Life Without A/C

With the majority of the nation already suffering from sweltering conditions over the last few weeks I felt slightly guilty for complaining about the 100+ degree weather we’ve had the last couple of days. We actually bounced off 109. I asked my 92 year old mom-in-law how in the world they coped with the heat before there was a/c, and large oscillating fans. Her answers were quite interesting and inspiring for anyone who finds themselves without electricity during a heatwave. She told of how her mom used to hang wet bedsheets across windows and doors in an attempt to cool any breeze coming in. Handheld fans or large ceiling fans were also employed to beat the heat. Of course, if you were lucky, your home had plenty of shade trees planted on the east and west sides to block the summer sun, minimizing heat and cooling any breezes. This is one reason the front porch or screened sleeping porches became so popular. People often slept on their porches rather than inside in hot bedrooms. Those lucky enough to have a basement spent a lot of time “underground”. Now days, it’s nice to know that the a/c is there, but it’s also good to know that, if we absolutely have to, we can make do without it.