Summer of Building

    The first summer in Somerset County was very busy. Not only were we trying to get our 15 acres  looking better, there was a large garden to take care of, and a new one acre strawberry patch to start and keep weeded. We also were adding a large L shaped addition to the house that was almost twice as big as the house was right now. The blue back porch was torn away a number of fruit trees and lilac bushes removed and a neighbor came over with his bulldozer and started digging away at the ground behind the house to make a basement. John, David, and I enjoyed watching as the earth was moved from the ever increasing hole in the ground to a big pile in the pasture.

     Once it was finally deep enough Daddy dug a footer by hand and the cement truck came. Uncle David came to help pour the concrete for the footer and then the basement floor. As soon as the cement had dried we played on it with our wagon. Daddy did the cement work, laying the blocks by himself. He gave John and me each a small tool to smooth the concrete that showed between the blocks. Once the walls were too high for us to reach he did it by himself.

     Once the blocks were all laid we had a frolic to get the floor, walls and roof on. We soon learned that the Somerset Amish were true to their farming roots and really had no idea what to do unless they were told. It was a very frustrating day with only a fraction of the things done that we had been hoping to get accomplished in one day.

     Once chore time came and everyone went home to milk their cows Enos Lee stayed behind a little longer and offered that his oldest son could help out as long as Daddy needed him. We were very glad to accept the offer. The following days Edwin would arrive right after breakfast and help with what ever Daddy had planned. The addition progressed slowly, there were quite a number of days that nothing was done at it until evenings because there were lots of other frolics going that summer and Daddy always went. One was to build a new school house and the other one was to build a church house.

     The church house was painfully slow in getting built since most of the older men thought it had to be built exactly like the ones in the other districts that had been built in 1881. They had a big fuss about finding square nails and old windows and who knows what kind of siding. They finally compromised somehow and our church house got vinyl siding and normal nails. They managed to find old windows somewhere and ancient stoves to heat it. Daddy used to come home from a frolic at the church house and when Mom asked him how his day went he would just shake his head. We children knew they wouldn't talk about it in front of us but if we managed to stay awake long enough we could hear them talk about everything once they thought we were asleep.

     Our addition finally got done and we move our kitchen sink and cupboards into our new kitchen. It looked strange with it's bright orange counter top since there were no matching orange doors and walls any longer. We also had a large pantry now and so the refrigerator could be moved in from the front porch and into the pantry. The rule in the Somerset Amish is that you can not have a refrigerator in your kitchen. So for seven months we had to go outside whenever we needed something. It seemed really nice to have it indoors once again.

     There was a nice sewing room at the one end of the addition. A really big kitchen and then a cement porch. It was supposed to be turned into a laundry room in the future but for now it would be enjoyed as a porch.

     Our old kitchen was turned into the master bedroom. So now I had a room of my own upstairs and no longer had to sleep in the hallway. It seemed really great. The new school house was done too and John and I were looking forward to starting back in a few weeks. The church house still wasn't completed but we were looking forward to that too. I had never been inside of a church house before and could hardly wait to see how it would seem.

Grandpa and the Tractor

    When spring finally came to stay Daddy and Mom spent the evenings clearing off an area beside the house for a garden. Since there were plants and trees growing everywhere, it took some planning to decide where the perfect spot would be.

     They picked out the spot and proceeded to remove several old crab apple trees and all the other bushes and plants that were in the way.

     The Amish in Somerset County use tractors for most of their farm work, and one evening when John and I were walking home from school we could see that there was a little blue tractor with a harrow behind it working up the area for our garden. As we got closer we could see it was Daddy driving the tractor. Mom and David were outside watching him. Once we got there we stood beside them and watched in amazement as Daddy drove back and forth across our new garden turning the overgrown patch of yard into a patch of rich fertile soil perfect for growing vegetables.

    Once he was done he jumped down and said with a big smile, "Well, what do you think of our new tractor?" John wanted to sit on the seat right away and Daddy let him climb up to see how it is. Not to be outdone by my little brother I had to have a turn too. After we looked at everything Daddy lectured us on the importance of never playing with it.

     Several days later Grandpa Mast came to use our tractor and harrow to work up a garden plot for them. Mom asked him if he knows how to operate it and he assured her that he does. John and I ran outside with him as he climbed on the tractor and started it. He started off very slowly and then stopped and asked us if we know how to make it go faster. John and I helpfully climbed up and pointed out the levers and tried to tell him how. And then stood under a tree to watch him try it again. He started the tractor and pulled and pushed at levers and went flying backwards. He stopped the tractor and laughed a little shakily and said "I guess I'll just have to drive slowly."

     We watched as the tractor inched slowly up the road. Until Grandpa drove that tractor I had no idea it was possible to have it move so slowly.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. February can be a little bit tricky given the weather and the winter and the whatnot. I read a list (here) of things you can do to make your February brighter which included-start planning your next trip, take more baths, make your own chocolate covered strawberries, and exercise in preparation for swimsuit season. Anything on the list you might try? Which suggestion on the list appeals to you most? Tell us something not on the list that helps make your February brighter.

Making my own chocolate covered strawberries sounds the best to me. I love strawberries and chocolate. And strawberries dipped in melted milk chocolate are somewhere near the top of the list of yummy treats I enjoy occasionally. I don't like the chocolate fountain chocolate though. Any event I've ever been to that had one of those, the chocolate was sadly lacking in being chocolate-y.

February doesn't bother me. I love being able to dig out crafts and sewing projects to work on that stay tucked away during warmer weather. Then there are books, and games, and puzzles, and coloring that we get to enjoy in the evenings. It's also the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen.  Actually the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that I'm a big fan of February.

