Of Quilts and Queens…

…and other Q things. It’s always an interesting quest to come up with Q words to share for ABC Wednesday.

These first two photos were taken in Bristol Indiana.

Quilts on Barns in Amish/Mennonite Country.

Barn Quilt in Eastern Washington from the road.

Quilts in the Der Dutchman Restaurant in Ohio Amish Country.

And now a quick trip across the pond to England to visit Queen Victoria.

Outside Buckingham Palace, 2013.

Outside Windsor Castle, 2014.

For my last offerings we’re back in the USA for Queues of buggies from Amish Country.

Linking up to ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and the ABC Team.

Despite the rain last night (Halloween) we got about 44 trick or treaters at our door. The bonus of the night was being able to meet a new neighbor we hadn’t met before with their almost 1 year old little boy. So sweet.

I’ll leave you with a couple “Quiet” verses from the Bible to calm (quiet) you in our noisy world.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, ²for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NASB)

The Plain People

Plain people are Christian groups characterized by separation from the world and by simple living, including plain dressing. This is a very simple definition of Plain People.

This is a photo full post with most of the pictures of Plain People I captured in the Amish/Mennonite Communities in parts of Indiana and Holmes County Ohio.

This photo is a drive-by snap of a Barn Sale.

Ending with this school yard photo of the children at recess.

I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday for P is for Plain People with thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt and Roger plus the ABC team.

Since these photos are mostly from farming communities I’m also linking up to The Barn Collective with Tom the Backroads Traveller.

Fall is living up to it’s name in our yard. Dear went out and rustled up all the leaves this morning and then the winds came and there are more leaves than before on the ground. That is the price we pay for the beauty of our changing seasons. It’s worth it.

As I type I’m watching more leaves fall and it’s a lovely sight.

Ohio

O is for Ohio. I have an abundance of photos taken while in Amish/Mennonite country in Ohio and Indiana. The sights we saw were otherworldly and original for us. You could hear me exclaim “oh my goodness, look at that!” Also, “oh my, look at all that pie”.

Other sights that made us look more than once.

Oink, Oink!

The schoolyards so very different from our experience.

Our room was outstanding too with lots of square footage and nice outside views.

The clip clop of the horse drawn buggies was the highlight in this part of Ohio and in Indiana.

Linking up to ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and administered by Roger and the great ABC team!

We’re traveling today and unable to be online to see all your October posts. I’ll be back online soon.

Neigh…

…of a horse.

While driving the country roads in Amish Country Ohio with our friends Bev and Harv we stopped to take a closer look at these noble creatures.

They noticed us and came closer to see if we had a treat for them.

We chose roads less traveled and we were rewarded with these beautiful scenes.

All these photos were taken on Wednesday September 28th in Holmes County, Ohio.

Linking up to ABC Wednesday for N is for Neigh. Thank you Mrs. Nesbitt for starting ABC and Roger and company for your hand in keeping it going.

Head over to Mennonite Girls Can Cook for my Cucumber Salsa Recipe.

M is for Mennonite Girls Can Cook

The “Girls” and most of our husbands have just returned from a seven day trip to Indiana and Ohio to see a production using our name in Amish/Mennonite Country. The Blue Gate Productions hosted us and treated us as VIP’s. All ten of the girls were together at the Blue Gate Garden Inn where we enjoyed “Faspa” on Sunday night before we had our cooking show and saw the production for the first time. As you can see from the first photo above we have fun together.

We took this opportunity to get some photos of all ten of us since Betty and Charlotte live in Manitoba and miss many of our get togethers in British Columbia and Seattle.

This part of the country really enjoy pie and Kathy bought a couple pies for our time together.

The Blue Gate Garden Inn /Shipshewana was a lovely spot with the perfect outdoor space for us to enjoy our Faspa.

“Faspa” is one of those Low German words for which there is no direct English translation. Faspa is a light lunch about 4 p.m. on workdays. Faspa also is the gathering of family and friends, usually at 4 p.m. Sunday, for a light meal and fellowship, with an emphasis on fellowship. The meal always included zwieback, coffee and might also include cheese, cold cuts, and jelly.

On Monday the festivities began at the Blue Gate Theater and Restaurant with a cooking show before a dinner and play and topping the day off with an ice cream social. It’s strange seeing your name in lights!

