Amish

Ethridge, Tennessee–part 1

| Amy

One of the first things I wanted to do when I went home to Alabama for our annual visit this summer was to travel to Tennessee to the Amish settlement in Ethridge. And I am so glad I did. For once the members of my family got to see first hand about the Amish and I got to visit a settlement that was ‘new’ to me.

I also planned to blog about this great experience, but realized when I sat down to tell you about it, that it was going to take more than one post. So I’m taking this in stages. First up, our wagon tour…

What a treat that we got to travel through part of the settlement in a horse drawn wagon! The young man who drove us down those dusty back roads was very knowledgeable about the Amish. There were certain houses he took us to who were friendly to the English, or non-Amish people.  We got to walk around one man’s wood shop where he made everything entirely out of cedar. I so wanted to bring one of the big wooden porch swings home with me. Ah, well, maybe next year.

We also got to see two very small girls take the family’s lunch scraps out to feed the goats. The girls couldn’t have been more than three and four, but they lugged the big five gallon bucket to the fence and called for the goats in their Pennsylvania Dutch. We were just driving away when the goats came running into the pen to be fed.

The Amish of Ethridge are very conservative, not even allowing their children to have a rumspringa or ‘run around’ time. They also would not let us take pictures of anything. And I mean anything. But how crazy must they think we are that we want to take pictures of their laundry. Or their wood-burning water heater. Or their endless rows of short popcorn stalks.

But being so conservative also means no phone shanties or phones in the barn in case of an emergency, no caution triangles on the back  of their buggies, and very little interaction with the outside community.

Still, the ones that we did get to visit with were very friendly, welcoming us into their world if only for a very brief time.

For more about the Amish settlement in Ethridge, TN, go to http://amishamerica.com/the-amish-of-ethridge-tennessee/

How to Tell that You Live with a Writer by Rob Lillard as told to Amy

| Amy

This post is for all the spouses out there. All the sisters, brothers and moms whose writing family member falls off the radar a couple of times a year. You don’t know if you are one of these abandoned loved ones? There are certain key indicators that you may live with a writer. In any given week, you may find yourself saying something like this…

Monday:

“Do we have any Q-tips?”

What do you mean you don’t know you have a book due?

“What’s for supper?”

“Well, I guess a sandwich is okay. Sure…I can make it  myself.”

Tuesday:

Did you go to the store today? We need Q-tips.

Sure I can make a sandwich for supper, but..we’re out of lunch meat.

I’m out of underwear and socks. Can you wash a load of whites for me?

I know you are under a deadline,  but you can write while the clothes wash.

Wednesday:

Did you remember to get Q-tips?

I know you have a book due, but it’s been three days since I asked you.

You went to the store to get coffee but you forgot Q-tips? Yes, I do believe Q-tips are just as important as coffee.

Can you wash some whites?

Thursday:

I’m down to my last pair of underwear and socks. Did remember you wash some bleach clothes?

Have you taken a shower today? This week?

Honey, setting partially opened cans of cat food in the floor is not really feeding the cat.

Yeah, take out is fine. Yeah…I’ll go get it.

Friday:

I’m going to Walmart. We need lunch meat, Q-tips, and new underwear and socks.

How much longer before you hit your deadline?

If you can say yes, that any or all of the conversation above has taken part at your house, then most probably you live with a writer. Never fear, this insanity usually occurs at this magnitude only around deadline time, but beware of plotting a new book/series.

And good luck to you all. Living with a writer can be a challenge. Yet rewarding as well. After all, they know how to  spell everything.