A Visit to Old Sturbridge Village

This weekend, we visited Old  Sturbridge Village, which is about 20 minutes away from our home. The Village is a wonderful place to spend family time together just walking around and glimpsing life in the 1830s. Almost all of the buildings are original from that era but have been moved to this setting in order to portray a slice of early New England life. As you walk from the park entrance into the village, signs tell you how long ago the American Revolution took place and how long before the Civil War. While not exactly half-way between these historic events, OSV is about in the middle socially and economically.


If you write about Colonial America, OSV is one of the best places to visit for research purposes. The parsonage is decorated exactly as it would have been 180 years ago. Costumed interpreters answer questions inside the houses and businesses and there's even a working Tin Smith and Blacksmith. The Sawmill and Grist Mill both operate during the warmer months (they're water powered so ice hampers production). There are a couple of stores. We went into the Knight Store, a mercantile selling all kinds of goods. Look at the shoes! At the rear of the store was a room full of barrels for sale - possibly made at the Cooper shop down the road in the village.

Anchoring one end of the Village Green is the Towne House. We didn't go inside on this visit. What caught our interest, as it does on each visit, is this fabulous arbor. Can't you just picture a couple strolling through the gardens then sitting on a bench under this trellis?

At the Freeman Farm, visitors to the Village can go sledding, 1830s style (weather permitting). There wasn't enough snow on the ground this weekend - bummer! Though simple in construction, these sleds look like fun. A sign posted nearby subtly notes that this was a recreation enjoyed by boys. This is one of the reasons I'm so glad I was born in the 20th century.

Life in the 1830s wasn't as easy as we have it now. But families stayed together and helped each other out. The OSV website states: "In the early nineteenth century the land on which Old Sturbridge Village now stands was David Wight's prosperous farm, including sawmill, gristmill, and well-situated millpond." The story told is that David Wight borrowed some money from his father to play the Harvard lottery. He won - and paid off the mortgage on his father's farm as well as getting his farm set up to prosper. Family was important.

  

Winter Storm Alfred

Still two months to go before winter officially arrives and we've already had close to 1 1/2 feet of snow. If you live in the Rockies, you're thinking, "so what?" Well, we live in the Northeast. Halloween weekend is supposed to be about trick or treat and cute kids in semi-scary costumes. Sure, it's snowed on Halloween in the past - a kind of fluffy, wet, and very cold rain that didn't stick to any surface.

In years past, big winter storms were known for when the occurred: Blizzard of '78, Ice Storm of 2009, the April Fool's Day storm, that sort of thing. This one should've been "The Halloween Storm" but instead it got a name, just like a hurricane: Alfred. I just hope Alfred is an only-child-orphan with no family to come following his path!

What late October SHOULD look like in central MA

 

What October 30, 2011 ACTUALLY looked like

Kind of scary - good for Halloween!

Pretty, too, in an awe-inspiring way

Next post - what to do when you've had no power for 3 1/2 days and little hope of getting it back for at least 3 more.

Flower Time!

Perennial plant sales are in full swing at Inishowen Farms - our family business. Between spring fairs, farmers' markets and regular business hours PLUS having to water and care for the plants, I've had very little time for writing.

 Sean and Caitlin have been tugging at my thoughts for the past couple of weeks. To make matters worse, Sean's cousin Randy has started chiming in; he's anxious to get into print so he can finally hook up with veterinarian Gio MacKenzie. Then there's Caitlin's best friends, Janelle and Scott Bartlett, who may get involved in solving a old Naultag mystery. And Randy's sister Jen has found the perfect place to work with horses, helping physically and mentally challenged kids, but there's something strange going on behind scenes. So you see, writing is calling to me :-) I'll be back at it real soon.

Meanwhile, I do manage to find some time to read. The ECFL Hot Summer Reads blog tour began this week and I'll be posting my four choices on July 18th. If you want to learn more, check out Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers.


Here's a few beautiful garden photos to close out this post. I took these last year. This is the back of St. Joseph's church in North Brookfield; it's an inspiring spot, no matter your faith or denomination.