Try a Little Kindness

Researchers at Kenyon College conducted a test in cooperation with the US Navy. The purpose was to discover how the tone of the voice affected sailors when they were given orders. The experiments revealed that the way a person was addressed determined to a large extent the kind of response he would make.

For example, when an individual was spoken to in a soft voice, he would answer in a similar manner. But when he was shouted at, his reply came back in the same sharp tone. This was true whether the communication was given face-to-face, over the intercom, or by telephone.

This study reminds me of Proverbs 15:1, which states, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." What we say and how we say it not only makes a difference in the reaction we'll receive, but it also determines whether conflict or peace will result. Many arguments could be avoided and tense situations relaxed if we practiced the truth of this verse.

The next time someone speaks to you in a harsh or angry tone, reverse the trend by expressing meekness, quietness of spirit, and loving concern. What a difference a soft answer can make in our relationships!

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), one of the world's leading intellects, was visiting with Houston Smith, a well-known professor of philosophy and religion. As they were driving to an engagement, Huxley said, "You know, Houston, it's rather embarrassing to have spent one's entire lifetime pondering the human condition and . . . find that I really don't have anything more profound to pass on by way of advice than, 'Try to be a little kinder.'"

Breakfast at Ginger's- golden retriever dog eats with hands

Baked Oatmeal

This was something I tried while in Lancaster last month...it's a common breakfast for the Amish and it is DEE-LISH! This recipe comes courtesy of "Taste of Pinecraft" cookbook--available at sherrygorebooks.com

BAKED OATMEAL

1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups oats
1/2 cup coconut
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
nuts & raisins (optional)

Mix all together and bake in 9" x 13" cake pan at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Eat warm or cold with milk.

Tomorrow on Amish Wisdom: Amish Cook Book Author Sherry Gore!

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.

I think we're in for a real treat with this week's guest, cook book author Sherry Gore. I know it's going to be a good show when I find myself cracking up while reading my guest's bio! See for yourself...

About Sherry: Sherry Gore is the author of Taste of Pinecraft….Glimpses of Sarasota Florida’s Amish Culture and Kitchens. She's a writer/food reviewer for the Pinecraft Pauper, Florida’s first Amish newspaper, and a scribe for her community for the National Edition of The Budget. She co-hosted the Pinecraft Writer’s Presentation in Florida with Professor Emeritus Richard Stevick, author of Growing up Amish; the Teenage Years.

Sherry was featured in the 2010 spring edition AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT section of New York times best-selling author Cindy Woodsmall’s newsletter, Plain News.

She is a year-round resident in Sarasota, Florida, the vacation paradise of the Plain People, and is a member of a Beachy Amish Mennonite Church. She is currently chronicling the adventures of everyday life of the Plain people in Pinecraft for the second edition of Taste of Pinecraft, due to be released 2012.

This mother of three, and full-time caregiver of her twenty-year-old daughter, loves to swim in the Gulf of Mexico, as she attempts to combat her pathological fear of sharks. It is her life-long dream to ride in the Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobile.

She is the non-resistant owner of a double barrel shotgun with an affinity for pie. Her current WIP includes an Amish Mennonite cookbook devoted entirely to that affinity. She learned the hard way one spring day not to wear Chap-stick while driving an open buggy behind a shedding horse. Find out more about Sherry at her website: http://www.sherrygorebooks.com/

About Taste of Pinecraft:

Unbeknownst to many folks outside the Amish and Mennonite population in America, there's a village tucked away in the heart of Sarasota: Pinecraft, Florida, the vacation paradise of the Plain People.

Not your typical cookbook: Taste of Pinecraft is comprised of nearly seven hundred various recipes including traditional dishes like Sweet Potato Sweet Mash, Pan-fried Chicken, and Mrs. Byler's Glazed Donuts, from Amish and Mennonite women across the country. It's also chock full of new, refreshing recipes, such as Sunshine Baked Eggs and Strawberry Mango Smoothies. You'll also find Florida favorites, including Fried Alligator Nuggets and Grilled Lime Fish Fillets.

Follow along and experience everyday life in Pinecraft through stories and tidbits about births, engagements, weddings, deaths, funerals, birthday celebrations, ordinations, anniversaries, wildlife encounters, and accidents told through several years of "Letters from home" taken from The Budget, commonly known as the Amish newspaper.

