Ohio is a state of rolling hills and Midwestern values. Romantic destinations in Ohio are plentiful and here are some highlights for those looking for some intimate time together.
Located between the coastal states of the Mid Atlantic region and the Midwest, Ohio is a state that is influenced by many cultures and ideas. With diverse attractions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and many different amusement parks and indoor waterparks, Ohio has been a family destination for years. This doesn't mean, however, that Ohio is not a great place for a romantic retreat. Romantic destinations in Ohio can be fun and seductive at the same time.
The town of Berlin, Ohio is located in Holmes County, which is the largest Amish settlement area in the world. Many people journey here to see an alternative way of life, free of the encumbrances of the modern world such as telephones, computers and television. Most Amish families do not even use electricity or cars for transportation. While staying in this area, you can truly enjoy the experience of spending some solitary quiet time together as a couple, while you enjoy such activities as touring a true Amish home and farm, and shopping at the many quaint Amish stores.
One place to stay that is perfect for your romantic destinations in Ohio is in Berlin Hotel & Suites, located right within Berlin, Ohio. They offer an overnight stay in one of their brand new suites with a fireplace, Jacuzzi tub, 50" Plasma TV, Down Pillows and Comforters with Duvet Covers, perfect for spending an intimate night with your partner. Added to that is the complimentary continental breakfast, two 30-minute Swedish massage treatments at the Berlin Spa & Salon, 1/2 dozen roses, a Bottle of Sparkling Juice, Amish cheese and crackers and there's a lot more. Truly perfect and special for couples who are seeking a romantic night together.
Donna's Premier Bed and Breakfast Cabin Lodging is an establishment that is also located in Berlin, Ohio, and offers lovers a romantic retreat for their stay. With villas, honeymoon and anniversary suites and honeymoon/anniversary cottages all available for your vacation here, you can be sure that you will find a spot that will suit your romance needs. Amenities include fireplaces, Jacuzzis, complimentary snacks and fruit platters, beverages and more, depending on your choice of room. Make your stay really special by adding a “sweetheart” package, which includes chocolates, champagne, roses and a massage.
There are many places to take trips as a couple, but romantic destinations in Holmes County Ohio are special times you will always remember and enjoy.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Amish and The Technology
Living a life of simplicity, is the most important thing for an Amish. Any technological advances of this world are, for the most part, obsolete, as virtually anyone would guess. The technology of this world is not a part of the world in which the Amish live. We love to use and explore new technologies today, in fact technology greatly affects our everyday living, but an Amish is very different. They have a different culture, their communities in general are opposed to certain kinds of technology. The Amish are very family oriented. They put much emphasis on the family dynamic in their culture. Therefore, needless to say, they often determine which technological devices to ban from their culture based on how they feel that such a device might weaken the family structure. This is, of course, primarily based on the convictions of the individual order, the leaders and subsequently the community as a whole based upon the ordnung, or basic laws of their culture.
What is referred to as the ordnung(Amish rules of living) of one Amish community can be dissimilar to the ordnung of another Amish society, but the rules set by the community are the rules that those within the community must adhere to. Nonetheless, they are established by interpretations of the same basic principles, much like the many sects and / or factions of the Christian faith. The convenience of things that most people take for granted (such as electricity, telephones, motor vehicles, etcetera, are considered a form of laziness or vanity to most of the Amish.
As well as often growing their own foods, the Amish will often refuse the "luxury" of tractors, making their work much more arduous than that of the average farmer. Although they do sell some of their produce and other wares, however, and therefore, perhaps do not require as much labor-saving technological contraptions. The Amish often cultivate their fields with horse-drawn equipment.
It may seem strange to the outsider, but the Amish consider these things (and others like them) to be tangible forms of vanity. They use technology to its minimal capacity that it won't make them lazy. There is, in an Amish world, little need for advanced technology. As a matter of fact, aside from advanced medicine, there is very little technology essential for our lives – primarily, new technology is mostly for entertainment.
What is referred to as the ordnung(Amish rules of living) of one Amish community can be dissimilar to the ordnung of another Amish society, but the rules set by the community are the rules that those within the community must adhere to. Nonetheless, they are established by interpretations of the same basic principles, much like the many sects and / or factions of the Christian faith. The convenience of things that most people take for granted (such as electricity, telephones, motor vehicles, etcetera, are considered a form of laziness or vanity to most of the Amish.
As well as often growing their own foods, the Amish will often refuse the "luxury" of tractors, making their work much more arduous than that of the average farmer. Although they do sell some of their produce and other wares, however, and therefore, perhaps do not require as much labor-saving technological contraptions. The Amish often cultivate their fields with horse-drawn equipment.
