While staying with my Amish friends, I needed to get to a book signing at an Amish country store, but all the “Englischer” drivers had been hired out for the day. So we hitched a horse to a carriage on a cold and rainy day. I thought you might enjoy the clopping sound and snippets of scenery.

For those of you reading from Amazon.com, here’s a link to the video on YouTube.

Special Contest

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I love having contests! I’ve already met a lot of new people through the latest one! Contests are such a great way to connect with readers and add a little zing to a quiet day. With that in mind, I’m giving away another Amish-made quilt! See details below, but PLEASE follow the directions. I’m sorry, but e-mailing me through Facebook or posting a comment on my Web site or on Facebook will not enter you into this contest. You will need to follow the instructions below. Thank you!

I’m running a very special contest that will only last until February 15.

The prize is an Amish-made quilt! (See photo above) This quilt was sewn by Anna, who is the daughter of a bishop. She’s signed and dated the quilt.

This special contest is for anyone who becomes a Cindy Woodsmall Facebook friend or fan. You are welcome to join either. You can let your friends and family know so they can participate, too.

Are you already a friend or fan of mine on Facebook? I appreciate you so much and want you to join the contest, too. Just check out #2 on the entrance guidelines below.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Become a Facebook friend or fan. OR
2. If you are already a fan or friend, get one other person you know to join as a friend or fan. THEN…
3. After you become a Facebook friend or fan (or have recruited someone else), send a blank e-mail.
4. Place the words “Facebook Contest” in the subject line. If you’ve recruited someone else, put their name in the subject line as well.
5. Send to cindy@cindywoodsmall.com.
6. You may only submit ONE entry for this contest. But please feel free to tell your friends and family about it, too.

This contest is open to residents of the continental United States and Canada.

The last five winners of an autographed copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells for 2009 are:

Mary of Lewistown, Michigan
Beth of Floissant, Missouri
Marilyn of Ashland, Kentucky
Lois of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Sheryl of O’Fallon, Illinois

I’d like to dust off an old tradition of ours and share it with you. It continues the recent Plain Talk blog theme about preparing some fun for the holidays and making great memories.

Christmas memories ~

From the time my boys were little, I loved doing craft times with them during the holidays. I’d pull out all sorts of items I’d picked up from yard sales or bought discounted throughout the year and let them create. The mess was well worth their excitement as they held up their “masterpieces.” As they grew older, their desire to do crafts began to fade, but I held on to my Christmastime tradition for as long as I could.

One Christmas craft they enjoyed for a long time was making dough ornaments. (I’ve shared the recipe below.) After the holidays, you can pack them away with the rest of the ornaments, and every year when you pull out that box of decorations, you’ll have a delightful  trip down memory lane.

When my sons were teens, they no longer looked forward to Christmas craft time. Gathering teenagers together to make memories takes an extra bit of creative thinking. My solution to extending their joy of making something Christmassy was to use food as the craft time. I allowed them to decorate their own gingerbread-men ornaments—one year it was a demolition gingerbread man with a jackhammer in its hand. Other years I let them create gingerbread houses…then let them munch on their little homes as the holidays progressed.

Whatever your kids’ ages, be imaginative and free spirited in your holiday plans. They’ll love you for it…eventually.

Dough ornament recipe:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1½ cups warm water

Mix flour and salt. Slowly add warm water. Press dough to about an eighth of an inch thick and use cookie cutters. Add ornament hooks into the top before baking. Bake at 325º until cookies are hardened. Cool. Decorate using acrylic paints. You may wish to use shellac as a final coat to help preserve them. (If your kids are going to eat the decorations, use an edible recipe and use frosting instead of paint and PLEASE skip the shellac )

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“Celebrate this Holiday Season with a Heart-Warming Christmas Novella and Basket of Authentic Amish Treats!”

My fabulous publisher, WaterBrook Multonomah Publishing Group (A division of Random House), has two contests taking place ~ just in time for the holidays. One of the contests has an Amish Christmas basket which includes authentic Amish sleigh bells, a poisettia platter, chocolates, pretzels, and more! Plus the basket will contain two copies of my first holiday novella ~ The Sound of Sleigh Bells. To enter contest, click here.

