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Osceola Mill House Bed and Breakfast Blog ...

Wintering

I’ve recently been reading (or rather listening to as I work) the book Wintering by Katherine May.  Audible’s description is that it is about the power of rest and retreat in difficult times.  It struck me as quite appropriate for this beginning of...

Do the Amish Celebrate Christmas?

We always get a lot of questions from our guests when they come to the Osceola Mill House to explore the life and culture of the Amish.  “Why do the Amish not drive cars?” … “Why is a large-wheeled scooter ok for transportation, but a bicycle is not?”...

Cowgirls and Besties - October 2021

We all need a break now and then and a chance to reconnect with our closest friends.  When I set out to see my best friends, I usually plan on a quiet, relaxing time around the patio, maybe with a little wine, but definitely no surprises or new experiences.  I just want time to be...

“To Everything, There is a Season…..” September 2021

 

“…..And a time to every purpose under Heaven”  Ecclesiastes 3:1

A Homecoming - July 2021

There’s a line in the John Denver song “Rocky Mountain High” that says he was “…coming home to a place he’d never been before…”.  Although John was famously talking about Colorado and not Lancaster County,...

Summer in Lancaster County - June 2021

Last weekend we had what we call an “overfill weekend”.  Every room in the Main House was filled, including both bedrooms of our two-room suite, and there was a family of 4 in the Carriage House.   If you count up the number of people, you realize that it totals more...

Lancaster is Open for Business! - May 2021

Although we have technically been open for business after the quarantine for almost a year, things around here are finally feeling open.  We have had occasional visitors – two or four at a time – especially in our Carriage House Cottage.  We sat folks at separate...

Dogwoods and the Circle of Life - April 2021

I have always loved dogwood trees.  Among my earliest memories is sitting under the dogwood at my Grandfather’s house in Woodlawn, Baltimore County (coincidentally a block from Dogwood Road).  To my tiny self – it was this huge white canopy saving me from the harsh glare of...

Sisters' Day Grocery Shopping - March 2021

It was Sisters’ Day.  My friend Sadie, two of her sisters, and a niece were going up to another sister’s home in Ephrata to help her catch up with some sewing for her brood of babies.  Sadie called and asked me if I might have the time to ride them up there so that more...

A Few Words While Returning From Vacation - February 2021

It was a chilly Sunday morning about halfway through our vacation.  Well, let’s be honest.  It was chilly by New Orleans’ standards for a winter morning – but I was outside on the back porch of our rented apartment drinking my coffee.  As I lazed in the sunshine...

Who Doesn’t Need a Vacation? - January 2021

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve lived a charmed life…..or blessed life….whichever is your personal perspective.  So many of you visit this beautiful place time and time again and report back to us on Facebook and Instagram or in person that you consider this...

New Business Neighbor in Paradise - December 2020

Who in the world would open a new business during a pandemic as other small businesses are regretfully closing their doors?  Well, if you have a solid reputation in Lancaster County for making the best homemade chicken pies around, that might be you.

Light Up the Holidays in PA Dutch Country

One of my favorite activities every holiday season is to ride around and look at the Christmas lights in the area.  To me it has always been the best way to get into the spirit and step back from the hustle and bustle. With the particularly difficult year this has been, we all need a dose...

A Little Dutch Country Retail Therapy

Who among us is not in need of a little shopping trip?  For sure, this year we may want to avoid the crowds that usually are found at the mega-malls during the holidays. But doesn’t the thought of strolling along outside at a market or a shopping village just warm your heart a little...