ohio – Abby Murphy

Plain Encounter

April 2, 2015September 11, 2015 Abby Murphy

Last year, my parents bought 40 acres of forested land in Hiram, Ohio, so my dad can expand his maple sugaring operation. When I visited them last week, they were deep in the process of having the land surveyed so they can (fingers crossed) build a driveway and maybe, just maybe, a little house with… Continue reading Plain Encounter

19th century, lessons learned, ohio

Both Past and Present

January 11, 2015April 2, 2015 Abby Murphy

What would it be like to live in two eras at once? Last week I read a beautiful and thought-provoking piece about working at a living history museum, by the blogger and historic gastronomist Sarah Lohman. "Living My Best 1848 Life," posted at Lapham's Quarterly blog, recounts Lohman's experience working as a first-person interpreter at an Ohio… Continue reading Both Past and Present

20th century, childhood, family, ohio

Wedding dress, 1920

April 10, 2014August 5, 2014 Abby Murphy

I promise this isn't going to become a blog about weddings. But it turns out that when you're planning a wedding, you end up thinking about weddings a lot. Sometimes it's fun, and sometimes you want to plug up your ears and sing "I can't hear you!" when the next person asks about your colors.… Continue reading Wedding dress, 1920

19th century, 20th century, adventure, afternoon adventure, family, ohio

Afternoon Adventure: The Tavern Club

December 5, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Happy December! I've just returned from a whirlwind trip home to Cleveland for Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful to see family and take long walks and eat lots of delicious (modern) food. Around the holidays we often reflect on the past--not only our recent past and childhoods, but the "family past," stories about my grandfather's… Continue reading Afternoon Adventure: The Tavern Club

afternoon adventure, history lesson, maine, ohio, school, shakers, vacation

Afternoon Adventure: Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village

August 5, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

As a teenager I went to an all-girls school, one steeped in tradition and programs that recalled English prep schools. One of the big ones was chapel, where we heard guest speakers and senior speeches. Before the program began, we often sang a community song, with sheet music left on every other chair for students… Continue reading Afternoon Adventure: Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village

beverages, history lesson, newport, ohio

Brewing and distilling the old-fashioned way

June 25, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Turns out cooking from historical recipes isn't the only way to play with food and history. There's a new trend brewing in the alcoholic beverage world (sorry, couldn't resist).Cleveland's Great Lakes Brewing Company, maker of some of the best craft beers around (not like I'm biased), is now working with archaeologists from the University of… Continue reading Brewing and distilling the old-fashioned way

activities, canning, family, history lesson, homesteading, maple syrup, ohio, spring, winter

Maple sugaring (II)

February 28, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

Last week I wrote about my family's maple sugaring tradition. Today I'll add an amendment: while we love most of the maple sugaring process (tapping trees, collecting sap, boiling it down in the evaporator), we have a hard time with one part: finishing the syrup.This is the part where the syrup has been boiled to… Continue reading Maple sugaring (II)

activities, family, homesteading, maple syrup, ohio, spring, winter

Maple sugaring

February 21, 2013February 16, 2014 Abby Murphy

In our family, February and March are the maple syrup months. Temperatures dip to freezing at night and warm up during the day, so the sap runs easily from the trees. Evenings are spent out in the sugar shed, boiling sap down to golden syrup in a gas-heated evaporator. On weekends, we enjoy pancakes with… Continue reading Maple sugaring