Miracles Still Happen / God's got This

     The miracle of spring time is unfolding before our eyes once again. Daffodils and other spring flowers have started growing. Already their buds are bulging ready to burst into bloom any day. The happy sound of birds singing fills the air during the day, and at night the spring peepers take their turn serenading the countryside.
     There is so very much to be thankful for, and I'm choosing to have my thoughts dwell on the good things that are still happening all around us. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
     Speaking of good things. We met with LV's surgeon last week to see how his right eye is progressing and schedule the next surgery. The doctor examined it and kept repeating over and over. "It's a miracle! It's a miracle!" His lens and retina have both been healed completely. There is no need for any additional surgery. The only explanation is God answered all those prayers for healing.
     We delight in praising Him! And rest in the assurance that what ever the future may hold He will be right there with us.
     Be of good courage and cheer my dear friends/readers. God's got this!

Bit of an Update

    First up ... thank you so much for all the prayers!
    Yesterday marked two weeks since the accident/explosion in which LV was hurt, and hospitalized for several days.
     He has made a lot of progress in healing already. His face looks basically back to normal after all the pieces of rusty shrapnel were removed and it has had some time to heal.
     His eyes ... the left one he had vision return to it. Not back to where it had been, but it has progressed enough that he is able to do some office work.
     His right eye is still blind. Several surgeries were performed on it already, and there is another one scheduled to happen once his eye has healed enough from the previous ones they had done.
     He's dealing with a lot of do's and don'ts.
     Do ... eat a lot of fish. This has not been a problem for him at all, since he loves fish. I've been trying to keep the recipes switched up so he doesn't get tired of eating fish daily.
    Do ... multiple times a day eye care.
    The don'ts list is much, much longer. I won't go into all of it, but we're working with the challenges it presents.
     We're so thankful for the progress that has been made, and look forward to a lot more over the next weeks as he continues to heal

Answering Questions ~ LV

Over time I have accumulated a list of questions from my readers that were directed to LV. And today he will be answering them here.

1. How has life changed since you have left the Amish?  Other than the obvious of now driving a vehicle, having electricity, and the way we dress the thing that changed the most since leaving the Amish is my relationship with God.
2. Do you ever miss your horse and buggy? Never! I loved my horse and enjoyed riding but using a horse and buggy to go somewhere always took too long. I found that to be frustrating even as a little boy.
3. How many brothers and sisters do you have? I had three brothers and one sister.
4. Are you still in contact with your family?  Yes, I am. My parents seem to have accepted our choice of leaving the Amish quite well and we are always welcome at their house. They will even ride in our vehicle with us occasionally. I don't talk to my brothers and sister as often as I should but we are all on friendly terms.
5. What was your first job?   For my first job I was only fifteen and had to spend a year working for a young family on their farm. I hated it. I had to work extremely hard. I was almost constantly tired. There was never enough to eat and I was constantly hungry. Every once in a while I would sneak over the fields to my sister's house and she would cook a nice meal for me. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for her.
6. How was it to be the son of an Amish preacher?  My Dad was ordained before I was born so I never knew anything else. I didn't like when people came to talk to him, it always seemed to spoil the rest of our day.
7. How did you stay cool during the summer while you were Amish?  We were fortunate enough to live in an area where we didn't have extreme heat. Sitting under a tree in the shade always cooled us off nicely and after we built a pond we used to like going swimming to cool off after a day of hay making.

Our Wedding ~ Part Six

After everyone was seated someone announced the first song and everyone joined in singing except for the bridal party. We sat and listened and visited with each other and kept an eye on the clock. A few minutes before the required two hours of singing were over LV asked one of the hostlers to announce and lead the hymn that would serve as a prayer before we started to eat.

As soon as it was sung LV's married siblings started serving everyone with a meal equally as big as the previous one had been. We had special food served to us again as well. Half way through our meal one of LV's brothers came with two cups filled with tomato juice and set them next to our plates and told us we would not be allowed to leave the table until the cups were empty. He knew LV despised all things tomato. When he wasn't looking LV opened the window behind us and dumped both of them out.

