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| Northwest Sunrise |
As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t particularly like change. For example, it always takes me weeks to make the shift from “daylight savings” to “regular” time. I keep checking the clocks to make sure they’re right and I’m not running late. Or is that early?
“I wish it would never change,” an Old Order Amish friend in Lancaster County, PA, told me on the phone this morning. She’s closing in on age 80 so she’s seen the time changes flip and flop over her lifetime. She prefers what she calls “slow time” over “fast time.” According to her, some Amish in Lancaster County ignore the official time change completely and some alter it by half an hour, which would set me off-kilter.
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| Lancaster County Windmill |
Another Amish woman, quite a bit younger, told me that her family abides by the government recommended time changes. I asked her about her dad and how that hour’s difference affects milking their large herd of Holsteins. She laughed and indicated the cows had to adapt. Since she works in a retail store, she and her Amish coworkers conform to the world in this one small area in order to get to her place of employment on time. I forgot to ask her when the rooster crows on their farm. An hour earlier or later?
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| Dusk in Lancaster County |
As I Googled for information about daylight savings time I came across a Website that advocates getting rid of it altogether. I’ve heard that the increase in automobile accidents spikes in the spring each year when daylight savings time is initiated, because of the lost hour of sleep and the darkness in the morning.
Last night, when our power went out and my husband was away on a business trip, it was mighty dark except for a sliver of the moon glimmering faint light into our home. Let’s see, what time was that? About 7 o’clock, which would be 8 o’clock daylight savings time. Would I have felt more secure with additional light? Probably. But eventually darkness enshrouded the house and neighborhood. I turned on a battery-operated lantern by the bed, snuggled under the covers, and read.
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| Emergency Reading Supplies |
How about you? Did you dive back into “regular time” with ease this year? Do you have a preference of one time over the other? Please leave a comment and give me your point of view. Should you wish to enter to win a copy of either Leaving Lancaster or Pennsylvania Patchwork please leave an email address so I can contact you. USA and Canada. Winner has one week to respond.
Congratulations to Kate K, who won a copy of either Leaving Lancaster or Pennsylvania Patchwork from last week. Chosen at random. Thank you, everyone, for your insightful and entertaining comments!
I really enjoy your pics Kate. I am like a slug. I just can’t seem to get going. I have a really bad time also I don’t know why. By the time I get it , it’s time to change again. LOL
Blessings
Diana
joeym11@frontier.com
Thanks, Diana, I’ve enjoyed displaying my photos! Maybe all of us naturally slow down in the winter but this mandated time change forces us into it too quickly.
I’m still on old time. It’s hard adjusting I want to do everything earlier. I don’t really have a preference of the time changes it just seems the Fall back is harder to adjust to. Its probably because without the sun out we seem to have less energy to get up and move around.I don’t know how the Amish get up so early in the dark for chores. ♥
Joannah Cotta
Auntiejomama@sbcglobal.net
I’m trying to let go of DST too, Joannah, but not making much progress! No matter what my clock says, I’m ready for bed when it gets dark outside and then wake up too early. Yes, the Amish have an amazing work ethic. Thanks for writing and entering the contest.
This seems like a GREAT book! Would Love to read it!
Christina R.
christinatimr@outlook.com
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog, Christina, and entering the contest!
I don’t like it getting dark as early at night. Please enter me in the giveaway for a copy of one of your books. angelachesnut246(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for writing and entering the contest. Good luck!
Wish they would leave the time alone. I read somewhere that they originally did daylight savings time to benefit the farmers. The fall change is the worse for me.
Thanks for leaving your comment, Colleen. I wonder how daylight savings time would benefit farmers. I’ve read that it was used during World War II and in 1973 all year because of a fuel crisis.
Think they should stick with one time.
I agree, Bonnie! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving your comment!