It may seem strange to the outsider, but the Amish consider these things (and others like them) to be tangible forms of vanity. They use technology to its minimal capacity that it won't make them lazy. There is, in an Amish world, little need for advanced technology. As a matter of fact, aside from advanced medicine, there is very little technology essential for our lives – primarily, new technology is mostly for entertainment.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Amish Country and Holmes County, Ohio
We're in the middle of our RV trip through Amish Country Ohio. This time Christie decided to come along with us, since her schedule is different this semester. She's rearranged her classes with her professors so she can have a week or so off in addition to her spring break. One of the classes she's taking is a comparative religion class, and she's curious to see how the Amish really live.
I'm a little apprehensive that we are going to be perceived as rude tourists who treat the folks who live around here as some kind of exhibit. But it's amazing how real it all is.
I just finished watching "Saving Sarah Cain," where the lead character is left with a handful of Amish kids she needs to take care of. She and her sister were orphaned and became inseparable while they were shuffled through foster homes. But then the sister abandoned her to live with the Amish. Now she and her husband both passed away, leaving her as the aunt, as sole caretaker.
There were several scenes with the harassment by tourists, of course. Couldn't have a movie about the Amish without them. But one thing that touched a nerve was the peace and quiet you would feel living out here beyond the electricity and "light pollution."
It was also thought-provoking how much the children took pride in their chores. They weren't just duty to them but actually a source of pride. Contributing to the group effort. It's tricky to do that with many kids these days!
So anyway, off for more travel through Holmes County Ohio. :)
I'm a little apprehensive that we are going to be perceived as rude tourists who treat the folks who live around here as some kind of exhibit. But it's amazing how real it all is.
I just finished watching "Saving Sarah Cain," where the lead character is left with a handful of Amish kids she needs to take care of. She and her sister were orphaned and became inseparable while they were shuffled through foster homes. But then the sister abandoned her to live with the Amish. Now she and her husband both passed away, leaving her as the aunt, as sole caretaker.
There were several scenes with the harassment by tourists, of course. Couldn't have a movie about the Amish without them. But one thing that touched a nerve was the peace and quiet you would feel living out here beyond the electricity and "light pollution."
It was also thought-provoking how much the children took pride in their chores. They weren't just duty to them but actually a source of pride. Contributing to the group effort. It's tricky to do that with many kids these days!
So anyway, off for more travel through Holmes County Ohio. :)
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Hair straighteners? Who would've thought....
Whew! Well Ed and I are back from our RV trip visiting the kids in 3 states. (hi kids!)
While it is true that you can find Internet access points at more and more places, the reality is that if you're visiting people, you're visiting them, not tapping on the computer! I know we like to pretend that we can get back to everything we do at home, but somehow... time just slips away. And at the end of the day it seems allright--at least after the first couple of days have passed. :)
When we were visiting Christie in South Carolina, she showed me a couple of new "beauty tools" (rolling eyes) as she called them. As you all know, I get the frizzies, and Christie has them too. She spends a whole lot more time on her hair than I do these days, so I figure I'll wait until something interesting goes along until changing my routine.
So she's been using some curling irons like Charlene does. This CHI Flat Iron did get my hair pretty smooth, and I tried that out a couple of days. It's true that my hair isn't super-curly but when it starts to fly all around it's annoying and this took care of it.
Then Christie's co-worker from school left her T3 hair straightener before they went out to dinner on a girl's night. That also did a good job. What's cool is that it's ceramic and gives it a better result. I was getting used to this straightened look, and Ed did too. :)
It just seems sleeker, or sophisticated. We have to see if I start to do it every day!
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Gift Book Clubs
Buy a Gift Book Club for someone this holiday season. Here are some ideas:
- Oprah's Book Club
- Fiction Book Club
- Nonfiction Book Club
- Today's Show Book Club
- Children's Book Club
- Paperback Book Rental Club
You can get them as gifts through Bestsellers Monthly Book Connection:
http://www.bestsellers-monthly-book-connection.com/
Hope that helps your holiday shopping list!
* http://www.doubledaybookclub.com/
Tags: books, book clubs, bookclubs, book+club, holiday gifts
- Oprah's Book Club
- Fiction Book Club
- Nonfiction Book Club
- Today's Show Book Club
- Children's Book Club
- Paperback Book Rental Club
You can get them as gifts through Bestsellers Monthly Book Connection:
http://www.bestsellers-monthly-book-connection.com/
Hope that helps your holiday shopping list!
* http://www.doubledaybookclub.com/
Tags: books, book clubs, bookclubs, book+club, holiday gifts
Black Expressions Book Club Review
My friend and I joined Black Expressions last year for a few months to get a different perspective on what we were reading. As I mentioned before, I'm an avid reader and I just hadn't explored this area of fiction. We found a lot of interesting reads (and at good prices.) Blackexpressions showed us what was popular and worthwhile at the same time.
