Sunday, January 22, 2006

9 Patch Quilt of Amish Living

Patch 1: Valuing the Process/Product
When doing work both process and product are of equal value

Patch 2: Living in Time
No rushing to get tasks done, just living in the moment of the task.

Patch 3: Celebrating the Ordinary
“The Amish honor the daily practices; work, like objects cared for in the home, can turn into a shining thing.”

Patch 4: Home
Home is truly where the Amish heart and soul resides.

Patch 5: Community
“Recreation and chores aren’t rivals.” The same enthusiasm enters into a quilting bee as harvesting the fields.

Patch 6: Life as Art
The beauty of the process and/or project is the art within the Amish persona and they do it without the artist’s ego.

Patch 7: Limits as Freedom
The Amish know who they are and what they can do. Their religion limits them to certain choices, which in turn allows for contentment when choosing what’s right.

Patch 8: Power of Contrast
Many contrasts like the Amish and their outside neighbors, car versus cart, mule versus tractor, etc. lends a power in knowing you can do things more than one way.

Patch 9: Choice
Choose the essential in life and let the clutter fall by the way side.

Notes from Chapter nine of Plain and Simple by Sue Bender.

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