A Fun Trip
I drove to the west coast of Florida last weekend to visit the little town of Pinecraft with a friend.
Pinecraft is not well known even within the state but it's a town of about 2,000 people who live there year-round. In the winter, when Amish and Mennonites from up north grow tired of the cold winters, they come to Pinecraft and double the size of the town.
For those who live in or near the town -- it's close to Sarasota -- it's not unusual to see the Amish and Mennonites in their simple dress. Some people actually drive there just TO see them, to eat at Yoder's Amish Restaurant, and to visit the gift shop brimming with Amish handicrafts.
In the name of research (!) I had to have some of their wonderful food and browse the gift shop. I bought the most darling little handcrafted Amish doll who is sitting here on my desk beside me. I will be featuring Hilda (that's her name on her tag) and a handmade Amish basket in a contest, but I'm growing quite attached to Hilda ... no, I WILL give her away in a contest. Just not this week. You'd need to see a photo of her and I'm having a terrible time getting the Pinecraft photos up on the blog tonight. So be sure to check back next week and I promise I will have the Pinecraft photos and especially one of Hilda up for you to see.
If you're a friend on Facebook, you can see the photos now. I found it easy to post them there. If you're not a friend, just ask to join ... You'll want to see the darling cottages where the Amish and Mennonite stay. The cottages are fairytale small and the yards are absolutely immaculate. Sherry Gore, a friend I met on Facebook, was gracious enough to take me around in a golf cart loaned to her by a friend. It's been built to look like a classic car...we really got the stares from tourists that day. Sherry is the pretty lady in the blue dress and white apron in the golf cart and several other shots. I'm the one grinning as I hold a copy of An Amish Christmas up in front of me as I stand before a bookcase filled with books by Beth, Kathy, and Amy!
I've been asked to do a book signing at Yoder's next month. When I have all the details, I'll let you know. Maybe you live close enough to stop by and we can meet. I can promise you will love the Amish food at Yoder's, and so many friendly people will greet you.
It was a great visit! I'll be writing more about it later on the blog, and using the town as a setting for one of my Amish books...
In the meantime, go on over to Facebook and take a look at the Pinecraft photos.
Oh, and check out the book trailer Kathy made for An Amish Christmas. It's wonderful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9op-4gmvd58
See you next week!
Barbara
Pinecraft is not well known even within the state but it's a town of about 2,000 people who live there year-round. In the winter, when Amish and Mennonites from up north grow tired of the cold winters, they come to Pinecraft and double the size of the town.
For those who live in or near the town -- it's close to Sarasota -- it's not unusual to see the Amish and Mennonites in their simple dress. Some people actually drive there just TO see them, to eat at Yoder's Amish Restaurant, and to visit the gift shop brimming with Amish handicrafts.
In the name of research (!) I had to have some of their wonderful food and browse the gift shop. I bought the most darling little handcrafted Amish doll who is sitting here on my desk beside me. I will be featuring Hilda (that's her name on her tag) and a handmade Amish basket in a contest, but I'm growing quite attached to Hilda ... no, I WILL give her away in a contest. Just not this week. You'd need to see a photo of her and I'm having a terrible time getting the Pinecraft photos up on the blog tonight. So be sure to check back next week and I promise I will have the Pinecraft photos and especially one of Hilda up for you to see.
If you're a friend on Facebook, you can see the photos now. I found it easy to post them there. If you're not a friend, just ask to join ... You'll want to see the darling cottages where the Amish and Mennonite stay. The cottages are fairytale small and the yards are absolutely immaculate. Sherry Gore, a friend I met on Facebook, was gracious enough to take me around in a golf cart loaned to her by a friend. It's been built to look like a classic car...we really got the stares from tourists that day. Sherry is the pretty lady in the blue dress and white apron in the golf cart and several other shots. I'm the one grinning as I hold a copy of An Amish Christmas up in front of me as I stand before a bookcase filled with books by Beth, Kathy, and Amy!
I've been asked to do a book signing at Yoder's next month. When I have all the details, I'll let you know. Maybe you live close enough to stop by and we can meet. I can promise you will love the Amish food at Yoder's, and so many friendly people will greet you.
It was a great visit! I'll be writing more about it later on the blog, and using the town as a setting for one of my Amish books...
In the meantime, go on over to Facebook and take a look at the Pinecraft photos.
Oh, and check out the book trailer Kathy made for An Amish Christmas. It's wonderful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9op-4gmvd58
See you next week!
Barbara
Posted by Barbara Cameron at 11/12/2009 8:20 PM 
Categories: An Amish Christmas, An Amish Gathering, Pinecraft
Tags: Amish
Categories: An Amish Christmas, An Amish Gathering, Pinecraft
Tags: Amish
I, too, love the Amish crafts. Something about their simple beauty just mystifies me! They have such wonderful talent with their handcrafts- their ability to combine colors for their quilts is amazing. Actually, after taking a quilting workshop in Paradise, PA, I am now taking quilting lessons at home ( in ON, Canada). I can only hope I someday achieve a bit of the success they seem to have naturally.
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Karla,
Oh, how lucky you were to do a quilting workshop right in Paradise! I love quilting, too, but don't get much time to do it. I'm determined to find more since so many of my upcoming books about the Amish have quilting and other handicrafts in them. Weren't those gorgeous quilts in the photos?
Thanks for writing!
Barbara
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I have some super photos of Amish quilts hanging outdoors, for sale, at some of the homes in the area. If you wish to look at them, they are in an album on my Facebook page- just ask to be my friend- photos from 2008 and 2009. I already feel as if I know you after reading this blog and the Amish fiction. Thank you for sharing your writing talents.
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Hi Karla,
Am going right over to Facebook to look! I feel like I know you from the blog, too!
Barbara
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My Mom just finished An Amish Christmas. She loved it and now it's my turn. I can hardly wait to get started! Keep those wonderful books coming!!!!
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