Gems Along the Road

The boys won State. And if you want to read that story and see how they celebrated "Montana Style", head over here to my online magazine and read the article about the team. It's a cool story. 

We made it home for a few days to launder, get some work done and then made the 10 plus hour drive to Meridian, Idaho for the regional competition. I'm sitting in the hotel now, with my boys next door in my mom-in-laws room and the team is out practicing. Ahhhh!

This is a nice hotel, lovely in fact, as "team" hotels go. Especially, compared to the doozie we stayed in a few nights ago on the way here. But "that" I'll leave for another post. That is not the "gem" I want to tell you about. 

The "gem" we found on our way out of Lewistown. Someone suggested we take the team to a market to buy some ice cream. I am so glad they did. It was an Amish market. 

This was the father and owner. Here, he is congratulating some of our boys on their win. 

These ladies, in their traditional Amish white caps called "coverings", serve up scoops of Huckleberry ice cream. 

I loved wandering the store.

and purchased some Raspberry Jam. 

They had home baked bread and

Amish made Fine Noodles. 

Now, I'm wishing I'd bought these because I am curious about what makes them different. 

These were pre-made mixes for chocolate chip cookies, breads, sugar cookies and more.

The most wonderful site in the whole store was not the food though. 

It was this little red-headed boy with bright blue eyes, sitting on a stool by the cash register. 

 

I wonder what he was thinking, watching our whole crew of boys. 

And I wonder what it is like to live like they do. 

The simplicity appeals to me. 

Is their life less stressful, less complicated? Is their work hard but simple? 

I don't know really. But, I do know I loved watching them and just being in that gem of a place.