Lori's Lexicon: What The Heck Is A Pomander?

Imagine my aghastment when more than one visitor to our apartment wondered what these were. How sad they missed out on bringing the old fort (Ft. Ashby) to life back in the day. Clearly, some education is essential. In colonial times, pomanders were made by decorating oranges (or apples, lemons, or limes) with cloves. Not only did they look pretty, they smelled good, providing a refreshing change from normal household odors of the day like beeswax polish, horse manure, and oil lamps. The official definition of a pomander is as follows: a mixture of aromatic substances, often in the form of a ball, formerly carried on the person as a supposed guard against infection but now placed in closets, dressers, etc.