We're not what you'd call "fancy folks".  I call us "down home country".... real country.  

We don't have fancy furniture...in fact lots of what we have was my mom & dad's and they bought their furniture from a place called The Railroad Salvage.  It was furniture & other things discounted because they were damaged going on or coming off the train when shipped.  I remember going to that place with my parents.  In fact, I remember going with them to pick out their new kitchen table.  I was 12 years old & that's the table me and my family sit around today.  Lots of good memories of Thanksgivings, Christmases, and New Year's Eves around that table...eating, playing board games, talking.

Our car is a 2012 Chevy Cavalier.  The back (plastic) bumper got a hole in it early on and we priced new bumpers.  Over $1,000!  So hubby put a piece of gaffer tape over it and it was good to go.  Each spring, like washing windows, he puts a fresh piece of tape over it and all is well.  Whenever I cringe at that bumper, I keep telling myself "The car's paid for, Andrea.  Look at the bright side....it's ours!"

Hubby makes a lot of our stuff too, out of scrap wood if he has it and a trip to Lowe's if he doesn't.  I do my Bible journaling at a homemade table in front of the picture window and I didn't have room for all my books I use, on the table itself.  So hubby made me a small little shelf-table about a foot off the ground, so I could store my books right next to my chair but low to the ground.  All made out of scrap wood.  I love it!  I'll show you some of the stuff hubby has made me in another post.

Like-minded people like to stick together.  They have things in common & that feels good.  It's not that folks can't visit with others who are totally different than they are tho.  That's fun too.  It's called "seeing how the other half lives" as my Mom used to say.  But it's nice to stick with your tribe, you know what I mean?

The Amish are simple people.  They shun most of technology, gender roles are pretty straight forward, they get together with family to share food & play games, buy many foods in bulk, you get the idea.  It's very hard to find folks like that around anymore.  There's not many on the internet, let's just put it that way.  Except for many of you & me.  :-)

That's the reason I subscribe to The Budget newspaper.  I feel a real like-mindedness with those people and reading their newspaper makes me feel not so lonely in my world.

Each Amish/Mennonite church, who wants to participate, has a scribe who sends in news about their church's happenings.  Usually it's women scribes but sometimes it's men too.  Who was born, who died, who got married, who is building a new house, who had an accident, that sort of thing.  I find it interesting and rather than our town's newspaper, which is filled with political crap most of the time, I wish they followed The Budget's format & told about REAL news that the town's folk are interested in.

There's an obituary section too, like most newspapers, but it gives actual information about the people who died.  If they were sick, for how long.... what they died from.... where the funeral dinner was held & how many attended... who traveled from out-of-town to be there... what the person did for a living... all that jazz.  Very interesting.

The Budget has some preaching in it too.  Just enough to give their readers spiritual fortification if they need it. 

There's a section called "Cookin' With Maudie" which contains delicious but simple recipes sent in from all over Budgetland.

There's an area of the newspaper that lists folks who need a card "shower".  People who are sick, shut-in, injured, have a birthday coming up, or who are plain downright lonely.  The reason for the shower is given & then the person's address.  If the person could use some financial help, that's said too.  There's also a section for thanks to be given as well, from the receivers of past card showers.

The ads, of course, are so interesting!  Stores that sell harmonicas, fabric, horse harnesses, men's hats, herbal remedies, and everything inbetween.  Things that are common to the Amish.  There's not a cell phone or Viagra ad in the whole paper!  No articles about kidnappings, murders, or rock stars either!

Lots of events are listed with a big one coming up in a few days... Horse Progress Days.  This event is meant to encourage farming not only amongst the Amish but the country in general.  Anyone is welcome.

My favorite section is called "Closer Look".  It contains lots of stories written by individual folks, of various memories & current happenings in their lives.  It's so fun to read, with many memories that I can relate to growing up.  They also print pictures drawn by the readers' children.  They list the names & ages of each "artist" and where they live.  Many of these kids are so talented!  No wasted time on a cell phone helps hone their drawing skills, I would imagine.  I remember drawing a lot as a child, sitting on the screened-in back porch my Daddy had built.

I hope this has provided a bit of entertainment for all of you, to see what's contained in The Budget newspaper.  I'm not Amish, for sure, but I'm a kindred spirit with these folks in many ways... in spirit, thought, and action.

Have a wonderful day, one & all~ Andrea xoxo