Date:  Thursday, September 14, 2017
Time:  6:15 p.m.   Refreshments
6:45 p.m.   Business Meeting
7:00 p.m.   Program
Place:  Waterford Public Library

The first meeting of the new year will feature Velya Jancz-Urban with her fascinating program about colonial women.  Perhaps women need to be reminded of how far we’ve come in order to see how far we still can go. Discover what life was really like for New England’s colonial women – because we’ve always been curious about: menstruation, sex & birth control, childbirth, sickness & medicine.  For instance, in an era when underwear hadn’t been invented, what did women do when they had their periods? What were early American birth control methods? It was suggested that women try jumping backwards seven times after intercourse to expel sperm, drink water that blacksmiths used to cool metals, or insert a mixture of dried crocodile dung and honey into the vagina.

In 2011, Velya Jancz-Urban and her family bought a foreclosed farmhouse in Woodbury, Connecticut, unaware of what the house would reveal. Behind the walls, surprises and secrets waited to be exposed.  This became the spark for the novel, Acquiescence. Moving into this 1770 farmhouse ignited Velya’s interest in the colonial era. While researching her novel, she became obsessed (in a good way) with colonial women. In Velya’s entertainingly-informative presentation, even history buffs will learn a thing or two.

The Not-So-Good Life of the Colonial Goodwife not only makes audience members laugh and grimace – it also honors our foremothers. It’s not about quilting bees and spinning wheels – it’s an interactive presentation about the little-known issues faced by New England’s colonial women.

Velya has been married for 34 years and is the mother of two grown children. She has a few too many rescue dogs and cats, is happiest with a fresh stack of library books, loves thrift shops, and is passionate about alternative medicine.