Lancaster Day Two

These past few years Paul and I have been fortunate to be included in a family bus trip.  What makes it unusual is that it's not with either one of our families.  We have been friends with several of the Stutzman clan for many years.  Being included in their family road trips is a privilege we do not take lightly.  This year in addition to enjoying the sights in and around Lancaster County the itinerary also includes visits to several Stutzman family members living there.

Today we are invited (yes all forty plus of us) to Ammon and Mary Stutzman's house for lunch.  Mary's mother is a cousin to many of the Stutzmans on the bus and she and her offspring are the only ones who remain Amish so there will be no photos of them included with this blog. Their hospitality was gracious and the food was mouth-wateringly delicious, dripping with butter and all things delectable. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, home-made dressing, date pudding, glazed fresh fruit, pecan and raisin cream pies.  There was no weight lost today.

Shopping at Bylers'

After we left, filled to capacity, we meandered through winding roads in the beautiful countryside throughout Lancaster County.  Coming from Holmes County, Ohio, home of the world's largest Amish community, I have long believed we have the prettiest scenery and most picture-perfect farms anywhere.  Not so. This place is every bit as pristine as the Amish community back home. Brilliant flower gardens border houses and barns. Yes, barns.  Vegetable gardens are so orderly, no self-respecting weed would dare stick up it's nasty little head.  Clothes lines are loaded with colorful garments and stretch from houses to barn rooftops. I'm still not sure how they do that.  And now I'm told we may have lost our proud distinction of having the largest number of Amish as well.  Someone informed Paul today that there are supposedly 1700 more plain people in Lancaster than in Holmes County.  

We stopped at Byler's Country Store, a typical Amish country mercantile with bulk foods and souvenirs and ice-cream cones, much like many of the shops back home.  After playing tourist for a bit we loaded back up and were off again.

One of the cousins riding with us lives near the Nickle Mine School, scene of one of the most horrific school shootings in the country. She shared the tragic stories surrounding this idyllic village and none of us could fathom what would induce a seemingly loving father to violently take the lives of children he didn't even know. Gloria has befriended many of the victims as well as the shooter's family.  She and her husband continue to take one of the girls to therapy regularly, a decade after that terrible day. This amazing community has chosen forgiveness over revenge.  The mood on the bus was reflective as we returned to our hotel for a "free" evening on our own.

We met Anna Mary in Florida during our winter vacation there and, since several of her children live in the Lancaster area, she caught a flight to Ohio to join the bus tour.  Her daughter Rosa invited several of us to her house for supper. A lovely meal eaten outside, a crackling campfire, and perfect weather provided us with another most enjoyable evening. We felt privileged she chose to share her children and grandkids with us and a time filled with much laughing and the making of new memories ensued.