Scavenger Hunt Stop #14

JOIN THE HUNT! Follow the clues to win an iPad Mini, free books and more!

I'm doing something a little different on my blog today! I'm participating in a 25 author Fiction Scavenger Hunt! Please join in the fun!

Here are just a few of the specifics for the scavenger hunt:

• When: The hunt begins 10/18 at noon, mountain time and ends at 10/20 at midnight, mountain time.

• Where: There are 25 authors/blogs participating in the scavenger hunt (all have new releases or soon-to-be released books).

• How: Collect the clues in RED on each post, beginning at Stop #1 on Lisa Tawn Bergern's blog and finishing at Stop #25. When you're done visiting all 25 blogs, head back to Lisa's blog and fill out the Rafflecopter there.

• What: Grand Prize: A new iPad Mini; 2nd & 3rd Prizes: A copy of every book on the hunt—25 books with a total value of over $300!

Make sure you check out the bottom of this post for the rest of the information you need for your clue and to continue to the next blog in the scavenger hunt!

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Today as part of the scavenger hunt, I'm hosting the fabulous Nancy Moser, another one of the authors participating in all the fun! (You'll visit her blog on the next stop in the scavenger hunt!)

I first learned about Nancy when I read her fictionalized biography, Mozart's Sister, which is right up my alley since it's inspired by real life historical figures (similar to my books)! I absolutely adored getting a glimpse into a famous composer's lesser known but very talented sister, Nannerl Mozart.

Nancy is an award-winning author of over twenty novels along with being winner and two-time nominee of the prestigious Christy Award.

Her newest novel, The Journey of Josephine Cain, hit shelves in September. The story is about an East-coast socialite who embarks on a journey to the Wild West. While the wealthy young woman accompanies her father as he helps build the Transcontinental Railroad, she faces outlaws, Indians, gunfights, harsh weather, and vigilante uprisings.

Sounds exciting doesn't it?! I've added her book to my TBR pile! You can purchase her book on Amazon, B&N, and Christianbook.com

Today, Nancy is sharing some fun thoughts with us about HOT women of the past! Join me in welcoming Nancy.

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Hot Women of History: 

How Women Dealt With Heat and Hygiene
by Nancy Moser

As I sit in my air-conditioned house and drive my air-conditioned car, wearing shorts, sandals, and a breezy cotton top, I wonder how women of the past dealt with hot weather. Thinking of all their layers upon layers makes me melt. Where’s my fan?

So how did women tolerate the heat?

Perhaps part of the answer is simple: the change in seasons comes gradually, allowing the body time to adjust. Plus, it’s relative. Sixty degrees in April feels warm while sixty degrees in September feels cool. The body adjusts and fabrics change weight and color.

In “Gone With the Wind” the ladies at the barbecue retire to the shade-darkened bedrooms, strip down to their underwear and nap during the heat of the day. Daily schedules changed to fit the temperature. People often got up dawn, took a breather in the heat of the day, and went back to work in the cooler evenings.

During the late 1800’s, the wealthy families of the stifling east-coast cities moved their entire households to mansions that took advantage of the ocean breezes of Newport, Rhode Island. People with porches or basements slept wherever they could catch a breeze. Women carried parasols—which I found handy in Rome. Note my light-colored cotton clothing.

In the middle ages, the church thought nakedness was evil and baths could make you sick. Eventually logic prevailed. Later, washing the body, washing the face, and eliminating waste were achieved in three distinctareas: a portable bath tub in the kitchen near the heat source, a wash basin in the bedroom, and an outhouse. Or a chamber pot—which was emptied in a cess pit in the basement or outdoors. Putting all the functions in one place didn’t come about until the 1900’s.

If women were traveling, where did they relieve themselves? They could use outhouses at inns, or if in the country walk away from the wagon or stagecoach, lift their skirts and squat in the grass. Sometimes a fellow woman would spread a shawl or skirt to afford some privacy. There’s a scene in the movie, “Mrs. Brown” that shows Queen Victoria relieving herself in the woods. Pantaloons were often split in the middle which allowed for this amid all the other skirt layers.

Now comes a question we rarely ask. How did women handle their periods? Pads and tampons have been around since ancient times. Moss, leather, and other fabrics were tied around waists or even inserted when wrapped around a stick. In some tribal cultures, women were ostracized during their periods. But for the most part rags were used, washed, and reused. And women of status often withdrew during that time, keeping to their rooms—which I suspect played into the image of females being weaker and more fragile than men.

People didn’t wash their clothes often either. To cover the stench they used perfume and pomanders. If everyone smelled, did they get used to it?

I am so glad I live when I do.

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Thank you, Nancy! You shared some very fascinating details about things I'm sure we've all wondered about from time to time! I'm SO glad I live nowadays too!

If you'd lived long ago, how would you have handled the heat? Hygiene? Toiletry needs? Ugh! What modern comfort would you have missed the most?

Before you go, make sure to write down Stop #14's clue: to historical

Now head over to Nancy Moser's blog for the next stop in the scavenger hunt!

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