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What is it about the Amish?
Topic Started: Feb 18 2009, 03:55 PM (508 Views)
George K
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Finally
We had a meeting this afternoon with the guy who is the "detail" guy for our condo. He's Amish, and he does the custom cabinetry, etc, if you want it. We're having a fireplace surround put in, with bookcases, etc. But that's not the point.

I don't get the Amish.

The point of the Amish lifestyle/religion is to be simple, right? So, horse and buggy, black pants, white shirt, etc. I was struck by the incongruity of so much I saw in this guy today. First of all, he's about 3 hours south of Chicago, and he said the time goes pretty fast if he's in his truck ON THE PHONE!!!

WTF???? Amish??? ON THE PHONE?

So, we had our meeting, and he talked about all the trim and stuff, and it was obvious to me that the guy has a sophisticated shop where he does his work - probably full of POWER tools.

As we left, I left him my fax number, which he wrote down, but when I offered my e-mail I got: "Sorry, we don't do internet."

You don't do internet, but you have a FAX MACHINE????

Then, there's the beard thing.

I mean, I have a beard, and it requires a bit of maintenance. I mow trim it every 2 weeks or so. This guy had an "Amish" beard. If the goal is simplicity, why trim it at all? His beard was about 6 inches at the chin, with the typical low trimmed sides that you see on all the Amish. If simplicity is close to Godliness, it would seem that a high maintenance beard like his (much higher than mine) would not be very simple.

I don't get it.
:shrug:

A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
Did he have a zipper on his pants?

The Amish folks I've encountered have been pretty damn Amish. No electricity, no phone, etc. This guy sounds like a rogue Amish. I bet he's going to hell.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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Optimistic
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HOLY CARP!!!
:lol2:
PHOTOS

I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up.
- Mark Twain


We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
-T. S. Eliot
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George K
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Finally
dolmansaxlil
Feb 18 2009, 03:57 PM
Did he have a zipper on his pants?
Shoulda had someone other than Mrs. K with me... :help:
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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plays88keys
Pisa-Carp
Is he Amish or Mennonite? They are similar, but Mennonites use phones and cars and have electricty and plumbing in their homes.
You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy.
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George K
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Finally
Good point, Plays. I really don't know. He had the funky beard, suspenders, broad brimmed black hat - and an SUV.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
The black hat and beard is more Amish than Mennonite. The SUV is just weird either way. The Mennonites around here invariably drive mini-vans.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

My Flickr Photostream


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brenda
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..............
The Amish here often hire drivers to take them places. Yes, they can have woodworking shops that run on gas or diesel-powered engines. Or they may work at a shop owned by an 'English' person who is not restricted in using electricity.

They have natural gas refrigerators and other ways to get around the restrictions, but there are some they simply must observe. And some Amish groups are more restrictive than others.

I enjoy my rocking chairs made just a few miles from here by an old Amish fella. I used to bring Werther's candies to him and his grandkids. Whenever I drove up to his shop, I would see all these little faces peeking around corners and through doorways and windows. They knew I brought candies and that I drove the big blue truck. :)
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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JBryan
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I am the grey one
Mennonites have the weird beards and the handmade clothing just like the Amish. They just don't do it all in the dark.
"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne


There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it".


Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody.

Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore.

From The Lion in Winter.
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Larry
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Mmmmmmm, pie!
That sounds like it could be a song title.....

Doin' it like a Mennonite

Of the Pokatwat Tribe

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PattyP
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Senior Carp
brenda
Feb 18 2009, 05:34 PM


I enjoy my rocking chairs made just a few miles from here by an old Amish fella. I used to bring Werther's candies to him and his grandkids. Whenever I drove up to his shop, I would see all these little faces peeking around corners and through doorways and windows. They knew I brought candies and that I drove the big blue truck. :)
Brenda, that brings a very simple and sweet vision to mind.

A tired dog is a good dog.

"Dogs' lives are too short...their only fault, really."
A.S. Turnbull
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
There is something very attractive in working directly for your living as opposed to for money.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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brenda
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..............
PattyP
Feb 18 2009, 05:47 PM
brenda
Feb 18 2009, 05:34 PM


I enjoy my rocking chairs made just a few miles from here by an old Amish fella. I used to bring Werther's candies to him and his grandkids. Whenever I drove up to his shop, I would see all these little faces peeking around corners and through doorways and windows. They knew I brought candies and that I drove the big blue truck. :)
Brenda, that brings a very simple and sweet vision to mind.
Mr. Miller and I got along really well. His wife even made some custom quilted cushion covers for the rocker I used in daughter's nursery when she was a baby. While I'm certainly not Amish, I think my long hair, simple attire, lack of make-up, and respectful attitude made it very easy for them to feel comfortable with me. I really enjoyed my visits with them.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Phlebas
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Bull-Carp
Larry
Feb 18 2009, 05:42 PM
That sounds like it could be a song title.....

