Bontragers and Bowers 3: Kittens Having None of Their Shit

[freethemall]

I knew eventually one of these families would name their child one of my own children's names. Can't snark on this one, I am biased but love the name Micah!

[Aithuia]

On 3/7/2019 at 12:23 PM, ophelia said:

In her stories she posted something about a retreat in Switzerland. Maybe the manly man camp and her women retreat will come to Europe in the future. Yikes. Just what we needed. 

You are unfortunately prescient. Allison just posted a link to details about the Switzerland trip on her Instagram, and the retreat she's advertising is her own. Wonder how she managed to get the headship to agree to that.

Do they have some kind of a Switzerland connection not previously mentioned here?

Edited March 18, 2019 by Aithuia
ETA question at the end! Still new to posting here...

[ophelia]

This whole Switzerland thing really surprises me and I wonder how many fundiegirls will be able to attend. I'm reading backwards through Chelsy's blog right now and haven't found anything about a Switzerland connection yet. 

[Captain Obvious]

36 minutes ago, ophelia said:

This whole Switzerland thing really surprises me and I wonder how many fundiegirls will be able to attend. I'm reading backwards through Chelsy's blog right now and haven't found anything about a Switzerland connection yet. 

Aren't they Swiss Mennonites in origin?  

 

[ophelia]

They were Mennonites and might have ancestors from the Switzerland/Southern Germany region, that's right. But they never mentioned anything about relatives in Europe before or I might have missed it. So there might some sentimental "back to the roots"-thing going on.

Edited March 18, 2019 by ophelia
Monday morning.

[JermajestyDuggar]

Oh lord. Just stop Allison. 

[usedbicycle]

Flying to Europe for a 3-day retreat? Seriously that's insane! I would love to know about SAHDs that have enough money AND enough freedom to do that. Especially in the middle of August, it's peak tourist season in Europe and the highest prices for airfare.

On the website, she suggests flying into Zurich ($$$), or flying into Paris and taking a train or renting a car. I would just die to watch a group of fundie girls renting a car from Charles de Gaulle airport and attempting the 8 hour journey through Europe with a manual car.  Or in the case of public transport, they'd have to take taking several local trains, fast trains and buses to get to Halisberg, Switzerland. 

I think they would learn more about the world from that journey than from Allison's sappy retreat.

[nastyhobbitses]

21 minutes ago, usedbicycle said:

Flying to Europe for a 3-day retreat? Seriously that's insane! I would love to know about SAHDs that have enough money AND enough freedom to do that. Especially in the middle of August, it's peak tourist season in Europe and the highest prices for airfare.

On the website, she suggests flying into Zurich ($$$), or flying into Paris and taking a train or renting a car. I would just die to watch a group of fundie girls renting a car from Charles de Gaulle airport and attempting the 8 hour journey through Europe with a manual car.  Or in the case of public transport, they'd have to take taking several local trains, fast trains and buses to get to Halisberg, Switzerland. 

I think they would learn more about the world from that journey than from Allison's sappy retreat.

Oh my god I want a fundie version of Eurotrip where they end up in the really crazy, Stefon-esque clubs in Berlin because they went the wrong way. 

[HereticHick]

What if Alison convinces no one to attend??? She must have some never before mentioned friends in or near Switzerland who have already committed to this (and are hosting her). I also have never noticed any mentioned of any sort of  contemporary European connection at all with the Bontragers. Just looked up Hasliberg--it is going to be pretty inconvenient for any non-Swiss to get to.

Might there be some sort of magic essential oils connection?  OR A GUY?

And the winner of the naive fundy maiden of the day award goes to Ms. Botzenhart, who asks if the $US 225 covers airfare:

Edited March 18, 2019 by HereticHick

[browngrl]

If the trip to Switzerland was $225 and included the plane ticket, food and lodging - hell I'd go (although I would insist on being a disruptive influence)

Edited March 18, 2019 by browngrl
added more words

[JermajestyDuggar]

8 minutes ago, browngrl said:

If the trip to Switzerland was $225 and included the plane ticket, food and lodging - hell I'd go (although I would insist on being a disruptive influence)

I wouldn’t. Because I would assume it would be a trick to sell me into sex or drug trafficking!

[SassyPantswithASideofClass]

6 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Oh lord. Just stop Allison. 

back door? are they planning on having it packed or something?

24 minutes ago, browngrl said:

If the trip to Switzerland was $225 and included the plane ticket, food and lodging - hell I'd go (although I would insist on being a disruptive influence)

oooh can I come??? I'll bring wine, cheese, crackers, books such as The Help, Where the Red Ferns Grow, The Yearling, The Giver ("dirty" books by their standards". We can wear shorts! You know be so "scandalous" to them....

[picklepizzas]

I love how it says “NO LIMIT!” next to the age - I hope that’s designed to leave the door open for Sarah Maxwell. I’m hoping against hope to see the Maxwell girls fly solo to europe for a frivolous vacay. 