With more than two thousand year-round residents, and over three thousand Amish snowbirds flocking south every winter to Sarasota, discover why Pinecraft is known as the most unique Amish/Mennonite community in the world.

WIN A COPY OF SHERRY'S BOOK - LEAVE A COMMENT {HERE} ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!

How Much Would You Spend for a Cup of Coffee?

These are some winners for name suggestions for a $12 cup of Ethiopian coffee a trendy Brooklyn café is now selling to well-heeled hipsters. Contest sponsored by The Week.

FIRST PRIZE: Mocha Dinero
Tammis Dowling, Landenberg, PA

SECOND PLACE: Cost-a-latte
Rachel Blackburn, Rockville centre, NY

THIRD PLACE: Brokefast blend
Will Brinkley, Tucson

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Excesso
Frank Lyons, Trenton, NJ

Chock Full o’ My Weekly Coffee Budget
Judith Klein, Frisco, TX

Café au My God!
Gary Hennion, New York City

Sucker Punch
Ashley Ryan, Catonsville, MD

Joe Mama!
Gary Cullen, North Canton, OH

Surely it must be Joe King!
Debbie Later, Valencia, CA

Haile Priced Selassie
Phil White, Flushing, NY

Ethiopenyourwallet
Pat Smith, Playa del Rey, CA

Cream of Sheba
Todd S. Hyatt, North Grafton, MA

Madness Ababa
Chris Wright, North Hollywood, CA

Two Weeks Pay in Ethiopi-ay
Thomas J. Knott, Amherst, NH

Ka-Ching-accino
Carol Blackburn, Rockville Centre, NY

Cashachino
Samantha Balistrieri, Haskell, NJ

Gyppy Cup
Terry Johnson, Chicago

Twelve Buck Chuck
Juli Hanssen, St. Louis Park, MN

Chock Full o' Bucks
Jeffrey Contompasis, Ashburn, VA

Ripoffachino
Ivy Kaplan, St. Louis Park, MN

The “Buddy can you spare 12 bucks for a cup of coffee?" special
Steve Kaplan, St. Louis Park, MN

The, “I could have saved 12 children from Malaria!” blend
Nadine Skinner, Richmond, TX

"This is a stick up!" coffee
Evan Martinez, Los Angeles

I'll have a "To hell with retirement" please
Rhys Gerholdt, Washington, D.C.

The Drip Off
Gloria Wiedman, Haiku, HI

Goldbean Sachs
Chris Hsu, San Mateo, CA

Just Four Easy Payments!
Lisa Katz, Cherry Hill, NJ

Down the Drain
Charlie Thanas, Leicester, MA

Bean-Had
Charlotte Hanna, Cape Elizabeth, ME

Livin' La Vida Mocha
June Johns, Las Vegas, NV

Cafe Au (Ken) Lay
Carole Mendelsohn, Palm Springs, CA

C.R.O.C. (Cup of Ridiculously Overpriced Coffee)
Frank Tedeschi, Rochester Hills, MI

Screw Yew Brew
John Donnelly, Woodstock, GA

StarveBucks
Ray Shufelt, High Point, NC

Cof It Up!
Gloria J Walker, Sunbury PA

Beans for Brains
John W. Stinson, Springfield, MO

Fool's Bold
Kathy W. Hughes, Memphis

Cafe au Laitaway
Clyde Bachelor, Warrenton, MO

Grounds for Divorce
Steve Kaplan, St. Louis Park, MN

The "Let's not meet for coffee" coffee
Molly Kaplan, St. Louis Park, MN

TRIPLE B (BUDGET BUSTING BREW)

Posted by Miles Klein, 2010-05-17 08:27:24

"FANCY COFFEE" My entry for this week's contest on Page 50 of the May 21, 2010, issue of "The Week" is below:

Posted by "Fancy Coffee", 2010-05-17 12:21:49

SU BJECT: "FANCY COFFEE" My submission for this week's contest as to the $12 coffee is: "PHI BETA CAPPA CUPPA JAVA" (A highly educated cup o'coffee!)

