Mommy, I have the sniffles

I caught a cold.

Blame it on the cold-then-warm January weather, the fact that I can't resist hugging friends even when they're sick, or the suspicious commonality that my boyfriend Mark got the sniffles at exactly the same time I did. Who gave it to whom? Who knows?! Either way, the two of us have been nose-blowing comrades all weekend.

Misery does indeed love company. I tend to get bummed out when I'm sick (does that happen to you?), but Mark's companionship has definitely lifted my spirits -- much like Sally's care used to.

When I was sick as a kid, my mom used to stay home from work to take care of me. She would always make Lipton's Chicken Noodle Soup. I know it's just a package, but it really tasted so good just because she made it.

Since the soup wouldn't be the same without her, this weekend I made my own version of mom's meals. I ordered in Chinese food (a favorite meal from Sally's kitchen, as explained in a previous post) and tried to cure my cold with Hot & Sour Soup. I drank mug after mug of tea, not Lemon Soother (her favorite) but some of my favorites: Raspberry Ginger, Indian Chai, Hibiscus. And today I made a huge pot of hearty, soul-warming Turkey Corn Chili (see the Rachael Ray recipe here). Chili is actually a favorite from Bill's kitchen -- my dad.

Now I'm off to finish watching Pirates of the Caribbean 2, take a big shot of Nyquil, and snuggle up to Mr. Sniffles (aka Mark). Wish us a speedy recovery!