Marsha Hubler's Blog
May 27, 2017
THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY LIFESTYLES AND RECIPES
THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY LIFESTYLES AND RECIPES
I want to welcome all my Amish/Mennonite fiction fans to THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY LIFESTYLES AND RECIPES blog. My plan is to post something “Amish” or “Mennonite” regularly, so you can enter the world of the kapped folk and see what it’s like to live as if in “days of yesteryear.” We’ll visit with Old Order Amish all the way to progressive Mennonites and, hopefully, share photos of these folks in their everyday lives.
I’m fortunate to live in Snyder County, central PA, where many Amish and Mennonites live. Every Tuesday just five minutes from my house, quite a few of those folks gather at Keister’s Farm Market and Auction both to buy and to sell. I’ll share photos of some of those people, the Amish from a distance, who usually won’t pose for a camera, and the Mennonites who have no problem being photographed. If you’ve read TO JOHN WITH LOVE, then you’ve already vicariously visited a farmers’ market, which I describe in detail in the book.
Here’s the actual scene from chapter fifteen in the book:
*****************************************************
“Every Tuesday, Bowser’s Auction and Market on route 35 outside of Mapletown was the place to be! On the large open field next to the massive red barn complex, rows of vendors, Amish, Mennonite, and English, had set up their stands and were selling their wares by eight a.m. Mounds of fresh, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, and cabbage, and baskets of fresh fruit, some shipped in from the south, some local, covered tabletops.
Dozens of other tables, under canopies, displayed baseball cards, stuffed animals, old sleds, dolls, antique lamps, used clothing, carpenters’ tools, welcome flags, and a menagerie of “treasures” that wooed bargain hunters from near and far. Behind the stands were rows of trucks, vans, and Amish buggies, resting from their earlier arrival and hasty unloading.
As Katrina neatly arranged her baked goods on a wooden table, she took in a deep breath, her senses filling with a hint of grilling hot dogs and bubbling French fries. A gentle breeze sifted through the grounds, and a strong waft of horse manure invaded Katrina’s nose, the fumes trying their best to overpower the pleasant aromas of frying foods and her own baked goods. I truly do love to come here, she thought. She surveyed the passing crowd, snaking in and out among the tables. There are so many wunderbaar things to see and so many friends to meet. I’ll sorely miss this place.
She stationed herself at the stand, waiting for the passersby to check out her wares. Sitting on a stool, she studied the scene before her, one that always made her heart pump a little fast. Eager vendors were already making their pitch to a steady flow of shoppers. Other marketers lounged in the shade of their beach umbrellas, preparing for another hot August day. Hands folded on their round bellies, they scrutinized every person who came near their stand.
Katrina examined a steady stream of English folks who milled about the tables, including her own, like ants after sugar cubes. Some toted large empty bags, their eager faces betraying their desire to buy something, anything. Sunburned farmers in baseball caps mingled with plump women in tank tops and shorts. Wide-eyed kinner stared and, when mamms turned their backs, touched every toy they could reach.
As usual, the market had drawn a large gathering of local Amish. Bearded men in straw hats, white or blue shirts, and black trousers with suspenders exchanged the latest news in their Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. The women, in white kapps, granny glasses, royal blue dresses with black aprons and work boots, also chatted in their own little circles. The kinner, carbon copies of their parents, stood close to the adults and eyed the tables with wonder.” (From VOLUME 2: TO JOHN WITH LOVE)
https://www.amazon.com/John-Love-Love...
So there you have a taste of what a farmers’ market in “kapped country” is like. If you’re living in a part of the world that has no Amish or Mennonite folk, I trust that you’ve enjoyed your little trip to market here in Snyder County. In a few weeks, I’ll be visiting one of the Amish/Mennonite capitals of the world: Lancaster, PA. I’ll have dozens more photos and stories to tell. So, sign up so you receive every new blog I post and enjoy everything Amish and Mennonite.