Black Expressions has current and classic African-American fiction plus a over 400 titles in hot topics such as heritage & culture, inspiration/religion, health and beauty, relationships, cooking and home, career and personal finance, self-help, kid's books and more. Black Expressions was voted "Book Club of the Year" at the 2004 African American Literary Awards Show held in Harlem, New York.
Types of Books
Blackexpressions has a lot of brand-name African-American authors like Eric Jerome Dickey, Diane McKinney-Whetstone, Walter Mosley, Van Whitfield, Connie Briscoe and Maya Angelou. Club members can check out newer authors like R.M. Johnson, Rosalyn Carrington, and Helen Elaine Lee. The club aslo has "Classics": Black Expressions brings authors back such as James Baldwin, Chester Himes, Langston Hughes, and Margaret Walker. Current featured books include A Hand to Guide Me by Denzel Washington, She Ain't the One by Carl Weber and Mary B. Morrisson, and Love is Never Painless by Zane. etc.
Usually Black Expressions Bookclub offers 5 books for $2 plus a free tote bag. Add shipping and handling--$14.95! So you're getting 5 books for about $15 bucks total--$3 a book is a good deal. The tote bag was okay. We used it for grocery shopping instead of using up paper bags. You do have to buy 4 books over two years, but you can get them pretty cheap, around $8-$10 each. Get one extra one when you first sign up for $5.99, to cut down the commitment. So what you do is buy them all after you get your first shipment, so you save on the shipping, and your commitment to Black Expressions bookclub's done.
Black Expressions Book Club website:
* http://www.blackexpressions.com/
Tags:
About Black Expressions Bookclub
Black Expressions has current and classic African-American fiction plus a over 400 titles in hot topics such as heritage & culture, inspiration/religion, health and beauty, relationships, cooking and home, career and personal finance, self-help, kid's books and more. Black Expressions was voted "Book Club of the Year" at the 2004 African American Literary Awards Show held in Harlem, New York.
Types of Books
- Bargains
- Biography/Memoir
- Christian Living
- Classics Library
- Cooking & Nutrition
- Fiction
- Heritage & Culture
- Inspiration
- Kids Corner
- Living Well
- Merchandise
- Money & Finance
- Mystery
- Psychology/Self-help
- Under the Covers
African-American Books and Authors
Blackexpressions has a lot of brand-name African-American authors like Eric Jerome Dickey, Diane McKinney-Whetstone, Walter Mosley, Van Whitfield, Connie Briscoe and Maya Angelou. Club members can check out newer authors like R.M. Johnson, Rosalyn Carrington, and Helen Elaine Lee. The club aslo has "Classics": Black Expressions brings authors back such as James Baldwin, Chester Himes, Langston Hughes, and Margaret Walker. Current featured books include A Hand to Guide Me by Denzel Washington, She Ain't the One by Carl Weber and Mary B. Morrisson, and Love is Never Painless by Zane. etc.
Book Club Deals
Usually Black Expressions Bookclub offers 5 books for $2 plus a free tote bag. Add shipping and handling--$14.95! So you're getting 5 books for about $15 bucks total--$3 a book is a good deal. The tote bag was okay. We used it for grocery shopping instead of using up paper bags. You do have to buy 4 books over two years, but you can get them pretty cheap, around $8-$10 each. Get one extra one when you first sign up for $5.99, to cut down the commitment. So what you do is buy them all after you get your first shipment, so you save on the shipping, and your commitment to Black Expressions bookclub's done.
How to Join BlackExpressions Bookclub
Black Expressions Book Club website:
* http://www.blackexpressions.com/
Tags:
books, book clubs, bookclubs, book+club, black expressions, blackexpressions, african american, africanamerican
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Doubleday Bookclub
Doubleday Bookclub
Doubleday is the most popular book club for standard bestsellers and general interest books.
Types of Books
- Biographies
- Mysteries
- Best selling books/bestsellers
- Discount books
- Health books
- Diet books
- Craft books
- Self help books
- Romance novels
Authors
Doubleday has a lot of top-shelf authors like Stephen King, Danielle Steel, James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Mary Higgins Clark, etc. You can find your favorite top author here. There are continually new books and authors being added, like the up and coming food writer and TV personality Rachael Ray.
Book Club Deals
Usually Doubleday Bookclub offers 5 books for 99 cents plus a free book, which is basically 6 books for 99 cents. Plus shipping and handling--about $15! So you're getting 6 books for about $16 bucks total--$2.66 a book is a good deal. You do have to buy 4 books over two years, but you can get them pretty cheap, around $8-$10 each. So what you do is buy them all after you get your first shipment, so you save on the shipping, and your commitment to Doubleday bookclub's done.
How to Join Doubleday Bookclub
Doubleday Book Club website:
Tags:
books, book clubs, bookclubs, book+club, doubleday
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