Christy and I had a packed with fun weekend in Lancaster last week. Seriously, we packed it so full we hardly had time to sleep at all and wished for all the world to squeeze in a few more things!
When we started talking about our trip, we got amazing offers for help from people we hardly knew or had never met! Rachel offered to be our tour guide and drove us around Lancaster through all the back roads that would have had us completely lost. The sheer relief from not having to navigate between sales talks was amazing and Rachel turned out to be a super-fun person who is incredibly easy to talk to! She just laughed when we screamed in ecstasy and popped in to help whenever she saw we were floundering. We couldn’t have been more comfortable! Christy and I concluded that Holmes County and Lancaster have very distinct and separate sub-cultures even if they look (to us) similar. While we’ve never lived there, having family in Holmes County and visiting there so frequently, makes it feel familiar. Rachel was awesome with helping us navigate our way through Lancaster culture.
Funniest story of the weekend, aka Rachel saves the day:
Walking into one of those tiny little-bit-of-everything stores, we encountered the sweetest Amish grandma behind the counter. When we asked for the manager she said she wasn’t there. Her curiosity got the better of her and she reached for the book and began paging through it. We asked if she is able to make decisions regarding ordering. “No,” she said sweetly and shook her head. “Well, when will the manager be in?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. She might be in tomorrow. I just don’t know.”
Hmmm. Christy and I were eyeing each other a bit dubiously because every time we asked another question we got the same soft, sweet, “I just don’t know.”
At that point Rachel jumps in and says she thinks she knows where she lives … is she at home?
“I just don’t know.” 😉 (This was at least number six of the same response and I was trying hard not to smile.)
Rachel told her we’d try her house and confidently popped right out of the car and knocked on the door of the assumed correct house. And this time we didn’t get any, “I don’t know” answers. We sold books!
One of the most fun things of the day was having lunch at Andrea’s house. I’ve long wanted to meet up with Andrea and I was not disappointed. She told us to bring any friends we wanted and she’d fix lunch but not stress. Well. Let me tell you. Grilled stromboli would cause some stress at my house, but apparently not at hers! Between bites of pesto and tomato stromboli, watermelon, blueberries, the most awesome cookies that I will never make because they are way too much work, and iced coffees, we discussed everything from our {secret} hopes that the sewing will someday die out or morph into something a little different and whether or not Satan’s spirit world can inhabit inanimate objects or control Christians without them realizing it. No one needed Tums in case you wondered. 🙂 It was so much fun to have a stimulating conversation interspersed with laughter kind of lunches again.
Two of Christy’s friends from her times at Faith Builders were hoping to join us for lunch, but unfortunately they ran out of gas and didn’t arrive until ten minutes before we left. We were all so bummed about it, they decided to stay in Lancaster until Christy and I finished wedding pictures so we could talk. We hung out at Apple Bees and laughed and talked until way late.
So big huge thank yous and hugs and love to Andrea, Rachel, Gloria and Jolene! You guys totally made our day, no make that weekend!
And now, here’s the list of stores in Pennsylvania not previously mentioned (I hope you know where these places are because I’m still lost in Lancaster):
Country Houswares
Nancy’s Notions
Gordonville Bookstore
Cedar Lane Dry Goods
the gift shop at Yoders
Berean Christian Bookstore
and …. most exciting of all …..
Lantern Books!!! We had two referrals almost simultaneously with Lantern Books and both people put effort into recommending us so we handed out two books. Andrea and Joanne, enjoy your books!
And, most recent news of all, Keystone Housewares just ordered books tonight! Liz, message me your address and I’ll get a book out to you! You did an awesome job with that referral!!
Adios, mi amigas! Sleep well!
Marital Bliss with a Kiss of Realty 
I’m glad you asked this question, Andrea, since I was wondering the same thing.
This is very much what I experienced when I first started selling The Time Keeper. In fact, I actually lost all courage to go back to Lancaster and try again since I came home almost in tears. Reading about your experience confirmed that it isn’t as easy. But it also gave me courage to give it another try sometime.
Having grown up in Holmes County and now living within breathing distance of Lancaster adds an interesting spin to this whole thing! ~Starla
A hug back to you! You got me wondering: what did you feel was different about the sub-culters of Lanc. vs Holmes? I agree with you, but wonder what your perspective was..?
And.. Did you guys get a chance to go try sell at Goods store beside Shady Maple?
In answer to your question, there are probably a lot of things. In regards to book selling only, Holmes County people were (in general) a little more laid back, talkative, and super, super interested in our genealogy. So much so that sometimes it felt like we should have done the, “this is who my grandparents are” rundown first and they would have purchased more books. 🙂 They were also quicker to try the books (We only had one person say no and it was b/c they don’t sell books at their store.). In Lancaster, it took more courage initially b/c managers weren’t as receptive, didn’t give out as many warm vibes. We also got more negative answers. But when they did take them, they took twice as many books for store size accordingly. I don’t know. It’s a little hard to put into words the difference … just sort of the overall vibes we got. I think store owners in Lancaster are more definitive about what they want / don’t want and how they are going to get there maybe? Lancaster people are a little more driven, I think. 🙂 What do you think?
We tried Goods but they are scaling back their adult books and won’t take new ones. They do have a Lantern Books rack though so I’m thinking it will be there through them.