Posted by Rozanna Nalett, 2010-05-17 12:24:19

Dodecadance. Decadance times twelve.

Posted by cathy Lee, 2010-05-17 20:36:45

SUBJECT-------fancy coffee MY ENTRY------- CUPPA GOTCHA

Posted by EDWARD BALICKI, 2010-05-18 08:24:43

BLACK GOLD, Holy Water Cup O' mortgage

Posted by steve k., 2010-05-18 12:31:04

Ripoffachino, RipoffGrande, HIP DRIP

Posted by steve kaplan, 2010-05-18 12:32:20

Grounds for Bankruptcy, Cash Cup, Recession-what Recession?

Posted by steve k., 2010-05-18 12:33:26

the 12 dollar orgasm, Joe Blow, the opiate of the asses.

Posted by steve kaplan, 2010-05-18 12:34:58

Nectar of the clods, Your daily cup of ego, P.T. Barnum's Brew

Posted by steve kaplan, 2010-05-18 12:38:28

New Third World Order, the bernie madoff specialty cup, buddy can you spare 12 bucks for a cup of coffee special.

Posted by steve k., 2010-05-18 12:43:38

New Third World Order, the bernie madoff specialty cup, buddy can you spare 12 bucks for a cup of coffee special.

The Impulse to Save

Saturday was spent cleaning out my mother's apartment. Again. I can't quite describe my mother's tendency toward clutter. It defies imagination.

Anyway...my brother slipped me an article called "The Hidden Beauty of Hoarding." In it, psychologist Randy Frost had an insight as to why some people save so much stuff.

He observed a very lovely woman (much like my mom) who was also an extreme hoarder. This lady had "goat paths" in her house...little walkways in between piles of stuff. He watched as she would pick up a newspaper clipping, set it on top of a pile to deal with later, then picked up a mailing from the telephone company. She would place it on top of the pile to read it later. She followed a similar logic with the third item, and about a dozen more.

This behavior, Frost says, is so common among people who hoard so that he has given it a label: "churning." The churning he observed in that woman was driven in part by a simple problem with making decisions (a dysfunction that may reflect common problems with how the brain operates in people who hoard). With each item this woman picked up, she failed to figure out which features were important and which were not, in the same way that she struggled to distinguish important from unimportant objects.

BINGO! That's my mom!

The psychologist worked with this woman to start to gain confidence with her decision making skills. It worked for a while, then she resorted back to her hoarding.

Isn't that interesting?

Randy Frost has written a book called Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things (Houghton Miflin Harcourt). I'm getting it!

Here's the article, for any of you who are interested. Really good, readable and filled with insights! The Hidden Beauty of Hoarding

Classic Chocolate Whoopie Pie

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 TB unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 TB vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, and brown sugar on low speeed until just combined. Increase the speeed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/2 cup milk and beat until completely combined.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/2 cup milk and beat until completely combined.

Using a spoon, drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the pies spring back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Makes about 48 two-inch cakes.


Filling:

1 1/2 cup Marshmallow Fluff (or other prepared marshmallow cream)

1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 TB vanilla extract

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

Assembling whoopie pies:

Spread filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife or spoon. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and fillings.

Eat!

Today, We're Making Whoopie!

Anywhere you go in Lancaster County, you will come across whoopie pies. In all kinds of flavors--chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter. All kinds of oh-so-creamy fillings, too! Marshmallow, buttercream, cream cheese, mint. More peanut butter.

They're a Penn Dutch stable, those whoopies!

Last night, I made two batches of whoopie pies to prepare for today's interview with the authors of Whoopie Pies (Chronicle Books). First one...tasted great but looked pretty bad. Second batch...looked great, tasted great!

Tonight is our small group meeting at our house, so they're my guinea pigs.



What I love about this cookbook is that it stretches a kitchen cook "out of the box." Bacon cheddar chive whoopies?! Jalopeno cornbread whoopies?! The possibilities are staggering!

This cookbook is fun, with eye-pleasing designs, and anecdotal texts from the authors that makes me eager to interview them today.

Here's my favorite...

"We are pretty lazy bakers. We have bad baking habits, like eyeballing measurements. Nothing bad has happened to us yet."

These are my kind of gals.

