Amish Lifestyles in a Modern World

I consider myself a normal person in the fast-paced world, probably just like you. We have our luxuries that we take for granted and never even notice we have them unless we have a power outage. Through my relationship with the Amish, and my desire to learn more about their customs and work ethic, I recently offered my services to assist one of the families of fourteen (14) on their small family farm. I was soon regretting that decision. I found myself assisting the young Amish children, ages 7 through 13, in throwing wheat sheaves onto a horse drawn hay wagon . Needless to say, the young Amish children put me to shame. I could not keep up!

I have learned that the Amish are very hard working and decent people with an unbelievable work ethic . They are trained from a very young age that if a job is worth doing it is a job worth doing right. That instilled value is what makes their products so special. They live a very simple life with minimal furnishings in their homes. It goes without saying that there are no refrigerators, televisions, computers, radios, electricity, telephones, fans, etc. What took me by surprise was finding there are no pictures, doilies, what-knots, or even couches inside their homes! An Amish home is furnished with wooden beds, handmade quilts, basic dressers, a kitchen table with a few hardwood chairs, and wooden floors without even a throw rug.

The families within this area are carried in a black buggy type carriage, which is pulled by horses. It is not unusual to see a young boy around the age of 9, controlling a team of horses pulling him around a field on a wagon or buckboard. These wagons have wooden wheels with large spokes or thick steel wheels. The wagon wheels have to be sturdy in order to carry logs to the sawmill or hay to the barn. The Old Order Amish do not use rubber on their wheels; even the hub is wood. A metal band (steel tire rim) actually rolls on the roadway. The wheels are a lot like the western wheels shown on the covered wagons except a little bit more narrow.

Amish handmade unique gift ideas for your country western home and garden decor. Rustic horse drawn buggy wagon wheels, cannon wheels, handcrafted baskets, heavy duty barn stars, quilts, fine furniture, birdhouses, and rustic furniture for your log cabin or to decorate your primitive landscape. Proudly made in the USA. Vernon Christian, dba Amish Wares, 877-644-6229. http://www.amishwares.com