Ginger and I are both feeling much, much better and we're on the upswing now. She went outside to play today and I'm back in my office getting caught up on a few things, including this blog. We were lucky it was just a cold that ran its course and didn't progress into anything worse, as sometimes happens. "Thank You" to all you *Dear Hearts* who stopped in and gave us those sweet get-well-wishes and sage advice for a speedy recovery. It was very much appreciated. For future reference I'm tucking it all under my cap. Thought it would be nice to share a few bits here for those of you that are suffering now or may succumb at some 
point. There's still no cure for the common cold, but some things do seem to make it easier for us. The first thing I did was take Kitty's advice and made chicken soup. I never have much of an appetite when I'm under the weather, but chicken soup always seems to make me feel better. (How true the old adage: "feed a cold, starve a fever ".) Jen recommended Goldenseal capsules to nip things in the bud, but I only had some in leaf form, so drank tea instead, nasty tasting, but I think it helped. Will try the capsules next time. I was also interested to hear, that Kat's grandmother, who was born in a log cabin in 1913, told her that the bag of herbs that my Dutch Grandmother wore around her neck might have been asafoetida. Imagine that! Perhaps this wasn't so odd afterall. Brit and her family were treating their colds with warm lemon water and cough drops. I swear by lemon water! It alkalizes your system making it harder for germs to survive. (Read more about that here. ) I drink it on an empty stomach before 
bedtime and it seems to help me sleep too. Quite a few people recommended resting. I'm working on giving myself permission to rest more often. Why is that so hard to do, especially knowing that it can help prevent illness induced by fatigue. There were others that hoped it wouldn't spread to the rest of the family; Kim suggested using rubbing alcohol to wipe down sink handles, toilet flushers, and door knobs. All that reminded me to disinfect the tooth brushes while I was at it. I run them through the dishwasher with everything else on the sanitize cycle. So far, no one else has caught it (knock wood). Airborne was mentioned by both Claudia and Terri who swore by it's effectiveness at preventing colds, although it didn't seem to 
work for me the few times I tried it. It's funny how certain things work for some and not for others. Zinc lozenges also do nothing for me but I know a lot of people find them useful. I did try Zicam swabs though, and they worked really fast. I was more than a little surprised by that. I'll be sure and keep a supply of those in my 'box of tricks' to use the next time I feel a nose tickle or scratchy throat coming on. They weren't at all unpleasant to use either once I got used to the idea of inserting something in my nose. Amanda introduced me to this revolutionary treatment program to eliminate allergies that can lead to illness, infections, and nose bleeds, and I'm checking that out now too. And Kathy reminded me about the benefits of garlic, which we use a lot of around here, so I tend to take it for granted, but it has so many healthful qualities, 
including boosting the immune system...just don't forget to chew a little fresh parsley with that if you eat it raw or you won't have any friends around for miles. I have to also mention another remedy for colds and flu, that I just happened to notice on my 2007 Susan Branch calender for October, she says: "Put a shot of Jack Daniel's in a big mug---add a teaspoon of honey, the juice of one lemon & fill it with boiling water. Rub Vicks on your chest, tie a sock around your neck, put cotton in your ears, get your kitty, and go to bed with the clicker. When you feel well enough to eat, have Campbell's chicken noodle soup, buttered saltines, and 7-up." Yup. All good advice. So now that's that. We should all be up and running full speed ahead soon. My very best to all you guys out there who are also suffering with the symptoms of the season, get well soon, and hope some of this helps get you back on your feet.
The pictures? They're random shots this week from the kitchen. From top left to bottom; we have the last of our delicious garden cantaloupes filled with frozen blueberries for breakfast. Birthday flowers from my sister-in-law Janet. Indian corn the girls grew and just harvested. Lunch Mexicana style; cheese quesadillas, avocado, and sweet cherry tomatoes from the garden. I made the refried beans fresh in the crock-pot, which was filled with fresh clipped rosemary and water earlier in the week to freshen, humidify, and purify the air. (Another great tip!)