And the authors are providing a free copy of this fabulous new cookbook called "Whoopie Pies" (Chronicle Books). Leave a comment to win! Tune in at 4pm CST on www.toginet.com to hear the authors' spill their secrets. And let me know if you have any question for them...I'll try to work it in.

Between bites.

Tomorrow on Amish Wisdom: Whoopie Pies!

Please join me on Thursday at 4:00 pm CST for a show with guests Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell about their DELICIOUS book Whoopie Pies!

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.

Sarah Billingsley is a western Pennsylvanian who didn't get enough whoopie pies as a kid. She now lives in San Francisco.

Amy Treadwell was born in Massachusetts and raised on a steady diet of whoopie pies and franks and beans every Saturday night. She lives in San Francisco.

About the book:
Whoopie Pies -- Is it a cake? Is it a cookie?
With such deliciously soft and sweet cream-filled snacks, does it matter? The Internet is abuzz with recipes and stories of whoopie pie folklore, while customers everywhere are descending on bakeries in droves demanding these delectable treats. This adorable volume—the only cookbook devoted entirely to whoopie pies—features more than 40 mix-and-match recipes, including the classic chocolate with marshmallow cream and a range of bright flavor combinations such as red velvet, green tea, pumpkin with a tangy cream cheese filling, and oatmeal with, yes, maple-bacon buttercream. With a puffy cover as soft as cake, plenty of color photos and hand-drawn illustrations, dozens of DIY decorating instructions, fun facts and baking tips, Whoopie Pies will make a welcome addition to any baker's bookshelf.

The Simple Life

This post was written by Mallory K. Dignin, a staff member and writer for the independent newspaper Mennonite Weekly Review and its website. It serves Anabaptists — Amish, Brethren in Christ, Church of the Brethren, Hutterites and Mennonites — internationally.

The Simple Life by Mallory K. Dignin

My housemates and I strive to live simply. We live on a modest budget to avoid pouring money into systems with values we don’t support. We take public transportation, rarely eat meat, line dry our clothes and try to grow some of our own produce in an attempt to care for the environment.


We hope that our commitment to simple living reflects our commitment to discipleship. As it is written in the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, “true faith means seeking first the reign of God in simplicity, rather than pursuing materialism.”


When a college friend told me about how she used diluted baking soda to wash her hair, I thought it sounded like a worthwhile addition to my simple living practices. Baking soda, also recommended as a substitute to harsh household cleaners, is cheap and earth-friendly. It would allow me to avoid shampoos, often packed with petroleum products and potentially harmful chemicals.


I used baking soda for eight months. And I hated it. I stuck with the practice, feeling guilty at the thought of abandoning one of the ways I tried to live simply. However, a recent lapse back to shampoo reminded me of how much quicker and easier it was. I gave up on the cheap and environmentally-sound baking soda.


Different aspects of simple living are easier for some people to adopt. I don’t really like meat, so being a vegetarian is no hassle for me. Some practices we take on are more difficult, but we should be willing to be challenged by the call to live simply. However, perhaps there is a need to find a balance. A non-joyful simple liver does little to promote a simple lifestyle. And a grumbling community member doesn’t add to a healthy, happy community.


How do we determine which sacrifices we should be willing to make and when we can opt for convenience? Is it permissible to take the convenient path if we have the privilege to do so? Are there any guidelines to follow when deciding how simply we should live?

Source: The World Together: A Simple Life

Mallory brings up some interesting ideas about living a simpler life. What works for you? Thanks to Sherry Gore for sharing it with me!

Trouble Sleeping? Try Turning Off Your IPad...

J.D. Moyer decided recently to conduct a little experiment with artificial light and his sleep cycle.

The sleep-deprived Oakland, California, resident had read that strong light -- whether it's beaming down from the sun or up from the screens of personal electronics -- can reset a person's internal sleep clock.

So, for one month, whenever the sun set, he turned off all the gadgets and lights in his house -- from the bulb hidden in his refrigerator to his laptop computer.
It worked. Instead of falling asleep at midnight, Moyer's head was hitting the pillow as early as 9 p.m. He felt so well-rested during the test, he said, that friends remarked on his unexpected morning perkiness.

