A Time for Peace (21 page)
And then Mary squealed and clapped her hands. "You're going to have a baby?"
Jenny nodded.
"You," Matthew said. "But you—"
"Didn't think I could. But I went to see the doctor while I was in New York City," she told him, enjoying his bafflement."I thought I was sick from something going around. That the exhaustion was from caring for my grandmother when she was sick. Then I blamed it all on stress." She knew he knew what stress she was talking about—the upset between her and her grandmother, and their own marital problem it had caused. "I decided to see her while I was there. I'm not sick.I'm pregnant."
"A
boppli,"
he said and he shook his head. His expression was changing from bafflement to joy. "Can it be true?"
She nodded and he stood and lifted her in his arms to swing around and then clasp her to him.
Laughing, she cried, "Stop!"
"Oh, sorry!" he said immediately and he bent to place her gently on the sofa. "I didn't hurt the baby, did I?"
"Of course not, silly!" She held on to the sofa armrest, waiting for the world to stop spinning. "I'm still having trouble with the nausea, that's all. Let's not move me around too much too quickly."
And then as the children crowded around her, hugging her, telling her how happy they were, she started crying.
The children backed away, looking concerned. "It's okay," Matthew told them.
"Happy tears?" Joshua asked.
"
Ya,"
Matthew agreed and he was grinning.
But he looked concerned when Jenny couldn't stop crying.He gathered her into his arms and shushed her, saying that she needed to stop or she'd make herself sick.
Safe in his arms, feeling a tremendous relief, Jenny sagged against him.
"What's all the commotion?" Phoebe wanted to know as she walked into the living room. "Why Jenny, you're back early."
Jenny pulled back from Matthew and wiped her eyes on the handkerchief Matthew handed her. Then she held out her hand to her grandmother who came to sit beside her on the sofa and stare at her, concerned.
"Tell me: What do you think about being an
urgrossmudder
again? A great-grandmother? "
aenti—
aunt
allrecht—
all right
bauch—
stomach
boppli—
baby or babies
bruder—
brother
Daedi—
Daddy
danki—
thanks
dawdi haus—
addition to the house for grandparents
eldre—
parents
en alt maedel—
old maid
Englisch or Englischer—
a non-Amish person
fraa—
wife
grosssohn—
grandson
gwilde—
quilt
grossdochder—
granddaughter
guder mariye—
good morning
gut—
good
gut nacht—
good night
gut-n-owed—
good evening
haus—
house
hochmut—
pride
hungerich—
hungry
kaffi
— coffee
kapp—
prayer covering or cap worn by girls and women
kich—
kitchen
kind, kinner—
child, children
lieb—
love
liebschen—
dearest or dear one
Mamm—
Mom
mann—
husband
nee—
no
onkel—
uncle
Ordnung—
The rules of the Amish, both written and unwritten.Certain behavior has been expected within the Amish community for many, many years. These rules vary from community to community, but the most common are to not have electricity in the home, to not own or drive an automobile, and to dress a certain way.
Pennsylvania Deitsch—
Pennsylvania German
redd-up—
clean up
rotrieb—
red beet
rumschpringe—
time period when teenagers are allowed to experience the
Englisch
world while deciding whether to join the church.
schul—
school
schur—
sure
schwei—
sister-in-law
schweschder—
sister
sohn—
son
urgrossmudder—
great-grandmother
verdraue—
trust
wilkumm—
welcome
wunderbaar—
wonderful
ya—
yes
Please don't read before completing the book as the questions contain spoilers!
- Jenny studied to join the Amish church before she married Matthew. She knows that she—and her Amish friends and family—aren't saints. But she experiences unaccustomed envy when her sister-in-law conceives.Have you ever envied someone? What was the situation? What did you do about it?
- Jenny inherited a ready-made family when she married Matthew: little Annie, Mary, and Joshua. Many people have stepchildren these days. Do you? How are they the same—or different—from your own children?
- Chris—Jenny's brother-in-law—also converted to the Amish faith. Did you convert to a different religion when you married? How did you adjust?
- Hannah—Jenny's sister-in-law—practiced forgiveness when she was injured by a man who carried a grudge against Chris. What do you think about the Amish practice of forgiveness? Do you think they are right to refuse to prosecute those who try to harm them or in some way break a law?
- Jenny's family loves to tease her about her cooking.Many people don't know how to cook these days. Do you like to cook or do you prefer to buy ready-made food or eat out? If you like to cook, what's your favorite thing to cook?
- Jenny is devastated when she finds her grandmother ill. Since Phoebe is her only living relative, she experiences real anxiety at losing her. Have you lost a beloved mother, father, or grandparent? How did you cope?
- When she goes to get clothes for her grandmother, Jenny unexpectedly finds a letter that changes everything for her. Have you ever discovered a family "secret" and had it change how you felt about someone you loved?
- Friends of Jenny's decide to make a major change in their lives, downsizing and living simpler. Have you ever done this or thought about it?
- Joy, Jenny's friend, asks her if she's ever considered adoption. Have you adopted? What do you think of adopting?
- When her stepson is hurt, Jenny discovers she has much to learn about God's will and obedience to rules and to God. Sometimes it's hard to be obedient to God or to have faith that He has a plan. Sometimes it takes faith you feel you don't have at the time. How do you deal with that?
- Jenny's relationship with her husband changes when she discovers he kept part of the secret. It affects their marriage. People say "don't go to bed angry" but their distance isn't because of anger but because of a difference in culture. How have you resolved differences in your marriage or significant relationship?
- Jenny wrestles with what she calls "unanswered prayer." Do you feel if you don't get the answer or thing that you've prayed for that God hasn't listened or given you what you prayed for? How do you feel? What do you do?
Potato Soup
6–7 large potatoes, peeled
1 medium onion
2 quarts milk
Salt
Pepper
Chop potatoes and onion and boil in salted water until fork-tender. Drain and return to saucepan. Mash potatoes somewhat (leave a few chunks for texture) and pour in milk.Warm without boiling, simmer for an hour. Add salt and pepper (white pepper is best) to taste. If soup is too thin, add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch to thicken it.
Serve with some crumbled cooked bacon, grated Cheddar cheese, and some chopped chives (optional) for a soup that tastes like a big, stuffed baked potato. So good on a cold day or serve chilled on a summer day for vichyssoise (blend the soup so it's very smooth).
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or any shape macaroni you prefer)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small pepper (red, green, yellow, or a mixture)
2 teaspoons pickle relish (sweet or dill, whichever you prefer)
2 tablespoons mustard
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons white vinegar
¾ teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon chopped onion
Boil macaroni according to package directions, drain, and cool. In separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over drained macaroni. Stir until blended. Chill in refrigerator for at least two hours (best if chilled overnight).
Add cup or two of drained tuna, chopped cooked chicken, or ham, and you have a wonderful cool summer salad.