Mrs. Furious ... Recipes, Rants & Reality: More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About The Amish

Thursday, August 21, 2008

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About The Amish

19 comments:

Julie said...: Okay, you have to tell us more about your mom seeing Amish shopping in a Walmart. That is really amusing!; August 21, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Anonymous said...: You've described the book I just read to a T! I enjoyed it (the Storekeeper's Daughter)--I read it in one night...I am hoping to buy the next book today (the Quilter's Daughter).
:); August 21, 2008 at 5:00 PM
P.O.M. said...: Love the history lesson. I might have to pick up a book, although I tend to leans towards the more sex laden type. ha ha. I did like the Jodi Piccult book about the Amish. Forgot what it was called.; August 21, 2008 at 6:20 PM
Rebecca said...: I've read two of Lewis' series of books ( Abram's daughters and the one that starts with The Crossroads)

OK, maybe this will excite you to death, maybe it won't. I currently have an Amish housekeeper (I live in NE Ohio)Also, two moves ago when I lived near Sugarcreek, OH (look it up people, it's an Amish town) I had an Amish housekeeper for 7 years. I had to go get her, and take her home. It was great....

My DH has always insisted on a housekeeper ( because he refuses to put up with my lack of housekeeping). I'll regret it when I have to pay for college tuition.; August 21, 2008 at 6:59 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Rebecca,
Maybe that will excite me?!?!
Of course it does!!!

So exactly what does an Amish housekeeper do... and how often does she come?

I am suitably fascinated! I wasn't going to blog until later and then I saw this comment and couldn't resist sitting down a minute ;); August 21, 2008 at 7:08 PM
Rebecca said...: Well, I didn't want to act like I was bragging, or take over your blog. Glad that it excited you. :)

The one I have now is young - she just got married. She just basically does regular cleaning - sweep, mop, dust, bathrooms.

The one I had for 7 years I dearly loved - we became friends sort of. She was an older retired Amish (read: one room schoolhouse) teacher. never married. She came once a week or every other week depending on what was going on in our lives. She started when my oldest was 2 yrs. and was with me until our third child was 2.5 yrs and we moved away. Yep...she helped feed and diaper my babies, and hold them when they cried. I had three children in a little under 5 years with a DH that traveled a lot.

I loved the 30 minute ride from her house to mine ( yep, one hour both ways but it was worth it) we'd talk about what to do that day. She would take on other jobs that were more seasonal...planting flowers, cleaning out the fridge and pantry, laundry, ironing, ooh ooh ooh - she LOVED to wash windows. She did regular cleaning too, but enjoyed those other cleaning jobs better. She truly was my "helper" not just a housekeeper. I still exchange Christmas cards with her.

If there's anything you want to know, I could try to find out.; August 21, 2008 at 7:21 PM
Rebecca said...: OK, from the looks of my math she was only our housekeeper for about 5.5 years...guess it just seemed like those years drug on for 7.; August 21, 2008 at 7:24 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Rebecca,
Fascinating.
How did you find your housekeepers?

"guess it just seemed like those years drug on for 7"
lol; August 21, 2008 at 7:33 PM
Rebecca said...: I found them both through word of mouth.

The current one comes every other week and she was cleaning for my friend's neighbor, so I asked if she was available. She's only been with me for a year. The driver brings in a whole van load and they clean different houses in our town - Mine is here for 6.5 hours.

The one from Sugarcreek was found the same way. She'd cleaned for my best friend's mom for years. When the best friend and I started spitting out babies, the friend grabbed her, and I nabbed her a couple years later. She would clean for 8 hours...non stop.

I could go on and on. I lived in that town for 9 years and had contact with them through work before I had kids.

My cleaner now is just another cleaner. We don't talk much like the other one and I did.

BTW - I didn't mean to make it sound so rude when I said to look up Sugarcreek. But I can't figure out how to edit. Sorry if I offended anyone.

I'm commenting like crazy. Can you tell that my DH is out of state and I'm trying to avoid my kids????? Hey, school starts on Tuesday, and I can't wait.; August 21, 2008 at 7:53 PM
gooddog said...: mrs. F- I am not believing how much you know! That really made me smile :) Like our own educational programming! BTW- My sis and hubby bought a vacation farmhouse in PA from a Mennonite family that had owned it and the 200 acres around it for generations. My sister made her husband take off his watch when they went to look at it to buy it hoping to impress the mennonites! lol. Like they were fooled! It is an amazing home though.; August 21, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Rebecca,
Oh I seriously doubt anyone will be offended!

Got to get the kids down I'll be back...; August 21, 2008 at 8:42 PM
wootini said...: Aha!!! Thank you for the clarification of Amish/Mennonite. You must have read my comment on your previous Amish post. Truly, this group of people we ran into last weekend was amazing. So friendly, and I swear, all 15 men waved in unison!!!; August 21, 2008 at 9:23 PM
HC said...: Awww maaaan...but where DO I find the Amish sex books???

Wait, I'm a librarian. I should know this.; August 21, 2008 at 9:47 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Emily,
I think your group might have been Amish. Often the Mennonite women have black Kapps for married women (I think... although every group is different). If they were Amish even the men's clothes would have been handmade. Mennonite and the men would probably be wearing store bought pants... and it would be an obvious difference.

Haley,
bwahahaha... that was hilarious!

Julie,
she was shopping with a friend and couldn't follow them... although the friend said they shop there all the time. Hmmm maybe Walmart isn't so bad ;)

Kat,
I always wondered if the other author's books were pretty much the same.

P.O.M.,
I've been afraid to read the Jodi Picoult one since I feared she couldn't be that accurate on her Amish info and it would piss me off... but maybe I've been too judgmental...; August 21, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Mrs Furious said...: Gooddog,
I love the watch... that is funny :)

" I am not believing how much you know!"
and that is just the tip of the iceberg ;)

Rebecca,
6.5 hours!!! Wow! The non-Amish like to get in and out in 2 hours and they do not do windows!
I'm jealous... I could use a good Amish housekeeper right about now ;); August 21, 2008 at 10:08 PM
lucinda said...: We had friends over for dinner and they were talking about when they lived in an Amish community and I said you were obsessed with the Amish and read Amish romance novels, and she said, "Beverly Lewis! My amish friend got me reading them." So, maybe they are sanctioned.; August 21, 2008 at 10:10 PM
Mrs Furious said...: mom,
seriously? That makes them even better!; August 21, 2008 at 10:24 PM
Elizabeth said...: Hey! Crazy, I was just reading the Metro on the T today (I'm in Boston for a wedding...) And they were saying that the Amish population has doubled in the last 16 years.

I didn't get to listen to your actual post yet due to it being late and my being in my friend's apartment... so I don't know if I"m repeating things you've said already. I'm looking forward to watching it in the morning with my breakfast!

Also I worked with a Menonite kid at a summerstock one year. He said his group used most modern technology, they just ate totally organic and tried to "walk the walk" as much as physically possible. He was one of the 'best'(as in actively trying all the time to be a good person) people I've met along the way, it was really interesting.; August 22, 2008 at 12:31 AM
swienick666 said...: I heart Mrs. Furious

-SawSaw; August 22, 2008 at 10:25 AM