This Day Seventy-Five Years Ago Amelia Does Her Laundry

So impressed was Amelia with the airport at Fortaleza that she decided to make her final preparations there for the flight across the South Atlantic.  Thus, on June 5, 1937, Amelia Earhart took the day off to do her laundry, clean up the Electra, and make sure the plane was 'ship shape' for the next leg of her almost around the world flight.  After surveying the condition of plane and crew she concluded that she and Noonan needed the most attention.  "Looking the way we did after only a week on the way, I hesitated to visualize what disgraceful tramps we'd be before the journey's end. ... Laundering for ourselves seemed as important as for the plane.  I was on my last shirt and had abandoned hope that the appearance of my slacks, or my shoes, ever again would be respectable."  As for the Lockheed, there was a small leak where a gauge let 'flow a few drops of gasoline, though from a harmless source.'  She did, however, schedule a complete inspection of the airplane including an oil change, greasing, check of landing gear, and a thorough scrubbing.' Amelia goes on to say that she packed one suitcase for this entire flight.  "My wardrobe included five shirts, two pairs of slacks, a change of shoes, a light working coverall, a raincoat, and the minimum of toilet articles."  She adds that she used to fly the Atlantic with no personal equipment save a toothbrush.
Apparently, if recent discoveries prove to be accurate, the minimum of toilet articles must have included freckle cream.  The Amelia of But This Is Different http://butthisisdifferent.com would not have even considered freckle cream.