Amish Hospitality

I drove an Amish family to a wedding this week. We left on Wednesday and spent the night with one of their relatives. (The Amish in Ohio generally have their weddings on Thursday, though sometimes on Tuesday.) My group were not the only ones spending the night at the farmhouse. But, I was the only English (non-Amish) sleeping over. Before I went to bed, the host family told me to sleep in the next morning. They were going to take a buggy to the event--I wouldn't need to show up until lunch time. So I did. How peaceful it was! The only noise as I drifted to sleep that night was the wind. I have to admit, I missed hearing the night train near my own home. But the serenity of that farmhouse was complete.

When I finally rolled out of bed about 8:30 the next morning, I went downstairs to find breakfast waiting for me on the table. A note directed me to the warm breakfast casserole setting on the cast iron cook stove, along with a kettle of hot water for coffee. A bowl and flatware sat on the table next to cereal, farm-fresh milk, a plastic container with two kinds of cookies, a jar of instant coffee, and a pitcher of fresh pumped water. The room was dark, so I pulled the simple curtains back to let the sunshine in, sat at the table, and had a leisurely breakfast.

On the way to the wedding, I took a few photos at the "sugar barn" where they cook down maple sap to make maple syrup. Below are a few photos. Notice the sap is clear when it comes out of the trees. The dark color is obtained by reducing the liquid during cooking. It takes 50 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of pure maple syrup!

The simple, hardworking life of the Amish may not suit everybody. I would have a hard time getting used to living without electricity and indoor plumbing. However, I am thankful to be able to take a peak inside now and then!