Winter Days

Winter was a lot of fun when I was in the second grade. Since all the families in the Dundee N.Y. community decided to home school.

Right after breakfast we would go to one of the bedrooms that Mom had turned into a schoolroom. After we were done with our lessons for the day John and I were free to do whatever we wanted to.

We enjoyed playing in the snow or run out in the barn and feed hay to our horse, Jim. It was fun to let him eat out of our hands. His soft velvety lips felt good as he gently got the hay from our hands.

On the colder days we would watch Mom quilt or sew. We used to get a little chair and pull it up beside her and say. "Tell us about when you were a little girl" She would smile a little and start in by saying. "A long time ago there was a little girl with big brown eyes." John, David, and I would settle in comfortably as she told us about how she would ride with Grandpa to the ice house during the summer and how she and her sister Lydia had to take turns to go along.

It was hard to imagine her as a little girl but she was good at telling stories and before long it seemed as if we were transported back in time running along beside her as she ran to catch the school bus and shivered with dread when it turned over in a cold snowy ditch. We learned to know all her childhood friends and could see the house she used to live in just by hearing her descriptions.

One day we were once again listening to her stories as she was sewing. She was trying to get a dress done and David wanted to have some chocolate milk. She told him to wait a few minutes until she is done sewing. She had to stand up to measure something and David once again asked for chocolate milk since she was up anyway. She wanted to sit down to finish the last seam and David being a wise little four year old thought if he would pull the chair away she would fix him his drink right away. It didn't quite work the way he planned though. Because when she tried to sit down there was no longer a chair there and she fell on the floor. We all stood there looking at her in dismay. David felt really bad about it and had to cry.

Mom got up and finished the dress. But there was no chocolate milk for anyone that day.

Stuff

I am still trying to reorganize my house since we got everything home from storage. It is much more of a challenge than I bargained for especially since our house has neither an attic or a basement to store anything.

I am almost done but am left with several piles of things that I am hopelessly stuck in finding room for. Here is an example. Grandma Mast used to save all her old calendars and turn them into scrapbooks. Each of her grandchildren got one on their ninth birthday. I don't want to throw it away and still haven't found a place to keep it. So it lays on a pile of things that are in the same predicament.

Joining the scrapbook on that pile is a "3 piece chicken dinner" that one of my brothers made and gave to me on one of my birthdays. It is a cute wooden box with a swivel open lid when opened reveals three kernels of corn that would make any chicken happy to have for dinner.

There are lots of other things too, among which is a large grotesque mirror. Someone gave it to us shortly after we were married and thought it was really great. It has the state of Pennsylvania painted on it and green and brown roses and a verse that must have come out of a Hallmark sympathy card. This mirror is sturdy and simply refuses to accidentally break although it has been given numerous opportunities to do so. I can't send it with the garbage truck tomorrow morning because the person who gave it asks about occasionally and would be hurt to know how much we hate it. So what do I do with it?

And then comes this type of thing. A book of poetry. You know, Emerson, Tennyson, Milton, Browning and all those good old poets. But I never read it and yet I don't like the idea of heartlessly stuffing it in the trash. Do I need to be brave and pitch it or is there someone out there who would enjoy it?

The same with these A Cappella CD's. They are new but I really don't want them.

And then I find a box of close to 100 old children's books. They appear to be unread and are still beautiful but I really have no use for them either.

If I go to another room I'm greeted with patterns, fabrics, and other sewing supplies that I don't need and will probably never use. So this is where all of you come in. What should I do with everything? I'll hang on to the sentimental things. But the other things...... do I heartlessly throw them away, or do I have several giveaways, or would nobody else be interested in these things either?

And any advice that aids in the demise of the mirror would be deeply appreciated.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Mom! Your birthday was always such a special time. I remember how we used to celebrate it every year.

Daddy used to give you special gifts, I remember how your eyes used to shine when you opened them and your sweet smile as you read the note he attached. I remember how you used to like the gifts that we gave to you even though they weren't very nice.

