ANNA CONTINUES HER AMISH MEDICINE

How did I get into Amish remedies like I did?  Most every Amish woman knows some Amish remedies.  Some ladies know more than others.  My Mother was an Amish midwife and knew more remedies than the average Amish woman does.  It has been passed down to her by her Mother as is tradition.  When it came time to pass it on to one of her daughters - none of my sisters were interested.  It came to Hannah and I - Hannah was not the least bit interested.

My Father said, I would never learn.   I was not like the usual Amish woman.  I liked farming better than baking.  Liked cleaning the cow barn rather than the house.  How could my Mother teach me?  But, my Mother came to me, anyway.  She told me I could learn more remedies than I knew.  I was really interested.

So my Mother taught me everything she knew.  I learned remedies, midwife, herbs, and more. After Mother taught me all she knew, I starting reading books on medicine - both herb and medical school medicine.  Elmer told me if I had been born in the English world, I would have been a doctor. Over the years, I have met other women that know medicine like Grandmother Olive - and have learned more from them.  So that is how I have become what some Amish and Old Order Mennonite call a "Wise Woman".  I do not consider myself special or wise.  It is something I have been interested in and learned as much as I can.  I am still learning.  Today I thank the Lord and my Mother for my learning what I know.  Now, I am looking to pass it on to one of my daughters, but am not getting much interest in my family. but Bridget, Kevin's wife and Sarah to be John's wife are interested. I do not plan on retiring, but I want to pass it on.

How did we get to using herbs?  As I said before both the Amish and Old Order Mennonite go by the Bible.  In Genesis 1:11-12 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind: whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."  So that was when herbs were first created.  Herbs have been used from generation to generation.  So using herbs is not just an Amish  and / or Mennonite use. Much of the medicine that doctors use today originated from herbs.  So herbs are not a "new" idea.

When working with herbs you must be aware of the fact that there are some herbs that are illegal in the United States.  Also herbs are for some used for external use and some for internal use and some that can be used for external and internal use.  You want to be careful and make sure you don't use something for internal use and it's not.  Someone could very ill and have to go to the doctor or hospital.  That's why, even after all these years, I label all herb remedies that I have - what it is and what it is for.  Getting older, my memory isn't what it use to be, and I don't want to make a mistake.

With herbs I make saves, oils, pills, lotions, soaps, and more.  Some herbs I dry.  At Jean's house, I have a refrigerator in their basement.  In fact, there are two of them.  One has Jean and Grandmother Olive's name on it and the other has my name on it.  Jean's has her herb remedies in it and mine has my remedies in it that have to be refrigerated.  We agree if she needs something I have she has my permission to take and visa versa.  Jean and I went through them and they are almost exactly alive.  I have herbs and herb remedies in my house, but I make a lot at a time and I don't trust my house refrigerator on gas to keep it as cool as electric.  David and Jean do not charge Elmer or myself for the refrigerator.  We want to pay them, but they won't take it, but we try to pay them back in other ways.

Marilyn is reading and studying herbs as she is allergic to many of the medicines doctor prescribe.  She asked if you look in a herb book - why are there so many different remedies for an illness or situation.  Over the years many people have tried different herbs that have worked in a situation.  Sometimes one remedy  works better on one person than another person.  Also some people like a certain remedy over another.  Like someone would rather drink tea than mix something else.

Next week I will answer the questions you have asked me.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna

Next week, I will be on October 9th.

JEAN TELLS OF THOMAS' BIRTHDAY AND MORE

Since my last post, we had a birthday party for Thomas.  As he is fairly new here, we invited some folks that Michael and Edward knew about their age.  Also Elmer and Anna came, David's parents came and my parents came.  Thomas is on the shy side until he meets someone so we introduced him to everyone he didn't know.  We let them play softball but we wouldn't start dinner and Thomas didn't know why.  Finally the car pulled up and we had Thomas go near as the car door opened and the young lady he was going with from Seneca Falls got out.  Her parents were also there, too.  He was so surprised when he saw her.  He kept asking us how we did it.