Please check out my LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES on Amazon:
LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES
I want to welcome all my Amish/Mennonite fiction fans to THE LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY LIFESTYLES AND RECIPES blog. My plan is to post something “Amish” or “Mennonite” regularly, so you can enter the world of the kapped folk and see what it’s like to live as if in “days of yesteryear.” We’ll visit with Old Order Amish all the way to progressive Mennonites and, hopefully, share photos of these folks in their everyday lives.
I’m fortunate to live in Snyder County, central PA, where many Amish and Mennonites live. Every Tuesday just five minutes from my house, quite a few of those folks gather at Keister’s Farm Market and Auction both to buy and to sell. I’ll share photos of some of those people, the Amish from a distance, who usually won’t pose for a camera, and the Mennonites who have no problem being photographed. If you’ve read TO JOHN WITH LOVE, then you’ve already vicariously visited a farmers’ market, which I describe in detail in the book.
Here’s the actual scene from chapter fifteen in the book:
*****************************************************
“Every Tuesday, Bowser’s Auction and Market on route 35 outside of Mapletown was the place to be! On the large open field next to the massive red barn complex, rows of vendors, Amish, Mennonite, and English, had set up their stands and were selling their wares by eight a.m. Mounds of fresh, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, and cabbage, and baskets of fresh fruit, some shipped in from the south, some local, covered tabletops.
Dozens of other tables, under canopies, displayed baseball cards, stuffed animals, old sleds, dolls, antique lamps, used clothing, carpenters’ tools, welcome flags, and a menagerie of “treasures” that wooed bargain hunters from near and far. Behind the stands were rows of trucks, vans, and Amish buggies, resting from their earlier arrival and hasty unloading.
As Katrina neatly arranged her baked goods on a wooden table, she took in a deep breath, her senses filling with a hint of grilling hot dogs and bubbling French fries. A gentle breeze sifted through the grounds, and a strong waft of horse manure invaded Katrina’s nose, the fumes trying their best to overpower the pleasant aromas of frying foods and her own baked goods. I truly do love to come here, she thought. She surveyed the passing crowd, snaking in and out among the tables. There are so many wunderbaar things to see and so many friends to meet. I’ll sorely miss this place.
She stationed herself at the stand, waiting for the passersby to check out her wares. Sitting on a stool, she studied the scene before her, one that always made her heart pump a little fast. Eager vendors were already making their pitch to a steady flow of shoppers. Other marketers lounged in the shade of their beach umbrellas, preparing for another hot August day. Hands folded on their round bellies, they scrutinized every person who came near their stand.
Katrina examined a steady stream of English folks who milled about the tables, including her own, like ants after sugar cubes. Some toted large empty bags, their eager faces betraying their desire to buy something, anything. Sunburned farmers in baseball caps mingled with plump women in tank tops and shorts. Wide-eyed kinner stared and, when mamms turned their backs, touched every toy they could reach.
As usual, the market had drawn a large gathering of local Amish. Bearded men in straw hats, white or blue shirts, and black trousers with suspenders exchanged the latest news in their Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. The women, in white kapps, granny glasses, royal blue dresses with black aprons and work boots, also chatted in their own little circles. The kinner, carbon copies of their parents, stood close to the adults and eyed the tables with wonder.” (From VOLUME 2: TO JOHN WITH LOVE)
https://www.amazon.com/John-Love-Love...
So there you have a taste of what a farmers’ market in “kapped country” is like. If you’re living in a part of the world that has no Amish or Mennonite folk, I trust that you’ve enjoyed your little trip to market here in Snyder County. In a few weeks, I’ll be visiting one of the Amish/Mennonite capitals of the world: Lancaster, PA. I’ll have dozens more photos and stories to tell. So, sign up so you receive every new blog I post and enjoy everything Amish and Mennonite.
Please check out my LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES on Amazon:
LOVES OF SNYDER COUNTY SERIES
May 23, 2017
Torry Martin Teaches at the Montrose Christian Writers Conference
Torry Martin
Author/Film Actor
Do you have a fiction manuscript and you’re wondering how to change it into a screenplay? Then the Major Morning Seminar entitled “What’s the Big Idea?” at the Montrose Christian Writers’ Conference from July 16th to the 21st is for you.
