Plain and Simple, but Still Complicated
This peculiar people are very plain, very simple, but not at all stupid. Within the ranks of the Amish community you will see heroism, genius, integrity, wisdom and enormous love.
They too are a complicated people. I hope you find something useful and interesting here, on my core lens about a people and an American culture that I dearly love.
Willkommen- Welcome to our Amish Community on Squidoo
July blessing of Lancaster Amish, PA
This Hex sign is a large 'welcome' in German. As love is the heart of any happy home, the heart is the center of this blessing. Tulips, the sign of the Trinity and the Three Theological Virtues of faith, hope and love, surround the heart, meaning a community of like minded friends and family being well loved by one another, in God.The Distelfink bird adds additional fortune and blessings. This particular hex sign is centrally placed in the heart of the home. The hex sign Willkommen features a large "welcome greeting" (in German) to one and all. The large, red heart is centrally placed to proclaim a loving heart and home. Tulips, grouped in couples, symbolize the importance of family and friends play in a happy life. Here, they shower the "home" with love and support.
The distelfink bird watches over the home with an added measure of good luck and happiness. The design has the opportunity of personalization, which makes it a very thoughtful gift for others. You can order a specially made hex from a local Amish craftsman here: Zooks
Who Are the Amish?
Characteristics of the Amish
- Amish: The Gentle People
- Gentle, loving Christian people
- BBC NEWS | Americas | Who are the Amish?
- American independence manifest
- Amish & Taxes
- Uncle Sam & the Amish
- Mennonite and Amish Folklore and Folk Arts
- Folklore
- "Shoot Me First!" by E. Ralph Hostetter
- Courage and integrity
- A Brief Summary of Amish and Mennonite Characteristics
- Briefly summarized characteristics
Yes, but are they Relevant to us?
Martha Stewart's Lawyers Think So!
An Amish Workshop
A Workshop, a Craftsman & a Belgian Draft Horse
An entire microindustry has grown from this trend, and the Amish very much need this economic outlet to support their families. To look at some of their work see the lensroll at the right, or some of the highlighted lenses on this page.
Mr. C, one of the craftsmen that I work with, uses his horse both for his organic milking farm and with the heavy work in his custom table workshop. We are sharing information about this craftsman here:Amish Workshop
In a Leading Architect's Office
High Rises, Slick Downtowns, Amish Tradition
Special Amish Furniture Lenses
Built by Undiscovered Master Craftsmen
At an affordable price, not even the top retailers have these things! Soon we will be adding office furniture, armoires, and all manner of beautiful and hard to find things.-
Amish Grandfather Clocks
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The Amish have a way with wood, and that also goes for their clocks! As you can see, they have carefully designed and built these with the most gorgeous styling, the best hardware, and all the practical features that mak...
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Amish Bedroom Furniture
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Amish hand crafted beds are the best in the world! This bed collection shown here is by only one of our many, very talented Amish craftsmen! We were fortunate to be able to add this line of beautiful beds to our collecti...
In the New Home of a Famous Doctor
When Elegance is a Necessity
Amish Woodcrafting Businesses Under Seige
Illegally Logged Wooden Chinese Imports
In just a few years, China has increased its furniture imports by 900%. It has done so by illegally devastating the rain forests in nearby countries, Official Briefing rapidly and improperly processing the wood, and making cheap copies of Amish original pieces.This has devastated the economy of Burma, destroyed vast quantities of rain forest Deforestation that helps prevent Global Warming, and unregulated & improper wood processing poisons the environment (China's Pollution Problems).
This bad furniture has flooded the market in gigantic illegal proportions, much as Chinese made clothing and shoes have flooded the European market, far in excess of the trade agreements Trade Pacts.
Yet the Chinese have banned logging in their own country, realizing that they will need their own wood for their own use.
Another case where global economics comes at America's dreadful expense.
China & Furniture
- China and the Global Market
- PDF file report on China's abuse of forests and potential solutions.
- Illegal Logging Briefing Paper
- PDF file concerning the huge illegal logging done by China and its effects on the environment
Amish Crafts
Rare, collectible and Perfect Interpretations
Senators, Premier D.C. Hotels & Average, Large Families
The Amish Treat Everyone Equal
Special Amish Crafts Lenses
Amish Home Decorating
Useful and beautiful, these are all handcrafted at order. Impossible to find items of this quality, beauty and usefulness. All collectible, all from unknown master craftsmen.-
Amish Jewelry Armoires
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Jewelry Armoires, chests and boxes made by Amish craftsmen have a very high degree of quality. To give one of these as a gift, as many men have, has had a powerful effect on the women they love! A very special, beautiful chest or armoire...
