A Very Magical Place

No, it's not Magic Kingdom at Disney World, or Hershey Park, "The sweetest place on earth": it's my hometown, Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania. You won't find it on a map, but if you search Southern Lancaster County, better known to the locals as SOLANCO, look for a dot on Route 222 labeled Wakefield and it's here that I grew up. From a young age, I knew that I wanted to leave...I wanted to see the world, experience life outside of Amish country. And thankfully, my very wise parents never discouraged me, never held me back, never said no. You're always welcomed back with open arms and so, as an adult with small children, it's a joy to go back and watch my children experience some of the same carefree childhood that I had growing up.

Here's a quick look at a recent visit the kids and I just enjoyed:


My childhood home, as viewed from the seat of the "Farmall 806", Andrew's favorite tractor and the one that I learned to drive as a ten year old. Many a load of firewood was hauled in that tractor during my tenure on Goat Hill Road.


The spring heifers in the field...they run and kick and jump and bawl throughout the day. A sign that life continues, that with time, they'll produce the rich, creamy milk that tastes oh so delicious right from the milk tank.



Barking dogs...they bark and chase passing Amish buggies, spring heifers and Farmall 806's! So much bark but not a bit of bite. This is our dog, Ace, who left us for the open fields of Lancaster County and the spoiling of my very dear mother.


My grandfather, the kids' great pop-pop as he is affectionately called. 80+ years old and the man still puts in 10 hour work days (minimum usually) fixing and restoring tractors in the shop. The shop is a magical place for young children (and mommies too!) Here we get to play in grease, use tools set aside just for our use, ride up and down on the jack, laugh at mommy's childhood writing that was used to organize and label nuts and bolts, climb down in the car pit to look under tractors or trucks or cars...the hours we spend here are too many to count.



We know that chickens give us eggs and that they really are fresher straight from the chicken coop. Thanks to family and neighbors in PA, we rarely have to buy eggs from the grocery store.


A trip to PA isn't complete without tickles from Pop-Pop...and a visit to our favorite store: Maplehofe.


Because you see, at Maplehofe, you can buy ice cream cones at 9 am and no one looks at you like you have two heads. They applaud your support of the dairy industry. And, they only charge 1.00 for an single scoop ice cream cone. So, seconds are definitely a must!!

If you ever find yourself vacationing in Lancaster, PA, call me first. I know the stores to visit, the sights to see...I can line up tractor rides and egg gathering experiences. If you want to milk a cow, I can show you how to do it. And if you need a magical place to run, jump on hay bales, sit in the grass or dig in the dirt, I'll join you on Goat Hill Road and we can all feel like kids again for just a little bit.

April, oh April, where didst thou go?

I remember dyeing Easter Eggs: in fact, I found the last missing one (yes, a real one), inside just yesterday. No smell until the little one smashed it into pieces.

I remember Easter Sunday: getting dressed up for church, singing the Hallelujah Chorus, rejoicing because we serve a RISEN savior, celebrating the holiday with 60 other family members, hunting for eggs and flying kites.

Ahh...my kitchen is back in functioning order. There are still the little things to do: lights, some electrical, crown moulding; but the cabinets are in, the countertops are beautiful and the dishwasher is functioning!

I even had help unpacking the boxes!

No more green shag carpet, no more subfloors...we have beautiful hardwood floors, great for blanket rides, sock ice skating, and monster truck races.

But that also means no more writing on floors: did you catch that kids? ALL of you...

Oh, yes...Now I remember where April went: I was in a fog, in a daze, in a cloud of exhaustion, sickness and surprise. We were blessed to discover that we will be bringing another little one into this world in late October/early November. Thirteen weeks down; perhaps the sickness will begin to subside and the milkshake cravings will set in...

In the meantime, I'm going to count my blessings, not the least of which include these three wonderful people who fill my life with great joy!