JEAN'S ZUCCHINI SUMMER SOUP

JEAN'S ZUCCHINI SUMMER SOUP

2-3 medium size zucchini, shredded or thin sliced
1 medium onion, thin sliced
2 Tablespoon butter
2 cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup corn cooked
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp basil
1 lb mild Cheddar cheese
Chopped parsley

Cook onion in butter until almost soft.  Add garlic, cook briefly.  Do not brown.  Stir in remainder of ingredients except cheese and parsley.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle soup into bowls, grate cheese over top and garnish with parsley.

Make extra to freeze to serve on a cold winter day.

The picture is of Edward and Michael's field.

ANNA TELLS OF KEVIN'S SHOP

I thought that I had given Marilyn a post for this week and I hadn't.  So on Monday, I am coming up with the post you are reading today.

Thought I would tell you about Kevin's Shop. I think you will note in a previous post a while back that he wanted a shop.  He did repairs, but didn't have a place for all he tools or where he could bring things to be repaired into.  While he and his wife Bridget were gone to help folks, I think in Oklahoma, a group of Old Order Mennonite and Amish got together and built the shop for him.  Was he ever surprised when he got back.

Now he and Jean's son, Michael work there.  They do all sorts of repairs there.  Michael is in training, but Kevin says he has done great jobs and learned fast, that he is now on his payroll.  Kevin feels in another year or so, Michael will be able to open his own shop.  In this area, there is a lot of work to be done and they don't feel that it will be one against the other.

Inside of Kevin's shop are all sorts of tools hung on the walls.   He and Michael know what each tool is and what it is for.  They work on all sorts of repair.  They work on washers, dryers, wood burn stoves, gas stoves, farm equipment, sewing machines and even a car, once in a while. The are jacks of all trades.  On big equipment, they go to owners homes.  They have a wagon if they have to bring something back to the shop, but they prefer to repair the big items in homes or barns.  Sometimes they have had to work on farm equipment in the field.

Sometimes Kevin goes to auctions, junk yards, peoples homes and buys items that people want to get rid of .  He repairs them and resells them to make extra money.

David has taught Michael how to do wood work, so sometimes he makes items that are needed.  Like Michael is making two chairs, one for each of the sewing machines and stands we bought.  Kevin says he can do refinishing but when it comes to building something - that's Michael's job.

In addition to the shop Kevin also has a farm.  I asked him if he gets behind in farming working in the shop.  Kevin smiled - he said he has nine brothers and sisters to call if he needs farming help.  Michael also works on Jean and David's farm plus the land that Edward and he farm.  Michael said Edward and David usually give him a hand in farming if he gets behind.

All the time at the shop was not work.  Kevin and Bridget held a picnic for their customers.  It was sort of a thank you for all the work that they had given him and Michael.  Elmer and I were invited and went - it was a great picnic.  Also, one day Elmer took something to the shop and came home laughing.  When he got to Kevin's shop, the door had a sign: "Gone Fishing".  It seems that Kevin and Michael had all the shop and farming work caught up and they couldn't resist taking time off for fishing.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna

ELMER SPENDS MONEY

We accept Marilyn's apology for accidentally deleting the comments.  Like my son said, she could have deleted the posts, too.  We all make mistakes.  We are all human.

This week has been an expensive week for Anna and myself.  First, we found out that the land we were going to build our farm and Hannah's farm on - we didn't own.  One day, the police showed up at our front door with the building inspector and the man that owned the property.  All the years we have been here, we have farmed that area and now we find we didn't own it.  It seems that a generation or two back part of the land was sold.  Somehow it wasn't changed in some of the records.  The people that own the property are Amish friends of ours.  They thought the whole thing was kind of funny.  It seems they forgot that they owned it until the building inspector found it.  So to make a long story short, we bought the land that we thought we owned.  We are having everything checked on our property before we sell it to our children.  Want to make sure they get what they own and know what it is.

John and I went to the auction as Marilyn said.  The section with the house, barns, ice house and land went really low.  As I said, if it had been closer to where I lived, I would have bid on it.  John thought of doing it too, but I told him it was to far from where we live and buying that would take money he needs to remodel the house, buy farm equipment, etc.  He agreed.  What was great to see is the look on the face of the fellow that bought it.  He was a fellow about John's age, and I am guessing it is his first farm.  He was so excited when he realized it was his.  It didn't bother him that he couldn't get possession for 12 weeks.

Then came buying farm equipment that John needed for his farm.  Everything he looked at, he found something wrong with even though there was nothing wrong.  Finally, after a fast discussion I found out he wanted everything new.  After another fast discussion, I explained unless he spent all his money, he wasn't going to get new. That would mean - he could not remodel his house, afford to buy seed, buy animals he wanted on and on.  He decided to buy used.  So he bought some equipment.