I enjoyed your post Kate. My take on this time changing stuff is a huge thumbs down!! I do NOT like it at all. Everyone around me was excited that they gained an hour extra sleep earlier this month. O.k….if I gained an extra hour of sleep why is my body still tired from this time change nonsense? When I moved back to Indiana I was thrilled because at that time Indiana was one of the few states that didn’t mess with their clocks. I loved it. Alas, it was short lived. A few years later our lovely Governor pushed and pushed until the bill was passed for Indiana to change. So….here I sit, miffed and tired!!
Blessings!
Judy B
judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thanks for your most enjoyable comment, Judy, and for entering the contest! I heard that eventually all states were forced to comply, but I don’t know the exact history. I’m too tired to look it up …
I wake up about 3:00 am each morning now and can’t go back to sleep.
You poor thing! Somewhere in the world, your 3 o’clock is time to get up, but not yours. I hope you get your sleep situation resolved.
I don’t like the time change in the fall at all 🙁
Thank you Kate for another opportunity to try to win one of your books!!
lorrainealx@hotmail.com
Thanks for leaving your comment, Lorraine, and entering the contest! Your statement has a nice ring to it, like a poem.
Now I’m trying to adjust from central time to eastern time on top of it ! yikes! It is Nov 2013 right !?! LOL
Thanks for the reminder, Rita. I’ve been adjusting from Eastern to Pacific time plus the time change. No wonder my body is battling the clock! Yes, I checked my calendar … it is November 2013.
Yes, it is hard for me because I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. Not so nice and then I think its time to go straight to bed once I am at home!
Starting your work day and ending it in the dark doesn’t sound fun, Sonja! I do not suffer from SAD, but do feel like hibernating when it’s dark. Well, at least getting in bed and reading a book!
Hi Kate, I was interested in whether the time change impacted our Amish friends at all-thank you for sharing. As for me, I always love October and gaining an hour extra of sleep-but we don’t really gain it now do we. When I was working I preferred the days staying light longer so I didn’t need to walk to the car in the dark but now that I’m retired it doesn’t really impact me except that I like to stay in bed when it is cold and dark out. As always, I’d love to win a copy of your books.
Hugs, Noreen
werhis3@gmail.com
Thanks for leaving your entertaining comment in entering the contest, Noreen! You’re right, we don’t really gain or lose an hour, but it sure feels that way!
IT GETS DARK HERE NOW AT 5:30 PM.WAY TO EARLY.WE NEED TO LEAVE THE TIME ALONE FROM NOW ON…..debbiemosley44@hotmail.com
Thanks for writing and entering the contest! In my mind I’ve been counting down to the shortest day of the year … not that far away.
I don’t like change either and it seems to take me forever to adapt.I love your blog post Kate,thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Jackie, for your encouraging note! I appreciate your taking the time to write.
It bothers me too I just wrote a story on How to deal with the darkness of November
God bless you Im not into your contest I just wanted to comment
Chris Granville
That sounds interesting, Chris! Let me know how I can read it.
I would so much rather stay on day light savings time year round. When it gets dark around 5 in the late afternoon it makes me feel like it is late night. I think about heading to bed and it is only 7! The lack of sunlight in the winter is very depressing for me and so many other people.
Thanks,
Deb
drharb@iowatelecom.net
Thanks for commenting and entering the contest, Debra! I have a friend, an MD, who uses special lights to combat that effect. I’m sitting by the window to catch every drop of sunlight before it gets dark.
I was sitting up with my 98 year old Grandmother that night. After an extremely stressful and sleepless night, it was disheartening to realize my relief was an extra hour away! Lol I would love to win one of your books!
D. Turner
donnasturner@icloud.com
How marvelous that your 98-year-old grandma is still with you, but I’m sorry about your stress/sleeplessness/time problem. I’d love to have you read one of my books! Good luck in the contest!
I love your posts! As for the time change..all I WANT to do is sleep…the sun is still down when I get up and it goes down well before I go to bed..leaves me yawning all day long. Blessings, grace, and peace on your household. Harriet
Thank you so very much, Harriet! My husband and I are eating dinner and turning in earlier and earlier. He gets up at 4:15 (intentionally) to exercise all year ’round. Me? I like to write first thing in the morning on our comfy couch while I’m still half asleep.