I have a complaint.
I have a cold.
So? what’s the big deal? Lots of people get colds.
Yes, but I don’t! Or only so rarely that it doesn’t really count. Anyhow, that is not my complaint. My complaint is about the injustice of colds.
When I get a cold, during the day I sniffle around the place like everyone else, give a nice boost to Messers Kleenex’s profits, grump bit but am, generally not too miserable or unliveable with.
But, when I go to bed….. The slight nasal blockage becomes total, I cough, I wheeze, I get too hot, then I get too cold, I can’t breathe if I lie flat, I am uncomfortable if I sit up. And as for sleep – forget it! I clocked every hour last night. Thanks to the trusty World Service, I now know about everything, good, bad and indifferent that has happened around the globe in the last 24 hours – not to mention great deal more about euthanasia in Denmark! At 1am I was swigging herbal sleeping pills, at 3am I was making toast and tea, at 5am talking to the cats, at 7am putting the washing on. And so the moment finally came, thank goodness, when I could ‘formally’ get up. And now, at 10.30 I am fine! Slightly sniffly but otherwise in perfectly good nick.
Yet when other members of the family get a cold, they moan and groan their way through the day, then go to bed and sleep dreamlessly throughout the night with ne’ery a sniffle or block nostril in evidence!!! How do they do it?…
All I can say is that there is no justice in colds!!
31st August
I did consider the various splendid, if complicated, sleep inducing suggestions made by Sara (see comment 1) when I set off for bed last night but, while wondering whether I had the required amount of cinnamon, turmeric and honey, I remembered by mother’s certain cure for a cold – hot whisky and lemon. Must admit that it sounded both easier and more appealing so I thought I would give it a whirl first.
(For anyone who does not know it, a dessertspoonful of honey, juice of a lemon, a generous tot of whisky and boiling water – feel free to adjust proportions according to taste!)
Anyhow, just to report back…. I did sleep very much better. I did wake six or seven times, but went back to sleep pretty fast but….. Whereas on no sleep for the previous three nights, I felt fine yesterday – this morning I felt like crap!!! Go figure….
Poor you, grim time of year to have a cold..
They are ver sneaky things colds.. in fact, ALL germs are sneaky. They hide in plain sight and leap upon their poor unsuspecting victims and hey presto! You have a cold.. grrrr.
You can, however, abort these tiresome things by taking a strange, as in VERY strange, concoction of spices and herbs.
Put powdered cinnamon and tumeric (I did say VERY strange) in equal quantities together with a dessert spoon of honey into a mug, pour on boiling water and allow it to brew for 5 minutes. Drink this twice a day and it kills those dastardly bugs.
If you have a head cold, it will affect your sinuses – think ‘Ear, Nose & Throat’ as in ENT.
2 drops of ORGANIC. Sesame Oil up each nostril last think at night helps to loosen and clear impacted Sinuses.
Do this for 10 days.
Put an (equally strange ) mix of crushed chopped garlic and ginger together with crushed cloves (a large teaspoonful of each) into a mug, pour on boiling water, place a saucer on top of the mug and brew like tea for 5 minutes. Then strain and drink.. be warnded for it tastes dreadful but the combination of these spices an
d herbs will steam open your sinuses and cleanse your mouth of bugs. Do this at least twice a day for a week.
I wish you better quickly.
Sara.
ps: Eat more Ginger!
Blimey, Sara……. the garlic, ginger and cloves does sound scary but if I have another night of end to end World Service, I’ll try it!!! Thank you.
Oh nasty. P is just the same and sleeps like a baby through them whilst I never sleep. I make ‘Micki Mulch’, which is our traditional hot simmered citrus fruits in water until they break up, honey and a little brandy, very like your version. Works a treat for him! Hope you are feeling better now otherwise I can bring a mallet with me on Weds 😉
Kill ’em, couldn’t you! Well, I have now reach the dry irritating – indeed drive everyone dotty – cough stage – so I think a mallet would be an excellent idea!!