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Amish Shelves
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Amish shelves come in different forms, in book cases (the McCoy Bookcase shown here), in wall shelves, stand alone units, and as part of other pieces such as mirrors. I own many of these pieces, and they are the best mad...
What to Expect When Ordering from the Amish
It is DIFFERENT!
Patience is critical when waiting on your Amish products, but it is ALWAYS worth the wait.
Hex Signs of the Amish are Blessing Signs
Turning Evil on its Head
Hexes, Hex signs are very traditional European folk art & folk devotionals from a mix of Roman Catholic prayers, words, rituals combined with folk recipes Amish Recipes and remedies from Europe.They seek protections and cures of domestic ailments, spiritual problems and God's protection and blessing.
The designs originated in ancient Catholic religious symbols, such as the Tree of Life, and the dove of The Holy Spirit of God.
Hexes aren't painted directly on their barns, though that is one of the traditions associated with hex signs. Favored designs/blessings were used as family identifiers, found on such things as birth certificates and pottery.
Some hex signs are associated with seasons, months or directions.
Why do the Amish live so differently from us?
It is their religious convictions...
Different Amish communities make different decisions about whether and what technologies they will permit and under what circumstances.Their first interest is keeping family and community life simple and sacred, a lesson we can all learn from. Decisions are made through the parishes of the church, and are consistent with their core religious beliefs. They follow the Ordnung (order), and a literal and strict interpretation of the bible. However, like non-Catholic Christian Churches, there is no one decision maker for all the Amish communities.
One example of an Amish community permitting electrical and technological advances is in the furniture refinishing businesses. Some time back a furniture refinisher had a fire; the entire building, and all the furniture in it was a total loss. The fumes from the finishing materials are combustible, and using open lanterns for light was simply too dangerous. The community decided that it was safer for everyone if that type of business be permitted to use electrical power and lights to prevent more, and possibly worse, catastrophes. The workshop was permitted to use generators for the electricity in the shop, but not to connect to the world's power grid.
So it isn't true that all the Amish live without adaptation and change, these necessities are all carefully considered, debated and discussed before any changes are made. Check out Amish Religion Lense
Amish Religion
First thing we think of....
The Amish live an 18th Century life, and they do it for religious reasons. The entire group mostly keeps to themselves, for religious reasons. There is a lot to know about their religion- its origins, its beliefs, and why it affects their lifestyle the way it does. I am building a lense about their religion which you can see here: Amish Faith The Shepherd's Psalm 23
In the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Will Fear No Evil...
The Amish, like most Christians, dearly love the 23rd Psalm. Like all of their crafts, it reflects something practical and important to their lives.They have engraved this wonderful psalm on solid cherry, with an engraved frame. The Shepherd's Psalm
Inspiration of the Year
We may not agree...
Love Thy Neighbor
Fifteen Hours!
Mr. Graber reported: "I never thought we'd be rebuilding the next day. I thought we'd be getting ready for a funeral," he said late Tuesday afternoon.The Grabers escaped unharmed from the tornado that plowed through Webster County.
Not so their home. It was torn apart by the twister's fury.
But in less than 15 hours, the Grabers were back in a new home rebuilt on the same spot - a peaceful valley south of Missouri 38 about 10 miles east of Marshfield - by more than 100 men and boys from neighboring Amish homesteads near the Grabers.
"By 2 p.m., we were mopping the floors," he said.
Read the full story here: Fifteen Hours
Amish Food & Farming
Organics, Natural, Nutritious
Maple Leaf Hex
September
The Sugar Maple has long been tapped for sweet sap to make syrup, sugar and candy, & for much of history, was one of the easiest & best ways to add sweetness to a diet.Maple trees are tapped in the fall, happily anticipated, and in this hex shown in the beautiful fall color of the leaves.
The eight petals mean the abundance promised the for the eighth day, the day AFTER God is finished with His rest. This hex is to bless the fall harvest and sweeten a pure life.
You can purchase these from an original Lancaster Pennsylvanian Amish craftsman here: Zooks
Amish Recipes
Great Food
Amish recipes are very popular and it hasn't taken long for the lense to get unmanageable.My friend, who wants to be called Mrs. C, has been sharing her Amish recipes with me. We have the regular Amish recipes but some new ones too, that reflect how Mrs. C feeds her healthy Amish family. You won't find those particular recipes anywhere else but here.
