The Daily Burns

Before I start, I would like to clarify that we DO pray for each other & ourselves when we’re sick. I do not think any healing comes our way outside the mercy of God. However, I also believe God (usually) uses “earthly” means to do so. Just like we trust God for our care, and still go to work. It’s not as though because Ryan works for a paycheck he’s not “trusting God for our provision”…God IS providing through his job. That could all be it’s own post though. I just wanted to clarify for those that will read this & think I see it all as being “in MY hands”. I do not.

Last Sunday, Ryan started coming down with a chest cold. Despite his good effort with “obeying” my cold fighting regimen, it has continued for 8 days now. Now…for the record, though he has been good about taking raw garlic by the spoonful, drinking lots of herbal teas & taking extra vitamin C, he hasn’t quite done it to the level that I do when I’m fighting something…I do the garlic & C every 1-2 hours (at least the garlic, the C about 4x/day +/-)…. But I’m not criticizing; he doesn’t have the benefit of a good Catholic upbringing, which gives way easily to self-flagellation.

Anyhow, come Tuesday, Asher started to succumb. So the boys hacked and wheezed & talked funny through Christmas and into the weekend. There’s not much I can do for Asher since he CAN’T take garlic, and WON’T drink hot tea, broth, or eat soup. Best I can do is give him vitamin C, extra probiotics, some cherry bark tincture and try to bathe him more often (than never)….for the steam.

It appeared as if the girls were in the clear. I stopped the garlic regimen on Wednesday. I started to get cocky. Then yesterday Grace started coughing. Thankfully (Lord bless this child) she will drink tea and despite it’s nastiness will (resigned but w/little complaint) swallow spoonfuls of garlic infused raw honey for me. It seems a little better today. Better for both of them, but especially Grace.

Today I have had a slight runny nose. No signs of anything else, but to be sure I’ve gotten back on the garlic wagon. You might want to make sure to avoid our house if at all possible. I’m sure we all smell delightful.

Given the apparent voracity of this little bug I’ve decided to take out the “big guns”. I’m making a “tea” for myself (& anyone else willing to drink it) that was recommended by one of my health-nut weirdo friends. Our internet is down (typing this out in Word at the moment), so I can’t remember all the measurements, but here’s what I’m going with:

4 cups Pre-Brewed Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (loosens phlegm, antiseptic). I’m already drinking 3 cups/day of this anyway to alleviate some ‘female issues’, so this could be an aide for why I haven’t ‘caught’ it yet.

3 (ish) teaspoons of Fenugreek Seed (I forget what this is for, other than it’s a mid-eastern folk remedy for the common cold…I think another phlegm helper)

3 inches of fresh ginger peeled into small pieces. usually I use a vegetable peeler & just peel into the pot, but I broke it yesterday…cutting cold butter…don’t ask. So today I whirled it through my black & decker “handy chopper” (for tea, I use the whole thing, ‘skin’ & all). Anyhow, ginger is antiviral, and “warming” (warm bodies fight germs easier).

put all into a pot, bring to a boil, then let steep for at least an hour…or longer. The original recipe calls for mullein flowers too (for congestion, which none of us have had thus far), but I don’t have any.

Strain into a glass jar (I use canning jars) then add:

1-2 tsp. Cayenne pepper (yikes! Think we all know what that’s good for!)

However many cloves of garlic you think you can handle (more than one folks). Garlic being an anti-bacterial & anti-viral agent. I’m probably going to go with 4 big guys. Crush, chop or press & dump in the jar, put on the lid. Swirl around & let sit a few hours to overnight. Swirl before pouring & drink as much as you can handle throughout the day till you’ve finished the quart. Repeat as needed.

If it doesn’t kill the cold, at least it can double as penance….right?