Living Like the Amish

Apparently God wanted us to get just a taste of Amish life early, and in real style - we had an ice storm. It knocked out the power here at Chez Granola Mama Katie for a few frosty days, which were manageable with a generator (cha-ching). Knocked out phone lines... cable... you get the idea. We here in semi-rural/semi-urban America were thrown back a few hundred years to prehistoric ( OK, pre-Thomas Edison) times: cooking over an open fire, or gas-grill; huddling together for warmth; forgoing cleanliness for warmth - or shrieking like a mad woman sponging off in freezing cold water because you just HAVE to be clean; candles, or LED flashlights, to illuminate the darkness.  Yep, these were desperate times.  In fact, some of my fellow 'transplants' ( what we call those of us living here not born here and staying here because crazy Sybil lives in The Promised Land... The Republic of Texas.... insert wistful sigh here) are still struggling through the long winter, awaiting spring or the power company to get their electricity back on, whichever comes first.

We took this opportunity to talk with The Masses a little about how the Amish people live, and touched on why, and how their lifestyle is different from ours - yes, I meant 'me', not me and the Hub... like he knows how they live! Ha!  I realized in educating the Masses a little that we still had it really easy. I mean, when the electricity went out, we bought a generator; they use NO ELECTRICITY... FOR ANYTHING... LIKE LIGHTS... AND AN OVEN... and definitely NOT a computer or television!

* It was truly delightful to be TV free.  Unfortunately, my OCD kicked into overdrive and I felt the insane urge to clean like a 9 months pregnant woman (NO, I AM NOT PREGNANT - WHEW!)

I couldn't wait to get out of the house on Friday (I'd been at home since Monday afternoon), and I looked forward to hopping behind the wheel of the UDM, or anything for that matter... except an unheated horse and buggy.  Talk about 'homebody'! Nothing like hitchen' up the buggy in 20 degree weather to make ya wanta stay home!!!!

And of course, the Masses wanted to know if they had outhouses. This is up for debate, though the books I have read, most of them did use an outhouse.  DO they still? We may have to wait for our visit to find out. But, people are resourceful, and I wouldn't be surprised if some enterprising Amish person hadn't come up with a way to avoid the 20 degree visit to the outhouse!

I truly felt like a Pioneer Katie as I cooked sausage and pancakes on the grill - and I truly felt grateful that this wasn't my everyday life!

I am thankful God put me here now, and in this place (and not in Texas cuz you-know-who lives there, the one we aren't gonna name...). Yep, I think I coulda done the whole survival/pioneer/give birth in the fields and a keep on pickin' thing ...

but I am SOOOOOO happy I don't have to find out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!