Mandii's Muse

I've said it many times on this blog, but I love living so close to the Amish. The quality on their goods cannot be beat, they are pretty friendly, and oftentimes their prices are much cheaper than brick and mortar stores. This past Saturday was the Amish Benefit auction. Since the Amish do not have health insurance, they hold these auctions to gather money for a member's hospital bill. Anything and everything gets sold, from buggy paint, livestock, flowers, and homemade furniture. Of course, there is the food. Oh, the food! Since my family has been going to the produce and flower auction for so long, we have come to know many of the Amish who work up there. These same men take turns taking bidder numbers, auctioning, or being the spotters. Plus, since it is a local event, we see many of the same people at this event. I love when you first pull up and see the rows upon rows of buggies and horses. When you walk in, you hear the auctioneers auctioning off items (with many g...

It was the yearly Amish Benefit auction on Saturday. This is otherwise known as Amish donut day! Man, those things are delicious! Since my mom and I go to the local produce and flower auction, we have gotten to know some of the Amish. So it was cool to see these Amish men waving to us, because we have been going to the auctions for so long. Some of the big sellers on Saturday was a red wagon to pull your kiddos around in. It went for $425! Also, pocket watches were going for $175. As usual the flowers were gorgeous, and the food was delightful! I took some pictures of the event to share with you!  These sweet boys were watching the quilts being auctioned.   Can you see why it is hard to only eat one of these? Goodness, these blow Dunkin and Krispy Kreme out of the water!  This quilt was absolutely beautiful! For the Amish being plain people, the work they do with quilts and flowers is colorful and beautiful! (I wish I would have known how much this sold ...

If you remember this post about the Amish, then you will like today's post! I absolutely do not buy my flowers from retailers like Wal-Mart, Lowes, or K-Mart. Half of the time they are small, almost dead, and incredibly over priced. I buy my flowers at a flower auction. *I took some sneaky cell phone  photos, so if the quality isn't great, that's why!* (Remember the Amish are not fond of cameras.) My flower auction is run by a group of Amish men, and some "English" people as well. Starting in April, they bring in baskets and flats of flowers to sell, around harvest time they bring in fresh fruits and vegetables, and in the fall, fresh Christmas trees, and pine garland. The quality on these flowers is 100% better than you would get at the stores mentioned above. Going to a flower auction you have to know what flowers you want and how much you want to spend. They might have geraniums for sale for $.25, but you may have to buy 45 of them which adds up in the ...

I live near an Amish community that is pretty sizeable. It's not unusual for me to see the Amish in the grocery store, which is something most people don't see everyday. Contrary to most people's thoughts, the Amish are usually pretty friendly. They are leery of us "Englishers," but I think we are all apprehensive towards new people. Every year, on the first Saturday in June, they hold a Benefit Auction. The monies raised go towards paying hospital bills for one of the Amish community members. Since the Amish have no insurance, they need the money to pay off hospital bills for those who are sick. During the auction they sell flowers, food, buggy paint, old fashioned lawn mowers and irons, (you have to heat them on the stove to iron your shirts!) furniture they have built, and quilts. Buggy paint, and quilts are typically the hot commodity. It's not unusual to see a quilt go for $300. As plain as the Amish people are, the detail and colors they use in the qui...