When it came to the household goods, we agreed to hold out for the sewing machine.  John also bought a bed and some other furniture for his house.  I hope his Sarah likes them when she sees them as they haven't discussed furniture.  We both agreed to hold out for that sewing machine.  John wanted it for Sarah as she sews on her Mother's sewing machine at home.  She doesn't have a machine she could have when they married.  Anna wanted to get any I see for our granddaughters.  I told John we would discuss it when we got home, but we had to win it first.  It didn't come with a cabinet.  We won it.

When we went to pay, John didn't have enough cash to pay all he bought. Of course, he didn't bring his check book or credit card.  So I ended up paying what he couldn't.  The good thing was as they were loading John's equipment in the truck, a lady came running from the house and wanted to know if we won the sewing machine.  When we said yes, she said they had a cabinet for the machine at the house.  So we went up to the house and got the cabinet.  We offered more money for it, but they wouldn't take it.  So the sewing machine and cabinet are over at Kevin's being gone over.  He laughed when we pulled up with the second one.

After John went to bed, Anna and I discussed the sewing machine from the auction. We decided that Sarah should get it.  She will need it before the rest of our granddaughters need one.  When we told John in the morning, he was very happy.  John wanted it delivered to their house, but Anna said with all the dust and moving during the remodeling it was not a good idea.  As Sarah and Bridget have become good friends, Bridget spoke with Sarah's Mother.  Somehow they have it worked out that when Kevin is done with the machine, Bridget will invite Sarah over while Kevin is delivering the sewing machine to her parent's house.  It will be a big surprise when she goes home.

So with the property I bought and what I paid for John's work and what I am paying Kevin to go over two sewing machines - this was an expensive week. I know that John will pay me back.  Hannah and her husband will pay me for their property so I will get some of it again.

Jean will be on next week.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

COUNTRY CHURCH IN CLYDE, NEW YORK

If you went to the Amish Auction on Friday, you probably went right past this church.  The paint is pealing.  The windows have wholes in them.  Obviously, it isn't used anymore.  I wish I knew the story behind this church.  Wonder what religion services were there?  Did they hold picnic's in the yard?  Did the congregation get so small they had to close ?  Or did the congregation get so large they had to build another church elsewhere?  Oh, I wish the church could tell us.

SWISS-GERMAN AMISH FARM AUCTION

I had never been to an Amish Auction before and I really enjoyed this one.  There were lots of Amish and very few Englishers there. I did not get pictures of much of the farm equipment coming up for auction as the Amish men were looking at it and I didn't want to cause problems taking pictures. I really enjoyed the hand made ice cream that the Amish ladies made and sold there.  It was delicious.  When the auction of the property started, they were told that possession was suppose to be in 30 days, but wouldn't be for at least 12 weeks as the Amish man selling the farm had twisted and broken his hip - for the second time.  He had an operation and a steel plate put in, was home, but wouldn't be able to move for at least 12 weeks.  The house with the barns, ice house, and some land sold for $65,000.00 (which was very low). A young, I believe, Amish man bought it.  The acres across the street sold for $215,000.00.  Am not sure, but I think an Englisher bought that.  The pictures are of the house, the lot where the buggies were parked.  I have a lot more buggy pictures that I will but on maybe next week.  Next pictures of some of the farm items sold.  I like the picture of the horses watching the auction - they weren't for sale.  I did sneak a picture of the Amish watching the auction.  Lastly are some pictures of household items being sold.  Elmer wanted that sewing machine for his granddaughters.  John wanted it for his future wife as she uses her mother's sewing machine.  Elmer said just one of us win it and we can figure it out when we get home.  I didn't stay that long so I don't know who won it, but I am sure Elmer will let us know.  I also don't know if John bought any of the farm equipment.

If anyone else was there and took pictures, please let me know as I would like to put them on here.

OLD ORDER MENNONITE LAMB FARM

Elmer and Anna were with me and directed me to the road that this farm was on.  We saw several cow farms, but this was the only lamb farm.  I took these pictures back in April.

PICTURES FROM THE AMISH AUCTION ARE TOMORROW'S POST.

DUTCHLAND FOODS GROCERY STORE, MENNONITE OWNED, MARION, NY

I am glad someone contacted me, because I forgot I had these pictures.  This is the latest pictures of the Mennonite Grocery Store coming into Marion, New York.  Their name is Dutchland Foods. This is being build where Surfine use to be.  It had been vacant for several years. They are still working on it.  Now they are mostly working on the inside.  Top picture is of the sign and the second of the front.  The third and fourth pictures are of the side of the building. Final picture is another shot of the front.  Marion and the near by towns are waiting for this store to get open.  I can't wait to get inside and take pictures for here.

I am adding to this on Sunday before it goes on.  There was an article on this grocery store in the Times of Wayne County paper.  Dutchland is given the name because of the Dutch heritage of the area.  This is a privately owned grocery stored owned by Neal and Darlene Zimmerman - not part of a chain. None of the cakes they will sell will be made from a box.  They plan on opening in August of this year.