I remember how you liked that cake I baked to surprise you when I was ten. It was a hideous thing with its brownish orange frosting. I had tried to mix the coloring like the instructions said to make a lovely purple but it hadn't worked. But you seemed to think it was one of the prettiest cakes you had ever seen.

I remember when I was 11 I tried to sew a dress for your birthday. The color was pretty but my sewing ability was not, especially since I had to hurry so you don't happen to see it before it was done. You wore that ill fitting dress for a long time and never seemed to mind how dreadful it really looked.

I remember how the boys used to make things in the shop for you and how you had a shelf in the bedroom to display everything they gave to you.

I remember how even after we children started families of our own we still gathered to celebrate your birthday.

I miss you Mom. You were the best Mother a child could ever wish for and I still love you very much.

Happy Birthday!

First Glimpse of Somerset

There were rumblings of trouble throughout the Dundee community, I was too young to really know what was going on, but knew that not all was right.


Daddy and Mom would sit up late at night and talk, and we went to Grandpa Masts a lot more often in the evenings after supper. They would send us children and Vernie into a room to play while they visited. If we came out for some reason they always quit talking and waited until we went back to our toys to resume.

One day Mom got out the suitcase and started packing. We wanted to help so she let us select our favorite Sunday handkerchief's and tuck them into a side pocket. When we asked who we were going to visit, they said they didn't know who, but we are going to go to Somerset County Pennsylvania.

Early the next morning we started off. Grandpa Masts and Uncle Eli's and John Henry's went along too. Once we finally got there we stopped at a gas station and asked where the Amish live. They gave us directions to a farm. We arrived and they welcomed us in after introducing themselves as Noah Summy's. They had a little girl named Nancy that was my age and she came and gave me her doll to play with. I could hardly believe my eyes, it was a real baby doll like you saw in catalogs with a cute little hands and feet and a real face that had beautiful blue eyes and the sweetest little mouth. It was so different from my own rag doll Sally that I played with everyday at home.

We had supper with them and went to bed. the next morning when we got up I was in for another surprise. Out in front of the house was the biggest buggy I had ever seen, with a team of horses hitched to it. The buggy had three sliding doors and four windows on each side and another small window at the back. I really wanted a ride in that buggy, but one of Noahs children rode with us in the van to show us where the church was.

Once we got to church I was very glad to be with Mom. Everything was so different. The clothes looked different and the girls all wore shiny black satin coverings instead of organdy like I was used to, and the strings to tie the coverings fascinated me. They were almost an inch wide and tied in perfect little fluffy bows right under their chins.

I was glad once it was time to sit down, the singing was soon over and when the first preacher got up to preach I got my handkerchief out to play with, but it wasn't long before I sensed I was being watched. I looked up and sure enough several little girls were watching me with big solemn eyes. Mom must have realized too because she bent down and whispered that I should put it away, that the children here don't play in church. I quickly put my handkerchief back in my pocket and sat there looking around and trying to listen to the preacher.

It seemed like a long time when finally the second sermon was over and the preacher started having men give *"zeignis" It was comforting to hear Grandpa Mast's voice and finally church was almost over.

After church they didn't have a church lunch like we were used to, instead everyone went home. Enos Lee's graciously invited us to their house for lunch. Grandpa's and the uncles were invited elsewhere and left with the driver and the van, and we got to ride in the Lee's buggy which to my delight was one of those big ones.

*After the main sermon the preacher will choose several men to give a short review of the sermon he just preached, they will say they agreed with everything and talk about a few points that they especially liked or add some of their own thoughts.

Happenings Around the House and a Recipe

No matter the weather Sunbeam is found on the recliner occupied with one of her many things to pass the time while she recovers from her accident. She seems to be doing very well, not only in healing, but also in being sweetly content.

