It’s already Sunday and I’m still up. Our friend Alice from Ohio took her friend Ron on a day trip to Holmes Co, Ohio to visit the Amish community there. She told me about Behalt which I still don’t understand. Is it a geographic place? If it’s a building wouldn’t it be called The Behalt? Here’s a brochure about the famous painting.
They also shopped at a quilt shop as well as the local hardware store where appliances like this were sold.
I need to do a little research online about this area. My only question to Alice was – did you see puppies being sold along the road???? She said no.
Vicki in Iowa sent this picture of her lilacs blooming.
We’re in the middle of soybean harvest. Here are Farmer Tim’s beans just west of here.
This is what Patti is doing:
I’m wondering about our friends in Florida and all the locations hit by the hurricane. Very sad to see the pictures on the news. It looks impossible to restore order there.
This morning Michele, Hank’s mom, wondered if she could bring her granddaughter over to see the chickens. Here’s Maddie and me checking out the eggs.
I told her to pick out a chicken that I could name Maddie and here she is:
Entertained the dogs, sewed a bit and watched some football. What a great Saturday!
Loved the pictures of Maddie & the Chickens! I’m surprised they are harvesting soy beans in your area already, they aren’t ready to harvest here yet (south central KY). Was also surprised to see the blooming Lilac bush, mine quit blooming months ago. So heartbreaking to see all the devastation from the hurricane. Sending prayers to all those affected.
I went to Holmes County Ohio on a bus trip about 12 years ago. As part of our tour we had lunch at an Amish farmhouse. When we were leaving the bus had to go by the barn to turn around. They had a large puppy mill with dog crates stacked on top of each other. It was so sad. I also saw some young girls in town selling puppies in a green space. It changed the way I think about the Amish.
JoAnna – yes! This is what I’ve seen, too, and then learned they hardly feed their horses – so skinny and thought of as just farm equipment! My feelings abruptly changed when we went to a big flea market in MO located near an Amish settlement and dozens of vendors were selling puppies. It’s a nightmare to me. You’d never get me to an Amish community
I loved the Circle of Life picture. It looks like the little boy is looking up at the elderly man saying, “Why do you need that?” So cute. Enjoyed all the pictures. I wonder if the lilacs will bloom again in spring. I have never heard of them blooming in the fall. Another beautiful day in Iowa. Lots of harvesting going on in our area. Pray for safety for our farmers, and be patient if you have to follow them on the highways. They are doing their “important” job. God bless our farmers!!
Enjoyed Maddie’s chicken choice. A very elegant looking bird. Just saw a promo for 60 minutes tonight which included a segment of an interview with Caitlin Clark. Not sure what time it is on. Love the “ circle of life”, almost as much as the We are quilters one. That was priceless.
Karen in MD
Karen – 60 Minutes is on here at 6:00 depending on the final of the football game if ones prior. It’s a story about the WNBA not just Caitlin / I wouldn’t miss it!
fantastic blog post today. the circle of life photo is so true.
my part of florida had little to no damage from hurricane helene. the florida damage was on the west coast and especially in the big bend area (where the state bends and becomes a penisula). i feel so badly for the states that have had soo much damage. how would they know how to prepare for that type of damage from a hurricane that they would not expect. the devastation is horrible. bonnie hunter and her quiltville inn had damage and even her husband was hurt badly – roads closed, trees down, electricity out and hours upon hours waiting for ambulance. who would have thought about damage in that area.
my pictures for today show what happens when my brain is just tired but i want to sew. hopefully they will turn into something someone will like. i seem to have a gazillion projects going at once. should have been working on backs for the quilts to turn in this coming friday. but not in the mood. no, i don’t have truckloads of fabric (just a houseful), but i think i could sew everyday until i reach at least 387 years. i’m glad i can be an inspiration to others. i keep saying there are things i still need to do in this lifetime and that is why i keep on going. maybe this is it. (btw, happy birthday to janet!)
vicki i am so glad you have such a good pulmonologist. so glad people are pulling through with the rounds of covid. i have not had it and hope to never get it. my kidney doctor had suggested i wait until mid october to get the covid and the flu shot so i’d be covered over the worst six months of flu, etc. i woke up today with a horrible case of dizziness. it lasted a good three hours. i’m still eating crackers.
i cracked up that maddie picked out the black chicken to be named maddie. would make it easy for a young child to remember (and even us older ones who aren’t used to chickens). and there was keeper making sure she was safe from any ‘marauding’ chickens.
martha, the loss of the last parent in the family is devastating in my opinion. we lost my mother in 2017 and still haven’t finalized the estate. last sister in texas (where estate is) and i’m in florida. want to make it there this year but still waiting on test results. i will keep you in my prayers,
happy quilting everyone, hugs from patti in florida (who is willing to share her fabric if you need it)
forgot to say – the information on the behalt is fascinating. i would not have known this. patti in florida
Patti – I would not have known either!!