Soon I'll be splitting this into several lenses, but in the meantime you can find Mrs. C's recipes here: Amish Recipes
Amish Farms
Small Farmers, Huge Problems
Like other small family farms, times have been tough. Too many expenses, too little income; too many 'scientific ideas'Genetically Modified Food Crops in farming that have turned out badly.Organic Farming helped for a while. That too, thanks to Walmart and Corporate Farming, is changing.
The Amish are great farmers, and great stewards of the land Stewardship, yet the farm is one of the main ways the larger society has affected them. You can read about it here: Amish Farm
Amish Farmers Auction
Amish Community Blog
Commentary and Updates
The Amish seem to be a foil, an easy target, for all manner of ideas. Join the discussion.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byOrganic Dairy Farming
- Chinese 'Organic' milk
- In a seriously polluted environment, China is hoping to tap into the 'organic' dairy industry.
- Walmart buys Chinese 'organic' products
- Walmart to provide its 'organic' products to Americans that are imported from China and other seriously polluted countries.
- Wal-Mart's Organic Offensive
- Not everyone is pleased by the giant retailer's push into natural foods, starting with some very anxious U.S. farmers
- Chinese Children Poisoned
- Chinese children poisoned by 'organic' Chinese products. Number of food poisoning victims at S. China school rises to 237¡¡ 15 Oct 2006 08:15 GMT ... poisoning at a primary school in southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has risen to 237 ... food poisoning was caused by bacteria-contaminated soya milk and red bean cakes that the sufferers ... have been contaminated with enterotoxin, a toxin produced by bacteria, which caused the vomiting and ...
- Market Expansion or Market Delusion?
- White paper PDF file discussing the facts of Chinese 'organic' imports by Walmart
- Organic Certification: Time for Review | Participate.net
- A demand for the USDA to regulate false claims of 'organic' in imported foods.
- Banning Amish Foods
- Regulators have targeted Amish foods in spite of all the facts and centuries of healthy traditions. Couldn't be just coincidence, could it?
RFID Microchips and the Amish
the NEXT great challenge
As society adopts even more technology Digital "Angels", and with the advent of an age of terrorism, tracking technologies are being implemented. Tracking devices, the RFID chips, start first with people most frightened, next with people who can't say no (military, prisoners), and is supported by corporations Verichip Corporation who stand to gain a great deal.They have come to the Amish farmers first. The Amish cannot accept these chips 666 The Mark of the Beast. It is RAPIDLY becoming one of the great dramas of church and state, and individual freedoms, right before our eyes. Read my lense about it here: Amish & RFID Chips and follow for updates, since this is an ongoing challenge for this community.
Tree of Life- God's Creation Continues
August- Marriage and its Beloved Children
Always, in Christianity, the circle represents eternity, and in this case that leads to some interesting conclusions.The Tree of Life was in the Garden of Eden, and its promise of a return is mentioned in several places in scripture: our ultimate nourishment remains eternally in the mind of our God, and is what will nourish us in the here and hereafter. The Tree is laden with fruit, the bounty of a generous God. Families are given many children as God's sign of blessing.
Again we find the tulips representing the three theological (God) virtues of faith, hope and love.
The rosette Victorian Rose is an ancient Christian symbol and was adopted by the Protestants during the reformation. It refreshes the mind of the love in the book Song of Solomon, representing love of spouses and the love God has for our souls.
The eight pointed star, the day AFTER God is done resting, means generous abundance. The rain sign denotes harmony with life and nature.
Do the Amish home school their children?
By now, everyone knows the answer to this question....
((This module was written before the massacre of the innocents in an Amish schoolhouse (see Amish School Shooting). Due to that tragedy, nearly everyone in the world knows how the Amish school their children. Just in case there are still questions, I've decided to leave this module.))See our lense-in-progress Amish Children
There are one room schoolhouses, private Amish schools, that usually educate Amish children. In Indiana, many of the children are picked up by bus and sent to public schools through the 8th grade, which is the highest grade most Amish children complete, though not all.
After the eighth grade, the children stay home and help their families with the farm and home businesses Child Labor Issues until they marry.
At the age of 16, the children are considered old enough to make their own decisions, and many of them take jobs and adopt the technologies and interests of the English society around them, at least for a time. Some of these kids decide to continue their education, and so develop skills in computers and other technologies. Many of them own and drive cars, use telephones and computers, and even have televisons in their apartments or homes. It is up to the child to decide to be baptized into the Amish Church and adopt that lifestyle. An essay about the decisions facing the youngsters raised in the Amish culture can be found here: THE OLD ORDER AMISH: TO REMAIN IN THE FAITH OR TO LEAVE
Sun and Rain Hex
Spring
The circle always means the Eternity of God in Christianity.The rain drops making up that circle means it is the perpetual cycle of rainfall that life so depends on.