Lovella, Anneliese and Kathy were on stage for the cooking show and they had a wonderful opportunity to convey who the “real Mennonite Girls” are and what we believe and why we give all of our author royalties to charities that benefit orphans and widows and provide food to those who are in desperate need. They really shined on stage and had the audience entertained. They made three recipe’s from our books for the show and the Blue Gate served those three dishes after the show to the audience.

Later we met lovely people who were able to share their stories with us at a dinner before the show. We really enjoyed talking to these retired teachers from Ohio. Oh my and we ate in the Amish/Mennonite way with more than one protein, starch, veggie, and of course Pie to end the meal. Don’t forget that there still was an ice cream social after the play.

Salad, Meatloaf, fried chicken, green beans, stuffing, noodles, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

Here we are with the cast from the comedy. They were great actors, playing ten separate characters. We were happy that we had the chance at our cooking show to represent who we are in contrast to the play.

We had the special treat to have my niece’s in-laws come down from Michigan to see the cooking show and to spend the morning with us taking us around to their favorite shops in Shipshewana. It’s always great to enjoy a town with “locals” who know the area. Thank you Mary Lou and Arden for your hospitality to us! In another post I’ll show what we saw with our special hosts.

From Shipshewana we traveled to Sugarcreek Ohio to the Carlisle Inn, another beautiful and well appointed Inn. We were treated to lovely suites for the next leg of our time together. We had another opportunity to have a dinner where we could share the real story about the Mennonite Girls before the play and meet people at book signings after the play. It was so good to be together with our husbands and enjoy this very unique countryside together.

I have lots of posts that will show the countryside and the people who live in the communities we visited. I’m missing the clip clop clip clop of the beautiful horses pulling the buggies…

Linking up to ABC Wednesday with thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt and Roger and all the administrators of this weekly meme.

Kenmore City Mural

This mural was just unveiled and celebrated on Labor Day in the city of Kenmore, Washington.

It is painted on the side of the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store.

Kenmore is located on the Top of Lake Washington in Washington State.

You see the blue heron on the bottom left photo in this mosaic? Very close to St. Vincent de Paul at the rear area of the Kenmore Park and Ride there is a nesting area of Blue Herons. The nests high up in the trees are something extraordinary to see. You can see more on my post here. All the dark patches in the trees are Blue Heron nests on this next photo.

We’ve enjoyed many of the services these local businesses offer during our years living close to and in Kenmore. Ostrom’s pharmacy, Kenmore Lanes (for birthday parties), Kenmore Camera, Tai Ho (great lunch specials) and others. All three of our kids graduated high school from Inglemoor. We’ve also found great bargains from St. Vincent de Paul thrift store over the years and donated many things there. Some of the images are historical and not current.

It was nice to see the business and community effort that made this mural happen. I’m glad for once I have the signatures of the mural artists.

I’m linking up with Oakland Daily Photo for Monday Mural and

Mosaic Monday with Maggie from Normandy Life and

ABC Wednesday for K is for Kenmore Mural.

I is for Indiana

Later this month all the Mennonite Girls and many of their husbands are headed to Shipshewana, Indiana for …

This is all very surreal to all of us and we are excited to see the show and enjoy the experience. I’ve been reading up on the area and want to respect the people in this community. This article is helpful.

LaGrange County and Shipshewana are home to the third largest Amish community in the nation. This community’s simple way of life is the reason many people visit our area—to observe, learn about, pay tribute to, and purchase items from the Amish.

With the travel season upon us, here are a few things to remember as you travel to our area and interact with the Amish:

1. Upon your arrival, you will notice the roads filled with bikes and buggies; many people will be walking, and kids will be riding pony carts.

Please slow down and take extra caution as you travel. Buggies follow the same road rules as vehicles, so they are allowed to be on the road.

2. Please don’t honk at the horses pulling buggies. The sound easily could spook the horses.

3. The Amish in our area understand the fact that visitors come to get to know them. Within limits, they will visit some with you, but if they choose not to, that’s okay. Even if you don’t get into a conversation with them, they will provide a smile and a nod.

