafty trailer warm but the warmth from the stove did not reach our bedrooms.
Mom sewed some extra big flannel night clothes for John and me, and our bedtime rituals would include snuggling on either Daddy or Mom's lap before being tucked into our bunkbed under cozy comforters Mom had made that fall.
On one particular night it was extremely cold, so Daddy lit the kerosene space heater and set it into our bedroom. As I lay in the top bunk I could see the glow of the heater and with the added warmth I soon drifted off to sleep.
When the next morning arrived I slept right through breakfast and and by noontime my parents were genuinely concerned that I was still sleeping, after efforts to wake me up failed they had to call someone to come take them and their sick daughter to the hospital. Imagine their pain when the doctor informed them that I had been poisoned by the fumes from the heater and gave them very little hope of my survival.
God was watching over them and by evening I was awake, exteremely weak but on my way to recovery. There was a lasting consequence though as ever since that day my sense of smell is gone.
It wasn't long before our routine was back to normal, and our evenings would be filled with various projects, puzzles, bedtime stories, singing, and popcorn. Life was good, Daddy and Mom loved and worked and played with us. What more could any child want?

11 comments:

  1. Thankyou for visiting me i really appreciate it!

    I must admit i am (as an english rose) very uneducated about the amish community and i dont know very much- so i will enjoy following you and you opening my eyes a little to that and other such thing.

    no yummy baking allowed though lol.

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  2. Great post - I feel like I'm listening to a bedtime story. When I read about the heater in the bedroom, I thought, "Can you do that??" You poor thing - and your poor parents' guilt, I can only imagine. Can't wait to hear about your current family also, and how your roots have influenced the way you raise them. Have a great Easter!

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  3. Oh my goodness! Has this affected your ability to taste your food?

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  4. Ah...I was going to ask the same thing that Ginny above asked...can you taste food?

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  5. I too would like to know if it affected the taste of your food. I love the stories you write ty so much.

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  6. I too would like to know if it affected the taste of your food. I love the stories you write ty so much.

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  7. I would love to everything you have written about in this story. And slao any new stories you have written too.

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  8. I am so glad you have fond memories of your childhood. My mother was raised Mennonite and her ways were very similar to the Amish.

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  9. I love reading your books and blogs about the Amish. I love their closeness in their community. And their strong religious beliefs! My Parents and I have meet a few Mennonite Families and they were so friendly and kind. We had bought fruits and vegetables at the big sales they had. But my Parents had meet a few of the families and they told my parents they could come to their homes and buy what they wanted. I think my parents would have stayed all day. My mom said was almost the way she was rasied.

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  10. Great story I love reading about the amish thx for the story as u were little. Cindy from Colorado

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.