2. Tell us about something you've seen or done recently that you'd say was 'super'?

For years already I've been wishfully thinking and dreaming of a bookshelf of sorts that I could set on top of an existing cupboard we have. On Monday Kenneth invited me out to the garage to see something he's been working on. I knew he was working on a tractor, it's not something I get all that excited about, but I do try to cheer on his projects. He opened the garage door, and there in front of me was a lovely shelf he built. It still needs paint, but I think it's super! Having a teenaged son building it is pretty super as well.

3. Best thing you ate in a 'bowl' last week?

The best thing I ate in a bowl last week was a spinach artichoke dip. The recipe I use is supposedly a copycat of Applebee's and it's ridiculously delicious.

4. Something you're 'cheering' for right now?

I'm cheering for my children as they continue to try out their wings and pursue their goals and dreams.

5. The Winter Olympics begin Friday, February 9th in Pyeong Chang, South Korea. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being all in and 1 being no interest whatsoever) how interested are you in the games? Which event do you most want to see (you'll find a list here).

I enjoy watching the skiing, and will probably watch some. I don't really know what number to assign to my interest level though.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

When I signed up for Pinterest a number of years ago, I selected the option to have them send me suggestions of boards I like based on the things I have pinned. I have enjoyed those weekly emails and have found a lot of good things because of them, but the latest one has left me scratching my head.

Pinterest in all of it's Pinterest-y wisdom sent me an email suggesting boards filled with cowboy hats that they're sure I will love. Um ... no. I'm not interested in cowboy hats in the least. It's like they don't know me at all.

New Covering

    One of the things I admired the most after moving to Somerset County was the coverings the girls wore. The fabric was a shiny black satin and the strings to tie them were wide black satin ribbon which, when tied, produced lovely big bows under their chins.
     I looked forward to the day when I could trade in my dull, thin covering for one of these new ones.
     After Mom found out that Emmy was giving me a hard time at school because of the covering I was wearing, she took time out of her busy schedule to make a new one for me according to the rules of the churches in Somerset.
     One day John and I got home from school to our regular after school snacks waiting on the kitchen table. I starting eating mine, but when Mom told me she has a new covering waiting for me to try on as soon as I'm done, my hunger vanished. I handed my snacks to John, who happily munched them down, and ran to try on this beautiful new creation.
      Mom placed the covering on my head and tied the ribbons. It felt weird. For starters it was much heavier than the one I had been used to, but even worse it was noisy. Coverings weren't supposed to make noise, but this one did. A weird rattling, rustling, squeaky type of noise. Every move of my head caused it to make a sound. Talking, chewing food, any little movement and I could hear it.
     "How do you like it?" Mom asked.
     How could I tell her it was awful? She had taken the time to make it, and I had so desperately wanted one just like the others girls.
      "It rattles," I said.
       She looked puzzled and then lifted it up to her ears. "You can hear it," she chuckled. "I think you'll get used to it soon."
       I wasn't convinced about that as I wore it to go to school the next day. It rattled, and rustled, and squeaked all day long. By the time the school day was over I was ready to throw it away. Not wearing anything wouldn't be as terrible as having to listen to it for the rest of my life.
      I don't remember how long it took, but Mom was right. I got used to it, and the sounds it made no longer registered and I was able to enjoy life again.

Settling In

     The snow melted before long and signs of spring started to appear. The walks to and from school were more pleasant since we no longer had to trudge through the snow and the wind had lost its icy bite.

     School was beginning to be something we looked forward to everyday since we had learned to know the other children. Nancy Summy and Simon Lee were the other children in my grade. Nancy was a very sweet little girl and we became very good friends almost immediately. In the next grade was Daniel Lee, LV, Emma (pronounced Emmy)Hostetler, and Susie Kinsinger.

     Susie was lots of fun but somehow Emma and I didn't start out very well. One of the first days she informed me that she is very glad she doesn't have my name. She would much rather have a nice humble name like she does. She made fun of my clothes. There was nothing wrong with them except they were the ones I used to wear in the community we had moved from, so they looked different from the Somerset ones. If it wouldn't have been for Nancy and Susie, school life would have been miserable those first few weeks.

      Things were also starting to feel right in our new home. John and I were always glad when we rounded that last bend in the road on the way home from school and could see our house. It was an ugly olive green with yellow gables. Along the front there was a green porch. There was a black wrought iron railing all the way around and along the sides of the steps. I knew the railing must have been intended for us since there were large "S" s every few feet and made it seem personalized since our last name started with an S. In the front yard there were two very tall Arborvitae trees and an huge old chestnut tree. There was a spruce tree and several apple and pear trees. At the back of the house there was a bright blue porch. We used this one the most since it was only a few inches off the ground compared to the ten feet of the front porch. A few yards from the back porch there were 60 pine trees growing in a double row. Their branches almost touched the ground. If we slipped through them it was nice between the two rows of trees. The branches didn't grow there and the ground was covered with pine needles. It made a perfect playhouse. At the end of this double row of trees there was a real playhouse and a sandbox.

     Beside our house there was a very old house. It was full of antiques and things that former owners had left behind. There was a loft with a rickety old stairway leading up to it. There were old dust laden bunches of dried herbs hanging from the rafters. They had obviously been there for years. There were lots of other old curious things there too. We had lots of fun exploring this building when ever we had permission to do so.

     In front of this old house the yard was filled with flowers. There were roses bushes, mountain laurels, lilacs, lilies, rhododendrons, bleeding hearts and many more. It seemed there was something growing everywhere you looked on those 15 acres.

      Things were getting into a routine and we were enjoying our new home very much.