4 HOME REMEDIES MAKE A COMEBACK

The covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways.  People are avoiding doctor visits when possible.   Hospitals don’t want to schedule elective surgeries.  It makes you wonder how everyone is surviving.  But if you’re my age, you can remember when people only saw doctors for emergencies.  Probably because ordinary people didn’t have health insurance, and there was no Medicare or Medicaid. Antibiotics weren’t available to the public until the late 1940’s. Most everyone had their own ways of dealing with sickness and maintaining good health. Now,  these 4 home remedies make a comeback.   

1,  Vicks VapoRub. ,  This was the mainstay of any medicine cabinet in the early 20th century.  If a child had a  cough or the flu, out would come the Vicks.  I loved the smell of menthol, and the way it seemed to clear up congestion.  The directions for use  haven’t changed in 100 years:

Home remedies make a comeback during the pandemic.
Home remedies make a comeback. Vicks has been used for over 100 years, and it still helps when you have congestion.

“Rub a layer of Vicks VapoRub on your chest and neck only. Drape a warm, dry cloth over your head while you’re sitting upright or standing. Loosen any clothing around your chest and throat so vapors can rise to your nose area. Repeat, if needed, up to three times in a 24-hour period.”

Vicks also relieves arthritis pain and muscle soreness. For me,  It works better than some of the newer , menthol based products.  It just smells a little bit stronger.

2. Chicken Noodle Soup.  My mother didn’t open a can.   The soup came in a package of dry mix.   To me, it was the best tasting chicken noodle soup in the world.  And it really helped. According to WebMd

“Chicken soup appears to help fight colds, according to several studies. It helps clear nasal congestion as well as thin mucus so you can better cough it up. In addition, research shows it may have a mild anti-inflammatory effect than can help ease symptoms”

3. Baking soda.  If you read Heloise in the daily newspaper, you know she recommends it  for many household tasks.  But we used it to relieve heartburn or soothe a canker sore.  We also  brushed our teeth with soda. .  While I keep toothpaste around, I still brush my teeth with baking soda  at least once per day.  And, I still have my own teeth, with only two fillings.  I recommended it to a friend, who said it cured her gingivitis.

4. Neti pots.  Were used in ancient yoga practice thousands of years ago.  They came back into popular use around 1972.    Scientists say that the nasal wash is an effective way to relieve sinus discomfort.   When using the neti pot, patients become less reliant on medication.  I don’t use a neti pot all year long, but it’s a godsend when my spring and fall allergies kick up.  And during the winter, when the air is so dry, I’m apt to use it every day to prevent colds and sinus infections.

When the pandemic is over, the doctor’s offices will once again fill up with coughing, sneezing patients.  In the meantime, you may want to fall back on these four old fashioned home remedies.

A TASTE OF HONEY HELPS YOU SLEEP

Doctors have coined a new phrase called Covid-Somnia.  Many folks aren’t sleeping as well as they did before the pandemic.  They have a hard  time falling  to sleep, and they’re waking up more in the middle of the night.  Worries keep them awake.  Will I get the virus?  When will the lockdown end? What will I do when the money runs out?  And now,  election 2020  has added to the  anxiety.  Was the election stolen?  Will my vote mean anything in the future?  Consequently, there’s an increased demand for sleeping pills, but they really don’t help long term. You might try some alternative remedies.  As an example, it’s been found that a taste of honey helps you sleep.

According to doctors, Here’s how honey helps you sleep:

1. It provides  fuel for your brain throughout the night by restocking your liver’s glycogen. Low levels of glycogen tell your brain that you need to eat . This “hunger” can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night and sleep less soundly.

2.  Honey helps your brain release melatonin, the hormone that your body uses to restore itself during sleep. This happens through a series of transformations in your brain: honey’s sugars spike your insulin levels, releasing tryptophan, which becomes serotonin, which becomes melatonin.

A tasste of honey helps you sleep because it has serotonin
A taste of honey helps you sleep. It feeds your brain with relaxing serotonin.