We had them sit together at the dinner table.  For dinner we had hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, coleslaw, chow-chow, pickled beets, and more.  Anna brought vegetable salad and cookies.  The young ladies parents brought two pies.  My parents brought chili sauce and pies.  David's parents brought jello fruit salad and baked beans.  Grandmother Olive and Edward made and frosted the cake. So we all ate very well.

After dinner we had Thomas open his presents.  He had tears in his eyes as he opened them.  Thomas got slacks, shirts, gloves, jacket, socks, handmade sweaters, fishing equipment, gift certificate for ice skating boots, and more.  We mentioned skiing items for him, but he doesn't ski and doesn't care to learn.  David told him he would take him hunting with him and if he enjoyed it would get him a rifle.  Thomas was pleased with all the gifts he received.  He said he had ever received anything like this before.

We told him and his lady that somehow we make arrangements so they could see each other now and again.  Maybe on singing Saturdays she could come here and stay over night.  Or he could get a driver and go to Seneca Falls and back.

Which leads to another subject.  Right now David and Michael, Edward, Thomas are working on remodeling the attic.  We have run out of bedrooms.  At this time, we have Katie and Susan in the same bedroom.  They don't mind it, but if we have guests, we have to move David Jr. into our room with us.  Thomas said he would sleep on the couch if we had quests, but we told him not to worry until we got guests.  Michael's bedroom has two single beds in it.  If push came to shove we could put two of the boys in together.  If it is one of Grandmother Olive and Grandfather Albert's friends, the guest could sleep in Dawdy Haus as that has two bedrooms in it.

So we are going up to add some more bedrooms.  David wants to put five more bedrooms and a bathroom up there.  We could take in more foster children and/or guests.  But, he said that is as high as we can go.  Already some of the boys are arguing who gets to bed in the first bedroom in the attic.  We decided to keep David Jr., Katie and Susan on the second floor along with some of the boys.  They all have excuses for why they should be in the new bedrooms.  David told them to wait until we get the bedrooms and bathroom up there.  It probably won't really be worked on until winter.

So we have been busy here.  It is now harvest time.  We are going into fall.

Be with God,
Jean

P.S.

Next week I will be on October 7th.  It is a special day on New York State of Mind.

GOLD STAR MOTHER'S DAY

Grace Darling Seibold's son entered service when the United States entered World War I in 1917.  His Mother began to do community service by visiting returning servicemen in hospitals.  When correspondence ended from her son, she still continued visiting war-damaged service men in hospitals.  On November 4, 1918, she received confirmation of her son's death.  His body was never found.

Grace, realizing the self-contained grief is self-destructive, devoted her time and efforts not only working in the hospital but extending the hand of friendship to other mothers whose sons had lost their lives in military service.  She organized a group of these special mothers, with the purpose of not only comforting each other, but giving care to hospitalized veterans confined in government hospitals far from home.  The organization was named after the Gold Star that families hung in their windows in honor of deceased veterans.

After years of planning, June 4, 1928, five mothers met in Washington, DC to establish the national organization American Gold Star Mother's Inc.

The success of the organization continues because of the bond of mutual love, sympathy and support of many loyal, capable, and patriotic mothers who while sharing their grief and their pride, channeled their time, efforts and gifts to lessening the pain of others.

They stand tall and proud by honoring their children, assisting veterans, supporting our nation and healing with each other.

President Woodrow Wilson said: "The Service Flag displayed from homes, places of business, churches, schools, etc. to indicate the number of members of the family, or organizations who are serving in the Armed Forces or who have died from such service.  Service flags have a deep Blue Star for each living member in the service and a Gold Star for each member who has died." Thus, the Gold Star and the term Gold Star Mother, as applied to mothers whose sons or daughters died in World I, were accepted, they have continued to be used in reference to all American Military engagements since that time.

Today Gold Star Mothers is an organization whose sons or daughters served and died that this world might be a better place in which to live.

Natural Mothers, who are citizens of the United States of America, or of the Territorial and Insular, or Possessions of the United States of America, whose sons and daughters served and died in the line of duty in the Armed Forces of the United States of America or its Allies, or died as a result of injuries sustained in service, are eligible for membership in American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. Adoptive Mothers and Step-Mothers who reared the child from the age of five years old whose natural mother is deceased, are also eligible.