A little before we were done Uncle Eli Petersheim came to get the wedding cake. He and aunt Mattie would cut it and wrap pieces to give to all the cooks and table waiters. Eli and Mattie had always been very special to me, being some of the happiest people I knew of, and I had wanted then to have the honor of taking care of the cake.

Once everyone was done eating the young folks waited expectantly for LV to bow his head for silent prayer. It would be the first time he would be the one to signal the beginning and end of the prayer.

As everyone rose from the table to get ready to go home. LV and I went to get the gifts that we had purchased to give to everyone that had helped with the work on our special day.

As people drove away we surveyed all the dirty dishes. They could wait to be taken care of until the next day. All the cousins planned to spend all night visiting and playing games in the showroom. I knew from past experiences what great fun that would be, but we weren't single any longer and would not be joining in.

Our wedding day was over but we had the rest of our life to look forward to. Together.

Our Wedding ~ Part Five

It felt great being able to get back into the house and away from all the slow church songs that the uncles kept singing.  LV and I had to get sheets of paper ready with all the youth girls names on it so the boys could pick who they wanted to take to the table that evening.

We had just finished writing the names down when the first buggies with young folks  started arriving. LV handed the sheets to our hostlers and they went outside to where the boys were all hoping to be there early enough in hopes they would get to escort the girl they wanted to.

The girls came into the house to place their gifts on the table that was already overflowing with gifts. It simply couldn't hold anymore and they began piling on the floor around the table. It felt a little different to have all my friends coming by and everyone seemed a little uncomfortable not really knowing what to say other than smile in my general direction and then visit with whom ever was standing next to them.

Uncle Ezra came up the stairs and asked me if we have any white medical tape that he really needs some. I told him we don't but we do have bandaids. He said that would work and after I found a bandaid for him he left.

A little later he appeared with a huge barn broom and leaned it against the pile of gifts. Taped neatly to the handle was the bandaid where he had written "From Uncle Ezra"  I tried to suppress the laughter that wanted to bubble out, at that sight. Good old uncle Ezra, no one else would have thought to use a bandaid.

Someone announced that the boys were coming in already and all the girls went into the living room to wait until their name was called to be paired up with one of the boys. The boys piled their hats on a shelf in the sewing room and then stood waiting until the hostlers called their names.

LV's cousin Wilmer and my cousin Nathan were the hostlers and took turns calling one of the girls names. She would walk up to them where they told her who wanted to escort her. After she said yes they walked over to the sewing room door and called the boys name and together they walked into our big kitchen to watch and wait until everyone was paired up.

Once everyone was paired up one of LV's married brothers came to tell everyone in what order to go out to the showroom to eat. Table waiters, cousins, and steadies would go first and in that order. The rest could come however they liked to. We headed back downstairs and out to the showroom where the next two hours would be spent singing. This time nice songs. It seemed hard to believe that our wedding day was almost over already.

To be continued

According to the dictionary hostlers are men who care for horses for other people. I was surprised to know we used to use an English word for that. At Amish weddings two or three hostlers take care of the horses for the bridal party. Since we didn't drive to church they didn't have to worry about horses but they still played an important role of getting all the boys and girls paired up for an evening of singing and eating.

Our Wedding ~ Part Four

As soon as the last notes of a wedding hymn faded we rose and walked to the little room where I quickly got my shawl and bonnet and then we started walking home. We tried to hurry in order to get there before the guests started arriving.

Several vans passed us before we got home but we were safely inside the house by the time the buggies started arriving. Daddy had set up numerous makeshift hitching places for people to tie their horses and they started filling up fast.

Our big diningroom table was piling up equally as fast with gifts. LV and I started opening them until Daddy came to tell us that it was time to go eat. Walking down through the basement and then out through the snow we entered the showroom where tables were set with the prettiest china we could find. We sat on the chairs we had placed for us and watched as Daddy started directing guests to their seats. The bishop and ministers were seated first. Usually they sat directly opposite of the bridal party but I couldn't bear the thought of having them directly in front of us and so we had made sure that there were no plates or benches across the table from us.

Daddy wheeled Grandpa in on his wheelchair and let him sit next to the bishop and closest to us. I was happy that Grandpa got to sit there. Somehow it made it seem extra special.

