Vanetta Chapman with Nora

Last week, Lonesome Hollow hosted Vanetta Chapman and her husband, from Texas.  Vanetta came to Wisconsin to research the Wisconsin Amish for her upcoming  book  series of Amish mysteries.   Her book, ” A Simple Amish Christmas” was published last October, and she has  begun releasing a series of books called the Shipshewana Amish Mystery Series. ” Falling to Pieces,  A Quilt Shop Mystery” will be released November, 2011.

Vanetta writes in her blog about her visit to our area:  “I visited Wisconsin this week in order to meet some of the local Amish folk for my upcoming Pebble Creek series (Harvest House, 2012). I’m so glad I did. Not only are the Wisconsin Amish lovely people, but they’re very different from the Amish communities I visited in Indiana.

And isn’t that to be expected? After all, if you came to Texas, you’d find things vastly different where I live in a small town in the hill country than where I used to live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. To some extent people are the same–true. We have common beliefs and roots. But other things change with the area around you.

I could have read about Cashton, Soldiers Grove, and Baraboo on the internet … but I couldn’t have seen how to make a rug on a loom, or visited a furniture store, or talked to an older Amish gentlemen as he explained about his grandchild who was sick and in a local hospital. Those are things I needed to be here to experience, and I’m grateful that I did. Now when I boot up my computer and write–I hope I’ll be able to share with you the heart of the Amish people in Cashton and the surrounding area. You can let me know how I did, next June.”

This is  absolute best part of innkeeping!  Meeting such interesting and wonderful people like Vanetta and her husband, Bob!

His wife Patsy is a talented artist. Both have spent much of their lives cultivating friendships in the Cashton, WI Amish settlement. Cashton is about 45 minutes east of LaCrosse.

Amish Hay Wagon Near Cashton, WI

Cindy and Ann toured a recently built Amish house, then visited many of the Amish crafts men and women. Following  a tasty lunch they toured a round barn, a venerable and very unique relic of early dairy farming days when 20 or 30 milking cows could earn a family a decent living.

Following their afternoon tour they came up to our main house just gushing about the wonderful day they had. They went home with an incredibly beautiful Amish quilt, some Amish baskets, and some of Patsy’s art work. We have more Amish Workshops scheduled this year and Kevin and Patsy will be an integral part of them. In this day of non-stop hustle and bustle and stress, there is something to be learned from the Amish people. Please come to one of our upcoming workshops/tours and immerse yourself in a tiny bit of the lives of the Cashton Amish.

Locally Made Amish Honey

Included in the Amish learning weekend will be an entire afternoon spent with local tour guides who know the Cashton Settlement extremely well. The afternoon will include a tour, inside and outside, of a recently completed Amish-built house, a driving tour through the Cashton settlement with stops at the workshops of local Amish artisans, lunch at a very unique eatery, a tour of one or more local round barns, and a list of recommended Amish shopping for tour participants to visit on their own.

Amish Hay Wagon Near Cashton

Immerse yourself for one day in the life and the culture of the old world Amish. See and experience how this gentle religious sect lives a life of simple pleasures and hard work. Enter into fascinating discussions with your very personable guides and with some Amish artisans themselves. Visit the “Workshop” page at www.lonesomehollow.com for “Learn About the Wisconsin Amish” weekend details.