ELMER AND ANNA'S POST

Anna and I are both going to answer questions that you asked today.  The first questions I will answer.  Regarding the September 13, 2016 Old Order Mennonite School, someone asked if the horse stayed hitched up to the buggy all day long?  Was it the teacher's buggy?

Not having seen it, I would say that the buggy that was sitting without a horse on it is the teacher's buggy.  No, the teacher's doesn't usually have their horses hooked to the buggy all day.  They usually unhitch them when they get to school and sometimes have a small barn cover for the horse to be in to protect them from outside and where they can get food and water.

The horse that is hooked to the buggy, I would say, is a visitor or teacher helper who was only there part day.  Or, it could be a parent, bringing lunch to school - they do that quite often.

Anna: Someone asked if all Amish ladies wear blue dresses when they get married.  I may be a bit like Elmer and get a little off subject - but here goes.  Amish look at how the Englishers change styles and say we never change.  We would never change like that - but we do.  Maybe not as much or as often, but over the years, we do make changes.

Back when Elmer and I got married, I can remember my grandmother having a fit because I wore a light bluish grey combination color wedding dress. The dress was only one color - but bluish grey  She felt I should have worn either black or dark blue or at least dark brown, not what I wore.  She got so upset that my parents had to get the Bishop to tell it was all right.  The color I wore for our wedding was what I guess you would say the "in" color and is still the most popular color worn in our Old Order Amish today.

But, over the years, other colors have been allowed.  Deep green, deep blue, and I have even seen deep red has since become popular over the years.

Now, not all Amish are allowed to wear different colors.  I am talking about our Old Order Amish.  Other orders allow different colors.  Some only black.  Some only the blue.  Some like ours, are more liberal.  Bishop Eli pretty well knows what color the wedding dress will be.  Has he ever told someone they couldn't wed in a certain color dress - yes.

Certain colors are not allowed: white, yellow, orange, and more- bright colors.  Bishop Eli says, being Bishop, you somethings learn the hard way when you first become Bishop. He had recently become Bishop and one of the couples he wed - she wore a yellow dress.  There wasn't much he could have done at the wedding.  Well, he could have refused to wed them but with everyone there, he didn't.  If that happened now - he would.  He's learned.  So he likes to see the dress color before the wedding not getting any surprises at the wedding.   He still laughs when he thinks of that wedding, but would never let it happen again.

Elmer: Bishop Eli is going to put on a post maybe later this week or next week.  He said you have been kind and given us questions - now he has a question for you.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer and Anna