Once everyone was seated the bishop announced that it was time for prayer. The happy noise of talking and laughter ceased as everyone bowed their heads. Raising his head it seemed to have a domino effect as people raised there heads and started talking again.

Table waiters started bringing bowls of steaming food to be passed around the table. We had our own special server to take care of us and two special cooks who had prepared our favorite foods. But I wasn't hungry at all. Once everyone was done eating the table waiters quickly cleared the tables while the guests remained seated and Daddy and several of the uncles passed out songbooks.

For the next several hours we had to sit there and listen to them sing. How I wished I could we could get up and go back to the house but there were enough uncles and visitors from different communities who each wanted to sing their favorite church wedding songs the way they did in their community. They were sitting  in a place that blocked our discreet escape and we had no choice but staying seated. Church songs were fine in church but pure agony anywhere else.

Trying to tune them out we sat and visited with our attendants and hostlers until finally after several hours we had an opening and were able to leave the table leaving the men to continue their singing for as long as the wanted to.

To be continued

Our Wedding ~ Part Three

Getting up from the bench where we were sitting, we walked up to stand in front of the bishop. This was the moment we had been waiting for, for so long. The packed church house seemed to disappear and it was as if only LV and I were there ready to be married.

 He asked LV if he believed that it was God's plan to have me for his wife. LV answered "Yes."  Turning to me he asked "And do you believe that it is God's plan for you to have LV as a husband. I didn't doubt it for an instant and was happy to answer yes.

Turning to LV he asked. "Can you promise to take care of your wife in sickness and in health, in good days and in bad, in a way that a Christian husband should. After LV answered, "Yes." He again turned to me and asked the same question.

He then asked both of us if we promise to love and cherish each other until our loving God parts us in death. We both answered yes.

Asking the rest of the church to stand he read a short wedding prayer. As everyone was sitting down he reached for both of our right hands. Clasping them together he covered them with his own hands and said. "May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob bless you richly, today and for the rest of your life. I now pronounce you man and wife."

We turned to go back to our seats while the bishop read a short scripture about what was expected from a husband and wife. He then sat down and asked for the rest of the ministers to add any thoughts they had. I couldn't fully concentrate on what they were saying being filled with nearly overwhelming happiness. While they were giving words of encouragement and advice, Daddy and a few other men got up and went out to hitch up the horses. It was time for the cooks and table waiters to go get everything ready for the reception.

To be continued

Our Wedding ~ Part Two

The door to the little room opened and the bishop followed by the rest of the ministers came in. They shook our hands solemnly and then sat on a bench in front of the window. The bishop started by asked if anything had changed since one of the ministers had come to talk to us before they had announced our engagement.

We both told them that no, we hadn't done anything. I'm not sure what I was expecting them to talk about, maybe some good godly advice on how to start a home or something. But instead, what I heard made me feel like getting up and walking out I was more than a little bit indignant and embarrassed by all the things they were saying. Trying not to gag we managed to suffer through almost an hour of listening to them.

We both sighed with relief when they dismissed us and we could go to the adjoining room where our attendants were waiting. We were still too traumatized to feel like talking to anyone so we simply sat there and  waited until we heard the third song being announced. We all got ready to enter the church house once they started singing the third line. John and LV's cousin Rhoda would go first, LV and I followed them and then LV's cousin Timothy and his girlfriend.

As the third line started John opened the door and we walked in and sat on the bench that had been reserved for us in front of the ministers .

LV's Dad got up to preach the first sermon, He didn't really preach, basically he only told Bible stories starting with the garden of Eden and then how Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. Once he was done every one knelt for a short silent prayer. LV's uncle read a short scripture and then it was the bishop's (my uncle John Henry) turn to preach. I had always loved listening to his sermons and today was no different as he preached about Jacob and how he worked for fourteen years for his wives, Boaz and Ruth, and several other examples of marriages.

In the middle of his sermon someone drove up to the church house with Grandpa Mast. They wheeled him in on his wheel chair and parked it next to the bench where we were sitting. I was so happy to see that he was able to be there.

At twelve o'clock John Henry said if we would still like to get married we can rise and come stand before him.