"I had the experience, a number of times, just feeling kind of unreasonably happy for no reason. And it was the sleep," he said. "Sure, you can get by with six or seven hours, but sleeping eight or nine hours -- it's a different state of mind."

Moyer may be onto something.

More than ever, consumer electronics -- particularly laptops, smartphones and Apple's new iPad -- are shining bright light into our eyes until just moments before we doze off.
Now there's growing concern that these glowing gadgets may actually fool our brains into thinking it's daytime. Exposure can disturb sleep patterns and exacerbate insomnia, some sleep researchers said in interviews.

"Potentially, yes, if you're using [the iPad or a laptop] close to bedtime ... that light can be sufficiently stimulating to the brain to make it more awake and delay your ability to sleep," said Phyllis Zee, a neuroscience professor at Northwestern University and director of the school's Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology.

"And I think more importantly, it could also be sufficient to affect your circadian rhythm. This is the clock in your brain that determines when you sleep and when you wake up."

Such concerns are not entirely new: One sleep researcher said Thomas Edison created these problems when he invented the light bulb. But they've been revived by the popularity of Apple's new slate computer, the iPad, which many consumers say is good for reading at night in bed, when the brain thinks the environment should be dark.

Unlike paper books or e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle, which does not emit its own light, the iPad's screen shines light directly into the reader's eyes from a relatively close distance.
That makes the iPad and laptops more likely to disrupt sleep patterns than, say, a television sitting across the bedroom or a lamp that illuminates a paper book, both of which shoot far less light straight into the eye, researchers said.

"I wish people would just take a boring book -- an old-fashioned book -- and [read] by a lamp. Make sure that it's not too bright -- just so you can read," said Alon Avidan, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at UCLA. "And if they do that, I think they'll feel a lot better and they'll be able to relax."

These concerns stem from the fact that people are biologically wired to be awake when the sun is out.

When receptors in our eyes are hit with bright light for an extended period of time, they send a message to the brain saying it's time to be awake. The brain, in turn, stops secreting a hormone called melatonin, which makes people sleepy and helps regulate the internal sleep clock.

Normally, our brains start giving us that hormonal sleep aid at about 9 or 10 p.m. But if bright lights are shining in our eyes, that may not happen as planned. That's what worries some sleep researchers.

To make matters worse, our eyes are particularly sensitive to blue light, which is common during the day, but is less so in the evening. The fact that computer screens and phones tend to put out a lot of blue light could intensify the screen's awakening effects, even if the light isn't all that bright.

There's no exact formula for determining how much light is needed to reset a person's internal clock. Several factors are at play, including how bright the light is, what hues are present, how large the light source is, how far it is from the person's eyes and what that person tends to do during the day.

A farmer who is exposed to sunlight all day long would likely be less sensitive to artificial light at night than a person who works in a dimmer office environment, said Mariana Figueiro, an assistant professor and director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

While there has been research to show that light -- even artificial light -- can affect human melatonin production, no research has been done specifically on whether the iPad and laptops disrupt sleep cycles.

Some researchers are skeptical of the link.

"I don't think it's an area of concern. I think it's an area of personal preference," said Mary Lou Jackson, director of vision rehabilitation at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

People shouldn't be concerned about reading on backlit electronic devices at night unless they're experiencing insomnia, in which case they should dim the screen, Jackson said.
Several iPad owners contacted by CNN said they enjoy reading on the device before bed and haven't noticed sleep problems.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

George Brainard, director of the Light Research Program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said it's more important for people to turn off their computers and gadgets at night -- so they have a dark sleeping environment -- than to worry about reading in bright conditions before bed.

Electronics with glowing screens may create problems for people who are susceptible to insomnia, he said, but that research hasn't shown the link yet.

"Can we jump from [the available research] to an iPad? Not quite yet," he said. "But you can begin to see the potential is there for low levels of light to potentially have a biological effect."
Avidian, from UCLA, said several factors play into how well a person sleeps. It's possible iPads and laptops, when used late at night, may delay sleep because they require more focus and provide more potential distractions than books, he said.

Still, the possible relationship between reading at night on backlit screens and insomnia has led some sleep doctors to prescribe zany solutions for patients.

Figueiro, the professor at RPI, prescribes sunglasses with orange lenses.

