Fall is off to a strange start for The Old Dominion. As I write this it is 41ºF and threatening to flurry. Huh? Not at all usual for this time of year. Which may be why the entire family is down with some variation of the same cold: croup, laryngitis, bronchitis.
Welcome to the house of “ick.” So much for repainting the library this weekend.
Some may prefer, when they feel under the winter weather, to loll about in sweatsuits, polypropelene fleece, t-shirts or what-have-you. Most people probably keep the thermostat set higher than 62 – 67ºF as well, but the heat makes me more uncomfortable and contributes to the hacking cough. In the cooler, darker confines of the manse, I crave coddling. “Swathing” may be a better word. Yes, I crave swathing in comfortable fabrics: moleskins, flannels, cashmere, ancient corduroy…
Do you know what I am coveting in my heightened need for comfort and luxury, as my two day growth of beard clings to the half-zip collar of my cashmere sweater?
Silk long underwear. And maybe a turtleneck. In black silk, of course.
Now if only I could stop that hacking cough long enough to brave the razor’s edge. To help you forget that image I offer today’s remedy, purely for medicinal purposes.
The Easy and Elegant Life’s Hot-tea Tottie
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
lemon juice to taste
1 teabag of Irish breakfast tea, Lapsang Souchong, or Earl Grey according to taste.
1 shot of whisky
1 mug hot water
Mix the whisky, sugar/honey, lemon juice and together. Microwave, but don’t boil a mug’s worth of water. About 2 minutes in my microwave. Pour over your base mixture. Add teabag or loose tea in a teaball to the mug and steep for 3-4 minutes. Sip throughout the morning, reheating as necessary.
Tonight’s remedy: The Easy and Elegant Life’s Toddy for the Deserving Body.
Serves one self-serving, convalescent blogger.
1 jigger + 1 shot of scotch whisky (or another sort of whiskey, but I find the scotch works best. Don’t break out the good stuff, either.)
1 teaspoon of honey or sugar or equivalent
1 shot (1 1/2 oz.) of vitamin-C laden fruit juice (lemon or orange as desired.)
1 mug of hot water.
We are dispensing with the tea here (unless my stomach is upset, then I dispense with the whisky and head straight for the mint tea with honey.) Mix everything together and top with very hot water.
Sleep well.