Author and film actor Torry Martin will teach four consecutive morning classes, presenting the following information:
What’s the Big Idea?
Two areas in which writers tend to stumble when putting together a story are “the big idea” and pacing.
For “the big idea,” this means “Does this story need to be told as a book or a movie, and will it keep audiences engaged for 300 pages or 90-120 minutes?” Engaging the audience, however, starts on the page. You need a reader to keep turning pages of your book or screenplay in rapid succession because the story propels them forward with energy and purpose. Readers need to see the movie as they turn pages, and if the script drags, the movie certainly will.
How do you determine if your idea is “big” enough to carry a movie? And how do you make sure your script has strong pacing?
In this seminar, we’ll be delving into details about the importance of the big idea and solid pacing. I’ll be using some of my own stories as examples.
Torry will also teach two afternoon classes to help writers with their projects:
The Art of Collaborative Writing
Whether you plan on sharing the fame or sharing the blame, this class will help equip you to navigate the sometimes choppy waters of writing as a team. We’ll be discussing the benefits and pitfalls of collaborative writing, how to find the right partner, how to pitch a project to a potential partner, how to make decision as a team, exploring work time and work space, choosing a project, co-drafting the script or story, and how to make a creative relationship work.
Write for Your Life
A visual and participatory teaching on how to research story material from your own life and turn it into something marketable by adding humor and spiritual applications. You’ll discover how to research your life, edit your stories, incorporate comedy into your writing, and, most importantly, how to have fun while sharing God’s truths.
If you still want more of Torry, he’ll also be involved with two evening events:
MONDAY: TORRY’S POTPOURRI
an organic event that will leave you talking. Torry says, “Whether that’s good or bad is yet to be determined.”
TUESDAY: TORRY’S MOVIE
A Night at the Movies: view one of Torry Martin’s latest films, “Heaven Bound.”
********************************
Don’t miss this year’s Montrose Christian Writers Conference! Lots of food, fun, and Christian fellowship await you!
Marsha Hubler, Director
http://www.montrosebible.org/OurEvent...
Author/Film Actor
Do you have a fiction manuscript and you’re wondering how to change it into a screenplay? Then the Major Morning Seminar entitled “What’s the Big Idea?” at the Montrose Christian Writers’ Conference from July 16th to the 21st is for you.
Author and film actor Torry Martin will teach four consecutive morning classes, presenting the following information:
What’s the Big Idea?
Two areas in which writers tend to stumble when putting together a story are “the big idea” and pacing.
For “the big idea,” this means “Does this story need to be told as a book or a movie, and will it keep audiences engaged for 300 pages or 90-120 minutes?” Engaging the audience, however, starts on the page. You need a reader to keep turning pages of your book or screenplay in rapid succession because the story propels them forward with energy and purpose. Readers need to see the movie as they turn pages, and if the script drags, the movie certainly will.
How do you determine if your idea is “big” enough to carry a movie? And how do you make sure your script has strong pacing?
In this seminar, we’ll be delving into details about the importance of the big idea and solid pacing. I’ll be using some of my own stories as examples.
Torry will also teach two afternoon classes to help writers with their projects:
The Art of Collaborative Writing
Whether you plan on sharing the fame or sharing the blame, this class will help equip you to navigate the sometimes choppy waters of writing as a team. We’ll be discussing the benefits and pitfalls of collaborative writing, how to find the right partner, how to pitch a project to a potential partner, how to make decision as a team, exploring work time and work space, choosing a project, co-drafting the script or story, and how to make a creative relationship work.
Write for Your Life
A visual and participatory teaching on how to research story material from your own life and turn it into something marketable by adding humor and spiritual applications. You’ll discover how to research your life, edit your stories, incorporate comedy into your writing, and, most importantly, how to have fun while sharing God’s truths.