Why oh why the insistence on “singles only”?! The absurdity of separating young women by marital status when they all get married SO YOUNG is just baffling to me. Why wouldn’t a young married friend enjoy some girl time?? 

What are everyone’s thoughts on this exchange...an admission that Allison herself is not single, perhaps? 

Edited March 19, 2019 by picklepizzas
Noun verb agreement

[Columbia]

8 minutes ago, picklepizzas said:

What are everyone’s thoughts on this exchange...an admission that Allison herself is not single, perhaps? 

I have wondered if she’s seeing someone. Her posts definitely seem to have tapered off over the past 6 or so months. She used to try to run series on money or food or exercise.  Now her posts are mostly pictures and random thoughts. It’s not uncommon for a fundie maiden’s blog to fall to the roadside when she finds a suitor. See also: Olivia at Fresh Modesty

[picklepizzas]

12 minutes ago, Columbia said:

I have wondered if she’s seeing someone. Her posts definitely seem to have tapered off over the past 6 or so months. She used to try to run series on money or food or exercise.  Now her posts are mostly pictures and random thoughts. It’s not uncommon for a fundie maiden’s blog to fall to the roadside when she finds a suitor. See also: Olivia at Fresh Modesty

Omg I forgot about her! 

She hasn’t posted on Instagram since October! I wonder if she got pregnant?

Edited March 19, 2019 by picklepizzas

[ophelia]

3 hours ago, Columbia said:

I have wondered if she’s seeing someone. Her posts definitely seem to have tapered off over the past 6 or so months. She used to try to run series on money or food or exercise.  Now her posts are mostly pictures and random thoughts. It’s not uncommon for a fundie maiden’s blog to fall to the roadside when she finds a suitor. See also: Olivia at Fresh Modesty

I've got a feeling that she was seeing someone and that this relationship/courtship didn't work out and that's what makes her come across so desperate about being single. I could be totally wrong though.

I can't see anybody going to that retreat. It's just too expensive and would require way too much freedom for an average fundie girl. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

6 hours ago, ophelia said:

I've got a feeling that she was seeing someone and that this relationship/courtship didn't work out and that's what makes her come across so desperate about being single. I could be totally wrong though.

I can't see anybody going to that retreat. It's just too expensive and would require way too much freedom for an average fundie girl. 

I wonder if she has any friends in Europe that will go. It would likely be less expensive without the overseas airfair. 

I agree with you that she had some sort of relationship and it broke off. That’s just the kind of vibe I get from her posts about singleness.

[HereticHick]

17 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I wouldn’t. Because I would assume it would be a trick to sell me into sex or drug trafficking!

I'm just assuming its all a plot to turn Switzerland onto essential oils.

[ophelia]

Young Living is already purchasable in Germany and Austria and probably in Switzerland as well. Although I had never heard about it before some of the fundies we follow started selling it.

[Melissa1977]

Ok. Ok. I'm in Barcelona. Not that far from Switzerland (flights are cheap) but I wouldn't choose that country for vacation because it's really expensive!!! France has beautiful Alpes spots that are waaaaay cheaper. Even North Italy or Austria are cheap compared with Switzerland.

I wonder if Alison has found a free house and it means only paying flights and food.

[HereticHick]

3 hours ago, Melissa1977 said:

Ok. Ok. I'm in Barcelona. Not that far from Switzerland (flights are cheap) but I wouldn't choose that country for vacation because it's really expensive!!! France has beautiful Alpes spots that are waaaaay cheaper. Even North Italy or Austria are cheap compared with Switzerland.

I wonder if Alison has found a free house and it means only paying flights and food.

I feel 100% certain that she has free lodging.

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 hours ago, Melissa1977 said:

Ok. Ok. I'm in Barcelona. Not that far from Switzerland (flights are cheap) but I wouldn't choose that country for vacation because it's really expensive!!! France has beautiful Alpes spots that are waaaaay cheaper. Even North Italy or Austria are cheap compared with Switzerland.

I wonder if Alison has found a free house and it means only paying flights and food.

That’s what I’m guessing. Allison comes from a family of cheapskates. I’m not saying that as a put down. I love a good deal as well. But I’ve seen time and time again that the Bons are thrifty AF. So there’s no way she’s blowing a huge wad of her future wedding money for this trip. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by JermajestyDuggar

[HereticHick]

I bet if we poke around Hasliberg enough, we will find some Mennonites.

[browngrl]

7 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

So there’s no way she’s blowing a huge wad of her future wedding money for this trip

I agree. In fact I think the trip is a way to pay for her own vacation. If several people do take her up on this event she can probably write off all her expenses as business related and she might even make enough to pay for her costs (depending on how many people sign up). 

[Lgirlrocks]

Must be nice to work for mommy and daddy and get to take off from work whenever you need to. Most people in hospitality work nights, weekends, and holidays.