Monday, November 5, 2007

I am so thankful...

Friday night Mac and I were talking about our childhoods and the illnesses we had and especially our tonsils. I had tonsilitis at least four times a year, and I'm not talking a little sore throat, I'm talking "can't swallow spit" sore. It seems like one of those really really bad ones always hit when I was spending the summer at my grandparents. I don't know how long this tradition I'm about to impart had gone on before, but I'm telling you, if you had a sore throat, you didn't want to breathe a word of it in front of my grandmother. The first time....
my throat was so sore that I'm sure the inflammation came through my skin and showed on the outside. When I say I couldn't swallow spit, I mean it. My grandmother looked at me trying to sip water and eyes narrowing, she said "throat sore?" I nodded and she immediately went into the cabinet over the stove and took down this big purple bottle. From a mason jar, she removed a large long handled swab. "Open your mouth and let me look," she said. Not expecting anything other than a visual inspection of my swollen tonsils, I innocently opened wide. The next thing I knew my throat was thoroughly mopped with Gentian Violet, the purple medicine in the bottle that if I'm not mistaken, was also called Horse Remedy. The taste was bitter and strong and dyed your mouth and teeth for a day or two. The taste lasted much longer. Now whether or not it was a coincidence, sure enough within a day or two, I could once again swallow my own spit and take a little soup. For years if I heard anyone being asked "is your throat sore?" I would be standing behind my grandmother, eyes wide and shoulders drawn up to indicate danger while violently shaking my head to indicate to the victim to deny any problem with their throat. No one has ever been so happy to say farewell to a part of their body as I was to bid adeiu to my tonsils. Remind me to tell you about the turpentine on sugar treatment. It's a wonder I'm alive to tell the tale.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh Sandi and I thought the peppermint and whisky dad made was bad. Now I make it each year and we sip it. I even give it to my dog with a cough lol.

Mary said...

Oh Sandi I'm very surprised that you are still here!!

Abbie said...

ewww! That's so gross.
Nothing like grandma's home remedy.

Justabeachkat said...

Good Golly Miss Molly! Just your description of it made me gag! You're a real survivor!

Hugs!
Kat

Adla said...

Goodness me Sandi, our grandmothers sound alike. My grandma loves medication to the core. Always trying new herbal vitamins and so forth. One day seeing that I was a bit low on energy, she decided to force feed me one of her vitamin boosters. Unknowingly she had taken the wrong bottle and given me TWO tablespoons of eucalyptus essential oil instead. It sure did taste funny and I was oblivious to it all then and I asked her if that's how super bitter it was meant to taste, She then checked the bottle and realized it was the wrong thing she had given me and ofcourse the PANIC began. Frantically brought me to the doctor to resolve the matter :) Such Loving Grandmas.
Cheers , Adla

Anonymous said...

Hi Sandi, some great news from across the miles...you are the winner of our Cup Sweep/Giveaway!! It was a tight finish but your wonderful horse Efficient won the 2007 Melbourne Cup!!Congratulations!! On Saturday on our Blog we will post what you have won! In the meantime can you email us the address to post it to? There is a little email me bird on our Blog on the sidebar! Well done! Jenn and Jacqui

Carol said...

turpentine on sugar !!!!
please hurry up and tell the tale.
xx