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The Rewards of Being an Author
I did not realize until this past year, that the impetus for writing my first book, Why I Left the Amish, was essentially to find acknowledgement of the struggles of my childhood. Both my parents died without acknowledging the difficulties all seven of their children endured. My siblings and I have dealt differently with the…
Read MoreMealtime Prayer Traditions
I grew up with the tradition of saying a silent prayer before and after each meal in my Amish family and community. Once we were gathered around our kitchen table, my father would say "Händt nunna" (Hands down) and we would all put our hands in our laps and bow our heads. When we heard…
Read MoreA Porch: All Shiny and New (Looking)
I think I've mentioned before that David and I bought a house in 2008 that was built in 1921. Seven years later, we are still renovating it. For the past three or so years, we've been looking at the rafters of our porch. We decided to do something about that before the snow flies. Several…
Read MoreAnother Soul-Restoring Trip to Vermont
I finally submitted my Fulbright application. It has been an intense, yet very rewarding process. Everyone who applies for a Fulbright Scholarship grant needs to find at least one affiliate researcher who agrees to oversee the candidate's project. I am fortunate to have not one, but four professors who have offered to support and oversee…
Read MoreTravels to Cape Cod
Last week, David and I traveled to Cape Cod to visit friends for several days. They are well-traveled and generously showed us around to sights we'd never seen before and to restaurants where we ate delectable meals. We had a great time eating fresh seafood, swimming in the ocean, swimming in Long Pond, watching birds,…
Read MoreOp-Ed in Cleveland Plain Dealer
I hope you will click on over to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where a new op-ed I wrote was printed this morning. A lively discussion has already started, and I hope you will join it. The piece is called Amish Buggies Leaving a Smelly Issue in their Wake. Here is an excerpt: I grew up…
Read MoreGuest Post on Amish Wisdom
I wrote a guest post for Amish Wisdom's "Cook's Corner" that was posted today. I hope you'll click on over and read about the inspiration behind my summer fruit pies and maybe even test my recipe for peach pie. Here is an excerpt: I did help Clara out, that day and many other Saturdays. I…
Read MoreBicycles in Amish Country
Those who have read my book, Bonnet Strings, know how much I longed to ride a bicycle when I was in my early twenties. I knew that some other Amish communities allowed them, and I wished so much that they would change that rule of the Ordnung. But they didn't. We lived with the double…
Read MoreBe Back Soon!
I have not forgotten you, my dear readers. I have been working, almost exclusively, on my Fulbright proposal for the past few weeks. I am using the Nielson Library at Smith College more than I used to when I was a student there. It is amazing how quiet it is there in the summertime. I…
Read MoreAmish Exemptions
Many issues arise between the intersection between the Amish culture and the mainstream culture because the values are so different. This often means that the Amish are granted exemptions from laws that they feel infringe on their religious beliefs or practices. Culturally, the Amish tend to be in touch with the precariousness of life and…
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