Yes, honey increases the brain’s natural sedative,  serotonin– a hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings of well being, and happiness.  Honey is inexpensive, compared to sleeping pills.  It’s not habit forming, and it doesn’t lead to a typical “drug hangover,” that leaves you feeling sluggish. However , honey has calories—about 20 per teaspoon.  So you don’t want to go overboard.

Honey has been a game changer for me. I started by by taking  one teaspoon of honey in my afternoon tea.  Then , right before bedtime,   another teaspoon. After a couple of nights, I realized I was sleeping later in the morning than usual.  And if I did wake  in the middle of the night, I could easily get back to sleep.

Honey can also help you sleep if you have a cough.   The Mayo Clinic says it works just as well as a cough suppressant.

Why not try a taste of honey?  It may help you sleep.

HURRY IF YOU LOVE AMARYLLIS

Has anyone ever sent you an Amaryllis plant for Christmas? If they did, you may have gotten hooked. There’s something miraculous about watching the leaves shooting up, inch by inch. After four to six weeks, a fresh bud emerges, and finally, after a few days, bursts into a glorious trumpet-shaped flower. The white, red or pink blossoms lift your spirits and help you through gloomy winter days. If you order the plants online, they’re fairly expensive. But during November and December, you can buy them for under $10 at grocery and home improvement stores. Hurry if you love magical amaryllis. Because by January they’re gone.

Amaryllis plants are sold as kits, complete with pot, bulb and soil. Once watered, they bloom within 6 to 8 weeks. They make wonderful gifts that the recipient can enjoy for weeks, and think of you.

Why would you want several? Because they give you hope on dreary days as you watch them grow, inch by inch. I have scads of the bulbs by now, and I plant them in stages , so that I always have one or two coming up all through the winter, and into early spring. It’s also fun to plant two or three in one pot, which makes a beautiful show when they finally flower.

HURRY IF YOU LOVE AMARYLLIS. rIGHT NOW THEY'RE INEXPENSIVE
Hurry if you love amaryllis. Right now, they’re very inexpensive.

Now, here’s the best part. Once the plant has bloomed, it will flower again next year if you store it correctly.  If you think that sounds like too much work, it really isn’t. Here’s what you do:

Snip off the flower after it blooms. After that, the leaves will keep growing in that same pot,  When it gets warm you can  move the plant outside for a few months. In early fall, cut off the leaves and remove the bulb from the pot, roots and all. Then,  wrap the bulbs in newspaper, put them in a brown paper bag, and leave them in a cool dark spot until the following winter. This is called the dormant period, and it’s important. I usually label them as to color and size, so I can plant more than one of the same type in one pot.

Around the middle of November, I start  by  planting the bulbs in fresh potting soil. You might want to trim the roots. Just plant them heads up, and when you want the process to begin and unfold, soak them with water and give them some bright sunlight during the day. Water lightly once a week. Then watch the magic begin.

Amaryllis started appearing in stores last week. Hurry if you love Amaryllis. These bargains won’t be around for long.

ARE DIGITAL COUPONS FOR DUMMIES?

Are you confused by digital coupons?  Are they worth the bother?  I guess it depends on your motivation to save money.    Navigating  the logistics of digital coupons presents a unique challenge.   If you  decide to get in the game, you’ll need technical skills, patience, and good reading ability.  It’s easier if you start with the ads in the Sunday paper, but if you have the time, you can download the ads on your computer or smart phone.   But are digital coupons for dummies? 

I didn’t used to be much of a coupon person.  In the old days, people got coupons in newspapers and magazines. .  My then mother-in-law was a coupon junkie.  Her cupboards were loaded with strange or  unappetizing products which she’d acquired by use of coupons. She knew to the penny, and was proud to say , how much she  had saved. .  She arrived at this figure by adding up the value of all the  coupons she had redeemed. . Never mind that she had bought overpriced products that she seldom consumed. .  To her, it was the bottom line that mattered

However, I saw things differently.   It seemed to me that clipping and redeeming coupons wasn’t worth the effort.

Then, along came the covid-19 pandemic.  Now, I was looking for  ways to pass the time while socially isolated. . Unfortunately, newspapers have become less interesting. They’ve cut staff , so there isn’t much” hard news“.  And what’s there  is slanted according to the bias of the editorial staff.  They’re printing more “ soft news” in  what we used to call fillers—long, two and three page human interest  stories devoted to animals, diseases and causes.  Pretty dull stuff.

