Peaceful Evening In Lancaster County

It is harvest time.

The fields are quietly sharing the bounty

of the Summer's growth.

When I say quietly it is in the sense that many

of the fields around us are tended to by 

Amish families.

Families who work together to plant,

maintain and harvest.

In the Springtime it is not uncommon to 

see children as young as five or six

working alongside their parents and
older siblings

in the fields.
The toddlers do what they do best..
they toddle, playing in the field
while the others work.

Tobacco is planted with the 

help of an interesting machine that must

have the plants hand placed in slots

which then in turn positions them

in the ground.

It is a sight that is beautiful to behold.

And nearly silent

other than the chatter of the workers

and the gentle creaking of the harnesses

and machinery.

Now, of course, we have English farmers

who work with tractors and large harvesters.

I have nothing against them.

It is with glee once per year that I hear the 

Mennonite farmers across the street from us working

late into the night to bring in the corn.

The sound of the harvester is unmistakable and it 

means that crisp air and turning leaves are just around

the corner.

The photo at the top of this post is of a 

fellow I followed down the road 

as we returned from the Lampeter Fair.

So, not only is it harvest time in Lancaster County,

it is Fair time, as well.

A time for community.

To celebrate the best of our year's work

both in baking and canning 

as well as the arts.

4-H students say good-bye to their
pet projects and pick up a check
to put toward higher education...
or perhaps a car.

It is a place where high school and civics groups

recharge their bank accounts while feeding 

the hungry attendees.

A place where the young and the old mingle

and take the time to sit a spell and 

chat about things that so often get lost

in our busy days.

I love Autumn.

It takes the best of all of the seasons

and puts a bow on it.

Things to Do Today....

I've been pretty quiet this
week. Chelsea has really
stepped up and been a big
help.

She has been the primary person
to feed and care for the dogs,
done some laundry, more than
her usual share of the dishes,
and she planted flowers
yesterday.

However, since she can't drive she
has not gotten the groceries, gone
to the dairy, picked up the movie
we need for this evening, or gotten
the key copied that we must have done.

Therefore, I must spring into action
today.

I will take a quick trip to
the Amish Grocery.

As it is supposed to be sunny it will
be bright and cheery inside.
Without electric lights this store
relies greatly on skylights.

When necessary they will light the
kerosene lamps but daylight is the
preferred source of light to shop by.

The coolers are walk-in. Just
imagine walking into your forty
degree refrigerator.
The freezer is walk-in as well
and makes for a very shocking
experience at about zero.
All of this cold is
made possible by the biggest
generator system I have ever
seen or heard.

I like to look for cheese, sour cream,
butter, fruits, cereal, meat, and snack
type things at this store.

We will visit our local dairy.
The milk is as fresh as it gets
and buying from local farmers makes
me happy!

Our local Mennonite-owned dry goods
store will make a duplicate key for
us. They are one of the last hold
outs from the big box store.
From a huge selection of fabric to
hardware this is our first stop when
looking for that little something.

Our local video store is a confusing
place but it holds a special place
in my heart. When we first moved into
the community we opened an account there
at which time the owner showed us around
explaining that the VHS on the top shelf
is the new release...second shelf a three
day rental(on certain days it is five days)
...all of this in a really
wild floor plan.
But you know what?
If I can't find what I am looking for
the couple of employees
or the owner can find it in a heartbeat.
It blesses my heart to find a young man
with Down's Syndrome working there very
diligently and with full concentration.
Small town...service and smiles.
So...while we have a Netflix account,
which I love,
I will not stop using this local
store when it suits our needs.

Mikey works at a locally owned Garden
and Feed Store. What a blessing for
him to have this opportunity.
Getting to know the community while
learning about the things that he
will carry with him for life.

Today I will purchase
layers pellets for our four mature
chickens who are eating and laying
like crazy. When I do this I know
I am supporting the people who are
blessing our son's life.

It is so personal...this thing called...

Community...we live in it...support it...
and highly recommend you do the same where
you live. Visit your locally owned stores
whenever possible. These are your neighbors
with incentive to treat you well.

Its a Beautiful Life when you make connections.
Know the people who serve you.
It is good for everyone!

Just one of my pet causes...






Have a look at other beautiful life
posts by visiting Melissa at
The Inspired Room.
She is featuring a Outdoor living
space today. It is so pretty.
I haven't yet seen what other bloggers are
up to but I am sure it is worth the look.
So...leave me a note and then pop over, if
you have a few minutes.

Have a wonderful Friday!

♥♥Becky K.♥♥

I found something NEAT today!

We were just getting ready to hit the books when
the phone rang. It was a neighbor whose husband
had called her to inform her of an amazing amount
of flowers and plants for sale at his "Hay Auction."
He just knew she would be interested. Now she wanted
to know if I, or either of the Moms, might be interested
in going with her as these would have to be purchased
in larger than usual quantities.

Oh, my goodness, YES!

First, I love auctions!

The rush of the bidding.

The sound of the auctioneer as he/she works the crowd.

The competition...

You name it...I love it!

Neither Mom was available so Arlene
and I headed out on our adventure. We had
not been here before but that just added to
the anticipation.

We arrived to find a large warehouse full of
neatly aligned carts brimming with flowers, vegetables,
hanging baskets, even strawberries.

We quickly got our number and scoped out our choice
flowers. I was elected to be the bidder while Arlene
served as scout. We make a pretty good team!

Ahhh...success.

We came home with:

15 Hot Pink Geraniums
3 flats of begonias
15 potted zinnias

These have been divided five ways and are
already adding color to our neighborhood
flower beds.

The plants are healthy and beautiful.
We will be going back for other varieties.
They should have flowers for the next few weeks.

I love the sense of community in a place
like this. The older farmers casually taking
in the excitement while waiting for their
turn to sell their hay...or in some cases to
purchase hay.

The flowers are an aside for these men, but I think,
a fairly welcome one. It gives them opportunity to
chat with their neighbors and friends. I delight in
stepping into a Norman Rockwell environment.
This day reminded me so much of being in
one of his paintings.

What a gift that came my way today!

Loved IT!!!

By the way...the kids did not miss out on
school. They continued working on their end of
the year reports, Chelsea did some math
and then we had bowling this afternoon with our co-op.
We are not going to fall behind at this late date!
We are ready to be done!