A Plain Home

Good Day Friends.......

It's warming up around here. Summer is near for sure. We could use some rain though. The garden is growing slowly these days.  Today is Monday but Memorial Day so there is a lot more traffic around here, English families taking trips to see the country side. The little English girls are so cute in their brightly colored summer dresses and white sandals.

I am about 9 weeks into my pregnancy now. You can't really tell I'm pregnant though to look at me. I which you could, I am eager to show that I am expecting. I've still been tired though but the sickness is less, which is a good thing. I have a few pregnancy dresses made for when I need them.

The dairy is very busy. It's a bit different then most dairy's. The cows are all grass fed cows and let out to pasture most of the time. They like it and we think it makes for healthier animals which in turn will produce better milk.  I enjoy walking over to the dairy some days and visiting with the cows. Adam will find me at times with the cows before I will end up finding him. He thinks I spoil them but I tell him that love can only produce GOOD things.

This afternoon we are going to make some Ice Cream for after dinner tonight and I need to make some butter right now. Sometimes I buy the butter but we have a lot of extra cream that I need to use up.

I hope everyone is having a nice long weekend.

Lydia

Hello Again......

Sorry again it's been awhile since I have written. Now that the garden is planted and Spring is here there is more to do around here. Being the only female in the house leaves me to do all those chores, although since it's only my husband and I it's not really all that much to do for right now.

The garden is growing well so far, we've had some rain so that is always good.

I am feeling well for the most part, just tired often. I am taking a nap every afternoon which I would usually use for sewing time. But I have found that if I sit there with my quilting or cross stitching my eyed get heavy and I am fast alseep. I guess resting my body during these first few months is good for the baby that is growing in me. It's so funny having a living thing growing in you. I seem to always be concious of it now that I know it is there. Always thinking of US instead of just ME now.

I have had a bit or sickness off and on but nothing terrible horrible. My Mama always used a lot of Natural/Herbal remedies with us and on herself. I was wondering if there is something herbal that I can/should be taking during these months that is good for my body and the baby as well. I know there are some things that the older women used to drink (teas) when I was back home but I'm not sure what they are. Does anyone know of something that you can share with me? 

I've tried to find some information on this on the computer but I'm not really good at much else then doing this blog and checking the e-mail the Adam set up for me.  Anyway, if anyone has any information to share or can tell me how to find some that would be wonderful.

I'm off to make supper now, Adam will be home soon. It's noodles and meat sauce for dinner tonight.

I'll try to write more often.

Lydia

Sorry I have been away..............

I have not been on this computer lately so I have not been updating here. Sorry about that.  All is well here. Spring has surly arrived and it's wonderful. I have been spending a lot of time working the garden and tending to our home. We have many things planted in our garden and I am enjoying watching them grow daily.  We have about a quarter of an acre garden planted with lots of yummy stuff and I see my canning days ahead will be VERY busy.  I have meet another Amish lady that lives just a couple farms down from us and along with her and my other Amish young wife friend we will be doing our canning together this year. I am really excited about this because I was really wondering how it was all going to get done. Growing up in an Amish home the canning is done as a group thing with my Mamm and sisters. Even the little brothers get in on it. I was very worried over the idea of canning a quarter acre worth of harvest. 

At the Mud sale I was able to get a wooden cabinet for my kitchen. I needed a place for storing extra cooking and baking supplies.  I will store the canning jars in the basement. The basement is large and there is one wall that is floor to ceiling of shelves, each being about 15 feet long. That is where I will be storing what is canned from the garden. Of course since it is just Adam and I right now we have plenty of room I think.

Speaking of which, guess what, we are expecting a BABY !!!!!!!  We just found out 2 weeks ago. I had been feeling so tired and sick. I finally arranged to the have the mid wife come by and it was confirmed that I am expecting.  I am only about 6 weeks along so some time at the end of December we will be having our first baby.

 I wrote a letter to my mom telling her all about it.  I know that she is excited. My sister wrote back and said that Mama cried with excitment when she read the news. I think shunning is a stupid stupid thing. If it were not for some of the Old Amish ways my poor Mama would not have to be so sad and missing me this way. Now with a baby coming, it's very sad to me and I really need my Mama right now. I am excited and curious at the same time and I really wish she was here to talk to about being pregnant, what to expect, what to do when certain things h appen, what to take for not feeling well and all that.  I am feeling alone with no one to share my excitment and progress with.