To be continued

Our Wedding ~ Part One

We got up early that Thursday morning. There were still last minute things that needed to be done. Everything had to be perfect and the beds all made with their brand new bed spreads. Before long some of Mom's cousins from Oakland MD arrived. They would be taking care of all the food while everyone else was at the wedding.

While Mom told them about everything that needed to be done I went to get dressed. As I pinned my white cape and apron over my blue dress I couldn't help but think that this would be the last time I would be wearing white. I had always enjoyed wearing a white cape and apron to go to church during the months between spring and fall communion.

Once we were ready it was time to go to church. The rest would come later but the bridal party needed to be there at least an hour before anyone else. We had opted to not use the three seated buggy to go to church like they did at most weddings. We would walk instead.  There were dirty snow banks beside the road and the roads themselves were still dirty from all the salt and sand that had been sprinkled on them that winter. I hoped the passing traffic wouldn't send showers of dirt over our clothes.

Once we arrived at church we practiced walking to the front bench were we would be sitting and made sure that we could all stand up and sit down at the same time. Now there was nothing left to do but wait until church started.

We closed the doors to the little room we were sitting in so no one would see who was having part at our wedding until it was time to go into the main room.  LV and I sat by the window and watched as the guests began to arrive. Buggy after buggy drove in the lane and up to the porch to drop the women and girls off. As they drove past the window they would wave and smile. Vans started coming filled with aunts, uncles, and cousins from other communities. I had never seen so many people at our church before and they were running out of room to park.

A little before nine o'clock the bishop (my uncle) and ministers started walking towards the church house. It seemed different to see Daddy and my little brothers walk right behind the ministers but they wanted to sit on the front bench where they could see well.

As a long line of men followed we noticed that a few men were heading back out to the barn, Before long they returned with backless benches. They had run out of room for everyone to sit. Finally even those benches were filled and there was now standing room only. Once everyone was inside the church house the bishop announced that it was time to start services.

The song leader announced the first song and started singing. Little shivers ran up and down my spine as everyone else joined in to sing. I got up and walked to the adjoining small room and closed the door so the table waiters and our attendants could stay there until it was time to make our entrance.

As they left LV closed the door between the two little rooms and then sitting on chairs we waited for the next line of the song to begin when the ministers would come in to join us and talk to us. I had always wondered what they talked about on the morning of weddings and was now about to find out.

To be continued

Final Wedding Preparations

Our large showroom had to be emptied of all the furniture. We stacked everything carefully into our finishing room and locked the doors. Hanging a closed sign outside it was time to set up all the tables for the wedding reception. 

Once all the tables were set up we cover them in tablecloths and started setting them with pretty china that we had borrowed from my aunts and uncles. The bridal corner was set with my wedding china and we carefully placed our new chairs behind the table for us to sit on. Everyone else could sit on wooden backless benches but we would have something comfortable.

In the basement we had other tables set up with rows and rows of pie, cake, and pudding waiting to be served the next day. LV and I worked together baking the big wedding cake that would be standing in the corner in front of us. After the cake had cooled we got to frost it. There were no decorations allowed so we simply swirled the frosting to make it look pretty and felt satisfied.

A lot of aunts, uncles, and cousins started arriving from other communities and things started feeling crowded and a little overwhelming. Mom told me to go ahead and enjoy my last day as a single girl that she had enough help to get everything done.

Heading upstairs to my room my cousins and I enjoyed one last gab fest.

When evening came they left, leaving only our family and LV. His mother had sent his specially made new wedding suit over and we decided to have him try it on to make sure it fits.

Slipping into the suit coat we were both horrified at how it fit. The sleeves were much too short and it was big and baggy. Frankly the worst suit coat I had ever seen. There wasn't anything that could be done about the sleeves but I could try to make that it wasn't as baggy. For the next several hours I worked on trying to make that coat fit better. Once I was done it was much better but still far from what we would have liked.

Hanging it into the closet it was time for bed. Morning would be here before we knew it and I didn't want to look tired and frustrated on my wedding day.

Snowy Announcement

The following Sunday LV came to pick me up to go to a neighboring church district. John decided he would attend that church as well and took Fern and the little buggy. It was a grey morning with a hint of a possible snow storm on the way.