Patti, Love your “HI” quilt!
Hello! I live about 45 minutes from Berlin, OH and Lehman’s Hardware in Kidron, OH has been around for many many years! I must say though, (showing my age!) it was much better before it was remodeled and became more commercial. That said, it’s well worth a visit if you’re in the area! As I get older, I see so many rural Amish areas becoming so commercialized in OH and it makes me sad. Does this mean I’m cranky?? 🤣
Love little Maddie checking out the chickens – so sweet!
Kelli – we can all be cranky together!
I agree Kelli. The quilt shops do not seem to be as commercialized! Lehman’s really has changed. I have never seen puppies being sold along the road, but there is that pet shop in Berlin. Ugh. I live Madeline’s chicken.🐓
Lots of rain today—yippee. We NEED it so much.
I have been working a lot on Homor Flight quilts. Photos soon, I hope.
Diane – it’s an image I saw in MO that I cannot unsee – also in a Cabella’s parking lot in MN. I’ll never forget
Oh yes, I totally understand. I wonder if they have been investigated by the state or if they have gone underground so they are not as evident? Makes me very mad, too, that they are not totally shut down. There are good breeders that do not have the dogs in cages, but not sure where they are located. I hope the state has shut them down.
I hate all the Amish puppy mills – SO sad 😥 sound like we might be fairly close in proximity!
Chickens, kids, quilts, circles of life. Great post.
My friend still cooks on one of those stoves. She heats it with wood and in the winter, it is what heats her house. She’s 80 years old and her parents installed it when they bought the house…over 100 years ago.!
She has a hot water heater, but no furnace.
Jo – does she buy her wood or does someone cut wood for her – maybe she lives around a lot of timber?
I love your Circle of Life photo. My grandmother often said…”Once a man, twice a baby.”
Maddie is a daring little girl. I find it interesting that she chose the all-black chicken who seems to like being Queen of the feed bucket. Seems like Keeper is making sure she is safe.
Lilacs in September! Amazing.
Sue – oh, your grandmother was so smart -“twice a baby”! Perfect description.
My lilacs lost their leaves then a week or two later a few leaves started back and some flowers all over them. This hasn’t happen before but a beautiful and fragrant surprise. Beautiful morning here with sewing and football ahead. Have a great day.
My smile is big as I read the blog. I find lots of info too in the comments. I did not realize this storm did so much damage inland. I texted a friend who lives in NC and she called back and was upset. She is fine but she was upset at the devastation for so many. We did not talk long. She said power outages were extensive. I don’t do much news because of all the lies, propaganda and hatred. Today I am quilting a baby quilt for a granddaughter expecting a baby girl in Dec. So exciting!
Behalt is the name of the cyclorama in the Amish-Mennonite cultural center in Berlin, Ohio—I haven’t been there, but I live about 90 minutes from Shipshewana, Indiana and have been going there for years. They have the Menno-Hof center which also tells the history of the Amish and Mennonite communities and is very interesting. Our quilt group has an annual retreat in Shipshewana every spring, and Midwest Fabric Study Group meets there every fall. There are a lot of Amish not only in Shipshewana but across northeast Indiana and along the eastern border. We used to have two Amish girls from Jay county clean our house. They are EXTREMELY efficient! We were invited to their home for dinner as a thank-you for hiring them. That was fun and very interesting. Jay County Amish are extremely conservative—not even allowed tops on their buggies. In contrast, Shipshewana-area Amish are pretty liberal-many work in local RV factories and have gas-powered generators. We discovered that many Amish women in that area sew on electric machines, yet their homes aren’t wired for electricity. They said their husbands have generators to power the electrical tools they use for woodworking, so they lobbied to have generators, too! Those decisions are entirely up to their bishops (local head of the church) and varies widely across Amish groups. Fascinating culture.
