When The Snuffel's Comes ta Our House.

    I hate it when 'the snuffles' come ta our house, its always uninvited.
Coughs an colds, with scratchy throats, an yer voice sounds like yer Daddy's, if ya have a voice a-tall!
    Aches an fever's, an poor noses rubbed raw from way to much a blowin, an chappy lips from breathin though yer mouth!
    Ugghh!!
    I hate it when the snuffles come ta our house, its always uninvited.

     I'm here ta tell ya, ain't none of that's the worst parts!

    The worst parts is, ya can't go out. An ya just know that's when the best times is ta be had out there!
     While yer a layin at one end a the couch, an yer sister's at the tother, not tryin ta kick each other when Momma ain't even lookin!

     Then ya take ta coughin, an yer chest hurt's just ta breath. That's when ya gets the 'treatment', an 'the croup tent', built round ya where ya lay.
    At first it ain't so bad when ya get slathered with the 'Vick's', yer neck gets rubbed an a warm sock wrapped around then safty pinned inta place. Next is yer back an chest, then ya stick yer flannel to it so's it don't move an wrinkle up. I hate it when the bottoms a yer feet gets slimmed an yer sock's stick like they been pasted on!
    A chairs brung close, a sheet draped over ever thang. Then Momma brings a hot pad an sets it on that chair. She lugs in a boilin pot o water an sets it there on top.
   While wipin her hands on her apron she warns ya, real firm like,
"Now, don't you touch that! The water's hot enough to scald you good, so don't you touch that pot!"  From the depths of her bulgin apron pocket, she produces that tub o 'Vick's', then scoops a couple big ol spoonfull's an drop's it in ta melt.
    "Now take nice big breath's and it will help clear out your breathing. It will also help to quiet your cough's and help you get some sleep."

    Sure enough, a couple good deep breath's have you almost chewin on the smell! Then purty soon, yer head's a lollin back, yer eye's is closed an you can breath.
    Yer Momma's pretty smart.
    When ya wake up, ya feel mostly better. The kickin each other starts an the sock around yer neck is itchin an rolled up.
    "Momma?! We're feelin better can we get up now?"
    "Not yet." Then she clears away the hospital wing that was created in the living room. "Just take it easy for a while, so you don't irritate your cough's."
    She brings colorin book's an homework, picture book's an sewing card's...so ya sit there, an ya sit there, then all the sudden, a string a coughs busts out yer mouth.
    Momma comes ta check ya, an the whole mess starts a fresh!
    Yep.
    I hate it when the snuffles come to our house, its always uninvited.

    May the snuffles miss ya and the good Lord Bless Ya!

 (c)