If you still want more of Torry, he’ll also be involved with two evening events:
MONDAY: TORRY’S POTPOURRI
an organic event that will leave you talking. Torry says, “Whether that’s good or bad is yet to be determined.”
TUESDAY: TORRY’S MOVIE
A Night at the Movies: view one of Torry Martin’s latest films, “Heaven Bound.”
********************************
Don’t miss this year’s Montrose Christian Writers Conference! Lots of food, fun, and Christian fellowship await you!
Marsha Hubler, Director
http://www.montrosebible.org/OurEvent...
April 26, 2017
For Horse Lovers: The American Albino
The American Albino: White as Snow
Devotion One from STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH, 60-Day Devotional for Horse Lovers
Have you ever seen a pure white horse? Ever touched one? Do you know there’s a difference between an Albino and a plain white horse?
The American Albino, also called the American White, is one of the most fascinating horse breeds. It’s known as a “color breed.” Of course, this gorgeous animal has a white coat, white tail, and white mane. However, it’s different from all other breeds because it has pink skin! If you look closely at any other breed, you’ll see the skin is dark. Besides pink skin and white hair, the Albino also has black, brown, or even blue eyes.
Since this horse is a color breed, he’s often seen in combination with lineage breeds of horses like Arabians, Quarter Horses, Morgans, and Thoroughbreds. You’ve probably seen American Albinos and didn’t know it. They’re used in movies, fairs, and circuses. You might see a white horse in a parade on TV, but the commentator says it’s an Arabian. Old-time Westerns sometimes had the hero riding his white horse into the sunset. Silver, the Lone Ranger’s horse, was an American Albino. Just remember, whatever the lineage breed, if the horse is white as snow, it could be an Albino too.
Do you know we can be like the American Albino and be as white as snow?
Maybe you’ve felt real yucky on the inside after you’ve done something wrong like talking back to a parent or telling a lie. Maybe you were nasty to a friend or you were lazy and didn’t want to do your schoolwork or chores. Don’t you just hate when you do those things, and you wish you could change?
I have super news. God’s Word tells us we can change and become as white as snow. Since we can’t be “good” all the time, God made a way for us to be clean on the inside in our souls. He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to die so that anyone who believes in Him has all sin washed away. All we have to do is ask Jesus to forgive us and save us, and He will. Even after we become a Christian and do wrong and feel cruddy inside, He’s ready to forgive again and again if we only ask.
If you’ve never asked Jesus to wash your sins away and make you white as an American Albino, there’s no better time than right now. We can’t get to Heaven by being good. No one is that good. It’s only because Christ’s perfect blood washes us white as snow that we can go to Heaven when we die. Ask Jesus to save you, and you’ll forever be glad you did. Whenever you see an Albino, you can think of the special day you asked Jesus to come into your life and make you as white as snow.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
(Isaiah 1:18)
PRAYER: Dear God, I’m sorry for all my sin, especially when I have a bad attitude. Today I want Jesus to save me and make me ready for Heaven. I accept Him as my personal Savior. I know He can make me as white as snow on my inside. Show me how to become a better person, and how to choose the right things. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SADDLE UP! (What would God have you do now?)
If you’ve asked Jesus to save you, do you think you should tell anyone?
If you don’t go to church, do you think God would want you to go? Would anyone be glad to take you? ______________________________________________
Take your ride: (Do you know?) Although white horses are sometimes called "albino," there are no reported cases of a true "albino" horse. The absence of pigment cells called melanocytes causes the white color. All so-called "albino" horses have pigmented eyes, generally brown or blue. In contrast, many albino mammals, such as mice or rabbits, typically have a white hair coat, unpigmented skin and reddish eyes. Despite this issue, some registries still refer to "albino" horses.
Dismount and cool down your horse! (Do you know?) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
(If you'd like more devotionals about different horse breeds, let me know, and I'll send more your way.)Snow: Phantom Stallion of the Poconos
Devotion One from STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH, 60-Day Devotional for Horse Lovers
Have you ever seen a pure white horse? Ever touched one? Do you know there’s a difference between an Albino and a plain white horse?
