OneGuyFromBarlick

Thinking about self-medication..... We have almost completely forgotten that one of the best aids we have is the most common one in the kitchen. Cold water and salt! Good for just about everything including cleaning wounds and gargling to soothe your throat if it's sore.

I always use salt water to bathe any cuts or swollen eyes on the ponies, and for human sore throats. My mum always used milk to soothe irritated eyes. It works well!

I think that's what you could call an endorsement!

I remembered as I made my lemon, honey and hot water yesterday that when my beard was black we used to order a 'Whisky All In' at the pub. It was whisky, sugar, a slice of lemon and hot water. Perhaps today's tip is to add a drop of whisky and some cinnamon to my lemon and honey. Can't do any harm......

you could also add cloves, it then becomes an Irish hot whiskey

Indeed! And congratulations Bodge for the accurate spelling. I know I'm an old pedant but.........

Our family is in the middle of a learning curve.... It struck me this morning that the further you get along the road, the more old age becomes a matter of managing a strategic withdrawal! It pays to give thought to everything you do and make a risk assessment!

Not the nicest subject in the world but if you have a chesty cold you are safe as long as the product of coughing is light coloured and tastes salty. If it changes colour or tastes bad go to the doctor, you are almost certainly infected and this is something antibiotics can deal with. I know this because in my days of cigarette smoking I got very familiar with Bronchitis and learned how to identify it. That's why I gave fags up..... Getting older and more experienced can be handy at times!

Oyster sauce is something I have recently discovered. Not much oyster in it but it definitely improves stews!

Like how you went from phlegm to oyster sauce

Trust you Bodge to make that connection......
Thinking about Wendy, if you have flu let the fever take its course. Eat chicken soup with plenty of garlic and onions in it. Avoid dairy, you can't drink too much fruit juice. Old fashioned but effective!

Maz has corrected me, evidently my touching faith in the efficacy of fever is misplaced!
Today's tip. Before refilling the freezer bottom it to get rid of the old stock and defrost it!

No matter what pressures come in from outside, the normal processes of house maintenance have to be done. Putting the trash out, cooking and washing. These activities can be a valuable defence mechanism! At least, they are for me.....

I'd like to send a Household Tip to the manufacturers of LED light bulbs - get a move on and start making small 100W-equivalent LED bulbs. I've got single-bulb light fittings where the 60W-equivalent bulbs are too dim and the few 100W available are too big and I don't want to change the fittings.

If you put the frying pan on the hob on a high heat with water and Fairy liquid in to clean it, don't go upstairs and forget it! It takes half an hour to get the smoke out of the kitchen......

Did your smoke alarms go off?

Good question Ian and you remind me that I'm waiting for the fire service to get back to me about a new alarm in the hall downstairs. The one on the landing wasn't triggered because the door into the kitchen was closed and I caught it before it could be triggered. Action this day!

A good general rule from my old mate David Moore. "All we are entitled to in this life is a cup of tea and a good bowel movement first thing in the morning, everything else is a bonus!"

I have two general rules that tend to make for good health. The first is to never feed your pet anything you wouldn't eat yourself. That tends to cut down on vets bills! The second is that as you get older don't impose extra stress on yourself by cutting back on heating. Bite the bullet and look for savings elsewhere!

Don't economise on food either. Good grub is still cheap if you do your own cooking.....

Take time to talk to your grandchildren. They have a different view of the world and aren't sure if you will be interested. Mine constantly surprise me, they are far smarter than I was at that age!

Good coffee is worth the extra price if you can afford it. I am on Machu Picchu from Peru and it's a lovely taste.

One of the things I am learning at this late stage in my life is just how amazing my daughters are. I always knew they were good, sometimes worried privately about their choices and had all the usual hang-ups that parents have.... Now I am quite sure that they are wonderfully mature, caring adults and they are teaching me. So, if you have children, stop seeing them as kids and recognise that they are at least as good as you suspected!

Following on from my comment about my grandchildren. Yesterday, Harry the youngest and his live-in girl friend Maddie drove Janet to the hospital for her daily radiation treatment. Two of the others have bought their own houses and one has had my first great grandchild.... Could be time for a revision of my view of family!

I know this is blindingly obvious but in view of the number of people who have succumbed to the dreadful 'Just Eat!' campaign, the cheapest way of keeping warm in cold weather is a home made stew or soup. I used to follow the Scottish custom when I was eating in a cafe at an auction or on the road. crumble a small packet of digestive biscuits in a bowl of soup and put plenty of pepper in. Amazing how it could fill you and warm you up!