Married To An Ex Mennonite: Part 2

       The longer I knew Daniel the more I got to know his family. I fell in love with any of them that would meet me. The first time I met his mother I asked her "What time in your life do you remember most fondly?"  Her happiest time, she said, was when all her children were under one roof! At the time, it warmed my heart and I admired her motherly heart. But later I realized that her words were far from sentimental, sappy recollections of the past. She was remembering her family when it was whole....something it may never be again.

Married To An Ex-Mennonite: Part 1

            I have always had an admiration for those who lived the "plain" lifestyle and devoted their lives to work, family, and God. My mother once remarked that I was born in the wrong century. As a child I couldn't get enough of sewing and canning with my grandmother. A house full of children was always a dream of mine.....and I am blessed to say that childhood dreams can come true!
        When I met Daniel, I met a man in suspenders and a straw hat. He was recently expelled from the Tennessee Churches, a conservative Mennonite group with members mostly in Kentucky and Tennessee. His six sisters had moved out of his house shortly after he was expelled and though he still attended his former community's church meetings, it was not a pleasant or worshipful experience. His isolation was palpable. But he was making his way, forming new friendships and alliances with the rest of our farming community.

Simple Meets Plain

        We traveled to Michigan this month and made a rendezvous that has been in the works for about 2 years! It was very momentous for our family. As I told the Millers, "We have met Quakers and we have friends who are plain, but we have never met anyone with both qualities at the same time!". This was a super, special meeting!

Plain Dress! part 2

Belts or Suspenders?

        Truly this is a matter of preference. But suspenders do offer certain advantages. We find them to be versatile in the pants they can hold up,and easy to use..

Plain Dress! part 1

Plain dress is practical!

        Plain dress is relatively easy to achieve and should be practical too. But simple dress does not mean shabby or shoddy. Plain and simple dress is more about reducing the time we waste on clothing maintenance, laundering, and coordination.