We took a Thanksgiving trip to Ohio

Linda and I had been thinking of driving up to Ohio to see our family there since our youngest daughter, Faith Troyer, had her baby the first part of November. As we considered different dates and discussed our options with the Ohio folks, it just seemed the week of Thanksgiving would suit everyone best. Our granddaughter, Anna Jean, would be out of school from Wednesday through the weekend and that would make it easier for us to do some things with the whole family. Anna's younger brothers, Ethan (5) and Myles (2), are not in school yet. And, of course, the new baby, Lauren Grace, was not even a month old.

Faith and her husband Trent live in Wayne County, Ohio, which happens to have the heaviest concentration of Amish anywhere in the world. They live just outside the town of Apple Creek, where Troyer's Bakery is located. The bakery was started by Trent's grandfather, Abe. For the week of Thanksgiving, the bakery made more than 14,000 pies. It also offers many other items. Needless to say, the bakery is a busy place.

Trent is an organic farmer. He raises organic soybeans, corn, wheat and such like. He also raises chickens and usually has some cattle. He and his younger brother also haul chicken litter and spread it for area farmers. So it isn't hard to see that Trent is a busy young man who has a few irons in the fire. He often takes one or both of the boys with him so that Faith has a little break with four young children.

Everywhere you go in that area, you see Amish in their buggies or on their bicycles or out in the field plowing or harvesting their crops. There are a variety of Amish and Mennonite groups living in Wayne County, each with its own emphasis or point of doctrine that would differentiate it from the others. Among the Amish, you see variations in buggy styles, dress styles, head coverings, beards, men's clothing, houses and barns. While an outsider might not think much of the differences, these outward differences can seem pretty big to those involved.

Some Amish groups don't believe in painting their barns, while others live in really nice, modern-looking homes. Most of them are not tied into the electric grid, so there are a lot of diesel generators in Wayne County. Many factories, both large and small, are run with diesel generators.

Some people make a pretty good living driving the Amish from place to place. Many Amish men enjoy hunting and may travel out to the western U.S. to hunt elk and mule deer. They usually hire someone to drive them to the hunting site.

In some Amish groups, the men can only wear one suspender since that is all that is really needed to keep their pants up. Their conscience is so tender on such a matter that, if they would join a fellowship that allows two suspenders, they may feel bad about it, at least until they got used to the new order.

Some Amish groups allow the use of tobacco; others don't. All of them love good food and are not afraid of hard work. They generally make good business decisions and are honest to the core. I doubt you can drive over a mile or so in any direction on any road in Wayne County and not see some sort of woodworking shop. The Amish and woodworking seem to be custom made for each other. And their furniture seems to be in demand.

I actually had woodworking on my mind as we traveled to Ohio since we have some new neighbors moving in from Arizona to take over Jerry Beck's farm. They were looking for someone to build a couple of trundle beds for their children. Jerry called me to see if I was interested or knew someone who might be. I told him I had never built a bed before, but I was game to try. He gave my number to the Arizona folks and the lady of the house, Laura, called me to explain what she had in mind. Since then we have been communicating via email and text. They plan to arrive in Arkansas on the third of December. I doubt that I will be done with the first bed before the end of the following week. I didn't have any plans to follow so have had to figure out the design and dimensions on my own.

I had it in mind to stop in and visit with a bed maker while we were in Ohio. Also, I wanted to pick up some brackets for the beds at a furniture store where we had bought a bed the last time we were in Ohio. Plus, there is a lumber company (Keim Lumber) in Charm, Ohio, that offers exotic lumber for sale. I always try to stop in there to see what they have to offer. This trip I was able to purchase some good-looking zebra wood and blood wood that I plan to use in bow handles.

The day before we left to return home, we visited a couple of woodworking shops. Linda said she wanted to come along, so Trent and Linda and I left the others at home and drove a few miles to a nice little shop that was bustling with activity. These guys were helpful and shared with us how they made trundle beds and where they bought their castors for the lower bed. I was able to order some directly from their supplier when I got back home.

After we left that shop, we stopped in at a small furniture store that had some really nice furniture on display. We asked the proprietor about trundle beds and, while he didn't have any on display, he showed us a couple of pictures in an album. I got some inspiration from seeing those pictures. While Trent and I were talking with the owner, Linda was wandering around looking at the furniture on display. Pretty soon she saw a dining table that caught her eye. I have to say that the last thing I had in mind when we stopped there was buying a dining table. But if Linda wanted a dining table, who was I to say no? Long story short -- we ended up taking that table apart so we could haul it home in the back of our pickup. Since we got it home and put back together, I don't think a day has gone by that she hasn't told me several times that she sure does like her dining table. If she is happy, I am happy. The dining chairs will be shipped to us in a few weeks.

We had many other experiences on our trip and really enjoyed being with family and friends and spending time with some of the grandchildren we don't get to see very often. It was a real blessing. But, after driving 900 miles one way, we were glad to get back home and back into our regular routine. Now, I just need to get those beds built!

Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 12/07/2016