The Year of the Plagues

I have heard people say that the government is flying over our heads with airplanes and sprinkling us with something to cause all kinds of diseases and ailments. I don't subscribe to that kind of thing but I'm reconsidering! It's been one thing after another this cold-n-flu seaon, whereas we usually enjoy very good health (if you don't count seizures and brain tumors!!), generally the annual cold. And sometimes the vomits. This year it's been everything one thing after another and of course in our size family one thing runs right into the next thing. I think the hardest part for me is not so much the sickness but missing daily Mass so often. Sigh....

One year many years ago (Merry was a baby, so I guess 6 years ago) we caught the worst cold I have ever seen/felt. It must have been bronchitis or something really nasty. We tried every possible over-the-counter thing to which nothing helped. One of those nights my throat was so bad, totally white all over my tonsils but what can you do in the middle of the night but google? I discovered this little remedy of simply honey and the spice turmeric. It worked like a charm within a few hours I was a whole new person. However that didn't take care of the cough which was deep down and not a single expectorant helped. Google-time. I found this great recipe for a home-made expectorant. Honey and Onions in a double boiler for a couple hours, cool and take a spoonful. Within hours the children had coughed up whatever ailed them and I was fine the next day. You don't want to be around healthy people when you take this as it is not exactly a breath freshener!

The current plague that I am on is this really sore throat and swollen glands, not to mention the ear, and the gunk in the head/nose/throat. Although there are lots of teas out there to help, I can't take any of the ones we have on-hand at this point due to some future hobbit but Emer-gen-C in boiling water was good. So as I sat here bemoaning the fact I would have to miss Sunday Mass, not only did I feel terrible it was 10 below zero and 3 of the children were not feeling well either, my husband told me to google mustard plaster. He heard about it on "chapter a day" in a book they were reading. So as I type I am sitting here experimenting with a mustard plaster around my neck. Need I say why I am not including pictures?! Ok, so I may be a leeeeeeeeeeetle vain.

I do believe in going to the doctor when it is needed but so often it isn't and I won't be able to go to a doctor til tomorrow and I don't think I'm quite emergency room quality. So I'd rather nip this if I can.