For the rest of us, the rainy weather requires us to make new plans for our day. Sailor was delighted to have Wags in the house even though he was required to stay on the rug inside the door. Wags was honored to be allowed to be inside and appeared to enjoy listening to the many stories Sailor told him.

The rain finally stopped towards evening and as the last clouds scuttled away, we decided to go get some of the things we need that were in storage. After we got to the storage place we discovered that the boxes were getting soggy and there were lots of spiders everywhere, so we made a quick decision to bring everything home.

I have been trying to find room for everything, which is challenging. I suppose I'm too much of a pack rat, but so many of the things have sentimental value that I hate the thought of getting rid of them.

I still have a lot of unpacking to do, but took time to cook up a big meal last evening. Among the menu for the night was fried chicken.

This time I remembered to take a picture before we ate everything.

Fried Chicken

2 cups flour

2 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp black pepper

1 Tbsp parsley flakes

1 Tbsp thyme

1 Tbsp dry mustard

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

Mix all together and place half of the mixture in a large Ziploc bag.

Beat two eggs very well, until almost cream colored. Roll chicken in egg and then place in seasoning mixture and shake to coat.

Have a saucepan or a deep skillet ready with vegetable oil heated to 350 and deep enough to cover at least half of the chicken. Carefully place your coated chicken pieces in the hot oil and fry until a delightful golden brown, turn over and fry the other side.

Preheat oven to 350 and have a pan ready lined with parchment paper, as the chicken comes out of the oil place them on the pan and place in oven for 20-30 minutes and up to 45 minutes if you have extra large pieces of chicken.

Since my husband would much rather have something along the beef line to eat rather than chicken. I made some Chicken Fried Steak for him.

I started with two large boneless steak and had them tenderized really well. I then cut them into pieces approximately 3"x3" I added 1/2 tsp sage and 1/2 tsp crushed rosemary to the mixture I had for the chicken. I then beat two eggs and added 1 tsp liquid hickory smoke and rolled the steak in the egg and into the seasoned flour mixture and fried it in the oil. There was no need to place these in the oven, they were done to perfection in the skillet.

With a seven layer salad, and mashed potatoes and gravy our meal was complete.

A few pieces of the Chicken Fried Steak before it disappeared.

School Days

First grade started off great after I got over the newness of the first day. My teacher Lydia Troyer was kind and efficient in teaching a one room school with grades 1 through 8. We all loved her, but after six weeks something happened that she had to go home, and since that was out of state the school board had to find a new teacher fast.

On Monday morning when we got to school we were greeted by Ruth Miller who had agreed to finish the term. She didn't look as if she knew how to have fun as she sat grimly at her teachers desk and looked sternly at us.

We all sat there quietly and looked at her. I started feeling a lump in my throat again, I wanted to go home or have Lydia back, I looked over at cousin Emma and she looked scared too. Finally Ruth cleared her throat and said that we need to forget we had a teacher before her and that she will be making some changes. For starters she wants the upper grade children to go take down all the art that is on the walls.

I watched as they took down all the art that we had created during happy art periods the previous six Fridays and laid them on her desk and she took them all, crumpled them, and threw them in the trash can, and stated "There, that's the last of that nonsense! We come to school to work, not to play." And proceeded to give us our assignments.

It wasn't long before it was obvious, that she didn't like cousin Marvin. He had a problem with stuttering that grew a lot worse after she started teaching. One day when the second grade was having their reading class, he was having an especially hard time with his stuttering and Ruth got very frustrated with him and told him that since he is too much of a baby to read to go back and sit in his seat.

I watched in consternation as he walked to his seat blinking back tears, and Ruth grabbed the trash can which was almost half full of crumpled papers and shavings from sharpening pencils and roughly placed it upside down over Marvin's head and shoulders. The trash fell on his lap and the floor around him as she told him he has to sit there like that for the rest of the day.

