Friday 8 January 2010

Who did this?




I used to know someone whose elderly mother, in mild winters, would intone balefully: "Green winter, full churchyard....". Mild winters were dangerous. For the past two weeks, I've been saying cheerfully that cold weather helps kill off germs ('germs' in this instance being a handy generic term for anything that makes you sick) and aphids, and that we shouldn't complain about it. I've said this cheerfully to Sandra, who has a perpetual cold and a horrible cough, is deaf as a post and as loud as a foghorn, and who is clearly impervious to the cleansing effects of sub-zero temperatures.

And suddenly this evening, at the lightning speed of a winter-hardened germ, I have developed a streaming, sneezy cold. I have a pathological hatred of having a cold. Cue tissues, stuff to spray up my nose, paracetamol, hot water with lemon and honey, and an early night. And lashings of self-pity; that's essential. I may even groan softly in between sneezes and vigorous honking into a hanky.

I blame Sandra, of course, as she's the obvious likely passer-on of the loathsome germ, but it could have been anyone in the supermarket today, where she and I walked, or the change given by the milkman, whom I paid tonight. Or just a germ floating about waiting for an unsuspecting victim who hasn't had a cold for ages and was beginning to get smug about it.

But I need to blame someone for passing on that germ. It's part of the tradition of having a cold, an unreasonable resentment towards  a probably-innocent person. (Don't tut - you know you do this too!)

Sniffle.... honk.... aaaaaCHOO!.... poor, poor Me.... you've no idea how I suffer.... night-night.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, poor you. Might you feel even worse if the weather was hot... Try infusions of ginger, fresh if possible. Plus whatever works for you to boost your immune system. I bravely went to Tesco today and several people were sneezing without covering their noses or using tissues. I contemplated citizen arrests.

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

Yes , I've always subscribed to the theory that freezing temperatures in winter are a Good Thing too. Probably because the Geography nun taught us that that's why Kent had such lovely apples .
Now , I'm not so sure .
16 broken wrists in our local Accident and Emergency dept. last night seems a high price to pay for a few fewer aphids .
Drink lots of hot toddies and you should feel better in no time .

BumbleVee said...

awwww poor you indeed. Get out the rum....a lovely hot toddy works wonders for some... and if nothing else...they taste great. I'm one of the lucky folk in the cold and flu department..haven't had one since Thanksgiving weekend 1995 ... not sure why...but there it is. On that fateful weekend...I had strep throat, bronchitis and pink eye all at the same time. I wonder if I developed some mighty antibodies or something... I was pretty sick.... and then...that was it for all these years... touch wood!!!!!!

And... your bug had to be incubated for about a week, so... it couldn't have been anybody from today or yesterday...

Lynda (Granny K) said...

Oh dear! I hope it wasn't me who passed the cold on! Those Kleenex tissues with the nose-balm are a wonderful invention! No more red, cracked noses for me!

I love your little Yorkie, almost the double of my Lucy who died in 2005. She was a pain in the neck some of the time, but I loved her!

_lethe_ said...

Oh, I hear you! I also really really really hate colds.

Feel better soon!

Marie Rayner said...

My mother always insisted that a Green Christmas meant a death in the family. Thankfully back in Canada our Christmas's were always white! Over here, we'd be in great trouble as green Christmas's are the norm! It is bitterly cold here this morning and I have icicles on my eaves. Something I haven't seen since I came over here!!

Lesley said...

Naaah - I don;t blame but I really hate being blamed for a cold....get all unreasonable about it!

So, it wasn't me - alright!!!

Hope you get better soon.

Lesley xx

Gretel said...

I've heard that one too, and it does feel strangely unhealthy when we do have *green winters* - but not as unhealthy as you feel now! My commiserations and I hope you clear up sooner than I did. Lemsip is a life saver. x

Fran Hill said...

I feel your pain. I hate getting colds too. It's something I just want to get on with in private until it's all over, but life just doesn't allow, does it? Get well soon.

Linda said...

Oh, poor you. Any Christmas goodies left in the house to nibble on? You must take any opportunity to make yourself feel better, you know.
Get Well Soon.

Anonymous said...

Know what you mean - went back to work last week and within a day had a virus remarkably like the one that laid me low before Christmas. So I really sympathise. Have you noticed that cats LOVE someone with a temperature? Granite and Monty are now competing for the large cat bed with human and excessive heat.

Get well soon

Jan x

rachel said...

There's nothing so heartwarming as a bit of sympathy! Thank you.... I feel better already.

Signed,

The Big Sissy With a Little Cold

Pam said...

Oh dear, I'm so sorry, and I have to confess - it was I! I've had a cold since Dec 27 - no, I didn't think it was possibly either - and I must have sneezed on your blog. And lots of other people's. Alas, I've started an epidemic.

Hope yours gets better soon. Of course, not having to drag yourself out to work through the snow should help. Not that I'm complaining about working of course. Me?

Related Posts with Thumbnails