I love my Amish roots, don't get me wrong. I value the strength of our family up bringing and our sense of community, I even love living simple and Plain. But there are some things that just seem  dumb to me. Thankfully Adam agrees and although it will be very strange he has agreed to allow me to purchase a camera so that I will be able to take pictures of our baby to send to my Mama.  This will be really strange and I hope that she does not get upset. Although taking pictures of the children in the community is much more excepted before they are old enough to join the church.

Well I have chores that are waiting to be done here so I must end this for now. I will try to update more often.

Lydia

It's a beautiful day today.....

I have spent most of my morning outside today. The day is just wonderful and sunny. The temp. on the wall says it's in the mid 60's. This day is a breath of fresh air for sure. I have been enjoying sitting with the chickens instead of just tossing them their feed and then getting on to the next chore because it's so cold I want to get back inside. I can tell the goats appreciated my conversation with them this morning instead of just my feeling my cold hands.

I am looking forward to an upcoming Mud Sale in a few weeks. I don't really have anything to offer but I am hoping to find a few things for this old house. I need to get some wool rugs for the wood floor and possibly a couple more oil lamps. I also am in need of a few pieces of furniture, mainly a cabinet for my kitchen for storing some cooking and baking supplies and also a cabinet or book shelf for in the living room. Maybe there will be some things I can use there.

Adam is planning to till the ground for me this weekend and I am very excited about that, it means planting will be coming soon.

Yes, I think this beautiful weather is just what my heart needed.

Lydia

It's a bad day today.....

This morning I went to the old barn to feed and milk the cow then to the pasture to feed the goats and chickens, gather eggs and milk. It's a cold and damp morning. I was planning on hitching up the buggy to go into town for some fresh produce and possbily a stop at the dry goods store for some things but I think the day will be to wet and possibly snowy. I think I will stay home instead and try again tomorrow.

I've been a bit tired these past few days. I think this winter weather needs to pass so that I can get out more and have more energy. Sitting inside and sewing can become tiresome when there is nothing else to do. I am feeling a bit lonely. With Adam off at the Dairy Barn during the days and just me at home, I am not used to this alone time and it makes me a little sad and lonely. I think of home often and wonder what is happening in the house there with my Mamm and siblings running about. I know in the Spring things will be a bit better, I will have much more to do outside and to keep busy with. Maybe I will meet some more of the ladies in this community to be friends with.

My Adam will be coming home for lunch today to give me some company. He takes such good care of me. He is aware of my blue moods and said he would be here today to give me some company. It will do me well on this dreary day for sure.

~ Lydia ~

Still no Spring.....

I had no visit today with my neighbor. For the best I think since I have no errands to run and have no home needs at this time. I have spent some time this morning doing my house chores, baking and working on a warm winter quilt for our bed. Although winter is nearly finished for this year it will be ready to use for the coming winter. It got bitter cold here at times and our current bed quilt just did not seem to do it's job well enough. This is the first quilt that I have ever worked on alone.  I have been quilting since I was a young girl but that was always with my Mamm, Aunts and Cousins.  This seems like a very big job ahead of me. But I will get it done in time. I will need to buy a nice thick and heavy backing for this one.

A also wish that the Spring weather would come sooner. It's still to cold here to plant a garden. We are still having some freezing evenings and days. Last Spring we did not plant a garden because it was so near when we married and I moved here to be with Adam. Most of our fruits and vegetables I had to purchase at the Farmers Market. This Spring will bring forth the usual large Amish garden that most Amish homes will have. I enjoy working with my hands in the dirt of the earth. It's amazing to me that God has provided us with everything we could ever possibly need to have an abundent and joyful life. If we as people would not get in the way of Gods plans for us we would be so much better off I think. I have my list of seeds and plants that I am planning to grow and I need to make my list of canning supplies that I will need as well.