Sue – thank you so much for your explanation – I do understand much better now.
Sue – so a simple explanation that I can understand is “Behalt is a big painting” – why didn’t somebody just say that?
We use to go to travel to Ohio many times in our motor home so familiar with Lehmans Hardware as we have bought 2 pulley laundry lines from them as well as bits and pieces my husband likes having on hand. An Ohio campground had the first Yurt I had ever seen and was fascinated reading about them to stay in. Then I started seeing them more in other places but I do love Ohio as it is so much like NY with green rolling hills and forests, vineyards and orchards along the lakes. We have amish communities in finger lakes and in other areas of NY but I’ve noticed a decline in puppy pens at area events as I think laws have been enacted and rules in place which was needed.
I see Vicki has lilacs popping too and how cute Maddie will be coming back to see her named chicken. Have fun Patti with your next charity quilt, it’s looking good. I am taking 3 larger quilt tops to a long armer after church as I decided I can’t leave my kids with these and not have them finished to use. I will continue to quilt myself the smaller size ones for charity or throw size. I have a couple more large ones to finish for gift giving in the next year and then I want to be like Patti and just use my stash for charity and play with some patterns.
Good morning. Yesterday was my birthday so we ‘celebrated’ by going to a funeral (actually just the viewing) as hubby didn’t feel good. Later we went to Olive Garden restaurant and them home again. It was more than I want or need for what is not longer my special day. It was very enjoyable. After church, my son will come over and we will have sloppy joes and watch the Viking/Packer game. It has always been a big rivalry as we are next door neighbors.
Patti, you must have a few truckloads of material for all the quilts you are able to create and they are all pretty. Fortunately, it sounds like the hurricane didn’t damage your area.
Maddy sure picked out a pretty chicken. That was a cute picture with the two of you getting eggs.
This is late September, and we are eating fresh tomatoes off the vine. Yesterday, I picked a little leaf lettuce and had a mini salad. Lilacs and my dahlias are still blooming. It will be near 80 degrees here (Minnesota) today. The hummingbirds have just left a few days ago.
Have a great Sunday everyone.
Janet – and we still have many tomatoes to ripen yet. I think we’d better have blt’s one more time – better than steak! Glad to know about that game – I’ll hurry home from church.
Behalt is the name of the cyclorama at the Amish and Mennonite Center. It tells the history of the Anabaptist movement from Zurich in 1525 to how the movement spread throughout the world. It’s 10′ high by 265′ long. Check out behalt.com for an interesting read.
Years ago, we did an “Amish” vacation through Holmes County, the Lancaster, PA area and finally to Shipshewana. Would love to do it again!
How sweet that Maddie was able to name a chicken!
Thanks, Mary, for this fun blog about nothing.
My Saturday was about the same, throw in a bit of laundry and a start at cleaning my closet. Just hand sewing as I am trying to finish my Crabapple Hill colored and embroidered blocks.
I love the picture of you and Maddie with the chickens. I always enjoyed when kids came to see my chicks, I think they were more fascinated by chickens then they were with the horses and donkeys, maybe it was the small size of the chickens. And kids love gathering eggs. I’m glad she spent time with you and now you have a Maddie.
Have a great Sunday. I hope we get some rain, our pond is really getting low!
Linda – we had to run a hose into our pond – it was a slimy mess! It’s very small so it’s easy enough to bring the water level up. Kids do love chickens, don’t they?
My part of Orlando was totally spared from Helene. Barely any rain but I did have a lot of wind. I was blessed and my power stayed on and I just spent the day sewing. There are some small coastal towns that have been totally wiped out. It is so heartbreaking to see. For me the hardest has been the devastation in Georgia, the Carolinas. and Tennessee. The flooding has been horrendous. What a massive storm Helene was!!! A very long time ago, I lived up in Ohio and we loved visiting the quilt shops in Amish country. That hardware store is amazing as well — as San has commented, they have online and I think at one time I had a catalog from them. Enjoy your day!!