"Wearing these orange glasses definitely will take away any of the [blue] light that the circadian system is sensitive to," she said. "Your circadian system would basically be blind."

Zee, the Northwestern doctor, said she has recommended the same. She also says people who have trouble sleeping should keep iPads and laptops out of the bedroom. It's best to stop using them one or two hours before going to bed, she said.

Changing your computer or iPad's screen settings to make the display dimmer or take blue hues out of the display at night may also help, researchers said.

A free, downloadable program called F.lux will automatically adjust the hues on your computer screen to eliminate blues when the sun starts setting -- and then replace them when it rises again.

The program, which was developed by a computer programmer and an artist, is not scientific. Sleep researchers said they are unsure of its actual impact.

Moyer, the Oakland resident who turned off all of his gadgets and lights at sundown for a month in 2009, said he hasn't kept up the rigid routine.

But he has applied some lessons from his lights-off-at-night experiment.

For one, he uses the computer less at night. And when he needs to use it, he employs F.lux to make the screen more red and less blue.

He says he's happier and more rested for it.

Source: <http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/13/sleep.gadgets.ipad/index.html?hpt=C2

Tomorrow on Amish Wisdom: Erik Wesner!

Please join me on Thursday May 13th at 4:00 pm CST for an encore show with show with guest Erik Wesner, author of the popular blog "Amish America!" Learn about all things Amish and about his new book coming out about Amish businesses.

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.

A bit about Erik:Since 2004, he has visited 20 Amish communities in five states, and met roughly 5,000 Amish families in total.

As the 2008 Snowden Fellow at the Young Center at Elizabethtown College, he delivered a lecture entitled “Is Success a Four-Letter Word? The Amish Approach to Business Achievement”.

Erik has contributed to Amish-themed articles featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other print media. He's have also served as a consultant for numerous authors of Amish fiction and non-fiction.

His book Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive published by John Wiley and Sons under the Jossey-Bass imprint on March 29, 2010.

Success Made Simple is based on his 60 interviews with Amish business owners as well as experiences living and working in Amish communities from Pennsylvania to Iowa. Read more here.

He's also finishing a general-information book on the Amish, Who are the Amish?, to be published in Poland in 2009.

In his previous nine-year career with a Nashville publisher and bookseller, I worked in management and set an international record as a salesperson.

If not in Amish America, you can likely find him in Krakow, Poland, where he teaches, translates, and trains for marathons.

Americans Love Clutter

Each time I go and visit the Amish, I come home with a desire to purge my home of non-essentials. I've been going through closets lately, filling up bags for donation. My friend Katrina says that you're supposed to get rid of anything you haven't worn in a year. So I took her advice and did! Filled up three bags full...called the donation pick-ups...and away it all went. To homes where things will be used!

John Steinbeck's Travel with Charley has a funny paragraph on the American love affair with clutter...





"I can never get used to the thousands of antique shops along the roads, all bulging with authentic and attested trash from an earlier time. I believe the population of the thirteen colonies was less than four million souls, and every one of them must have been frantically turning out tables, chairs, china, glass, candle molds, and oddly shaped bits of iron, copper, and brass for future sale to twentieth-century tourists. There are enough antiques for sale along the roads of New England alone to furnish the houses of a population of fifty million."

A fair amount of those things ended up in my parents' garage!

Monday Morning and Birds

I woke up very early this morning and listened to the birds as their day began. It's really quite exquisite...the dawn of a new day, the song of the birds, the peace of the moment. Made me feel so happy to be alive!

Last week's guest on Amish Wisdom was Cheryl Harner, president of the Greater Mohican Audubon Society and an avid bird watcher. She lives in Ohio and birds among the Amish. This last weekend was International Bird Migratory Day near where Cheryl lives. All kinds of serious birders came out to an area to catch a glimpse of rare birds, on their journey north for the summer. Migration is such a miracle!

Cheryl took a picture of some of her Plain friends and posted it (and the paragraph below) on her excellent blog, Weedpicker's Journal.



We found a second Golden-winged Warbler at Metzger Marsh, where we enjoyed birding with some of Holmes county's "plain" birders. Many of our area's Amish are excellent birders and whole families come out to see these colorful migrants. After one all-too-brief look, an elderly gentleman remarked, "Oh, it is pleasing to see, sure enough." And indeed, he is right.

