Early this morning I dragged my tired body out of bed and went up town Berlin to see a bunch of ladies in pajamas. Really! I took some pics, eavesdropped on some ladies conversations, and talked with some of them. It’s quite a fun event for the ladies and they come from all over the place. The names of the four ladies in this photo are Vicki (the princess), Cathy (the queen), Wanda, and Phyllis. As you can see from their pajamas, they take this thing pretty seriously. According to Cathy they are all in-laws and outlaws. Cathy is from Port Clinton, Ohio and the others are from Cincinnati, Ohio. Berlin is sort of centrally located for them and this event is an annual habit for them. They hit the ground running on Thursday and don’t stop until they leave for home on Sunday. They even bring their sewing machines with them and do a “project” each year while they are here. Last year they made purses; this year they are making pillowcase dresses for their granddaughters and I’d bet that they’re pretty good at spoiling those sweet granddaughters. On Sunday they’ll descend upon the Millersburg antique stores before heading home.
Karen Lamp, of the Country Craft Cupboard, started this annual event 18 years ago. The sale runs on Saturday from 6am – 9am. But it’s not just for her store, there are over 30 Berlin area merchants that participate as well. Anyone who comes in their pajamas can take advantage of some pretty impressive discounts. Many ladies come every year in the middle of the winter to the pajama party in Ohio Amish country. I overheard someone say they were from Wisconsin. In addition to out-of-towners I saw some local people including some Amish ladies in more “conservative” pajamas. From the looks of things I’d say this is a pretty good way for ladies to have some fun and escape the “mid-winter blues”.
