Amish as Busy as Bees in the Summer

     I'm taking knitting classes in the small town of Smicksburg, PA where many of my Amish friends live. My teacher owns the shop, SuzyBKnits, and we lazily put up our feet as she teaches me to knit and purl. What a different summer I'm having than my Amish friends.

     The men are out making hay when the sun shines. I love watching them pull their primitive hay rakes by one tired horse. They stop to take off their straw hats and wipe their brow. Then you see teams of men stacking the hay in tee pee formation for it to dry. It's 90 degrees out. They are working hard.

     Then I see women in huge gardens, bent over weeding or carrying bushels to their homes to "put up" the harvest.  This means hot water is boiling, ready to seal all the hot jars of fruits and vegetables. I think of my own garden. My husband and I do it together as a hobby, not a necessity. We have a rototiller that's self-propelled. It clears out all the weeds in between rows. No hoeing required. Then I think of my Food Saver and freezer. I don't have to can everything, only spaghetti sauce. Everything else gets put in the freezer.

     As I sit and knit, I don't know if I'm blessed or lazy. The Amish always make me reevaluate my life.