This is the anniversary of my son's death.  I had a dream, years before he died, of a big hill with a dirt road running up it, and saw a red motorcycle with my son driving it, going up the hill.  In the dream, I kept calling his name, trying to call him back, but he couldn't hear me.  The sound of a big crash, and an aching heart, woke up crying.  I couldn't know what this dream meant; only after it happened, did I understand it.  It's been such a long time ago.  Much longer than he was alive.  But the day remains a reminder that will always be with me. 

I got the chicken's house fixed up a bit better.  Some kind of animal, probably a raccoon, had torn down the plastic sheeting that protected the lean-to from the north wind, and I got busy and fixed it with a stapler, just to keep her warmer at night now.  I will clean out the entire cage area and the lean-to, including inside her house, when I am feeling better.  Raccoons are testing, always testing the defenses.   

Yesterday, I had to go into town again and get some medication prescription refilled, and picked up a head of lettuce; also dropped a bill in the mailbox.  On the way  home, I had the windows cracked so I wouldn't need to use the air conditioner.....soon I was coughing and choking.  By the time I got home, I was coughing non-stop and my throat was sore.  That was it for the day...

I read an article in my local paper, by Dr. Ida Allen, a local fitness/health guru, whose advice I have taken before with good results.  In her most recent article, she tells us to limit sugar and refined grains, and to eat garlic.  She also recommends the following for dealing with a sore throat...

"When it comes to a sore throat, I have found that the following remedy works wonders.  Start with 12 ounces of warm filtered water, add one heaping tablespoon of sea salt, one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, and four drops of regular clear iodine (clear so you don't stain your teeth).  Gargle with this solution every 20 to 30 minutes until symptoms subside.  For a child, use a spray nozzle to spray the solution to the back of the throat.  This will greatly reduce the bacterial count in the back of the throat, and will decrease inflammation, redness and pain."

I got together the sea salt, warm water (my own well water is 99.9% pure), and hydrogen peroxide.  Will look around to see if I have clear iodine (suppose not!) but used this partial recipe last night to gargle periodically.  It worked very well, and I was able to spend evening in bed, napping off and on, until a good night's sleep.  And it rained off and on last evening and during the night!  I said a prayer of thanks.

I made a supper by boiling together kielbasa sausage and cabbage, peeled potato and carrot, onion and garlic, adding a chicken boullion cube and other spices, and about 4 cups of water.  It was simple to make in one deep pan, made my throat feel better, made me break into a sweat.   

Today I feel better, but my body aches with the memory of pains I have had, have taken care of and cured; but the body remembers them and puts them out there again for you to remember what you did wrong.