Smicksburg Tales 1,2 & 3 (Amish Knitting Circle, Amish Friends Knitting Circle & Amish Knit Lit Cirlce ~ Complete Series: 888 pages for Granny Weaver Lovers and 30+ Amish Recipes

by Karen Anna Vogel

  “Not too long. Toes are feeling numb though.”

  “It’s almost seven. The store closes –“

  “I was visiting Lizzie….”

  Fannie couldn’t help but feel for this man because she knew the truth. Lizzie didn’t love him and he probably figured it out. She knew what rejection felt like and her heart went out to him. “How about I take you to my place and give you a mug full of hot chocolate, and then we go get your horse at Lizzie’s?”

  The smile that flashed across Melvin’s face, Fannie found totally adorable. He hopped in the buggy, and her heart skipped a beat. Why? Melvin brushed some snowflakes off her nose, and she thought she’d melt like a puddle right there.

  ~*~

  Granny took Ella’s hand. “Danki, honey, for taking care of us. You make me feel I can leave this world in good hands.”

  Ella leaned over and kissed Granny on the cheek. “You’re not that sick. Only a bad cold.”

  “You don’t know what I mean,” Granny said. “You have a mamm’s heart, and I know when I go to my reward, the girls will have you to look after them.”

  “I have time on my hands,” Ella said, faintly. “But hopefully that will change.”

  “Until it does, maybe the Lord intended for this ‘time on your hands’. You see more needs around you with no kinner to chase after.” She patted Ella’s hand. “You promise me you’ll stay the way you are. People depend on you.”

  Ella’s chin quivered. “No one tells me I’m needed except Zach.” A tear slid down her cheek. “I’m scared. What if we don’t get that baby? I want to be a mamm.”

  “Did I ever tell you about my Aunt Anna? She couldn’t have kinner, but she had more time for me than my own mamm. She’s the one who taught me how to knit, crochet, and do embroidery. My mamm didn’t have the time, having so many kinner, but Aunt Anna always did. She was my special gift from God.”

  “I couldn’t be helping you here now if I had kinner at home…and Zach and I wouldn’t be looking to adopt…or take in foster kinner…”

  “It’s a mystery,” Granny said, “but God works everything out for the goot. How he does it is a miracle.”

  Ella kissed her cheek. “You started the knitting circle because you’re like your Aunt Anna in a way, aren’t you? You never had dochders, but you’re like a mamm to us.”

  Granny felt a lump in her throat. Ella always touched her heart so. “Jah, you girls are like dochders to me, since you were all kinner. So, I guess I’m like my Aunt Anna…”

  ~*~

  Lizzie heard her daed call for her. She lit an oil lamp and made her way to his room. Was he in pain? Did he need his hot water bottle changed already? When she opened the door, she saw him in bed, sitting up reading a book. “What is it Daed?”

  “Lizzie, come sit here a minute. We need to talk.”

  “About what?”

  “About you. I’ve seen so much pain in those eyes of yours. Keeps me up at night, reading the Good Book for comfort. What’s wrong?”

  :Lizzie sat in the chair near his bed. “You saw Melvin walk away, didn’t you?”

  “Nee, I saw him and Fannie come get his buggy though…”

  “Fannie? Brought him here?”

  “Jah, it was late. You were sleeping.”

  Lizzie started to grind her teeth. Young, little green-eyed Fannie, who got such attention because she was always feeling sorry for herself. Roman, and now Melvin? “What did Melvin say?”

  “Well, he looked mighty down, but Fannie cheered him up.” Jonas took his dochder’s hand. “Want to talk to your Pa?”

  Love for her daed filled her heart. He was a mamm and daed wrapped up in one person. She could freely tell him anything, except the one thing that haunted her. “Daed, I need a woman to talk to about…”

  “Why not talk to Granny Weaver. She looks at you like a dochder.”

  “Daed, are we still going to try to buy the house next door? Try to run a little bed and breakfast?”

  “Lizzie, you’re changing the subject…”

  “Nee, I’m not. I need to get away. Maybe go out to visit relatives for Christmas in Lancaster and see one of those little hotels to get ideas.”

  “Not be with me on Christmas?”

  “Daed, you could come. Surely we can find someone to look after the store while we’re gone. When was the last time you had a vacation.”

