Rachel Yoder-May's Blog

Look at all that nature and fresh air. The best things in life are still free, aren’t they?

The following video is part 1 of a documentary about Amish teenagers on rumspringa. I was instantly dragged in and liked the young kids and their hosts.

Amish barn raising from Ohio. Have you ever witnessed an Amish barn raising? This video, compressed to a little more than three minutes, how it’s done.

Fascinating, don’t you think?

While I was doing some research for my next Amish Romance novella, I stumbled upon a site about “Yoder’s Amish Home” and it looks as if it’s well worth a visit.

Amish Kitchen at Yoder’s Amish Home

Once you’ve read my book, you’ll get an even deeper understanding of why I found that site so interesting

(hint: something in the History).

Eli and Gloria Yoder seems like a friendly couple, and they have lots of lovely images on their site, showing glimpses of Amish interiors and living.

Take a look at this kitchen with the kochoffe standing away from the walls, and the wooden furniture and the cloth-covered table.

Notice the wooden floor, and the churn next to the stove. Freshly churned, home made butter, anyone?

I surely wouldn’t mind taking my breakfast there. But with our modern means, it’s hard to imagine how a small stove like that can be used to serve meals for large families, church meetings and more.

We have to admire Amish women, don’t we?

I also loved this picture from Yoder’s Amish Home, showing a woman’s chamber. I can imagine my heroine living there.

Amish Woman’s Chamber

Clothes hang nicely ironed in the closet. The pretty little table near the window. The curtains and the home-made rugs on the floor.

The white kapps and black bonnets lie ready to put on before leaving the house.

Does the room bear a slight scent of lavender?

Looking into these rooms feels like stepping back in time, doesn’t it?

Back to a time where families were meant to stick together and did it. A time where people wouldn’t divorce after their first quarrel. A time where a couple stayed together for life, raising their children to have good manners.

Sure, it was hard work back then, as it is today for the Amish, but I’m not sure how much good all our idle time has done us.

What do you think?

In “Courting the Amish Widow” you read about Ruth’s dolls.

Daniel: “Oh, my wife had these faceless rag dolls as a child.” (Chapter 4)

If you’re not familiar with the typical Amish dolls, you might have wondered how they looked, so here they are.

Faceless Amish Rag Dolls