AND, while at the publisher’s site, you can enter: 12 Days of Christmas sweetpstakes!

12 Days of Christmas Sweepstakes!

Winners will receive the following: a Christmas stocking, candy canes, hot cider and hot chocolate, an advent calendar, and a select WaterBrook Multnomah book. To enter, click here.

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And from me, here’s your last chance to win an autographed copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells.

Just leave a comment below (on the Web site or Facebook page) and you’re entered. Five winners will be chosen in mid-December. And after mid-December, I’ll share a new and exciting contest for those Amish quilt lovers out there. If you’re concerned you might miss it, simply join my newsletter, Plain News, and the details will come to you!

The five winners of an autographed copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells from out last contest are:
Jaime of Columbus, Ohio
Emma of Burnham, Pennsylvania
Linda of Ontario, Canada
Paula of Leon, West Virginia
Jeannine of Richmond, Virginia
Everyone who entered the last contest through my Web site, Facebook friends, and Facebook fans was included. The winning numbers were chosen using Random.org. CONGRATULATIONS winners!

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Christmas decorations are popping up everywhere! Before October was over, our local Target store was adorned with snowflakes across the entire ceiling, restaurants began to play Christmas music over their speakers, and Starbucks started selling their coffee in red, Christmas-themed cups.  Although it is still a bit early to be decorating our homes with Christmas trees, tinsel, and lights, I wanted to share some do-it-yourself decorations that the Amish make.

The Amish don’t have Santa or massive electric light displays; they celebrate the birth of Christ in simplicity and tradition.  A favorite tradition among families is creating and sending out Christmas cards. Many families spend the long, dark evenings of fall with craft items spread out over a table. Creativity flows as they use paints, colored pencils, fabrics, buttons, ribbons, and other items to make beautiful and practical crafts.

You can use this idea as a jumping point to create unique Christmas decorations with your own family. If you have Christmas cards from previous years in storage, you can place a string from one wall to another and hang those Christmas cards from the string. As you do, take a minute to reread the names, think of each sender, and share a memory of that person with your children. An evening spent in that manner will stir love and respect for others.

Instead of buying store-made cards this year, try doing like the Amish and make your own Christmas cards to send to friends, neighbors, and relatives. At a hobby or craft store, for just a few dollars, you can purchase packets of fake gems, sequins, or beads, and glue these onto construction paper, along with a personalized Christmas message. Creating unique cards for each person lets them know you are thinking of them in a special way.

There are five winners from the previous blog contest. Each has won an autographed copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells.

Congratulations to ~

Mandy of Tacoma, Washington

Michele of Greenwood, Delaware

Sherryl of Nichols, Wisconsin

Amy of Lansing, Illinois

Linda of Statesville, North Carolina

For your chance to be one of five winners of an autographed copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells, just leave a comment.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are wrapped around special family times—not when on vacation or having a birthday party, but during those occasions when each family member stepped out of the busyness of their world and truly connected with those who share the same home.

From the time I was eight until I entered high school, we lived in a rural part of Maryland. Losing electricity happened fairly often. We were well equipped to deal with the outages—potbelly stove for cold weather, plenty of goods my mother had canned from her garden, and several kerosene lamps. So we had warmth, food, and light. What more could a family need?

Games! Fast-paced, easy ones, where the goal is laughter, not winning.

During those times when the television was as dark as the night, we’d clear the kitchen table, set a lantern on it, and start a board game. Not having electricity caused everyone to naturally shift his or her normal routine.

The most fun part of those evenings was having our parents’ undivided attention. Parents are often so busy being parents that the children miss out on seeing their true personality—the one that shows up when Mom goes out to lunch with her girlfriends or when Dad and his buds are on the golf course.

My parents grew up during the Depression, so seriousness and responsibility was a huge part of who they were. I only caught rare glimpses of the person behind the busyness.

Game night, which only arrived when the electricity went out, helped shape my thoughts about life. It became a tiny seed that affected me so much it’s even seen throughout the Sisters of the Quilt series.