  Jonas pulled at his long beard. “Women folk beat around the bush too much. So, you’re trying to say you want to talk to one of your cousins about your problem, jah?”

  Lizzie withdrew her hand from his and put her head down. “Jah, I do. But I also want to see a bed and breakfast. Are we buying Troutman’s house or not?”

  “It looks goot.” Jonas yawned. “Let me sleep on this whole notion of leaving Smicksburg for Christmas. Things will look clearer in the morning.”

  ~*~

  Here is a very simple and cost effective hot chocolate mix. I’ve given it as Christmas presents and it’s always a hit. Put mix in a mason jar and wrap a ribbon around the top. Attach recipe to the ribbon by using a hole punch.

  Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

  2 c. powdered milk

  1 ¼ c white sugar

  ½ c unsweetened cocoa (bakers cocoa)

  Episode 5

  Christmas Cookies

  Granny hugged Ella and Ruth as they entered her little dawdyhaus. She cringed when she looked into Ruth’s eyes; Luke made a deep wound in the poor girl’s heart. She took the trays of Christmas cookies they brought and put them on her long oak table. She heard buggy wheels spinning and looked out the window. Fannie and Lizzie were stuck in the snow. Roman, flew out of his house to help dig them out, and Granny couldn’t help but notice again the coldness in Lizzie’s eyes when she looked at Roman. What had her son done to her that eleven years couldn’t heal?

  Her heart leapt when Roman went to Lizzie’s side first to help her out. Lizzie slipped on the icy driveway and Roman caught her. Her tray of cookies slipped and went all over the ice and her black lab, Jack, soon made them disappear. Granny noticed how Lizzie and Roman both laughed, while he still held her hand. How fickle Lizzie’s emotions were toward Roman. But as she continued to watch them talk, hope rose in her. Oh, she loved Fannie and didn’t care which woman her son chose, just so he chose someone.

  Granny noticed another buggy and saw Jack race toward it, snow flying up from his heels. Maryann and Becca were both coming to the knitting circle; Granny put her hand on her chest and thanked God that everyone could make it, since she had a Christmas present for them all.

  She hugged each of her girls as they came in and shoved Roman out the door as this was a woman’s only gathering. She had everyone put their cookies on the table and soon the oak top disappeared in a myriad of colors. The girls all hugged each other, but Granny noticed Maryann and Becca were not as warm toward Ruth as they should be. Yes, Ruth separated from her husband, almost unheard of, but the Bishop had a good plan and Granny was confident things would turn out in the end.

  “Do you girls want to knit first or do the cookie exchange?” Granny asked.

  “Let’s talk,” Fannie said. “Well, and knit too, jah?” She turned to Ella. “I want to hear about this Christmas boppli.”

  Ella lifted both hands in the air. “I’m so excited; I could just, well, pop open! Zach and I will be going up to Troutville tomorrow to meet the little boppli.”

  They all took their normal seats on Granny’s rockers or benches and picked up their looms to knit, and looked expectantly toward Ella.

  “We’ve exchanged some letters with the mamm. She’s sixteen and well…doesn’t know who the father is…”

  Maryann gasped. “How immoral.”

  “She’s honest,” Ella corrected. “She could have made up a story, but was very open in her letters. The mamm hasn’t had the happiest life and seemed to be looking for love in lots of men’s arms.”

  “And nothing satisfied, jah?” Granny asked.

&
nbsp; “Nee, she’s come to understand the love of God and isn’t out there begging for love…”

  Maryann huffed. “My dochder is here; are you forgetting? You’re making excuses for this woman’s sin.”

  Becca put her hands on her ever reddening cheeks. “Mamm, I’m sitting right here and I’m almost fifteen, not a boppli.”

  Ella put down her knitting needles and looked across the circle at Maryann. “The mamm of this boppli is repentant. She did her kneel down confession in front of her whole Gmay. We’re to forgive and restore. Like I said, I know things about this woman that are confidential. She was starved for love.”

  Ruth spoke but stared at her knitting. “I know how that feels….”

  “But the Bishop has a plan, jah?” Granny asked.

  Ruth shrugged her shoulders and remained silent.

  Ella put her hand on Ruth’s shoulder. “All of us are praying for you...”