On June 12, 1984 Congress made the last Sunday in September Gold Star Mother's Day.

Are any of you Gold Star Mothers?




Churches will be back next week.


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FARM MACHINERY - OLD AND NEW

I haven't had farm machinery on here in a long time so today is the day.  The top two pictures were taken of that tractor at the Wayne County Fair.  Next ten pictures were from the Canal Town Days Parade in Palmyra, NY.  The last two, I took while I was in Amish and Old Order Mennonite area.  I still have more farm machinery to put on sometime.

SWISS - GERMAN AMISH FARM AND BUSINESS

This is a Swiss-German Amish Farm and business.  The third picture shows how good the new camera is. I was such a distance away, I couldn't figure out what was on top of the carriage - even with the zoom.  But when I got it home and the pictures on the computer, I can see it is a boat. Picture eight starts the pictures of the business next to the house.  I am not sure, but I think it is a lumber business.  There was another building, but a couple of Amish men were working out front and I was to close to take a picture - their faces would have shown up close and I don't want to offend them.

THIS AND THAT PICTURES

Sometimes I have a this and that.  I have pictures I want you to see, but they aren't enough of them to put on a post.  So here is one of my this and that days. The top two pictures of buildings I saw while driving around in Lyons area.  As I was driving on a back road the birds in the third were right in the middle of the road.  When I honked the horn, they moved over to the side of the road where I took the picture.  Next is a farm scene on the back roads of Lyons. Next is an unusual house, I saw on the same back road of the previous pictures.  The last picture I took of an Amish house in Galen.  They have the pumpkins for sale. I think I have a few more of this and that - that I will put on. Hope you enjoy my this and that.

JEAN'S BAKED HERB SALMON

JEAN'S BAKED HERB SALMON

1 2-pound fresh or frozen salmon fillet (Be sure all bones are removed from the salmon fillet before baking)
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, cut into 1/8-inch slices and seeded

Thaw salmon, if frozen.  Preheat over to 400 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with foil.  Place, salmon, skin side down, on foil-lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle salmon with chives, thyme, pepper, and salt.  Top with lemon slices.  Cover salmon with foil.  Bake 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until salmon flakes easily when tested with fork.  Serve immediately.  Makes 8 (3 ounces cooked fish) servings.

ANNA TELLS OF AMISH MEDICINE

I wanted to put on a post and explain why we use herbs.  Also, maybe the ways of our medicine.  To start with being both Amish and born again, we go by the ways of the Bible.  We believe that the Lord is love.  He created us, sent his son to this earth, he teaches us through the Bible and Jesus died on the cross for us.  So the Lord is love.  We also believe that the Lord heals.  When I give some medicine or they go to the doctor or hospital and are healed that the Lord healed them.  Now the Lord may have given me the wisdom to use a certain medicine or given the doctor the wisdom or the hospital doctors and nurses the wisdom, but the healing is the Lord's.  Even when someone passes on (dies) we feel that is the Lord's healing.  When someone passes, we feel that the Lord has taken them home where they are healed.

Another point, is that we believe our healthy bodies are a gift from God.  We should try to keep our bodies healthy and in as good condition as we can.  There are many things we consider beside medicine.  If a special child is born whether with physical or mental problems, we should also keep their bodies as healthy as we can.  Also, if an adult or young person should have an accident where they have physical or mental injury, they should still be kept in condition as well as they can be. Special adults or children should be treated as normal as they can be.  I could go into another post on that.

Of course, we use herbs for medicine, which I will tell you about.  But, we have other things we also consider for better health.  I want to tell you a little about them.

Light is very important to us.  Genesis 1:3 "And God said: Let there be light and there was light."  We must have light for our crops, animals must have light and we must have light.  We eat the crops and animals that need light.  Also, we ourselves need light.  Now I don't mean going out in the sun and getting sun burned or skin cancer.  But when we plow or harvest our crops - we get light outside.  When we work in my garden - we get light.  When we shovel snow, we get light.  Our bodies need light.  Many people have depression times during the winter when they don't get outside as they should.  We believe this depression is do to lack of outside light.

