I have a sore throat and a cough. Because my grandmother was 45 when my mother was born and because we were a rural family, when I was little I was included in the time-honored poultice treatment. Well I remember having Vicks Vapor Rub applied to my chest and throat and then a wool cloth placed over my chest and around my neck.  I don’t mind the smell of  Vicks – in fact, I find it comforting. But the wool . . . oh my gosh, it scratched and itched and I hated it. I can’t remember what I thought was worse, the sore throat inside or the irritated one on the outside. If I remember correctly, they used  big old safety pins to hold the wool in place. I can still see faces leaning over me and, yes, I can still hear the whines that came out of my mouth.

Right now I wouldn’t mind having Vicks on me – I’d just use flannel to cover it – and I’d welcome heavy comforters that smell of woodsmoke.