Doin' it like a Mennonite

That's my cue for another immature post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDJ_0UBdDrY

Random FML: Today, I was fired by my boss in front of my coworkers. It would have been nice if I could have left the building before they started celebrating. FML

The founding of the bulk of the world's nation states post 1914 is based on self-defined nationalisms. The bulk of those national movements involve territory that was ethnically mixed. The foundation of many of those nation states involved population movements in the aftermath. When the only one that is repeatedly held up as unjust and unjustifiable is the Zionist project, the term anti-semitism may very well be appropriate. - P*D


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plays88keys
Pisa-Carp
LOL Phlebas, Improv and I love that video!
You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy.
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George K
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Finally
An Amish lady is trotting down the road in her horse and buggy when she is pulled over by a cop. “Ma'am,” said the cop, “I'm not going to ticket you, but
I do have to issue you a warning. You have a broken reflector on your buggy.”

“Oh, I'll let my husband, Jacob, know as soon as I get home,” responded the Amish lady.

“That's fine. Another thing, ma'am. I don't like the way that one rein loops across the horse's back and around one of his balls. I consider that animal abuse.Have your husband take care of that right away!” instructed the cop.

Later that day, the lady is home telling her husband about her encounter with the cop.“Well, dear, what exactly did he say?” asked Jacob.

“He said the reflector is broken,” replied the lady.

“I can fix that in two minutes. What else?” wondered Jacob.

“I'm not sure, Jacob... something about the emergency brake,” said the lady.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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Phlebas
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Bull-Carp
plays88keys
Feb 18 2009, 06:06 PM
LOL Phlebas, Improv and I love that video!
Apparently, Coolio got really p*ssed at Weird Al for taking off "Gangster's Paradise."

No sense of humor.
Random FML: Today, I was fired by my boss in front of my coworkers. It would have been nice if I could have left the building before they started celebrating. FML

The founding of the bulk of the world's nation states post 1914 is based on self-defined nationalisms. The bulk of those national movements involve territory that was ethnically mixed. The foundation of many of those nation states involved population movements in the aftermath. When the only one that is repeatedly held up as unjust and unjustifiable is the Zionist project, the term anti-semitism may very well be appropriate. - P*D


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brenda
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..............
brenda
Feb 18 2009, 05:52 PM
PattyP
Feb 18 2009, 05:47 PM
brenda
Feb 18 2009, 05:34 PM


I enjoy my rocking chairs made just a few miles from here by an old Amish fella. I used to bring Werther's candies to him and his grandkids. Whenever I drove up to his shop, I would see all these little faces peeking around corners and through doorways and windows. They knew I brought candies and that I drove the big blue truck. :)
Brenda, that brings a very simple and sweet vision to mind.
Mr. Miller and I got along really well. His wife even made some custom quilted cushion covers for the rocker I used in daughter's nursery when she was a baby. While I'm certainly not Amish, I think my long hair, simple attire, lack of make-up, and respectful attitude made it very easy for them to feel comfortable with me. I really enjoyed my visits with them.
Oh, and it didn't hurt that I had by chance chosen to bring the Werther's Original candies, which I later found out were Mr. Miller's *favorite* candy. :biggrin:

We all have our weaknesses. :D
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Larry
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Mmmmmmm, pie!
You know how some country music songs have such long titles....

I'm gonna write one called..

You Picked Your Nose With The Finger You Had Me Wrapped Around.....
Of the Pokatwat Tribe

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Cathys
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Senior Carp
Phlebas - Thanks for the laugh!!
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Renauda
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HOLY CARP!!!
Phlebas
Feb 18 2009, 06:05 PM
Larry
Feb 18 2009, 05:42 PM
That sounds like it could be a song title.....

Doin' it like a Mennonite

That's my cue for another immature post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDJ_0UBdDrY

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Hysterical! I can't breathe :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Improviso
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HOLY CARP!!!
Renauda
Feb 18 2009, 06:38 PM
Phlebas
Feb 18 2009, 06:05 PM
Larry
Feb 18 2009, 05:42 PM
That sounds like it could be a song title.....

Doin' it like a Mennonite

That's my cue for another immature post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDJ_0UBdDrY

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Hysterical! I can't breathe :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Eight emoticons in one post from Mr. I Hate Emoticons?

:lol:
Identifying narcissists isn't difficult. Just look for the person who is constantly fishing for compliments
and admiration while breaking down over even the slightest bit of criticism.

We have the freedom to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences.
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
It was a damn funny video.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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brenda
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..............
Improviso
Feb 18 2009, 07:15 PM
Renauda
Feb 18 2009, 06:38 PM
Phlebas
Feb 18 2009, 06:05 PM
Larry
Feb 18 2009, 05:42 PM
That sounds like it could be a song title.....

Doin' it like a Mennonite

That's my cue for another immature post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDJ_0UBdDrY

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Hysterical! I can't breathe :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Eight emoticons in one post from Mr. I Hate Emoticons?

:lol:
WOW! Next thing you know, he'll be sending us PMs with Fung Shooey tips.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Dewey
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HOLY CARP!!!
Yeah, I'd say he's probably a Mennonite, not Amish. On the other hand, maybe he's just a lapsed Unitarian who needs the look to give his woodworking business some street cred.
"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685.

"Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous

"Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011

I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14
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