Before becoming a wife I did all the growing and canning in our family home for the family and with Mamms supplies and my sisters and Mamms help. Now I need to supply OUR home with these things for when I will be doing it for Adam and myself.

One of the things that I love about looking over all the blogs is seeing the pictures of everyones loved ones and homes. It's fun to peck into your homes and see how the English women live.  I can not offer anything like that here. We have no photographs to share. It's a shame you can not see how handsome my Adam is.  Let me describe him.....he has sandy blonde hair that he wears short and no traditional Amish beard so you can see his handsome face. He has beautiful green eyes and a really nice and cute nose. He is 5'11 and slender but not skinny, just right. He has strong hands that make me feel so safe and protected. His completion is not pale for his coloring but kind of naturally lightly tanned. As for me I have long Blonde hair that curls about the bottom at my waist area and blue eyes. I have a rather fair complexion and am 5'4. My build is slender.  I often am eager to see what our boppli will look like when we have them.

~ Lydia ~

Another Entry

I have to admit, I find this whole computer thing really odd. I know to most of you English women this will sound childish but I can't understand how I can type these words here and they end up all over everyone else's computers. My Adam has tried to explain it to me but it's more then my simple mind can grasp for now. Especially when this computer has no cords or wires going anywhere. It just sits here or there and folds up into a little compact black square. Adam says this is a laptop. I have seen other computers in other places that are bigger and have a number of pieces that are used but this one is smaller and can be carried around from room to room.

I was so excited to have so many comments to my initial entry. How fun this is. I even had a couple of e-mails asking me more about our life and our story of how we got to where we are.

I'll try to tell it all without getting to long.

I have adored my Adam since I was 16 years old. We started courting then when I was 16 and he was 19. He courted me for 2 years before we announced our engagement to marry in the Fall of 2005. We both lived in Lancaster at that time. In the Summer of 2005 Adam had a falling out with his father over their family Dairy farm. Things got worse and worse between them to the point that his Father threw him out of the family and he was shunned. To be shunned in the Amish community is a very serioius thing and there was no way he could stay among our people.  My heart was broken and I did not know how I would go on without my Adam. Although I was not supposed to be in contact with him, we still wrote each other and stayed in touch because of our love for the other. He left Lancaster and went to Northern Indiana. He settled in the community of Shipshewanna Indiana. There is a very large Amish community here and that is where we live now. Adam settled and worked here for 2 years. The old Amish family that he worked for owned this land with a house and barn and about a half a mile down the land an additional Dairy Barn. This was good for Adam because he already knew the Dairy business from working with his dad and brothers in Lancaster. This land had belonged to this Amish family for many years but the old husband and wife were wanting to move down to the Amish community in Florida and sell off this property. While Adam worked for this family he was able to make some changes to things which increased the production and earnings of this Dairy for this older man and wife by an very large percentage. When they were ready to move they had much more then they ever thought they would have because of all of Adams work and efforts. Since this old couple had no one to leave this land to they offered it to Adam and he gladly excepted.

In making upgrades to the Dairy portion of the farm he had electric put in the house as well. Although we have electric in the house we still use all of the old appliances that were already in the house that are gas run and work fine. Adam did have a hanging light put in the kitchen over the dining table which I really like because it gives me much more light when working in here in the evenings.

My gas appliances are our stove and cooler (refrigerator) and our deep freeze. I still use the hand washing machine for washing our clothing and ring it through the ringer and hang things on the clothes line. We do not have a television but we do have a small battery operated radio in the kitchen. We do not have a telephone. We still use oil lamps in other rooms of the house and when working in the barn near the house. I do not drive a vehicle and still use my horse and buggy to get around town. Adam only uses the trucks for the company when needed for work of course but he also uses our horse and buggy for none business related things.

It's a bit different to fit in this community here. Although we are obviously Amish, we still live different then most of the Amish around here in that we do have power in our home, my husband does not wear a beard as the other married Amish men do (which I love. I never was partial to those scratchy old things and I love to be able to see my Adams handsome face), although I do wear more traditional Amish womens clothing, I do tend to leave off my bonnet most times and I do often let my hair hang down instead of kept up and proper. We also do not attend the bi-weekly church services here. We just don't feel comfortable. Don't get me wrong, no one has ever been mean or rude to us, but we are definitly a young Amish couple that these Old Order Amish don't really know what to think of.