4. As part of their religious heritage, Amish believe photographs are “graven images,” so please do not take photos of their faces…grown-ups or children. It’s tempting, we know, but please honor their culture by not taking photographs.

5. DO stop in at their home businesses on the Amish backroads. Many of these businesses help sustain the Amish way of life. You’ll see many signs on our county roads advertising these small “cottage businesses.” When you see a sign, you’re automatically invited to stop in; you’ll be welcomed.

6. Most shops are closed on Sunday so the Amish can honor the Sabbath with a day of rest and spend uninterrupted time with their family. Plan your schedule accordingly.

Welcome to LaGrange County. We’re so glad you’re here!

After a few days in Indiana we continue on to Ohio for the second location of our play at the Ohio Star Theater (Sugarcreek). Somebody pinch me…but not too hard!

I wonder what items I will find to buy and bring home with me from these industrious people.

If any of you have been in this part of the country and you have a recommendation on what to see let me know in comments.

I’m linking up with ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and a team of exceptional bloggers!

Horses…

On our many trips to our son’s home in Northeastern Washington we have seen this horseshoe creation as we zoom by Ritzville, Washington. On one of our more recent trips we stopped for breakfast in Ritzville and got a close up of these creations. It’s a roadside treasure.

At our son’s property we get to see real horses at different times of the day.

These lovely creatures are being boarded on the property across the way from our son’s home.

H is for horses and horseshoes. I’m linking up with ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by a helpful team.

I’m also linking up to Tuesday’s Treasures with Tom the Backroads Traveler.

Buffalo Bill Dam

D is for Dam…

On our way to Cody, Wyoming from the eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park we stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam. It was so windy that they couldn’t even raise the flags.

Buffalo Bill Dam, the tallest dam in the world when it was completed in 1910. Built with no steel reinforcement.

This photo is looking down along the dam.

You can read about the history of the dam by clicking to this link.

More than 100 years after it was built, the Buffalo Bill Dam (formerly the Shoshone Dam) still stands as an impressive engineering feat. When it was built in 1910 its 325-foot height ranked it as the highest dam in the world. Located roughly 45 miles east of Yellowstone National Park’s east entrance and six miles west of Cody, Wyoming, the dam was also one of the first concrete dams erected in the U.S.

I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and administered by Roger and a team of ABC’ers. Thank you Roger and team!

Linking to Tuesday’s Treasures with Tom the Backroads Traveler with this historical treasure.

I’m also linking up to signs, signs with Lesley on Wednesday.

Our kids from Eastern Washington left on Monday with a full load for the long drive home. We were happy to get a text that they arrived safe and sound. Here’s what their load looked like as they drove away from our house. Dear is very happy about the freed up space in his shop and now our son Dan can work on this project in his own shop.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is the most breathtaking sight inside Yellowstone Park. Twenty miles long, the canyon is up to 4,000-feet wide and 1,200-feet deep in places. From several vantage points, you can view Lower Falls plunging steeply into the canyon 308 feet, or the Upper Falls tumbling 109 feet.

Lower Falls, the biggest waterfall in Yellowstone, is the most famous in the Park, hands down. In fact, the 308-foot tall waterfall it is most likely the second most photographed spot in Yellowstone, with Old Faithful Geyser being the first.

We are looking down here and just wanted the perspective with Dear’s arm in the photo. It’s a very long way down.

We viewed this area from both sides of the canyon. It really was amazing and it’s one of those areas where you really cannot capture the grandeur with photos. I hope you can go there in person if you haven’t been before. We also stopped at the brink of the falls. So powerful and scary.

This was our second full day in Yellowstone. We stayed the night at the Canyon Lodge area of the park which was close by. When we were in Cody, Wyoming later in our trip we stopped at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and I took photos of these artists renditions of the Lower Falls and Canyon of Yellowstone.

I’ll be linking up to ABC Wednesday, started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and the team. C is for Canyon. I’m also linking to Tuesday’s Treasures with Tom The Backroads Traveler. Yellowstone is a National Treasure!

I’m posting this on Monday and we are a month into summer already. Today is window washing day at this old house. Dear has been working since the wee hours of the morning on the windows and soon I’ll start on my part of the process and lightly scrub the screens. The views are clear and sparkling through our windows already. Do you have any summertime projects?

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: ABC Wednesday