I finally adding all of the tour dates on my calender on my website at http://theamishgarden.webs.com, and I also added some of the homemade jams and salsas, too. I am tired- fixing to go to mom's house. Met some wonderful people at Somerset, Kentucky today. Need to make some more Gingerbread, but it isn't happening tonight. I have to leave early in the morning to go to Corydon's Tractor Supply Store.

I just love Tractor Supply Stores. Everyone is so nice and I am meeting so many new people, most of whom have farms or animals. I sure miss the horses from Lancaster County! Tractor Supply is fun to shop in, too! I will be signing books in Somerset, Kentucky tomorrow from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Friday has me at Corydon, Indiana's Tractor Supply from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Nicholasville, Kentucky's West Jessamine High School is having their 2nd Annual Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. I will be there signing books and selling my Strawberry Jam and Seedless Blackberry Jam.

I visited Westgate Resorts today in Orlando for a tour and the manager made me cry!!! He was so rude. I had explained several times that I NEVER buy the same day on purchases over $2,000. The presentation made me late to get to the store I was selling my cookbooks, jams and salsas at, and my foster son and daughter-in-law were calling me as I was late. The manager said that my customers would tell me "No, No!" He was talking about saying No to my sales. But, I can report I sold $174.00 in 4 hours, so he was wrong.
I have NEVER been made cry at a sales presentation. I have done mystery shops for car dealers by adding them on to my merchandising route, but don't do shops anymore as they give me headaches! This was far past a headache- I actually cried, there in front of everyone near me. I contacted Westgate to hear what they have to say.

I will be talking about Amish and Mennonite foods, Christmas traditions and culture tomorrow at the Orlando Public Library's Main location on Central Avenue at 2:00 PM ( Saturday.) Come on down and stock up on Sorghum, Pineapple Salsa, and Blackberry Jam, and last but not least, get your cookbook signed and sample my homemade foods!!

I had an awesome turn out at my Gaylord Event. There were so many people in the meeting room that people had to sit on the floor. People asked questions, and I made them laugh- it was a wonderful group!
I made it over The Mackinac Bridge!! It was beautiful, to say the least. I took the ferry across to Mackinaw Island where I sat next to the town Equine Veternarian. I talked with the wife of the Pasty Chef of The Grand on the way back and she bought a cookbook and a jar of Blackberry Jam. She was a very nice person! She is from Poland.
I also met another lady named Allison that works on The Island, as well as the cable guy and the AT &T guy. All were super friendly!
I look forward to staying at The Biltmore tomorrow night on my way down to Orlando. Hope to meet everyone from that area tommorrow- would be WONDERFDUL to meet DisneySteve!! (HINT)I love reading his posts. I wish I had been close enough to meet Campfrugal.

OK, I have had a blessed day, and the turn out at the presentations was just awesome! I drove in warmer weather, then sleet, then warmer weather again- very odd weather. I am driving over Mackinaw Bridge tomorrow!

I just arrived in Gaylord, Michigan and am so glad to be here. It is lightly falling small white snowflakes!!! I am tired but blessed. The drive took me 12 hours, but I stopped at a Mennonite community. Am very excited about meeting my readers in Harrisville and Alpena Village tomorrow, then Gaylord on Wednesday!

My house smells like the sweet aroma of cloves, cinnamon and fresh baked pumpkin!! I am baking pumpkin bread for my tour. Made a Whoopie Pie Casserole last night and will bake more banana bread before venturing off to my hotel in Indiana tonight. If I stay in Indiana tonight, it is a closer drive for me. I do admit I am a bit tired. I use no hand mixers, as I do things the old-fashioned way...by hand stroke. That is how the Amish cook, and until this weekend, I had forgotten how labor intensive it is; however, I am so proud to look at each set of four loaves of bread and glitter with how much joy the library patrons will feel when they bite into every morsel of that sweet baked bread!