Are digital coupons for dummies? You have to have some tech skills to use them.
Are digital coupons for dummies? You have to have patience and tech skills to use them.

So, there I am on a Sunday morning, desperately seeking some entertainment from the morning newspaper.  Comics and sports pages really don’t do it.  Suddenly,, the pharmacy  and supermarket pages  draw my interest.  It’s a challenge to sift through the various offers.  If you buy five of this or that, there’s a dollar to be saved.  Then, there’s BOGO (buy one get one free). And finally, the most complex offer of all, digital coupons.

Digital coupons aren’t for the time limited  or technologically unskilled person.  You’ll need to log in to the store’s  website with your email address, and then create a password which you will quickly forget.  With a sinking heart, you know you’re now on their list.  You’ll be getting emails from them  ad infinitum. Anyway, put on your  glasses and scroll through the digital coupon offers.  Read the fine print. Often, it says you must buy two, five, or nine of the product in order to save a dollar or less.

When you get to the store, you forget exactly what the offer entailed.  If you ask the checkout clerk why the coupon didn’t download on your rewards card or pin, it’s because you had to buy more than one. Or the offer ended yesterday.  Now , you have a  choice. Turn it back in—looking like a cheapskate—or pay the full price.  It’s just one of the tricks of the trade

Buyer Beware: digital coupons are not for dummies

5 GOOD THINGS YOU’LL REMEMBER

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a stressful time.  Fear of contracting the virus, combined with social isolation,  is a universal problem.  But each age has had their own stress.  Parents with children out of school report the most.  However, it’s also difficult for the elderly who face long, lonely hours without seeing their loved ones. But when it’s all over,  there are 5 good things you’ll remember about the lockdown..

Coid has relieved air pollution in major cities.
5 good things you’ll remember after the pandemic include  reduced pollution, giving us cleaner air,
  1. Cleaner air.   It’s estimated the pandemic lockdown has taken about 80% of passenger cars off local roads. Resulting in  a 31% reduction in air pollution compared to the same time frame last year.  Before-after-photos show less-air-pollution during the pandemic. According to the NIH, “air pollution is considered as the major environmental risk factor in the incidence and progression of some diseases such as asthma, lung cancer, ventricular hypertrophy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, psychological complications, autism, retinopathy, fetal growth, and low birth weight. “

2. Money Saved.  Many people have lost their jobs, so this isn’t a benefit enjoyed by everyone . But for seniors on a fixed income, and those  still employed,  they are  suddenly seeing their bank balance grow.  Let’s face it: when you’re not going anywhere or  buying new clothes, have stopped going to restaurants and taking vacations,  you’re saving a bundle of money.  And when this pandemic is over, people are going to spend that money like crazy.

3. Learning how to do your own hair.  Over the years, most everyone  has become dependent on others to cut and style their hair.  But when you’re afraid to go to a beauty salon,,  you have to take matters into your own hands.  I’ve learned to cut my own hair, and people tell me they like it better.   I’ll probably go back  to having it done, but it’s nice to know I can do it myself.

4. Discovering the joys of takeout and delivery..  Like everyone else, we enjoyed eating in restaurants before the pandemic.    We didn’t do takeout unless someone was sick.  But now, we’ve learned to appreciate take out and delivery—especially the smaller restaurants where we wouldn’t have considered going  before.  Seafood, burgers, ethnic food….we’ve tried them all.   We don’t have to dress up or drive after dark, or wait too long for service..  Yes, I still dream of returning to our old favorite restaurants.  But we’ll be doing a lot more take out than we did before the pandemic.

5. Fewer sick days, due to healthier habits.  My husband and I have gone seven months without a  bout of diarrhea or respiratory infection.   Because of masking, social isolation, and obsessive hand washing,  we’re  avoiding a lot of germs other than covid.-19.

I know that many are suffering from financial hardship right now.  I’m old enough to remember my own father too sick to work, and a husband losing a job during the recession.  But after the pandemic ends, we may have  5 good things to remember about  making it through the pandemic with faith in ourselves, and the loving support of others.