I tried my best to please her, to avoid experiencing her temper. But one day it happened. I was at the chalkboard writing my numbers when I really needed to go.... I told her. But she told me that I have to wait. Somehow I managed to wait and when recess came she didn't let me go then either because I had "lied" to her, because I apparently didn't look too uncomfortable while I was waiting for recess. After recess the first graders were once again at the chalkboard and I could hardly stand still any longer but I didn't dare ask her for permission to go and so, the unthinkable happened.

She was very upset with me then, because not only was there a mess on the floor, but our lunch boxes were kept under the chalkboard and the puddle reached her paper bag and seeped into her lunch. She made me stand by the stove to dry and when it was time for lunch she ate my lunch and said I would have to do without eating that day.

Cousin Marvin and Emma and a few of the other children came to the rescue and shared some of their food when Ruth wasn't looking.

Once the school term was over Ruth was not hired again. There were rumblings of problems in the community and so everyone decided to home school the next term.

Going Award Free

I am about to do something that I never realized I would even think of doing several months ago when I started to blog.

I don't want to offend anyone, and really do appreciate that you would even consider my blog worthy of an award. But the whole award thing has become a little overwhelming. I again have seven awards waiting to be passed on from well meaning folks who have read my blog. Some have notified me through comments on my posts and others have e-mailed me directly.

Again I thank you for considering me, but I have decided to go Award Free. Your comments are reward enough! I really enjoy reading all of your comments. It makes the blogging world a lot more fun!

Of "Amish" Movies

Over the years I have read thousands of books. Among all those books there is one thing that has become glaringly obvious to me, and that is, no author should write about anything that they don't know about. For as sure as they do, there will be someone who reads them that will become vastly amused at the ludicrous things they try to write about knowledgeably.

I remember chuckling over the book that was talking about the vast cattle spread a rancher had that covered 120 acres and how they had a helicopter to go from one end of the ranch to the other. At the time I was living on a 160 acre farm and knew that it only takes a matter of minutes to walk from one end of the farm to the other.

Another book tried to tell me how they needed the Jaws of Life to rescue someone that was trapped inside a buggy after an accident. They obviously never saw a buggy close up, or a buggy accident, which after a bad impact will be nothing but a pile of splinters.

I have read a few of the Amish fiction books that seem to be so popular. I won't buy any but occasionally someone gives one to me and I generally end up reading it. I always come to the same conclusion. But I digress.

Last evening we watched the movie "Saving Sarah Cain" that a friend generously gave to us to watch. I tried to put myself into a mindset to enjoy a good clean movie, but there is still enough Amish blood in me that the entire movie was ridiculous.

It left me wondering, do the coverings Amish girls and women wear, look that way to anyone who has not been raised Amish? No Amish woman would be found wearing the sorry looking rags they wore. Though I have to chuckle at the thought of anyone being behind the scenes starching and ironing coverings correctly for a movie.

And the hair. Apparently they never saw or else paid no attention how Lancaster Amish girls wear their hair. Those two things alone, had me cringing all the way through the movie. And then they had to add those juicy tidbits to show their complete ignorance. The scene where everyone was burping was downright despicable. Amish do not burp to show their appreciation of food. I have been in lots of different Amish communities and have never met any that were that badly mannered.

When Caleb tried out for wrestling and said he used to hold cows down when they were birthing, had us in stitches. How ridiculous can you get. Cows are very calm creatures who rarely ever move around much in the process of birthing, and even if they decide to stand up it doesn't hurt to do that.

Taking walks through cornfields. Why would anyone want to do that? Unless the corn isn't taller than knee high. Normal cornfields are not pleasant places to take a walk, unless you enjoy cuts similar to paper cuts on your face and arms.

They did not speak the language of the Amish, and instead used German and that wasn't very good either.

There were other things too but again I digress.

My belief that you should not write or make movies about things you really don't understand has been cemented even more firmly.

I don't begrudge anyone the "joy" of reading Beverly Lewis, and Wanda Brunstetter books, or watching "Amish" movies for entertainment. Which is why they were produced. But I will be finding other things to occupy my spare moments.