The Blog

Quilting, An Amish Craft For the month of May we’re going to focus on Amish crafts. This will be a lot of fun, as I know that many of you are “crafty” too. If you’re not, this might be a good chance to start – OR, you could just enjoy the pretty pictures. The Amish are well-known for their quilting.... read more

Amish Beliefs, Part 3 This month we have been looking at Amish beliefs. The first week we discussed What Amish Believe, especially in regard to their faith. The second week we focused on Family Roles. Today I thought we would talk about the Amish and their attitude toward Englisch (non-Amish folk) and technology. These are 2 questions I receive often... read more

Amish Beliefs, Part 2 Last week we talked about Amish beliefs in relation to specific spiritual teachings. Today I thought we’d talk about the role of family members. Remember, the comments below are what I have observed, but each community is... read more

Amish Beliefs, Part 1 For the month of April we’re going to talk about what, exactly, the Amish believe. DISCLAIMER: What I share is true for the Amish I have personally met, but of course beliefs vary somewhat from district to district. Please keep this in mind. If you’ve experienced something different, we... read more

FAQ About the Amish, Part 2 Last week I shared some of the most frequent questions I hear regarding this Amish. I have a few more that I’d like to share today. Remember, these answers are based on my experience–yours might be different as practices differ between communities. Is it true that the Amish only study and teach certain parts... read more

Frequently Asked Questions About the Amish We have been focusing on the background of the Amish this month and general information about them. I thought that this week and next week, I’d answer some FAQ. Remember, these answers are based on my experience–yours might be different and certainly some of what you read will come from a different perspective. Do... read more

The Pumpkinvine Trail While I was in Indiana, hubby and I took a few hours to bike the Pumpkinvine Trail. We didn’t bike ALL of it. We biked 5 miles one way and 5 miles back. That was a lot for us. The trail is a real beauty. In total it is 16.5 miles connecting Goshen, Middlebury and Shipshewana. It... read more

All Things Amish–Menno-Hof in Shipshewana When you visit Shipshewana, one of the first things you notice is the big red barn on South Van Buren as you’re driving through town. The Menno-Hof was actually built in a traditional barn-raising with the help of local the local Amish and Mennonite communities. I was in Shipshe the last 2 summers to research my books, Falling... read more

It’s Saturday, and time for another Amish Myth Buster. Myth Buster #4: Knitting This week’s question is from one of our blog readers, Karen. What I would like to know is do Amish women knit? I never see knitted items for sale or read about their knitting skills – just quilting. But everyone needs mittens and hats, so I have to... read more

I thought since it’s so blazing HOT across the states, I’d do a blog that amuses me — Amish BUGGIES. When I first started reading Amish books, I had a hard time envisioning what these looked like. I suppose I pictured something like a prairie wagon. Of course I’d seen a few on book covers, and one or two in... read more