WARNING! SCANNERS MAY BE SCAMMERS

Have you ever noticed someone checking their receipts before leaving the grocery store? I stopped doing it a long time ago, because I trusted the clerks to scan items correctly. That’s all changed during this pandemic. Many of the clerks are new, and poorly trained. The seasoned ones are overwhelmed with the volume of food coming down the conveyor belt. Warning: scanners may be scammers.  Costly supermarket checkout  mistakes are becoming more frequent. 

It started last month.  My husband came home from the store and glanced at his receipt. It listed two cartons of ice cream. And yet, he’d only bought one. We looked in the car again, thinking maybe he actually had unwittingly picked up two cartons. But he hadn’t. It wasn’t really a big deal, but since I was going back to that same store the next day, I offered to try and get it corrected. Since we’ve been shopping there for over 30 years, they usually take my word for things.  However,  when I got to the business office , there were about 10 people waiting in line to cash checks, make returns, etc. It seemed like more trouble than it was worth for $4.00—especially with my arthritic knees. I shrugged, and chalked it up to experience.

A week later, at a different supermarket,  I bought one frozen dinner. When I got home, my receipt said I’d purchased two. I knew that was wrong, but again, it seemed like a lot of trouble to go back and make a complaint—especially since this is a newer store, where I’m not known.

during this pandemic, clerks are making mistakes at the checkout. Scanners may be scammers.
Warning: Scanners May be Scammers. Store clerks are overwhelmed during this pandemic, and making mistakes that cost you money

It happened again this week at yet a third superstore.  All the checkout lanes had long waiting lines. Everyone’s cart was loaded. No one goes to the supermarket to pick up a few things these days. They mask up, and grimly load up for the long term. The clerk seemed confused. She didn’t know the difference between a plantain and a banana, and she had to look it up.  Maybe she was new on the job.  I didn’t look at my receipt– just wanted to get out of there, since an unmasked man in the line was talking loudly. When I got home, I saw that she had scanned a carton of Kool Whip twice, and I’d only purchased one.

Are the clerks scanning one item twice on purpose? Of course not. They’re simply rushed, nervous, and often poorly trained. But now, I know better. This pandemic has left everyone confused.   Therefore, receipts should be checked—not inside the store while close to other people, but before  leaving the  parking lot.

Warning:  grocery store checkout mistakes are happening more often  during this pandemic.  Scanners may be scammers.

ONE DRAWER AT A TIME UNTIL ELECTION

We have about a month until the 2020 presidential election.  The country is polarized and people are on edge.  And to make things worse,  President Trump has just tested positive for Covid-19.   Won’t it be great when the election is over, and we can stop fretting about who will win? But, we still have a month of  social isolation until that happens. How do we keep our minds off politics between now and then? My solution is keeping busy with a project: decluttering one drawer, one day at a time, until the election. 

Just counted: I have 27 total drawers exclusively holding only my belongings.  : Bedroom dressers, eleven. . Bathroom vanity, seven. File cabinet, three. Desk, six.     When I run out of my own drawers, I can find plenty in the kitchen to take me through the next thirty days.

Sorting out  drawers is a formidable task.  There are so many small, miscellaneous items .  Today, I started with my top bathroom vanity.  Like most junk filled drawers, it is hard to separate the items into categories.

Ansious about the election? while away the time, one drawer at a time
Only a 30 days until the2020  election. While away the time by  decluttering  one drawer at a time.

Since my bathroom is also my plug in station, the  drawer is full of various wires and ports for recharging phones, kindle, hearing aids, TENS, MP3players, and therapeutic devices for my knees.  Those are keepers..  They stay, but they don’t occupy an entire drawer.  Other things were dispensable:  Tubes of old  cosmetic items , never used up: hair mousse, lipsticks,  creams and lotions; worn out nail boards.  You get it.  The list goes on and on.  I ended up with full bag of trash.   When finished, it still didn’t look like a Martha Stewart drawer, but least it’s not a jumbled up mess.

All of this is giving me a feeling of accomplishment, which is a mood booster.   What will you do to get through the next 30 days?  Just take it one drawer at a time.