There was a reason we had picked this particular district to visit. It was the day my best friend Rachel was having her engagement announced. Her wedding would be only two days before ours. She had asked me to have a special part in her wedding and I was happy to accept.

After church was over and the engagement announced I watched as Rachel drove off with her boyfriend.  LV drove up soon and we left to go to a friends house for lunch. Soon after lunch it started snowing, big flakes that immediately started piling up amazingly fast.

We decided not to stay for the evening singing and start on our twelve mile home. The snow was already deep enough that our horse couldn't run. Walking slowly he kept pulling the buggy through the snow. We had the whole road to ourselves since there was a foot of snow and growing deeper by the minute. By the time we got home there was almost thirty inches of snow on the ground. LV stopped by the house to drop me off and I floundered my way into the house while he went out to the barn to unhitch the horse.

Our horse had longer legs than the one John had been driving. We were starting to be afraid that the snow may be too deep for even a a horse to get through and when he finally showed up over an hour later we were relieved.

I hoped the roads would be open by the next morning because we had to go meet the bus. Aunt Lydia and cousin Esther were coming to help with wedding preparations since Mom had broken her foot.

Monday, Following the Announcement

I got up extra early on Monday morning and quickly did the laundry before LV stopped by. We needed to go get our marriage license and then do a little shopping for thank you gifts for every one that would be helping at our wedding.

Arriving at the courthouse we found our way to a crummy little room filled with filing cabinets, where there was a lady sitting behind a desk strewn with papers. She didn't seem enthused or happy for us that we were getting married and simply barked out the questions she needed to ask and then shoved a piece of paper toward us to sign. She then told us our marriage license should arrive within a week. Eyeing her desk I felt rather doubtful that she would be capable of keeping track of everything and get it to us in time for the wedding.

Leaving the courthouse we went to a near by store to see what we could find. Our church rules made it rather difficult to find something that I liked. We finally settled on a pretty oil lamp for all the girls that would be helping but it was even harder finding something for the boys.

It took all morning until we had taken care of everything. Arriving at home I was surprised to see Vernie at the kitchen sink washing dishes. I asked her where Mom and Daddy were and she informed me that Mom had broken her foot and Daddy took her to the doctor.

A broken foot wasn't something we had planned into our wedding preparations and I wondered how I was supposed to get everything done in time since she couldn't help like she would have otherwise.

I fixed a little something for our lunch and we sat at the table to eat while Vernie continued washing dishes. She was singing in her joyful toneless manner when suddenly she walked over to LV. Holding the dish cloth in one hand she peered at him and asked earnestly. "You will take good care of my little Mary Ann, won't you?"

LV assured her he would be taking the best of care of me. Turning to me she said, "And you be sure to cook good food for him." I assured her I would do my best. Satisfied she went back to doing the dishes. I felt like laughing and crying. She was so sweet and it would seem different not being able to see her everyday.

The Announcement

I got up early that Sunday morning and went downstairs, filled the teapot with water and set it on the stove to brew a fresh batch of peppermint tea for breakfast. I knew I didn't have to be up yet but I simply couldn't make myself stay in bed any longer being filled with nervous anticipation like I was made that almost impossible.

Mom must have heard me stirring about the kitchen because she got up soon and came out and sat on a chair next to the stove. We talked a little bit as I set the table and then checked the food in the pantry to make sure it was still okay. It was.

Today was the day I had been looking forward to for quite a while already. Today was the day when after the preaching was over in church the bishop would announce our upcoming wedding. It hardly seemed possible. After a year of planning and preparing for our wedding it was so close.

At the breakfast table Daddy told my youngest brothers that they would hear my name in church to day when the bishop made the announcement that we were getting married. Ivan promptly burst into tears when he realized I was moving away and Raymond taking a cue from his older brother joined in. I could feel a lump rising in my throat as I assured them I would be back to visit often and that I hoped they would come see me often as well.  As much as I had been looking forward to getting married the reality that I would be moving away from the home I had known and loved for so long was very bitter sweet.

Arriving at church early Uncle Eli was still building a fire in the old wood stoves. He drew a chair up and talked for a while. Aunt Emma and Vernie were there already as well. I wished Grandpa could be there. He was at home still recuperating from his stroke. He really wanted to be at my wedding and seemed to be recovering with sheer will power.