In the center is a sun, the light which we need, and the Amish order their electricity free lives by, that grows the crops in the field. Both are necessary to a bountiful and fruitful harvest. You can purchase these from an original Amish craftsman here: Zooks
Amish Newspapers
The Diary, with subscriptions available at PO Box 98, Gordonville, PA 17529.
Pathway Publishers, RR4, LaGrange, Indiana 46761.
The Budget
Amish Community
Special Links
- Home - Mennonite Disaster Service
- AKRON , Pa. - Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) express their deep sympathy and prayers for families affected by the Oct. 2 shooting at an Amish school in Nickel Mines.
- Southern Tier West Recreation
- amish culture
- APA Newsletters 98:2 - Social Strategies for Software
- The following appeared in Volume 98, Number
2 (Spring, 1999) - Controlling Distraction in the Technological Society
- Controlling Distraction in the Technological Society
So what can we do about this? How can we control
the effect of technology on our lives? - The College Dispatch : Articles
- Lancaster PA
- Amish Telephones
- Amish Telephones
Visitors to Lancaster Countys "Amish Country" often come with misconceptions and inaccurate information gleaned from a wide range of books
about the Amish. Many people think the Amish use nothing modern.
Dutch Irish! Even the Amish are Irish on St. Patricks Day!
June
Of course a Shamrock Irish and these denote the good luck of the Irish. The trinity is represented by the tulips and the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.One of the most popular hex symbols is Dutch Irish. It features a large, green shamrock, the traditional good luck sign of the Irish, as the design's center or heart. The Distelfink birds represent married love and happiness, in double measure. Its a very neat and popular hex.You can purchase these from an original Amish craftsman here: Zooks
Humor
by and about the Amish
The Amish have a great sense of humor. They poke fun at themselves, and enjoy when other poke fun at them. Now, with some of the younger folks in their 'away time'- Rumspringa we even see Amish guys using lights and electricity, and computers!Check it out here: Amish Humor
8 Pointed Star Hex
Winter Blessing
Eight points of the star are a symbol of generous abundance, the promise of God's eighth day. This star is popular in Amish quilt designs. The tulips signify the Trinity, and the cardinal virtures of faith, hope and love. Sheaves of wheat are the abundance of the bread of life, a sign of nurturing, health and productive crops. A popular blessing seen on many barns and large buildings. You can purchase these from an original Amish craftsman here: Zooks Amish in the Media
A great big list. Let's start here...
- CJR Daily: How Do You Photograph the Amish? Let Us Count the Ways
- How Do You Photograph the Amish? Let Us Count the Ways
- Amish Communities
- What Do An Amish Community and a Prison Have in Common?
Wilkum
October
This is a Pennsylvania Dutch welcome sign used in homes, someplace that guests will feel welcomed in a warm and friendly way, by a door, on a porch, in a foyer. The Distelfink birds are a sign of good fortune, or even luck. The star is a symbol of luck, so the double luck sign and the double birds gives the effect of a 'double blessing.' You can purchase these from an original Amish craftsman here: Zooks Unusual Things
- Amish Science Fiction
- Annotated bibliography guide to mainstream science fiction and fantasy literature with Amish characters or references.
- APA Newsletters 98:2 - Social Strategies for Software
- Philosophy and Computers
- How to Join the Amish - WikiHow
- for those who want to jump right in....
- Old Fashioned Letter Writing
- Amish letter writing & literacy
- Black River Middle School Students Named Finalists in National Competition
- Kids Present Reflector Idea for Amish Roadway Safety WASHINGTON, D.C.April 23, 2002
"We care about our Amish people and don't want any more of them to die in traffic accidents"
Essays
- Hindus discuss the Amish
- Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 23, 2006 - Japanese
- I Visited an Amish Community Sachiko Watanabe from Japan
Amish Superman
Alan Davis, Comic Book Man Extraordinaire!
Superman, in this unusual series, was raised by an Amish family in an Amish community, not the Kents as in the other Superman series.We have a special affinity for an artist with a concept like that!
Alan Davis is a top notch comic book writer who's done great work for years. Click here The Nail for his bibliography, covers, unpublished drawings and further information.
Plain Prey
- Crime Victims
- The Amish have difficulties prosecuting criminals who steal from or hurt them.
Amish Health Issues
- Maple Syrup Urine Disease
- A genetic disorder that affects some in the Amish community
- Choroideremia
- Affected males suffer progressive loss of vision (reduction of central vision, constriction of visual fields, night blindness) beginning at an early age, and the choroid and retina undergo complete atrophy.