If you're interested in the Amish, in birds, in the environment, in gardening...you'll enjoy listening to Cheryl's interview on Amish Wisdom. She's fascinating!

1000 Awesome Things

My daughter told me about the website 1000 Awesome Things.


1000 Awesome Things is just a time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things. Launched June, 2008 and updated every weekday. It's had 13 million hits! It's been featured on all kinds of news media, including CNN. And now...it's a hardcover book! Last time I checked, it was selling like gangbusters.



I thought this was a pretty good review of the website:

“1000 Awesome Things might be described as optimism for the rest of us. Sunny without being saccharine, it’s a countdown of life’s little joys that reads like a snappy Jerry Seinfeld monologue by way of Maria Von Trapp.” – The Vancouver Sun

Definitely worth a peek! It's amazing how something like that website can raise awareness of simple joys. We take so much for granted in this life of ours. I'm all for anything that helps us pay attention to God's everyday gifts.

Thursday's To-Do List

Busy day today!

I'm going to be the guest on Tricia Goyer's popular "Living Inspired" radio program! 3pm CST on www.toginet.com. Tune in if you're on-line...or listen later (same link...just click and listen). We're going to talk about all kinds of things that don't usually get covered elsewhere...living in Hong Kong, raising guide dog puppies, raising kids!

(Note: I will have to keep biting my tongue during the interview...because I want to ask Tricia questions! She is the most energetic, dynamic, openhearted author I have come across. Fortunately, she's going to be on my show on May 13th!)

Today, though, stayed tuned on toginet, because "Amish Wisdom" comes on right after Tricia's show.

My guest on "Amish Wisdom" is someone I've been looking forward to sharing with you: Cheryl Harner. Cheryl manages a blog called Weekpicker's Journal. I met Cheryl as I was doing research for an upcoming book. As soon as we finished the telephone interview for that story, I knew I wanted her on the radio program. She's fascinating...and funny! This is a great program for anyone who is interested in nature, wildlife, conservation, gardening and...birds!

Wondering what any of that has to do with the Amish? Listen and find out! I'll give you a hint, though...Cheryl lives in Ohio and rubs shoulders with many Amish in her activities.

One more thing...I have a new website! Check it out when you have a minute to spare and let me know what you think!

Tomorrow on Amish Wisdom: Conservationist Cheryl Harner

This week's guest is the fascinating Cheryl Harner. She's lived among the Amish for many years and has stories to tell about conservation, master gardening, and birdwatching! She has observed the Amish way of life and will have much insight to share about living a simple life. I'm also looking forward to her gardening tips - I hear she has an amazing green thumb!

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.

About Cheryl:

Cheryl Harner - Cheryl is interested in all forms of flora and fauna and fascinated by the connections between botany and wildlife. She is an avid gardener and life-long wildflower and butterfly enthusiast. President of Greater Mohican Audubon Society and Richland Co. Master Gardeners, Cheryl also volunteers at Kingwood Center and Gorman Nature Center. A great supporter of conservation, Cheryl promotes environmental education and the use of native plants in the home landscape. For more about Cheryl and her work please visit her blog: Weed Picker's Journal!

Erik Wesner on CNN!

Erik Wesner, blogger of Amish America and author of Success Made Simple (Jossey-Bass) is on CNN today! Check out this video clip!

The piece is called "Why Amish Businesses Succeed." Only about 2 minutes long...but well worth your time.

Time for I.G.O.

When my youngest son was in the second grade, his teacher devoted the first ten minutes of every class to "I. G. O." time.

"I'm Getting Organized."

A brilliantly simple concept. Or maybe...simply brilliant.

Somehow...the condition of my work space (my closet, too) is a good indicator of the stress in my life. If it's a mess...then I am usually in scrambling mode. Too busy! And when I'm overloaded, then my work isn't as good as it should be, home life isn't running smoothly, and simple joy in the everyday seeps away.

But an easy remedy is...I.G.O! It's amazing how tackling one little thing--making a to-do list so you can see how much needs to get accomplished today, or cleaning out your desk, or organizing your closet...it's surprisingly therapeutic!

Give it a try and let me know if it helps.