After church services were over the bishop said his usual piece about gathering for another service in two weeks and then added that a brother and sister of the church have agreed to enter the bonds of holy matrimony. Namely, LV _____ and Mary Ann _______  The wedding will be on Thursday in two weeks. I glanced over at Daddy where Ivan and Raymond were sitting beside him with huge smiles on their faces. I was glad to see their sorrow had been short lived.

The songleader announced a song and started singing. For some reason I couldn't concentrate on the words today. As the last note faded and the boys and girls filed out Vernie came scurrying out to meet me. Grabbing my hand she kept saying "My little Mary Ann is getting married!"  I told her her that she would have a special place to sit at the wedding, beaming happily she went back to sit with Emma until she was ready to go home.

Looking out the window I could see LV getting his horse ready. I got my shawl and bonnet and stood outside on the porch to wait for him to drive up. It seemed wonderful that we were allowed to ride with each other in broad daylight! No longer could anyone complain that we spent too much time together. He would be at our house everyday helping with the final preparations for the wedding.

We spent the afternoon writing wedding invitations until it was time to go to the singing. The fact that my years of attending singings regularly were almost over didn't seem real either. I loved singing and knew I would miss them.

Awkward!

I was sitting in the phone shanty for our usual half hour in case any of our customers wanted to call. It was cold outside and I had lit our old kerosene barn lantern and taken it along to set beside my feet to try to keep them from freezing. Engrossed in a book that I had taken along to read while I wait I was surprised to hear the door open  and Daddy step inside.

He had a weird expression on his face as he asked me to go to the furnace room, that someone was there that needed to talk to me. And that he would sit by the phone for the rest of the half hour.

I walked up the road wondering who needed to talk to me. I entered the furnace room and saw LV's Dad standing there waiting. He looked rather nervous and made some small talk about the weather. Behind us our huge furnace hissed and popped noisily with all of it's air pumps and water circulators. It made it hard to have a conversation and we practically had to yell to understand each other.

He shuffled nervously and then launched into the real reason he was there. "As was customary before you could have your engagement announced in church one of the ministers had to come talk to you," he stammered out. hemming and hawing he finally managed to ask if LV and I had maintained a pure courtship and a few more details.

I could feel my face turn beet red and felt like running to the house as fast as I could go. I told him that yes we did nothing that we have reason to be ashamed of.

He said that he hadn't expected anything else, and just so I know the bishop will ask the same thing on the morning of our wedding. 

To me that felt like a warning. I shuddered, and went into the kitchen where Mom looked at me sympathetically and I realized that she had experienced the same thing before they had married and now I knew why Daddy's expression had been so weird.

Ever Closer

The oil lamp flickered ever so slightly as it stood on the end table next to the couch where LV and I were sitting.

"My parents have decided to move." he was telling me. "They would like to move the Monday after spring communion which will make that the date we had picked out for our wedding won't work so we'll have to figure something else out."

Getting the calendar we checked when a good time would be since my parents had said I need to be twenty before I got married. LV would be getting the home place from his parents when they moved and knew that spring was going to be very busy and it would be hard to schedule a wedding between field work. That we might have to wait until fall and he would have to try his hand at being a bachelor for a while. Or if my parents agreed we could move up the wedding date to before I turned twenty.

The rest of the evening passed swiftly as we talked about what it would mean to us either way. The thought of waiting until fall wasn't something we liked but if we had to we would.

The next morning I told Mom and Daddy about the new turn of events and was so happy when they agreed that we could get married sooner than we had planned. I wished I could tell LV right away. Two weeks seemed like an awfully long time to wait to talk about it. Daddy must have sensed how I felt and went out to the barn and hitched Fern to our little top buggy and told me to go tell LV.

Driving up the driveway at LV's home I couldn't help but admire the picturesque farm and to think that before long I would live there! It all seemed to good to be true.

LV saw me coming and came out to see what I wanted. Sitting in the buggy we talked about our wedding plans until we saw his mother peer at us through the window. "I guess it's not Sunday evening." he said as he got out of the buggy. We still have a lot to do and the wedding is so much closer.