- Musculoskeletal Disorders: Congenital Anomalies: Dwarfism: Ellis-van Creveld Syndrome
- Dwarfism/Ellis-van_Creveld_Syndrome
- Why don't the Amish have Autistic Children?
- Autistic Amish children 
 are few and far between. Why?
- TV might cause autism
- Researchers might also turn new attention to study of the Amish. Autism is rare in Amish society, and the standing assumption has been that this is because most Amish refuse to vaccinate children. The Amish also do not watch television.
- IU School of Dentistry | Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry | Working with the Amish Community
- IU School of Dentistry
- CAT.INIST.FR
- Fibromyalgia in the Amish community
- Lessons learned while conducting research within an Amish community Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health - Find Articles
- Lessons learned while conducting research within an Amish community from Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health
- Amish-ize? Vegetarian Times - Find Articles
- Amish-ize? from Vegetarian Times in Home & Garden
- PubMed
- life science journals for biomedical articles back to the 1950s.
- What Can The Amish Teach Us About Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder, Part II
- Behavioral risk factors in an Amish community.
Government
- Buggy & Road Safety
- Lots of Amish die terrible deaths or suffer grave disabilities when our vehicles crash into their buggies.
- Pratie Place: Lorax Hall of Shame: IN DOT
- Wednesday, February 23, 2005 Lorax Hall of Shame: IN DOT The second Lorax Hall of Shame award for the day goes to clones of the previous winners - the Indiana Department of Transportation!
(Too bad that's not the last time they'll win the honor.... lensmaster)
Declaration of Independence
The Amish Love America
Psalm 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!"The Amish have created this exact replica of the Declaration of Independence on solid cherry, with a mahogany frame, linen border and gold filet around it. Genuinely beautiful. Declaration of Independence
Amish News Feed
Amish Inbox News Feed
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAmish Made Stuff
Send a Message to the Amish
They are wonderful and friendly people.
Sign our guestbook, send the Amish a message, make a suggestion, help us improve this lense. Do you have a question or a comment? Did we omit anything important? Tell us!
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- dc64 dc64 Jan 8, 2009 @ 10:25 am
- It's good to see that someone is bringing the Amish to our attention, and doing it so well. When I lived in Pennsylvania, I was so intrigued by these people. It would be sad to see their way of life die out, because they are such an inspiring people. Great lens.
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- egallagher2k egallagher2k Dec 5, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
- An extremely well put together lens. I work in Lancaster County, PA where everyday life mixes with the Amish life. Particularly I found interesting the fact that many of the hex signs originate from Catholic Symbols. I have just begun my own research about these symbols and am blogging about what I find on Catholic Symbols
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- SamVan SamVan Aug 28, 2008 @ 11:11 am
- Fantastic lens on "Amish Community by Margaret Schaut"! I am working on a series of lenses about DHT Blockers/a>. Feel free to check it out.
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- Jul 29, 2008 @ 11:55 pm
- Thank you for useful information. Great lens!
Visit my lens on How To Get Rid of Chest Acne and Acne Treatments Review 2008.
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- WeddingTips WeddingTips Jul 29, 2008 @ 11:07 pm
- I love your lens so much! I'll not give you less than 5 stars.
Warmest Regards,
Beauty Preparations for Your Wedding
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- Stephene Stephene Jul 18, 2008 @ 1:06 am
- Hi, thanks for useful information. A 5-star!
Regards,
Colon Cleanse and Colon Cleanse Weight Loss Solution
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- VegeSoup VegeSoup Jul 17, 2008 @ 9:53 am
- Excellent lens. 5-star for you.
Warmest Regards,
7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet
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- Jul 14, 2008 @ 3:45 am
- Thanks for dropping by! You have nice lens too. A 5-star to you.
EvonWoo from Artificial Nail Fungus and Treatment for Nail Fungus 2008.
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- Jul 10, 2008 @ 11:19 pm
- Hi,
I love your lens. Given you the 30th 5-star.
Check out my 1st lens "Weight Loss and Back Pain".
Thank you.
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- poddys poddys Jun 6, 2008 @ 7:35 am
- Very nice lens about the Amish. I lived for 12 years in South Bend, Indiana, and used to enjoy driving through the communities of Nappannee and Shipshewana, seeing the Amish buggies and the pace of life slowed down. 5***** for a great lens.
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by Margaret_Schaut
I work directly with several Amish communities and do advocacy for their issues and concerns.
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