Muscles, bones and circulation are also important to us.  If there is  a problem with one of these, the whole body suffers.  We must maintain these and exercise.  We do not have any exercise equipment in our home.  Nor do we jog or run, unless it is an emergency.  Cleaning house is exercise.  Milking cows is exercise.  Plowing and harvesting our crops is exercise.  Taking walks together is exercise.  Eating the correct foods are important in maintaining these.

Breathing we must maintain.  James 4:14 "It is even a vapour, that appeareth for alittle time, and then vanisheth  away."  We can maintain for a few days without food, and we can maintain for a few days without water.  But we can not maintain without breathing.  With the pollutions in the air, we must maintain our breathing.  That is why we clean our homes from attic, house, to basement.  We make sure there is ventilation.  Also we obtain from smoking.

Diet is important to us. Despite what all the Amish cookbooks say, we do not fry chicken all the time.  I saw an article that says the Amish do not eat correctly.  I would like to meet the person that wrote that to speak with them.  We eat vegetables and fruit that we grow ourself - without chemicals on our food or in it.  We raise many of our own animals to eat.  We can our foods so we can have them year around.  We must watch our sweets so we don't over do it.  As we are not as active in the winter as we are the other months, we must watch how much we eat and what we eat. There are also times when we fast and when the body needs cleansing.

Water is in the Bible several times.  Two thirds of the weight of an adult is water.  The proper consumption of water is important.  Water is for drinking, bathing, cleansing, elimination from the body and more.  Living next to water can be a calming effect.  We don't live near water, but we do enjoy it when we go there.

Love we believe God is love and God does the healing.

Alms - Matthew 6:1 " Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven" We have a heavy bag at the door when we go to Sunday service.  We can put our money in the bag.  No one keeps account of who puts what in.  It is up to us to put in what we feel is right.  It is nice to know that we are donating to help others as the Lord wants us to.

Laughter is important to health.  In laughing you exercise your lungs, heart and glands.  Humor also gives you more pleasure, relieves tension and fear.

Dressing plain and with modest.  1 Peter 3:3-4 "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."  We feel that our plainness allows beauty to develop inside of us that would not happen if we wore jewelry, makeup, fancy clothes, etc.

Simple Ways - Ps 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect,  converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."  Here we believe in avoiding the outside ways of the world.  We believe we must praise God, study the true meaning of our lives, develop our talents, help others in need, and just rejoice in our lives and being.

Touching is important.  We believe touching people also has a healing.  We believe massage can heal relieve tension, headaches and more.  That would be another whole post.

Work also helps in healing and teaching.  We must produce the fruits of labor and teach our young ones to do the same.

Praise and thanksgiving to the Lord is important in healing.  We should pray, praise and thank the Lord daily.  Also, we should stop gossip, and complaining and appreciate what the Lord has given us.

So in our healing we consider more than just herbs, flowers, and more.  We try to consider the source of the problem both physical and mental.  When someone comes, I talk with them and pray with them to see if we can find the source.  Of course sometimes taking care comes first, talking later in such as an accident or alike.

I thank Marilyn for per patience in this post.  We have been putting this together for almost a month.  At times I thought we would finish this, we had to put other posts on.  I will do another post on the herbs and medicines.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna

ELMER TELLS ABOUT STORING MEAT AT JEAN AND DAVID'S

I was driving down the road and saw this sign.  Just had to take a picture of it.  Showed it to Elmer.  He laughed and said to put it on.  Marilyn

Marilyn found this.  Never knew there was an Elmer road. I did think it was funny when she showed it to me, so I  told her to put it on.   Now I told her to go find a Jean Road, Anna Road, Martha Road and more.  Elmer

Thought I would tell you about storing meat at Jean's and David's.  First of all the slaughter area and all the food drawers are silver tone.  In fact both rooms are sliver tone.  When we need meat, we give them a call to make sure they are home.  Once you arrive you go into the office that is in one of their barns.  You meet who is taking you to your drawer - either Jean, David, Michael or Edward.  Thomas is usually with them as he is in training.