I think I skipped the part where I ended up with my husband after those 2 years of him being away. So let me pick back up there. After 2 years of being apart I told Adam that I could not bare to be away from him any longer. I did not care what my family thought or would do but I just needed to be with him and be his wife. We arranged for him to come back to Lancaster and get me and we planned to marry. Of course this was NOT ok with my family and I had to leave without my families blessing. I have 4 sisters, 3 of which are younger then myself and 3 brothers that are all older then me. Leaving the community broke my mother and fathers hearts and I have not spoken to them in the time I have been away. I have written to my family but my mother will not write me in return. I miss her terribly and I wish that she would think of the love that she has for my own father and know that it is what I have for my husband. I cannot be without him. I have written to my sisters and my younger sisters have written me in return. They miss me so much and I am so sorry for the heart break that I caused them in all of this. They say that Mamm misses me terribly and cries when she reads my letters yet she will not write in return. Even still I continue to write so that she is updated on our life here.

I was 18 years old when I married my husband and he was 21. We were married in March of 2006 at the local Justice here in Northern Indiana and have been married just over 1 year now. Still no boppli on the way (baby).

My days are filled with doing the things that a wife does. I get up at 4:30am to prepare my husbands breakfast and lunch for the day. He leaves home at 5:30am for the Dairy Barn. I clean the kitchen, make the bed, do laundry, do any baking that needs to be done, feed the chickens, goats and the Jersey cow we keep for our own personal milk supply. I also gather the eggs from the chickens, milk the goats and cow by hand and clean out the barn. When finished in the barn I take the milk inside and strain it and put it in jars and put it in the cooler. When chores are done I read my Bible and pray, sew, quilt, work in the garden, read or write. In the afternoons I usually go down the street to visit with another young wife I have meet. We enjoy each others company and she says she finds me daring and brazen.  I mean really......how BRAZEN can an Amish girl really be????? Sometimes we will take the buggy into town to do shopping, go to the Farmers Market or run errands. I get home 2pm when I do leave home so that I can get the afternoon chores done and start supper. Adam usually gets home by 4:30 and we have supper together. After supper I clean the kitchen and Adam and I will play games together or talk while I quilt or sew, he will read his Bible and pray and we will talk about our days. Early mornings make for early bedtimes in an Amish home so we are in bed ready for lights out by 9pm.

This evening Adam left after supper to head down to the Yoder farm to help out with a Heffer that was having trouble birthing her calf today. I hope all that turned out ok. It's still cold here in Northern Indiana. We may be expecting some snow flurries this evening. I worry about Adam out on the icy roads with the buggy and I never feel relief until I see his horse turn up the path and head toward the Barn.

I am going to go and put a pot of coffee on for Adam for when he gets home so that he can warm up next to the wood stove before turning in for the evening.

New to this and computers in general.......

I hope I am doing this right. I'm almost 20 years old and I have only had this computer for 4 months. I grew up Old Order Amish in Lancaster County but now live in among an Amish community in Northern Indiana.

We own a Dairy Farm and my husband has been here for the past 3 years. I have only been here with him for about a year now. We have only been married for a year.

Growing up obviously we did not have a computer, phone, electric or any of the other things that you English have. Until I married my Adam I lived a very traditional Amish life. It's only been for the past year, since we moved here that I have been able to experience some changes. Although I do enjoy some of the English ways, we still live very much the same as we did in our Amish homes back in Lancaster.

Adam bought this Dairy Farm 3 years ago from an Amish family that was leaving the area. Since buying it he updated some of it's abilities in order to produce more and run smoother. Having electric really helps in running a more productive Dairy business. When having electric installed for the Dairy part of our property he also had it installed in the house as well.  So this is why we have power in our home.

We have done little to change this old Amish home we live in. We still use the same gas appliances that were here and have not changed those to electrical. Although we do have a few electric lights for the most part we still use our oil lamps. The old original barn has no electric and we still have to use the oil lamps in there when we are in there after dark.

Have to tend to the animals now so I will be back later.

Lydia