The Old Order Amish, like the ones I write about, live without electricity all the time.

Do I want to live like they do? With much respect to them, I say, “No, thank you.”

Do the Amish want to live as we do? With much respect to Englischers, the Amish I know say, “No, thank you.”

We’d each have to give up things we cherish. But there are common denominators within both traditions: like our determination to try to protect our family and keep them as a priority.

With that in mind, I’m going to post several entries over the next few weeks about how the Amish celebrate Christmas. (Is it too early to talk about celebrating Christmas?) Perhaps you’ll be reminded of things you did as a child and want to have a night or two of that with your own family. Or maybe you’ll find something new that you’d like to incorporate into your family traditions.

Here are some ways to keep Christmas simple:

A. Plan ahead. (In that sense, it is not too early to think about Christmas.)
B. Keep the plans simple.
C. Have a variety of easy-to-do choices.
D. Enjoy the fruits of your thoughtfulness.
E. Only snap a few photos for nostalgic purposes. (Sometimes parents ruin what should be relaxed family downtime by making everyone aware that they’re constantly “on stage.”)

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Game suggestions:

Although I love a good game of Monopoly when there is time and the players are of a certain age, it isn’t for the easily distracted.

Spoons is played with just a deck of cards and a handful of spoons. For directions, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoons

Uno
Yahtzee
Go Fish
Dutch Blitz (The Amish love this one.) 
Pictionary (There’s even a junior version!)
Charades
Chutes and Ladders
Candyland
Checkers
Parchese
Game of Life

Those are just some of the games I could think of easily. I’d love to hear more, as well as special things you’ve done that have made a family memory. If you leave a suggestion for our readers, or any comment, your name will be entered for a chance to win my Christmas novella, The Sound of Sleigh Bells.

Injecting a note here: I mentioned on a radio interview this morning (10-13-09) that I’d post a recipe for making Christmas dough ornaments. If you’d like that recipe go to my Book Lover News Blog by clicking here.

There are five winners from the previous blog contest. Each has won an autographed copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells.

Congratulations to ~

Phyllis of Normal, Illinois
Dana of Clayton, Indiana
April of Henderson, North Carolina
Carol of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Marlyss of Regina, Saskatchewan

 For your chance to win an autographed copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells, just leave a comment.

Hello! The original post (found below) went live on September 10. Today is October 6, and I’m popping in to let you know that although I’m running late for pulling contest winners, I’ll pick FIVE winners tomorrow to help make up for it. I’ll contact the winners and then post a new blog entry as soon as I’ve heard from each one. Until then I’m busy writing, writing, writing on book two of the Ada’s House series.

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While on my book tour, a journalist from the Wall Street Journal, Alexandra Alter accompanied me during a visit with my Amish friends. Some of you may remember that in the last blog post I wrote a little about Alexandra joining us.

I was thrilled to see that her article – and a sketch of Hannah’s face – were featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal yesterday!  The piece ran in the newsprint, but you can find the online version here.

The only small correction I have is that my books have actually sold over half-a-million rather than the 134,000 that the Nielsen BookScan reported.

In preparation for the October 6 release of The Sound of Sleigh Bells, I am offering a chance to win an autographed copy! Simply comment on this post to be entered.  Click here to read more about The Sound of Sleigh Bells. The first chapter will be available online in a short time, so check back soon!

I also wanted to share a piece from my upcoming newsletter, Plain News. It features the visit to Daniel and Miriam’s house, which Alexandra mentions in her Wall Street Journal article.

Excerpt from “Plain News September 2009.” The newsletter is free and is sent four times per year. To sign up to receive this free newsletter, go to: Plain News

Amish Connection

On the last day of my book-signing tour, my husband, my editor, a journalist, and I pulled into the driveway of one of my Amish friends. Miriam and Daniel and their two youngest children came out of their farmhouse to greet us. Feeling Miriam’s arms around me for the first time since May, I did not want to let go. After hugs and warm welcomes, we introduced them to my editor and the journalist.