Both Anna and I and Jean and David have a list of what is in our freezer drawers.  We tell them what we are taking.  We cross it off our list and they cross it off their list.  If we are adding food to drawer - maybe something that we slaughtered, we add it to our list and they theirs.  With the owner before, we had problems.  Sometimes we would come to pick something up from our freezer drawers and it wasn't there.  The former owner said we had already taken it.  Neither of us had lists.  So when Jean and David took over, they put the lists in.

After we finish the lists, we go into the next room where we must put plastic over our shoes and plastic gloves over our hands.  From there we go into another room where our freezer drawers are.  We open the case and take out or put in what we want.  When we leave the freezer room, we take off the plastic over the shoes and gloves which we toss in a garbage can they have there.  The freezer room and the slaughter room must be kept sanitary at all times.  They have to meet state law.  Inspectors come a couple of times of year - unannounced to inspect.

Both Jean and David and Anna and I have keys to the drawers.  In case we forget the key, they can open the drawers.  If we don't have our lists, they give us a paper with what we took out or put in on it.

They have also put in a couple of other things that our previous owner did not have.  It is our choice if we want to belong or not.  One of these is to help others.  There was a family near us that lost their home in a fire.  They found another place to live, but had no food.  Many  charities came up with canned goods, but no fresh meat.  David and Jean took from their meat in their home to give it to the people in need.  Some of us that freeze our meat there did not think it is fair for Jean and David to have to give all of their personal meat.  So those of us that wanted to signed a list saying that if a need of meat comes up, that we agreed that Jean and David could take some out of our drawers.  That way the loss does not all fall on Jean and David.  There have come up a couple of times where meat was needed and the system has worked out very well.  Jean and David call us before or after they take it, tell us where it went and what they took.  That way several people donate a piece or two instead of it falling on one family.

Then on the other hand, there is a list of those of us who would be willing to take extra meat that Jean and David might get.  Especially at hunting season, some people kill a deer and they want only the head with the horns - they don't want the meat.  So David gives the hunters what they want, cuts up the meat and divides it among us that signed the list.  David or Jean calls us and tells us what they did so we can add it to our list.

While they were gone to Penn Yan, I did the slaughtering and cutting of meat for them.  I am a little short for the counters and sink so I had to bring a stool along and slide it along the floor to stand on. Since then David purchased a silver tone metal stool and keeps it in the slaughter area so I don'have to bring one and keep the new one sanitary.

We do pay David and Jean a monthly charge for our meat drawers.  Also there is a charge if we want any meat slaughtered.  The price is fair and you figure they have to pay the electric bill, keep the place sanitary, the meat is under lock and key, and their time.  David also has generators hooked up in the drawers area in case the power goes off, they have back up so the meat doesn't defrost.

Also Jean and David say if you they are home, they will see that you get your meat.  Our former owner had certain hours.  Jean and David say, of course, not on the Lord's day unless it is an emergency.

We are glad Jean and David bought the farm they did.  They are more pleasant than the other owners were.  Also, they will go out of their way for you.  Many of the Amish and some Old Order Mennonites store our meats at Jean and David's.

I see last week I got a lot of questions so I will answer some of those next week. NO, I will not be on next week.  Next week is Jean's week.  I will be on the sixth of October, Lord willing.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

MACEDON CENTER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, MACEDON CENTER, NY

I was unable to find a history on this church in town of Macedon Center or Macedon.  I do know that they do a lot of charity work.  I really like that they are going to have Blessings of the Animals.  Might bring Pierre to that.  Doggies can use all the Blessings they can get.

USUAL AMISH HOUSE HAS BUILDING GOING UP !!

I had this house on in January.  While driving in the area, I saw two Amish men working on this building.  Knowing their religious feelings about pictures, I didn't take their pictures.  When I came back later, they weren't there so I took pictures of the building they were working on.  The black you see on the building are their tool belts and jackets.  I wonder if that is going to be a greenhouse.

On Monday, Elmer has a different picture at the top of his post.  I found it while I was out taking pictures and showed it to him.  He laughed and gave me the okay to put it on.  So it goes on Monday.  I am sure Elmer will have comments about it.