Hi Mary, lhope Patti and other readers in Florida are safe from the hurricane, such a lot of devastation! We changed to daylight saving overnight,this last week Bella has been getting me up at 5 or 5.30 am, so hopefully we adapt easily ,still seem to have a nap in the afternoon. Half way through quilting a quilt for my great niece, cross hatching the applique panel,taking about a week to do each one, and there are 4 of them to do.but l do enjoy hand quilting! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sounds like a perfect Saturday for you, Mary. Love Maddie’s choice of chickens. After 4 and 1/2 years of avoiding covid, I had a positive test on Friday. I have lung problems and began having symptoms that I thought were simply a flare of my problem. Imagine my surprise when the test came back positive. I can’t take paxlovid because of another medication I take. My pulmonary doctor, who was out of town at a conference, took my call and made arrangements for 3 days of consecutive infusions of Remdesivir. I go to the hospital, have the infusion, and return home. I can handle that. What a gem of a doctor he was to take care of the planning with the hospital when he was out of town so that I could have this done!
Meanwhile, I am enjoying our beautiful fall weather. I find the hurricane devastation pictures to be heartbreaking. I am thankful for the beauty we are having in Iowa City – even the surprise of the lilacs blooming.
Vicki – thank goodness you tested and caught it early. I hope it stays a mild case with this preventive measures you took. When we caught it for our first time last spring, my husband could not take Plaxovid either so was given an alternative med which cost us $436 but I would have kicked myself if he’d gotten worse and we had not done anything. It was worth it. He breezed thru it and no side effects and no lingering cough nor taste issues. I took Plaxovid and was fine. Many people we know have it right now with kids back in school and they have been in bed for days so I’m thankful this wasn’t us. One man at our camp is still not doing well so it concerns me when someone doesn’t bounce back after it. We got our boosters in early September when they came out so hoping for a good winter.
Take care of yourself and thank you for testing to prevent someone vulnerable from catching it.
What surprised me the most is that I had the most recent covid vaccine on September 6, along with the flu vaccine. So, even with recent coverage and being over 2 weeks out from vaccination, I still got it. So, still be cautious, Kathy. I am glad your husband did well.
Our son and grandson had Covid a couple of weeks ago. They gave our grandson —age 22- Paxlovid, but not our son—age 54. Different PA’s at same doctor! Funny. Both are fine. We were going to celebrate my bday and our grand daughter’s with alll the family, but she had Covid, too, so everyone came today. They are fun😀. Whoever said Covid is back due to school is right. Lots have it now.
Going to quilt now. Bengals just won😀
Vicki – oh, shoot! I’m so sorry you got Covid but maybe with the infusions you won’t feel too sick. I wish I had a Dr as concerned about my welfare as yours seems to. Hang in there!
Great variety of topics. Nice circle of life. Others dislike walkers but I am thankful for extra protection for these old bones that wouldn’t be very happy with a fall. My aunt who made so many quilts my grand daughters were sure she must have a “factory” but were speechless when they saw the closet she sewed in. She was a frequent shopper at those Amish fabric stores.
Hi Mary, those of us in Murphy, NC are okay. The flooding hit east of us in the Asheville area and beyond, as well as west of me in Tennessee. Internet access has been spotty, so I’ve not been able to see a lot of the news on-line. (You may recall that I don’t have TV.)
One of my dead trees came down, but it landed in the right part of the yard. No damage done.
Lehman’s Brothers is the name of the hardware store. They have a web site on-line. It’s a fun place to visit. I was there many years ago. At one point, Holmes County held the largest population of Amish in America. Whether it’s still true, I don’t know. The area is very pretty, hilly, and probably still has quite a few quilt shops.
Thanks for sharing the wonderful pictures.
San / Murphy, NC
I like Maddie’s chicken choice. Easy to spot in the day but not at night. Patti, you’re one busy gal that’s for sure. Combines going strong in So. MN also. I’m finishing up loose ends at my mother’s house. I’ll defrost a small freezer tomorrow and get packing my car. I’ve done about as much as I can here for now. I’ll return later in October when the siblings can get together to finish things up like dividing out furniture. It’s sad in some ways like this is probably the last time I will sleep in the house I grew up in. Also, as I’m sure many of your readers have experienced a last parent’s death, the whole process is really sobering….you brought nothing into this world and you leave with nothing. Goodnight.
Behalt means to keep or remember. There is an Amish-Mennonite Heritage Center in Holmes County
(no, I am not Amish).