Okay, July is here, and on the coast, that means watching weather. Already we have one Atlantic storm, but lucky for us, the storm doesn't look like a threat. But, the season has just started.
Summer is here with temperatures soaring. That means staying inside and enjoying air conditioning. My thoughts turn to the past. Have you ever thought about the women of a hundred and fifty years ago?
There was no air conditioning, just manually operated fans, and if you were lucky, someone to supply the energy to fan you. Then, of course, there were the clothes. Men were a bit luckier, because, unless a lady was nearby, they could shed some of the clothing. But, not a woman. She wore an undergarment, a chemise, then a corset, laced tight, petticoats and then a dress, usually with a very full skirt, prehaps an overskirt, and long sleeves, at least to the elbow. The fabric was cotton, silk or wool. Can you imagine today, wearing all those clothes in ninty degree weather?
No wonder a fainting bench was present in a number of rooms. At least today we can wear shorts and sleeveless tops and enjoy air conditioning. We can also enjoy a tall glass of lemonade or tea, loaded with automatically made ice cubes, some thing else the citizens of a hundred and fifty years ago did not have.
All I can say is I'm sure glad I'm living in the 21st century.
Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
watch for "HEARTSONG" coming
from Champagne Books in August.
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