By E.J. Smith

I hope everyone has had a great summer; fall is right around the corner. We see signs every day on our morning walk: leaves are turning, Queen Anne’s Lace is drying up, butterfly weed is gone until next spring. Summer keeps us busy though, doesn’t it? With all the summer activities going on in the area, no one should be bored. We have enjoyed the festivals, music shows, car shows and many more activities. Even going for a ride in these mountains is a treat!

We complain all the time about drug prices on the drugs that we need and depend on, don’t we? Some prescriptions are so expensive, you would have to be wealthy to afford them and then you might still run out of money. Over the counter drugs are just as costly. The preventive medicine I use to ward off sinus infections has gone up almost a dollar in the past few weeks. Soon, I will be unable to buy it. We may have to go back in time and use our mother’s and grandmother’s home remedies. Don’t laugh, most of them work, which is our subject for today.

A while back I had pain and a “stuffy” feeling in my ears and they itched constantly. After wasting money on ear cleaning kits and going to the doctor, I finally remembered the way my family treated these symptoms. Have you ever heard of EAR CANDLES? If you haven’t tried this, I highly recommend them. You can buy them at stores that sell homeopathic treatments and now, at some big box stores. I won’t go into how to use them, but I do know they work. You may need to ask the store associates how to use them; it’s a tiny bit tricky, since it involves lighting them. Don’t do it alone as you need someone to watch to keep the flame from getting too close to your skin. Or, you could use a mirror. They are truly worth whatever you pay for them, which should be no more than $5. I did the ear candle treatment two weeks ago and no longer have any problems with my ears hurting and itching. I do believe I hear better too!

We all have congestion sometimes, what with allergies, colds, and such. There are so many so called remedies in the store, it is almost impossible to decide which one will work for you. Here is one that works every time. My mother put water and a small dollop of Vicks Vapor Rub in a pot on the stove to boil. When it started boiling, she draped a towel over our heads, had us bend over the boiling pot (not too close!) and breath deeply to get the steam in our lungs. This one works too; I know because we did it many times as children.

Another remedy for colds and congestion is to rub Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottoms of your clean feet and put socks on and sleep in them. In the morning, remove your socks and wash your feet to remove the medicine. My mother did this every time my daughter got a cold and it worked every time.

Bee stings are very painful and this remedy can stop the pain almost before it starts. If you are stung, especially by a yellow jacket, as fast as you can, mix a bit of baking soda into a paste with a splash of water. Apply immediately to the stinging area and the pain and itching will stop right then. Tried and true. We know it works!

What burns your biscuits? You know, those little things that aggravate us to distraction and cause us to say words and make actions we really don’t want to. Please let us know at burnsmybiscuit@gmail.com and maybe we can help you find a better way to deal with such little annoyances. Or you could share ways that you deal with them that won’t make us into nasty talking, angry humans.

You are in my prayers.

E.J.