I have long used herbs and spices in place of most over the counter medicines. I feel that there are just too many other things in those pills and liquids. This is not to say that I never take medicines. I do...occasionally...when a doctor tells me I should but that is a rare thing. At least with my home-grown and wildcrafted herbs, I know what I am getting. Granted, sometimes it takes a bit longer to cure things this way, but I feel safer. Then, again, here lately, it seems as if the herbs are doing a far better job than are the "store bought" cure-alls. Just recently, the dreaded flu bug hit the Little Bayou House in full force. Mark was the first to come down sick. For weeks, he stayed ill despite visits to the doctor, lots of prescribed pills, tons of pain killers, over the counter medicines and bed rest. Two days after his first symptoms, Son and I both contracted the mess. He and I used herbs and downed bottles of the Bayou Fire Brew. Our bouts of the mess only lasted three days. Maybe ours was not full fledged flu but neither of us had the lingering cough and congestion that normally comes with this type of illness. In fact, we never were congested at all nor had a cough.
With the first symptoms of headache, fever and body aches, I started my regimen. This included me slipping outside in a slight misty rain to find MY "cure-all"....Lyre-leaf Sage. Since my garden had gone the wayside with the onset of winter, I had to depend on this wild herb to pull me through. Sage is wonderful for most cold/flu symptoms when used as a tisane and gargle. The Lyre-leaf Sage has a bit weaker medicinal properties but it is not nearly as strong tasting as the other sages. When I found the few purplish leaves that had withstood the low temperatures, I snatched them up and added them to my sage blend tisane. Ahhh, relief from all of those nasty symptoms! Laugh if you wish but I figure that a three day bout of illness sure beats two weeks in bed feeling miserable!
Today, Mr. PJ (the old dog) and I found ourselves in the midst of a virtual grove of Lyre-leaf Sage! I plopped myself down among the plants and started to nibble a leaf. (I felt like a rabbit!) When I looked at the old dog, he, too, was munching the plants. Ha! I think this dog is an herbalist! He knows a good thing when he smells it!
Mr. PJ, the old dog that has come to live with us, has been a perfect jewel the entire time I have been ill. I think he understands that I am under the weather and has not wanted to aggravate me in any way. I can open the door and let him go do his business far down the hillside without worry. He has not tried to leave the Bayou. Actually, that would be nigh on impossible with his aging legs and arthritis anyway because of the sheer distance but it is a relief that he has not ventured far off his given track....until today. Today...today, of all days, he decided to raid the compost pile which is far down behind the house near the canebrake in the opposite direction of his usual roaming spots.
While this would have been aggravating enough, he would not return when called. Ugh! This meant that I had to don a jacket and head out to retrieve the dog. Still not bad except for the fact that there was pea-soup thick fog and a fine mist falling. Still...not the end of the world...except that I have the flu. Added together, the events deemed troublesome enough to rile me a bit. As I traipsed through the drizzle to fetch the dog, I kept calling. He was not even paying one iota of attention to my yells. As I rounded the corner of the shed and he was in view, he darted under the small deck on the back of the storeroom. Now what?? It was all I could do to control the temper that was welling up inside of me. Two things....one...he knows the compost pile is off limits. Has been ever since he first started to visit the Bayou some ten years ago. Second....he should know that going under decks, sheds and the house are a no-no. He has been reprimanded enough to know better. So, his infractions kept piling up.
After I finally persuaded the runaway dog to reenter the Little Bayou House, a foul odor hit me. Ugh. Yep, he reeked to High Heaven! Obviously, he had not gone for the fresh orange peels, mushy banana or anything recent. HE had to wallow in something that had been there for a while! By this time, I did not even have the energy to fight him into the tub. The bath would have to wait for another day. Darling Daughter had given me a bottle of "doggy perfume" back when Ms. Ez was with us so that came into play. A few spritzes later and I could breathe. I looked at the old dog and his tail started thumping on the floor. Big, sad, puppy dog eyes glistened up at me as if to apologize for his misdeeds. Oh, geez, Pup! You were grounded...were...ok, I still love you. Now to get the wet clothes off, brew a mug of herb tea and try to stop the shakes. Of all the times in the world for you to choose to go on an escapade, this was probably the worst.
When a person is sick with the flu, their brain often does not work clearly. Mine surely does not! This afternoon, I peeked out the window to see the sun shining brightly and that did it! I grabbed a jacket, called to the dog and made yet another great escape. Being confined to a sick house, even when I am sick, is more than I can bear. While the menfolks were napping like good patients, I was ambling along the path soaking up that glorious sunshine!
Although I felt well enough for a stroll, the brain kept coming up with strange thoughts such as "How many baby minnows does it take to make a school?" Do you know? I do not but there were thousands of the little jokers playing in the shallows. They were enjoying the bright sun just as much as I was.
Another thought..."Why do flying squirrels prefer to gnaw hickory nuts from the pointy end while grey squirrels go to work on the side?" That is another of life's great mysteries at least to a flu-muddled brain. If you have the answer, it would be great to know.
Also, "Why do smilax vines so closely resemble a spiderweb?" Spiders and vines have nothing in common yet their intricate work can be comparable. (I should have photographed the vine before PJ rent it asunder with his plodding but I was slow on the take and about as befuddled as a cat chasing its tail.)
The good news? I felt much better after being out and about. Fresh air, sunshine, doggy friend and lots of wonders of the world can make all the difference. Back to the menfolk...they have the three "C's".... crouping, coughing and complaining. I guess it is best that I escape now and again to try and preserve what little sanity I have left! Just how many minnows does it take???
