Sugarcreek, Ohio

I’m sharing a series of signs seen while in and around Sugarcreek, Ohio, with the Mennonite Girls Can Cook.

We saw the signs that described Sugarcreek as The Little Switzerland of Ohio.

We headed to downtown Sugarcreek for our book signing at The Gospel Shop on Main street.

Sugarcreek is also known for having “the world’s largest cuckoo clock” which earned an Ohio Historical Marker.

All the shops downtown have facades that try to mirror a Swiss Village.

On our travels around this area we passed these smoke stacks several times and I managed to get a photo on one of our drive-bys.

Because of its abundant deposits of clay, Sugarcreek has also become one of the country’s leading makers of face brick. Its history goes back to 1910 when the Finzer Brothers Clay Company was started by the Finzer brothers, grandsons of Swiss immigrants who settled in Sugar Creek. Belden Brick, a company that originated in Canton, Ohio, bought the Sugarcreek company in 1946. Several of the buildings and many of the kilns that are used today were built and installed when the original company was founded in 1910.

I’m linking up to signs, signs hosted by Lesley.

We are a soggy mess here in the Pacific Northwest today. Looks like we’ll have to gather soggy leaves tomorrow. Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

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.

Saint John of the Cross Episcopal Church Indiana

While we were in Shipshewana Indiana we took a drive on The Heritage Trail to many small towns circling back to Shipshe. We stopped at this church in Bristol to take photos and found out it was a historic landmark.

Linking up to InSPIREd Sunday with Beth and Sally.

We are having a slow Saturday here at this old house. Patio covers are removed and…

…we are just watching the leaves fall. How’s your weekend progressing?

Thank You for Friday & Everything Else

Last weekend Dear and I were visiting our eastern Washington kids. On Saturday while the guys worked hard on a home project, Jamie and I attended a Paint Party. The party was put on by Raggedy Rose Vintage Designs ~ Make and Take Sign Parties. They have a Facebook Page.

First we got to pick our wood board in whatever finish we liked.

We got to choose the stencil with a saying we wanted to add to our board. The equipment was all provided along with great spaces to create. So many paint colors to choose from. The hostesses went around helping us and giving us tips.

After we painted the lettering and symbols we let the paint dry somewhat and then we peeled off the stencil and got to see our final results. When things were good and dry they screwed in a hanging wire for us.

There was a little glare on the photo of this one which is our daughter in laws. Mine is the one at the top of this post that says thankful & Grateful.

Here are the gals with their new creations ready to take home. For a non-crafty person like myself this was not as scary as I thought it would be. Everything was so well organized and things explained well. It was a lot of fun. We got home in time to relax before we enjoyed dinner with the guys.

On Monday we got to enjoy a wonderful double rainbow just out of our kid’s door.

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

¹⁷So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.” Genesis 9: 13-17

I posted this Russian Beet salad, Vinegrette, that was a family favorite growing up on Monday. You can find the recipe at Mennonite Girls can Cook by clicking here.

On Tuesday we drove the five and a half hours back to our home in Western Washington.

I’m thankful and grateful for God’s goodness and love towards us. For our visit with our kids in Eastern Washington. For enjoying creative endeavors. For Dear and Dan being able to complete a house project together. For God’s provision for our son in giving him a good helper in Jamie, (Genesis 2:18 (ESV) Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”) For the rainbow and God’s promise to us. And on a lighter note…good food!

I’m linking up to…

Foodie Friday and Everything Else at Rattlebridge Farm

Five on Friday with Amy at Love Made My Home

Friday’s Fave Five with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story

City of Murals

In late September when traveling from Shipshewana Indiana to Sugarcreek Ohio we stopped briefly in Ligonier, Indiana.

The murals all depict historical places, businesses, and events. No tax money has been used for the murals. All money and time has been donated by local foundations, individuals, businesses, and industries, even to the bronze plaques on each mural.

Mier Carriage

Tyler Tank Oil Company

Mier Car

Blazed Trail Garage

Ligonier 1835. (I took this one from our moving car)

There are now a total of 31 murals. Artists have been chosen from Bronson, Mich.; Winona Lake, Ind.; Goshen, Ind.; Butternut, Wis.; Kendallville, Ind.; and Albion, Ind. from the Dept. of Corrections at Chain O’ Lakes State Park.

It would have been fun to go on a hunt to spot all 31 but we were in a time crunch to get to our destination for the night. They offer a map on the city web page showing where the murals are located.

I’m linking up to Monday Mural hosted by Oakland Daily Photo.

Hope your Monday is going well.

A Church in a Barn…

When were were driving the Heritage Trail on a Sunday in Indiana it didn’t take us long to figure out that there was a church gathering happening in a room in this barn.

All the horses were unhitched from their buggies.

At one point a fussy little one had to be taken out to the buggy for something to soothe the tears.

I’m linking up to…

InSPIREd Sunday with Beth and Sally and

The Barn Collective with Tom The Backroads Traveller.

We are in the country again this weekend in Northeastern Washington State. The guys are working on finishing up a staircase project while us girls are walking and enjoying other things. The big storm that was suppose to hit the Western part of our state fizzled out. That’s okay by us. Hope your weekend is filled with peace.

Escape from Seattle…

…to the country.

We were greeted by many country creatures upon our arrival.

We’ll be busy being country mice for a few days. I will get caught up with bloggy world here and there. Meanwhile back on the other side of the Cascades these warnings are being issued.

The latest look at the forecast models this morning shows they are still calling for a major windstorm this evening and tonight. This morning would be a good time to do your final preparations in case the power goes out in your area.

Right now a powerful low pressure center carrying the remnants of Typhoon Songda is off the Oregon coast. It’s expected to track inland across the Washington coast into southern British Columbia — a text book scenario to a damaging wind storm in Western Washington.

We have our home prepared and people in place to watch and let us know what’s going on…

Shipshe Flea Market Signs

When we were in Shipshewana we spent some time at the Flea Market and saw these signs and other merchandise.

The Time Out chairs cracked me up.

“I had a Fit Now I gotta sit” and Time Out ~ “Have Mercy on me O Lord For I’m in Trouble”

There were lots of items I wanted to bring home with me but alas my suitcase wasn’t the size of a pick-up truck.

I bought this Celebrations sign with discs and hearts to add for our family birthdays and anniversaries.

We are being threatened with a mighty wind storm and lots of rain to blow through our region. We have been busy “battening down the hatches” at this old house. We’ve mowed and cleaned out the planters and soon we’ll have more leaves to deal with because of the mighty winds. Hopefully we won’t lose power. Hope y’all are enjoying Fall!

Linking up with Lesley at signs, signs.

Wednesday Washday in Amish Country

I don’t know if every Wednesday is washday but on this particular Wednesday as we drove the country roads we spotted many wash lines filled with clothing drying in the wind. This area has a large population of both Amish and Mennonite folk.

ON A WINDY WASH DAY MORN

Soaked and scrubbed in a round tin tub
with homemade soap
up and down the ribs of a wooden washboard
by hands rubbed red & raw
on a windy wash day morn.

Stiffened with starch, squeezed
and wrung to a twisted laundry rope
then hung on lines to flap
back and forth and snap dry
on a windy wash day morn.

Laid on the lawn like paper cutouts
clean shirts and sheets, towels and skirts
smelling of sun and clouds and wind
wait to be ironed and worn and dirtied
again for another wash day morn.

~ Brenda Seabrooke, American poet and novelist