  All the women nodded in agreement. Granny realized Lizzie hadn’t opened her mouth since she came in. “Lizzie, something ailing you?”

  “Well, I won’t be here for Christmas, and I’ll miss everyone…”

  Granny looked up from her knitting. “Why are you visiting those little hotels in Lancaster on Christmas anyhow?”

  “Well, I’ve always longed to see Lititz and their Moravian stars they have lit up all over town. And my cousin’s bed and breakfast is so busy she said I’d be a great help.”

  Fannie put down her needles and beamed. “I’m going to take Lizzie’s place at the store and I can’t wait.” She turned to Lizzie and smiled. “I just love your daed. I hope I don’t mess up too much.”

  Lizzie eyed Fannie pensively. “You’ll do wunderbar goot. Melvin and Roman have also volunteered to help.”

  Granny studied Fannie’s face. Were her cheeks growing pink just at the sound of Roman’s name? She looked down at her cream and black shawl that was just about finished. The colors looked so pretty intertwined….her son would be happier if her were intertwined with a goot woman. She was a matchmaker. Granny pursed her lips to hide laughter as she thought of the surprise Jeb gave her last week; Emma to add to her Jane Austen collection. He was sure she’d learn from meddling Emma not to play matchmaker. It only made her want to try harder to see Roman with a goot wife.

  “I heard from the doctor. I have low blood sugar for sure. Explains my fatigue and dizzy spells…” Maryann said.

  “I read it causes mood swings, too, Mamm,” Becca chimed in.

  Maryann laughed out loud. “Jah, it does. Dochder, you don’t miss a beat, do you?”

  Becca giggled. “They say it’s hereditary, so, Mamm, next time I’m moody, I’m going to say I have hypoglycemia, too.”

  Granny was relieved that Maryann laughed and didn’t chide her daughter. Maryann did seem edgy.

  “The doctor wants to do further testing though. She wasn’t too happy to hear I’ve never had a mammogram.” Maryann looked down to knit.

  “Never?” Ella asked. “That’s not goot.”

  Granny didn’t know if she should say anything, but did. “I’ve never had one.”

  Ella clucked her tongue. “Granny, you need to. What if you have breast cancer and don’t know it?”

  “Never thought to go, is all.”

  “Don’t want to go, is all,” Ruth corrected. “I had one when Micah was born. So embarrassing, but Luke insisted.”

  Granny felt tears well up in her eyes. What tenderness Luke had toward his wife at times, but then such cruelty. Her husband, Jeb, told her about Luke confessing to looking at pornography on the men’s cell phones at work and how helpless he felt to stop. It was an ugly situation, but what a balm of healing oil her husband and the other elders where pouring over Luke’s life.

  “You need to go get one, Granny,” Ruth said.

  “Get what?”

  “A mammogram.”

  “Why not come with me?” Maryann asked. “It would be a comfort.”

  Granny looked around the circle. “Anyone else not ever get this test?”

  Lizzie and Becca both raised their hands. Maryann took her daughter’s hand and laughed. “You won’t be needing one for a while. But Lizzie, you too? Never went?”

  Lizzie bowed her head. “Nee…it’s degrading.”

  “Only women give the tests,” Maryann added.

  “Let’s talk about this some other time,” Granny said. “It’s our Christmas cookie exchange and I have a gift for everyone.” She sprung from her seat and ran into her kitchen. She got the basket full of white bags she’d filled with her gifts. How she loved to give presents. Granny ran back and told each woman to take one. She heard the rustling of paper and looked as each bag was ripped open. Squeals of delight echoed around the room.

  Ella got up to hug her. “Granny, danki for the scarf. How’d you have time?”

  One by one the girls all hugged her and asked her the same question. “Ach, I didn’t make them. I got them Black Friday at Punxsy-Mart. Remember when I said I was going out to see if Suzy was there to pick us up? I bought them then.”

  Laughter filled the room. Granny felt like her heart would explode with love for these dear women. She suggested that every time they put on their scarves, think of it as her giving them a hug around the neck. Granny noticed Ruth brushed away a tear, and put her arm around her, and suggested they start the cookie exchange. All the women headed toward the table, some arm in arm.

