The Blog

All Things Amish–Gardening, part 2 Are we in the gardening mood yet? I realize many of you still have snow on the ground. My hope is this series will warm you up a little! I was surprised how large Amish gardens are, but then again they are using them to feed their families. But other things surprised me as well–look... read more

All Things Amish–Gardening, part 1 February might SEEM like an early time to talk about gardening, but I like the idea of planning out my garden. When I look back over the photos of Amish gardens I have visited, it’s easy to see they are well planned. Lots of work and effort went into these vegetable patches–and for good reason. Here... read more

All Things Amish–Blue Gate Restaurant in Shipshewana Blue Gate Restaurant is a special place in Shipshewana, and it’s special for several reasons. It’s a memorable place to stop and eat–and yes, I’m talking Amish food. It also is home to a remarkable theater which this year is hosting talent ranging from Amy Grant to plays such as Beverly Lewis’ The... read more

All Things Amish–Menno-Hof in Shipshewana When you visit Shipshewana, one of the first things you notice is the big red barn on South Van Buren as you’re driving through town. The Menno-Hof was actually built in a traditional barn-raising with the help of local the local Amish and Mennonite communities. I was in Shipshe the last 2 summers to research my books, Falling... read more

All Things Amish–Shipshewana On Saturdays, I’m sharing some of my favorite spots in Shipshewana, Indiana … the setting for Falling to Pieces and my upcoming release, A Perfect Square. We don’t think of an Amish community as being the home of Native American Indians, but Shipshewana was the name of the Chief of the Potawatami Indians who had settled in the... read more

All Things Amish–Lolly’s Fabrics and Quilts For the next few Saturdays, I want to share with you some of my favorite spots in Shipshewana, Indiana … the setting for Falling to Pieces and my upcoming release, A Perfect Square. When I decided to use a real town for my fictional series, I kept some things the same, and I changed... read more

Wednesday’s Special:  Usually I post a fiction spotlight on Wednesdays. SINCE it’s the day before Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share a German table grace (translated).   The eyes of all wait upon Thee, O Lord. And Thou givest them their meal in due season. Thou openest Thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. O Lord, we thank Thee for Your... read more

Wednesday’s Spotlight: Amish Country Holiday Book Tour This week, I’m writing my blog from the road. Okay,  not exactly. Unfortunately I’m not that adept on an iPad yet. : ) So I wrote early and had this waiting behind the curtain for you. I’m travelling with my good friends  and co-authors, Amy Clipston and Shelley Shephard Gray. If things have... read more

Myth Buster #10: Amish Buggies What is with every Amish area having a different style and color buggy? This first picture of a buggy is one I took in Shipshewana, the setting of Falling to Pieces. Note the white outline around the back and the placement of the triangle. Note that the back is solid construction though there is a... read more

Myth Buster #8: Amish Weddings I have read the Amish get married on Thursdays and only certain months. Why? What an excellent question! This is one I thought I knew the answer to, and then I found out it’s a changing custom, AND it’s different for different areas. This is the answer I found when I was researching, and mostly... read more