Garlic

Garlic. I recommend it.

For about three years now, I and the other women in our household have every day taken some mashed raw garlic, and a tiny amount) less than a quarter teaspoon of very powerful Manuka honey, the really good medicinal sort. I buy the honey when Holland and Barrett put on their Penny Sales. One pot costs well over fifty pounds, but the second one costs a penny.

I have not had a cold in all this time. Other people around me caught colds, but I never did.

Recently, we changed our eating rhythm in a way that didn't work so well with our garlic-taking rhythm, and our dance of life got wrong-footed. We began to miss out the garlic, and in the last month I have taken garlic and honey, but not very often.

And now I have an absolute corker of a cold.

Not last night but the night before, I could feel I had this germ travelling round my body, visiting one place after another — first my feet and ankles felt ill and painful, then my hips, then my head, bit by bit it travelled round, and I was very tired. The germ settled in my pharynx and made it very sore, then moved on purposefully to my left tonsil, which seems to act as Older Sister for them both. I went to bed early and slept twelve hours. In the morning I did my usual cleansing things, and emerged feeling better, so I thought I was okay.

Last night I went to a concert, and I do hope I haven't spread germs to everyone I met. By bedtime I felt distinctly coldy, and by the time I lay down to sleep my nose was — quite literally — running like a tap. I had to lie on my back or wind a hanky round my nose!

And this morning I have a humdinger of a cold! In fact I'm not sure this even is a cold. I'm wondering if I haven't somehow contracted Man Flu.

I suspected something like this was travelling my way, because last week I was by myself at home for several days so I took the opportunity to prepare everything for my preaching appointment next Sunday, where normally I wouldn't begin to prepare until the Monday before, not the best part of a fortnight in advance. In general I find when things like that come about, it's to make space for something I haven't foreseen. So I was a bit worried in case a calamity was travelling towards me — but no, only this cold, which will put me out of action for two or three days I think, and I'll need to have hymns and order of service ready for the steward tomorrow morning. 

Well, that's taught me a lesson! Right now I'm in bed, but in a minute I'll go downstairs proclaiming "Unclean! Unclean!" and commander a clear space in the kitchen to mash myself some garlic. 

Back on the daily menu, then. Raw garlic and high strength Manuka honey.  

Oh, look!

My family has put together a Healing Tray for me. It has the mashed garlic (hooray!), a BIG emergency-sized spoon of Manuka honey, some (fresh) lemon and (fresh) ginger tea with more honey, a cup with dilute cider vinegar, turmeric (anti-inflammatory) and cayenne pepper (stops me getting venous clots), a cup of bone broth, and a lovely glass of chilled water from our spring, with a slice of lemon. Ha! Makes me feel better just looking at it.

I hurtled out into the garden and picked some apples from the tree, and got a little bowl of nuts to eat, and a toilet roll for mopping my eyes and nose. 

I changed our bed linen and put it on a hot wash in hopes of defending my hubby from germs, because he has swampy lungs and is prone to pneumonia (Noooooo!).

And now I'm happily ensconced in our Fiona's bedroom — she's in Dorset; waving, Fi, if you're reading this — and I'm going to watch the first Strictly Come Dancing of the season on catch-up TV. Could be worse, no?