Coshocton County, Ohio

This is the second day of a two day partial fast (500 calories) and I’m feeling pretty hungry right now. Maybe if I type I’ll forget about it.  I didn’t have to do two days in a row – it’s supposed to be any two days of the week, but I surprised myself today by wanting to get the second day behind me.  Do I notice any improvement so far?  Well yes. By eating only 500 calories I cut way back on salt consumption and even after one day my blood pressure improved. I never add salt to anything but it is part of so many things we eat that it is impossible to avoid. The other five days I'm eating my usual stuff but I'm watching the salt!

Today I’ve been looking at Coshocton County, Ohio.  (There are some lovely photos of the county on this website - click on the link!) It is an important county for our family as our people were some of the first to settle there.  I have to correct that. Coshocton was the ‘capital’ for the Delaware tribe, they were there first . . .  so I have to say some of the first white settlers were our Draper and Meredith families. 

Walhonding River

Tuscarawas River

I had difficulty finding history notes on this county. There was plenty of genealogical information but basically the history blurbs were all the same. The Coshocton County should get the prize for the most unusual name. It is a phonetic spelling of a Delaware word meaning ‘black bear crossing’ or ‘where the rivers join.’ The rivers Walhonding and Tuscarawas join in the county to form the Muskingum River, a primary Ohio watercourse.

Little Muskingum River

If you travel to Coshocton today you will find a tourist attraction – a pioneer village called Roscoe.  They have an annual ‘apple butter stirrin’ that sounds yummy. There’s a quilt exhibit and other country activities in the area. The one thing I don’t want to miss is a ride on the refurbished horse-drawn canal boat on part of what was once the Ohio and Erie Canal. Hmm. I wonder if I’ll have to bring mosquito repellant. There is a winery in Coshocton County but I’m heading right for the apple butter! Golly, who would have guessed there was so much to do in Ohio!

My 5^th great grandfather, Isaac Draper, was the first to register property ownership in Tiverton Township. I’d like to see where that farm was – and oh, wouldn’t it be grand to find a written account of his pioneer experience.  Our Meredith family settled in New Castle Township. These are my mother’s people.

Ohio Historical Canoe Route Assoc. http://ohcra.org/default.htm, Making Apple Butter http://www.rlrouse.com/making-apple-butter.html, Salt http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/,  River photos www.wikipedia.com

18 or 5 to 2

[Music while you read? Scroll to the bottom on the post and click on the YouTube link!]

There are two important things going on in my life right now. Of course, there more than two things – but two primary things take up time, mental and physical energy -- a rather desperate need to lose weight and get healthy, and a passion for genealogy – specifically a look at our Ohio pioneers. Awaking after a longer than usual sleep with vivid and interesting dreams, in this instance six hours where the norm is four, I had a vision and plan for the next 18 days.

Dr. Michael Mosley

Last night casting about for something interesting to watch on TV, with its multitude of channels and desert wasteland of anything remotely good, I stumbled onto a PBS broadcast of Dr. Michael Mosley’s Eat, Fast,and Live Longer. Wow, I’m on board for this – two days of fasting per week and five days of eating your regular way with foods you prefer.  I can do this!  I ordered Mosley’s book. I, also, remember my one successful diet, which came out of the Vogue Complete Diet and Exercise Book that was published in the 80s.  I remember how time intensive the meals were but they were successful in helping me appreciate fresh, non-processed foods.

One significant thing I remember from the book was the recommendation to fast one day a week. I’m seeing a fasting theme here, although in the 5/2 diet the fast days include 500 calories. That Vogue book is still out there and I found a copy to buy for less that $1 + postage.

Why 18 days? The other part of the plan involves a blitz of activity reminiscent of Julie Powell and her blogging days of cooking all the recipes from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. 

Julia Child 1989

Who could do such a thing, hold down a full time job and blog about it to boot?  Amazing.  My blitz is tiny in comparison.  It is a county blitz. I have 18 Ohio counties to research. I need one page per county with the flag, links, and a brief history.  If anyone who lives in those counties has any interesting tidbits to add they are welcome. The county pages need to be completed for the book and I could certainly spend a week or more researching and reading about these counties I’ve never been in and most likely will never see. Being part of our pioneer past I’m sure all of them have interesting stories. But, I don’t have a week to devote to each county – they will each have a day.  18 days for 18 counties. That will be a chunk ready for my Christmas book and I’ll be lighter and healthier from my 5/2 trial diet.

I will start the county pages and blogs tomorrow and I have in mind Monday and Thursday as possible fast days.  Dr. Mosley said he didn’t stick to a fast schedule – so it may be that different days each week work better depending on what else I'm doing. I’m aiming for August 12 for the first fast day.

The Ohio Counties:  Ashland, Belmont, Brown, Clermont, Coshocton, Darke, Erie, Franklin, Hamilton, Harrison, Miami, Muskingum, Scioto, Shelby, Warren,

Washington, Wyandot. Wait! That is only 17!  Ah, but I’ll need a page or two for the State of Ohio.

Yes!  I can do this! 







Photos: www.wikipedia.com, Dr. Mosley - www.urban75.net, Microsoft Clipart, YouTube - "" id="watch-headline-show-title">Chicago

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