Lots of Words, Lots of Fun!

Last week I met author-friends Michelle Griep (Missouri) and Erica Vetsch (Minnesota) for a writing retreat in Pella, Iowa. We stayed in an Airbnb for a few days and wrote together, ate together, and laughed together.

Pella is a charming town, settled by immigrants from the Netherlands in the 1840s who had fled religious persecution in their own country. They called their new home Pella, after the biblical city of refuge. Today, Pella retains its Dutch heritage. We were not there for its annual Tulip Time festival (May) but even so the town is a charming place to visit.

Vermeer Windmill, wooden shoes, and Jaarsma Bakery

We bought “Dutch Letters” at the bakery and “Pella Bologna” at the meat market, and ate dinner at the Royal Amsterdam Hotel.

Just one scene of many at the Miniature Village.

We toured a large working windmill, a miniature village which portrays several different towns in the Netherlands, and a 22-building historical village, including a sod house, mill, blacksmith shop, werkplaats (where wooden shoes are made) and bakery, as well as the boyhood home of lawman Wyatt Earp.

A few of our books in Dutch, as well as pieces of Dutch Letter pastries

While we were in Iowa, we also did signings at two Christian bookstores and enjoyed meeting and talking with readers.

Julie, Michelle, Erica (seated) with author Jocelyn Green (standing) who came to visit!

Over a few days, we wrote thirty thousand words (with Erica the big winner at 15k!) so it was not only a refreshing time with friends, but productive as well.

When was the last time you spent quality time with friends? I hope you have the chance to do so this summer.