  ~*~

  Luke threw a log in the woodstove and picked up Rules for a Godly Life, reading required by the Bishop. It was an easy read, but what the Bishop asked was too much. Quit his job? He made good money working for the lumber company. To survive off a small woodworking business would be hard. Jeb and the other elders thought it was clear cut; if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, just like the Bible said. So, they were bound to make his life miserable by not letting him near any English with one of those phones with pictures…that might have girly pictures on them.

  He started to grind his teeth again, wishing he wouldn’t have made such a fuss about going to counseling in Lancaster. It might have been easier. The Bishop found a local counselor and now Luke felt like an animal in a trap. Salt was only rubbed into his wound when he went to visit his son, and Ruth seemed happier living with her parents; she was better off without him. But the bishop warned this separation couldn’t last long, maybe another two weeks at best. Then he’d have to leave his house and move into the dawdyhaus by his in-laws, so they could keep an eye on him. When he told his brother Zach how humiliating this was, he was surprised at his response…Ruth feels humiliated and betrayed… you broke your marriage vows to forsake all others. He’d never realized that…

  ~*~

  Roman helped his girls across the icy driveway to the dawdyhaus. They needed to get to bed and wanted to give their homemade Christmas cards to all the women in the knitting circle. He opened the door and his eyes locked with Lizzie’s. Holding her out in the snow after she slipped brought back raw emotion, even after so many years. He knew he gripped her hard, but the way she seemed to be repelled at his embrace cut to his heart. Why was she so cold toward him? Why did she say he rejected her, when she clearly called off their wedding a decade ago? Now she’d be gone for Christmas and he realized he’d become accustomed to seeing her around the holidays, and it pained him that she’d be gone.

  He had to admit his heart filled with some hope when his mamm told her that Lizzie and Melvin were no longer courting, only being friends and seeing where the Lord led them. Roman felt a tug on his coat and looked down at Tillie. His little “Timid Tillie” was too shy to pass out her cards without his help. He patted her head and squeezed her hand, going from one woman to another as Tillie gave them a card and a kiss on the cheek. When they got to Lizzie, he was surprised that tears were in her eyes. He heard her tell Tillie how she would be gone for Christmas and how she needed to be in Lancaster. How she’d miss watching the school program on Christmas Eve. Was it his imagination, b
ut was Lizzie trying to say good-bye for a longer time…much longer than a week?

  ~*~

  Fannie crept down the wooden wide-plank stairs in her wool knit slippers to ward off the cold. She opened the large, black, wood burning stove and was glad to see there was still an ample fire going; she wouldn’t have to fetch kindling and start a new one.

  All was quiet at four in the morning except a lone owl hooting outside. Would she always be alone, just like that owl? She thought of Melvin and how easily she could talk to him. She’d have no reason to go over and check on her mamm’s clock, unless she ordered another one…but for who? And with what money?

  She looked over at the bags full of cookies she brought home from Granny’s. They would taste so good with her morning coffee, and no one was up yet to see her gobble them down. She pinched her stomach through her nightgown and felt a ripple of fat. Nee, she would not eat one cookie over the entire Christmas season. Maybe she could give some to Melvin as a little thank you for making the clock for such a goot price.

  Fannie got a mug and went over to the cook stove to grab the blue speckle ware coffee pot, glad that her daed, already out in the barn, had left half a pot full. The aroma seemed to slap her awake, as she sipped it black. With her mamm not feeling well, again, she’d be making breakfast alone.

  Again, her mind fell on Melvin. Why was he so smitten with Lizzie? Yes, he called off their courtship and was free to find love somewhere else, but who wanted to live in Lizzie’s shadow? She poured herself some coffee….and grabbed a handful of gingerbread cookies.

  ~*~

  Ella squeezed Zach’s hand as he knocked on the front door of Lavina’s house. It seemed so formal to knock on a front door and not just go around to the side, but Ella followed Zach’s lead. She thanked God for her husband, knowing he loved her, barren or not, and how supportive he was to adopt, sight unseen, a baby he never saw.

  The wind whipped up her skirt and she snuggled up against Zach. Was anyone home? Zach knocked again, still no answer. She looked back at Suzy, waiting in the driveway, and wished she was in the warm van. Ella heard a creaking sound and the door slowly opened. A short Amish man with beady black eyes and a long gray beard asked them to step inside.