Thinking of everything that still needed to be done I waved good-bye to LV and urged Fern into a trot and headed home.

The Rumor

Everyone had gone to bed already and I was making my last rounds through the house checking to make sure that there were no stray socks or toys laying on the floor before I closed the living room curtains as a signal for LV that it was safe to come into the house.

I waited next to the door and once I heard his footsteps on the porch I opened the door to welcome him inside. Almost immediately I sensed that something was wrong as his smile didn't quite reached his eyes. He removed his hat and coat and we headed into the living room to sit at our usual spots on the couch.

I tried to make conversation but it fell flat. LV started reaching for my hand but then quickly drew it back and stuffed them in his pockets as he said in a pain filled voice that he was releasing me from my promise to marry him.

My heart dropped to my stomach as I stared at him in disbelief and dread. This couldn't be happening! Our wedding was less than six months away and he was breaking up with me?!  "Why?" I managed to choke out.

"Someone told me that you are only pretending to love me because your parents want us to get married." he answered. "That you really can't stand the thought of being my wife," he continued. He continued with more horrid lies that I had apparently been saying about him.

Once he was done I told him there wasn't a word of truth in any of that. That I loved him with all my heart and my world would totally crash if we were to call off the wedding.

A look of intense relief washed over his face as he told me how glad he was and how the past week had been so hard when on one hand he didn't believe what that person told him and on the other hand doubts kept growing.

I asked him who had told him awful things like that and he said it had been one of my best friends. I was surprised and hurt and vowed to go talk to her the next day to find out why she had been saying things like that.

Choosing Furniture

One Sunday evening as I was about to go get ready for our date Daddy told me that LV and I should go to the showroom that evening and select what type of table and chairs we wanted so that he could make them before our wedding.

I thanked him and fairly flew upstairs. It would be so much fun choosing the design we wanted. I had never really given the possibility of receiving furniture from Daddy and Mom much thought. I had been too busy making other things for our home. My dresser drawers were getting filled with things that I had made and I loved opening the drawers and looking at everything and dreaming of the day when I could actually use them.

After LV came we went to the showroom. There were so many options to choose from, but we finally settled on a princess size chair, with a Victorian design back, and deluxe spindles. I could finally see why customers could spend a lot of time before they ordered their custom built chairs. We both loved the color of Washington Cherry with a glossy finish. The table was a little easier to decide. We both wanted something that could extend nicely in order to be able to have a lot of guests if we ever wanted to.

The next morning when I told Daddy what we had decided he got started on building the chairs right away. I enjoyed going down to the shop and watching him work on them. For some reason watching my chairs being made was much more special than all the thousands of chairs that I had seen Daddy work on over the years.

I had to substitute at one of the schools on the day that the chairs were moved to the finishing room to get stain and lacquer. When I came home I was very disappointed to see that instead of being stained Washington Cherry they had merely sprayed the chairs with lacquer and they were now natural. Daddy could see that I wasn't enthused about the color and told me that he knew I wouldn't want a dark color in my house. Natural was much more cheerful.

I wasn't convinced but knowing that I would have a dining set to start our home I couldn't really complain and I knew that Daddy was doing what he thought would make me happiest in the long run.

The chairs, now yellowed by years. Each one signed by Daddy just as he did with every chair he made.

Niggling Doubts

Every once in a while one of our neighbors would stop in to visit with us. He was an older man, a pastor of a small backwoods church. He was very passionate about what he believed and it seemed no matter what the conversation was about he always wound up preaching to us.

Daddy and Mom would listen politely as he stressed the importance of becoming born again, that unless we were "saved"  we had no hope of getting to heaven. We needed to repent, to call on Jesus. That it didn't matter what type of clothes we wore or how plain our buggy was if Jesus had not become our personal Saviour we were lost.  He would talk for hours at a time, though always friendly there was something about what he was saying that made me a little uncomfortable and I had to wonder if just maybe what he was saying applied to us.

After he left Mom and Daddy would chuckle at how he was trying to get us to have a "new belief" that we didn't have to worry about what he was saying and only worldly people believed on being saved. God had chosen for us to be Amish and as long as we stayed faithful to that we would one day be in heaven too.