The American Albino, also called the American White, is one of the most fascinating horse breeds. It’s known as a “color breed.” Of course, this gorgeous animal has a white coat, white tail, and white mane. However, it’s different from all other breeds because it has pink skin! If you look closely at any other breed, you’ll see the skin is dark. Besides pink skin and white hair, the Albino also has black, brown, or even blue eyes.
Since this horse is a color breed, he’s often seen in combination with lineage breeds of horses like Arabians, Quarter Horses, Morgans, and Thoroughbreds. You’ve probably seen American Albinos and didn’t know it. They’re used in movies, fairs, and circuses. You might see a white horse in a parade on TV, but the commentator says it’s an Arabian. Old-time Westerns sometimes had the hero riding his white horse into the sunset. Silver, the Lone Ranger’s horse, was an American Albino. Just remember, whatever the lineage breed, if the horse is white as snow, it could be an Albino too.
Do you know we can be like the American Albino and be as white as snow?
Maybe you’ve felt real yucky on the inside after you’ve done something wrong like talking back to a parent or telling a lie. Maybe you were nasty to a friend or you were lazy and didn’t want to do your schoolwork or chores. Don’t you just hate when you do those things, and you wish you could change?
I have super news. God’s Word tells us we can change and become as white as snow. Since we can’t be “good” all the time, God made a way for us to be clean on the inside in our souls. He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to die so that anyone who believes in Him has all sin washed away. All we have to do is ask Jesus to forgive us and save us, and He will. Even after we become a Christian and do wrong and feel cruddy inside, He’s ready to forgive again and again if we only ask.
If you’ve never asked Jesus to wash your sins away and make you white as an American Albino, there’s no better time than right now. We can’t get to Heaven by being good. No one is that good. It’s only because Christ’s perfect blood washes us white as snow that we can go to Heaven when we die. Ask Jesus to save you, and you’ll forever be glad you did. Whenever you see an Albino, you can think of the special day you asked Jesus to come into your life and make you as white as snow.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
(Isaiah 1:18)
PRAYER: Dear God, I’m sorry for all my sin, especially when I have a bad attitude. Today I want Jesus to save me and make me ready for Heaven. I accept Him as my personal Savior. I know He can make me as white as snow on my inside. Show me how to become a better person, and how to choose the right things. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SADDLE UP! (What would God have you do now?)
If you’ve asked Jesus to save you, do you think you should tell anyone?
If you don’t go to church, do you think God would want you to go? Would anyone be glad to take you? ______________________________________________
Take your ride: (Do you know?) Although white horses are sometimes called "albino," there are no reported cases of a true "albino" horse. The absence of pigment cells called melanocytes causes the white color. All so-called "albino" horses have pigmented eyes, generally brown or blue. In contrast, many albino mammals, such as mice or rabbits, typically have a white hair coat, unpigmented skin and reddish eyes. Despite this issue, some registries still refer to "albino" horses.
Dismount and cool down your horse! (Do you know?) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
(If you'd like more devotionals about different horse breeds, let me know, and I'll send more your way.)Snow: Phantom Stallion of the Poconos
June 8, 2013
Why I Love Books
They don't bite back.
They can be a best friend on a cold and lonely night.
They take me to wonderful new worlds.
They share their heart with me.
They are easy to dust. (The printed ones.)
They reveal secrets of my innermost thoughts in their characters and plots.
They are not expensive.
They introduce me to characters who are often nuttier than I am.
The nonfiction ones offer excellent advice to solve life's difficulties.
One book in particular, The Bible, has the words to eternal life: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
They can be a best friend on a cold and lonely night.
They take me to wonderful new worlds.
They share their heart with me.
They are easy to dust. (The printed ones.)
They reveal secrets of my innermost thoughts in their characters and plots.
They are not expensive.
They introduce me to characters who are often nuttier than I am.
The nonfiction ones offer excellent advice to solve life's difficulties.
One book in particular, The Bible, has the words to eternal life: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
