Amish finally win the right to follow their beliefs in Eau Claire County

Wisconsin Watchdog ^ | 10-1-15 | Paul Brennan

[GrootheWanderer]

Here’s a good piece on Amish hackers from several years ago.

http://kk.org/thetechnium/amish-hackers-a/

It really explains how they decide what technology to use or not use.

[onyx]

I truly enjoyed this article and learned a lot.

I had no idea that Wisconsin has the nation’s fourth-largest Amish population!

[afraidfortherepublic]

Yep. They are pretty quiet.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I don’t know if you followed this link.
Fascinating aricle about some, not so old order, Amish. Comments are equally fascinating.

http://kk.org/thetechnium/amish-hackers-a/

[afraidfortherepublic]

Fascinating article. Thanks for adding it to the thread.

One aspect they do not discuss here is the Amish problem of birth defects caused by centuries of in-breeding. They are addressing it (I understand) by a deliberate program of colonization.

IOW, a family from PA will send their sons or daughters to find a spouse in Indeiana, or WI to break up the pattern of finding spouses only in the community where they were raised. This also alleviates the problem of scarce farmland by spreading their colonies to other states.

I really enjoyed the discussions on technology.

[onyx]

YES! I did, last night and stayed up very late!
I also read the history at this link in the article. I've always been fascinated by the Amish since I was a little girl. My Dutch Grandmother had such love and admiration for them, so my interest was stimulated at a very young age. She grew up in a little Ohio town, that is no longer on the map, Clives or Cleaves, and all I know about it is that it must have bordered Pennsylvania because it was almost entirely Amish. (I did find and buy an old almanac for my father many years ago that showed that town, but after he died, I don't know what happened to it). Anyway, my grandmother was taught to knit and crochet by the Amish and also to cook and bake wonderful breads, rolls and cakes. I have her hand written recipes. Her cabbage rolls are the best. I must remember to locate that steel box "one of these days!!"

[afraidfortherepublic]

My interest was piqued by my interest and love for quilting. I love the Amish colors — black, majenta, deep tourquise, dark green, etc.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Also, when traveling by car around the upper midwest, you will often encounter groups of them traveling to town — young couples, etc. being driven in a van by an “English” chauffer. Especially in Ohio and Indiana. I’ve never visited Eau Claire, but I guess I should make a trip out there. We have a number of furniture stores around here that deal in Amish furniture.

[onyx]

My mother was into quilting. Thinking back, (just now) I guess it was her Mother-in-law (that same Grandmother of mine) who taight her “quilting”! I reckon she learned a lot from her Amish neighbors growing up in that small Ohio town. I remember that my Grandmother would sometime refer to people as “those English.” ...LOL ... and I would always laugh. My Grandfather was a barber, and they lived on Coronado, CA and when the Prince f Wales visited, he was summoned to cut his hair, I have his shaving cup and brush. I supposed it still contains his DNA. It’s very fancy and on the bottom it bears the gold seal of the Royal Palace or whatever it’s called along with the maker of the china.

[onyx]

Sorry for the typos that resulted in misspellings... I am wrestling with my French Bulldog puppy, Louie. He is 14 weeks old and hungry. Better get his dinner now.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I had an aunt who live in Coronado all her married life (except for time spent in Hawaii at the beginning of WWII.) Her husband was an Annapolis grad who died flying his plane over China. She taught school (music) in Coronado with her 2nd husband. They had an unusual house (for the time) with a living room where one wall was a giant, salt water, fish tank. It was built in the old Spanish sstyle, around an open to the sky courtyard, or patio. Her first husband’s brother was an architect and had designed the house.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Oh, lucky you. A new puppy. We lost our precious Golden Retriever to pancreatic cancer about the time I underwent a total knee replacement. (2 years ago) I have not replaced him because 1) he is irreplaceable and 2) my husband doesn’t want another dog. He thinks that I would be incapable of caring for a dog because of my limited mobility. I really miss a dog, however.

I love Goldens, but I’m not sure that I could handle another one.

Our most recent Golden was a rescue dog who was about 1 1/2 when we got him and was considered a “wild child” by the rescue organization. He grew into a very well behaved dog who NEVER barked and who went to work with us every day. He was very well mannered. At home we could just turn him out to do his business (we have 12 acres). He knew our boundaries and never wandered away. He was a very civilized dog and we traveled by car all over the country with him. He had a flat, rather than curly, coat and didn’t even shed as much as some. I shipped my piano to one of my daughters in NY a month ago and rearranged my living room and found a rawhide chew hiding under aone of the couches! A little rememberence of Max.