Daniel invited us into their home, where Miriam’s kitchen island was covered with goodies. The aromas of fruits, cheeses, and homemade desserts filled our senses. We put some of the delectables on our plates, took cups of coffee, and moved outside to sit under a shade tree. After more than a week of changing hotels every night and pushing to get to each event on time, it was relaxing and pleasant to enjoy these treats with such great company!

After our midmorning refreshments, we went to the barn to hitch the horse to the buggy for a short ride. Although I’ve written books with characters hitching a horse to a buggy, I needed greater detail about it for my next novel. The smell of hay and horse feed filled my nostrils. In another part of the barn, calves added their young voices to the sounds of the horses.

I watched carefully, asked a lot of questions, and took notes as Daniel showed me the blacksmith’s tools, explaining what each one was used for, and then hitched the horse to a two-person carriage. Once Daniel had the rig hitched, he gave each of us a ride. August’s temps bore down on the black asphalt and shadeless road, so we took short rides in order to spare the horse. I find buggies rather difficult to climb in and out of, but well worth the effort. Alexandra (the journalist) had never traveled to Amish country before, so it was fun to see her enjoying the farm and the ride.

After the buggy rides, Shannon (my editor) and I visited my friend’s craft room, which is located above the carriage house. The room smelled of old wood, reminding me of attics and of my writing room at home. It had a lot of items that Shannon had seen on my Web site and in my newsletter, including decorative hames, which are wall hangings made using a quilt patch between two old wooden pieces of a harness, the part that goes around the horse’s neck. The craft room also had various sizes of baskets lined with sewn fabric and topped with hand-painted lids, frames with paintings, antique foot-pedal sewing machines with scenes painted on them, and cute birdhouses made from old boots. When I visit, I always enjoy seeing the new crafts Miriam has created.

When we returned to the house, all the refreshments had been removed and dinner was being set out. My friend’s teenage daughter had been hard at work as the adults were busy visiting and riding in the buggy! The aromas were delicious, but the food tasted even better than it smelled. We had roast beef and lots of fresh seasonal vegetables from the family’s garden. The small potatoes had been boiled in a tasty mix of seasonings, the home-grown green beans were perfectly crisp, and the ice-cold water did wonders to quench our thirst after being outside in the heat.

Time seemed to drift away as we continued to chat while enjoying our dessert of pumpkin roll and ice cream. In fact, we were enjoying our visit so much that when I glanced at the clock, I gasped. We had very little time to get to our next signing! Everyone jumped up and rushed about, only taking enough time to put the leftovers in the refrigerator so they wouldn’t spoil.

The book signing at Rachel’s Country Store was very busy. During the signing, Daniel and my husband took my editor to the train station in Harrisburg. She had a flight to catch in Philadelphia. Since our vehicle was in Harrisburg, and we hadn’t come in a horse and buggy, the journalist waited for me to finish and then took us back to Miriam’s home before she left for New York.

Within minutes, Miriam and I were reclining under the shade tree again as if there were no dishes to be washed. She said we couldn’t use valuable chat time doing work—not during such a short visit. I promised to be useful during our next stay. When the men returned, they joined us, and the conversation flowed nonstop until my husband and I had to leave.

While on our way to our van, rain began sprinkling the farm while the sun shone brightly. I turned to my friends and said, “We’re about to see a rainbow.” As we hugged good-bye, we marveled at the gorgeous rainbow, commenting that it felt like a promise that even though our trip had been short, we’d have more visits in the future.

My husband and I visited my dad, stepmom, and brother while in Pennsylvania, and by the time we arrived home, we’d traveled more than three thousand miles. But Home Sweet Home greeted us at the end of our trip…as did bills, yard work, and a teen who’d successfully weathered most of the first two weeks of school without Mom or Dad.

Excerpt from “Plain News September 2009.” The newsletter is free and is sent four times per year. To sign up to receive this free newsletter, see link above this article. I tried to post that same link here, entered the same URL, and took all the right “techie” steps, but the link kept leading to weird places. Sorry.

To enter to win a copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells, comment on this post!