July 8 was a quieter day. Dick did a family Zoom call and spent some time on the computer. Patti was able to take her Mom, Joan, to a memorial service for one of the last of the old time neighbors who was in our neighborhood when we moved here in 1969. It was so nice to see his wife as well as the grown kids and grandkids. Patti babysat for them when she was in elementary ischool. Lots of fond memories with that family.
Back at home, Dick made one of his famous pots of hambone split pea soup. It was delicious. Then naps all the way around.
On the 9th, first thing in the morning Dick climbed down into a window well to pull up a stray tree sapling. Then He dug up several shrubs that were dead. He and Patti then did some further trimming. The yard is looking good with some needed TLC.
Then it was time for Dick and Patti to do a little outing to Harmony, Minnesota. The town calls themselves “the biggest small town in southeast Minnesota.”They also have the largest Amish community in Minnesota.
Patti and Dick had a look around the town and ate huge nacho lunch at a local restaurant. They strolled up and down Main Street reading the very well done historical signs talking about the history of the town.
The main event was a private tour of the area with a guide. He rode along in our car and took us throughout the area visiting farms and businesses and answering lots of questions. We so enjoyed our farm visits when we were in northeastern Ohio visiting an Amish community that we wanted to see what southern Minnesota had.
There were a lot of beautiful opportunities. This community requested no photos that included people, but we were able to enjoy ourselves and take some photos of the buggies and some of the home interiors and their farms. We also were able to talk with a number of Amish women who were running their farms and businesses. A very nice day.
We found out some interesting facts: there are a half million Amish people in the US ; and the number of people practicing the Amish religion has expanded 40% in the last 20 years, primarily due to the number of children they have, generally over six children in each family. Several of the farm-based businesses we visited were women owned, mostly because their husbands had died. The Amish in this area moved into Minnesota in the mid 1970's from places like Ohio, because the cost of farm land here was much less expensive. Our tour guide had been doing these tours for 20 years and knew not only the adults, but all of the children on the farms by name and age. In this area, Amish members are not allowed to have stores on town, but sold their goods from farms in the countryside. The basic premise for the Amish was they want to be in the world, but not of the world. It was a fine tour, with just our guide and the two of us.
We then had some amazing ice cream. That place also sold "Lefse chips" in flavors like cool ranch and bbq. Didn’t buy some but wow!
Dinner back in Rochester was as mom’s famous tatter-tot hot dish. We don’t get the chance to eat that in California. We are tired but pleased at this lovely day.
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