Laying in bed at night I would think about everything, but then pushed it to the back of my mind. There was no need to change anything since I was a member of the Amish church. There were so much more fun things to think about, like making wedding plans and dreaming of our new home. With that I disregarded everything we heard from the pastor and spent my time dreaming of being married to LV.

Meeting Cousins ~ The Initiation

Leaving the wedding we went to Daddy's brother Enos where we would spend the night. All the other aunts, uncles, and cousins that didn't live in that community also went to them. Enos wife Lydia bustled about trying to make sure that everyone would have a place to sleep.

The boys would all have to sleep in the woodworking shop on cots and sleeping bags while the girls would all have to sleep in their parlor on blanket nests on their hard floor. I wasn't too concerned about how hard the floor was since we had already planned to stay up all night.

After visiting with the aunts and uncles for a little while all of us cousins went out to the shop where we started playing games. An hour later Enos came out and asked us all to come into the house to have evening prayer and then it's time to go to bed. We followed him into the house and after prayer Lydia said we could all have a cup of coffee if we wanted to yet before we go to bed and added who ever doesn't get a cup needs to go to bed right away.

I hated coffee (still do) but I wasn't ready to go to bed and decided if drinking a cup full made that I could get to stay up longer I would choke it down somehow. We all took a cup of coffee and headed back out to the shop where we sat and talked and laughed. I was glad to see that LV was thoroughly enjoying himself. After a while cousin Nathan asked LV if anyone had ever given him shaving lessons. LV was smooth shaven and answered that he never really needed shaving lessons it had not been something hard to learn.

Cousins Johnny and Nathan solemnly informed him that he really does need to have a real shaving lesson though. Johnny said he would go get the supplies and they would get to it. After he came back out to the shop he was carrying two small bowls of water. Sitting on a chair he asked LV to sit on another chair facing him and the lesson was about to begin.

He gave him his instructions saying, " Here hold this bowl of water. I am your mirror. Don't ever take your eyes off of my face and do exactly what I do." Johnny dipped his fingers into his bowl and rubbed them over his face. LV did the same. Johnny instructed now we need some shaving cream of-course so since this is only a lesson we'll pretend the shaving cream is on the bottom of the bowl." Johnny rubbed his fingers across the bottom of his bowl and then over his face. LV did the same, only his face got black. Johnny had secretly blackened the bottom of LV's bowl over an oil lamp in the house before he brought it out.

The shaving lesson continued until LV's entire face was black. No one said a word while the lesson was going as we all watched. Finally Johnny said and like always once you are done shaving you look into a real mirror and handed a mirror to LV. He looked into it and laughed heartily. They gave him some paper towels to clean up.

The rest of the night was filled with more games, fun, and laughter. Finally at five I went to the house knowing that aunt Lydia would soon be getting up and would probably appreciate having help preparing breakfast for everyone.

After breakfast it was time to head for home. As we were ready to leave Nathan and Johnny came and congratulated me on finding someone like LV.  They had planned that shaving lesson to see what his reaction would be. He had passed their test and they could now extend their blessing if we ever wanted to get married.

It felt nice to know that LV had met their approval.

Wedding ~ Part Two

The afternoon wore on as they kept singing. The majority of the songs were new to me and it got to be rather wearisome sitting there listening to everyone else sing. I was glad once we could go outside again.

Since it was late fall it got dark early. I watched with interest as the boys pulled buggies out in front of the barn and turned their lights on. With several of the young folks playing their harmonicas and someone else singing the rest of them enjoyed square dancing. LV, John, a handful of our Canadian cousins stood there and watched. We knew better than to help, knowing that any type of dancing was strictly forbidden in our churches.

It started snowing but the dancing continued. Growing cold we decided to go to the barn until it was time to go into the house for dinner. Once again the girls were lined up outside the house to be escorted in to the table. There was an over whelming amount of food served and then to top everything off they served ice cream in little dishes each with two spoons. I was glad that it was LV that I got to share a dish rather than some stranger like John and a lot of our cousins had to.

Once the wedding was officially over the fun was about to begin. All of us cousins planned to spend the night together visiting, and playing games. I looked forward to having LV get to know my Swarey cousins better. There was never a dull moment when we were all together.