The Rest of the Story....

I didn't get to tell you much about our week-end away because I was talking so much about the Amish. We had a really nice time. As I mentioned I liked just driving around checking out the country scene. I used to think I was a country girl at heart but I have to admit when we first got there I felt really disconnected. I was annoyed by the spotty cell phone service and the fact that the stores closed at 5 P.M. Either way we drove to "the city" that evening for dinner and a movie. We watched "The Invisible", which was okay. I guess it just wasn't what I expected. On our way back to the Bed & Breakfast we drove through Fredericksburg, passed Jake's old house. He noticed the lights were on at the softball field, so we drove over to see who was playing. I think Jake was hoping it was someone he knew, so he could join in! But when we got there I saw the coolest thing.... It was a group of Amish teens playing softball. It looked like it may have been boys against girls. The girls were all out there in their dresses & bonnets. The parking lot was full of horse and buggies. Isn't that cool? I so badly wanted to take some pictures but I didn't want to be rude. The Amish don't believe in having their picture taken. It has to do with the Bible verse about "graven images". Some of the new order amish are a little more lenient about it....I guess it all boils down to "if the Bishop is going to find out"....at least that is what I have heard. Either way, for me, I know I used to think the Amish were all work and no play - seeing them play softball was cool. Jake wasn't the least bit entertained the way I was!!!

Over the week-end we got to see a couple of other things that I thought would have been picture worthy. One was an Amish lady mowing her lawn with a gas push mower. We saw several van loads of Amish going places. Jake lovingly calls them "Yoder Towders". I thought that was funny.

I don't know if I mentioned but Paul & Linda watched the kids while we were away. Since they were in town they decided it would be a good time to go visit Paul's brother, Roy (who is Amish). They took the kids. They had both been before but neither of them remembered. I had told Jude he would get to see all sorts of animals and about the lights in the house being gas instead of light bulbs. I also told him there would be other children there but they would not be able to understand him when he speaks because Amish children only speak Pennsylvania Dutch until they begin school, where they learn English. When they got to the farm, there was a little boy there who is almost the same age as Jude. He is Jude's second cousin. Funny, he knows several second cousins from my side of the family and this was the first time he met this little boy. Anyhoo.....Jude played with the kid all day and like I had warned, they didn't speak each other's language. Linda said it was cute - Jude would say something in English & Jonathon would say something back in Dutch. Isn't that the cutest thing ever???? Well, maybe you don't think so but I do! Jude has been talking about "his cousin....you know mom, the one who's dad has a long beard!". I love it.