I Caught A Cold And I Hate It!!

I caught a cold and I am miserable. This is the reason that I am a weirdo when I go out in public. I don't like touching door handles, credit card machines or any other commonly used public surfaces. If I have to touch something, I always sanitize my hands. I hate getting sick! Apparently, I haven't been as careful with my 20-month-old son, Riley. Sometimes I forget to wash his hands. He's so cute that I just don't think of him as dirty, yet he often puts his hands in his mouth and sometimes mine. He is at the age where he touches everything and I need to remember that. I'm pretty sure this cold started with him.

Last week, Riley had a fever for two days with no other symptoms. I took him to the doctor but he didn't find anything wrong with him. I thought it might be because of the four teeth he has coming in. After the fever went away, he got a mild cough and runny nose for a couple days; nothing too severe though. Then, my 5-year-old daughter got a fever and cough but her nose was fine. After that, my 14-year-old son started in with sneezing and a really bad runny nose. He gets seasonal allergies so I thought he was having an allergy attack. He didn't get any fever that I'm aware of, but his runny nose has cleared up. Then I started in. I had the same sneezing, runny nose attack as my son that I thought might be allergies as well. But when I was chilled and couldn't get warm a couple nights ago, I realized that I probably had a fever. I had a slight headache as well so I took some ibuprofen. My nose has been running non-stop for almost three days now. It's driving me crazy and making me grumpy! My nose is so sore it hurts to wipe it. I haven't had any more fevers but I have had a slight headache that is annoying me and won't go away. Avoiding all of this annoying sickness crap is what being a germaphobe is all about. I am definitely going to be more careful about sanitizing Riley's hands from now on. 

My Garden

I finally finished planting my garden last Monday. It has been so cold and rainy here, I haven't been able to get any seeds planted. I started last Friday since the weather had been dry for a couple days. I planted six rows of corn and some serrano peppers for my husband before it started raining again. I was in Salt Lake City all day Saturday, so I finished planting on Monday since the weather was dry again. This is only my second garden ever. I actually enjoy going outside and working in the dirt. I just make sure to wash my hands thoroughly when I am done, including under my fingernails. This year, I'm growing sweet corn, blue corn, red potatoes, carrots, spaghetti squash, zucchini, pumpkins, tomatoes, lettuce, serrano peppers and jalapeno peppers (my husband likes to torture himself with the hot stuff). I also planted strawberries in my flower bed. Last year I planted watermelon seeds but, like this year, it was cold and rainy well into June. Watermelon needs heat and sunlight (which I didn't know last year) so it didn't come up at all. I am going to try again this year, so I'm waiting for warm weather before I plant those seeds. Again, I am a total amatuer at this. I'm learning as I go. I will be happy with whatever survives and provides me with food. At least I won't have to worry about recalls due to e-coli or salmonella contamination on the food I grow.

Washing Fresh Fruit & Vegetables

Is it really necessary to wash fresh fruit and vegetables? My advice is: better safe than sorry. You not only need to remove any germs, but pesticides as well. Should they be washed with soap, some kind of vegetable wash or just plain water? According to an article in USA Today, chlorinated water kills many of the bacteria and viruses that may be on fruit and vegetables. They recommend soaking them in a gallon of cold water with 1/2 teaspoon of bleach for about 10 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly. Personally, I use water with just a drop of dish soap and rinse thoroughly. I wash fruit like apples or pears under running water with a drop of soap that I rub all over it with my hands. Other things like broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries and grapes, I put in a bowl of water, add a drop or two of soap and swish it around with my hand. Then I put them in a strainer and rinse well. I, personally, have not had any problems so far using this method. That, of course, is not a guarantee. Don't forget about bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe or other items that are peeled or cut. You still have to handle them or cut through the outside and you don't want to spread germs or pesticides on the outside to the fruit on the inside. You can also wash fruit and vegetables with a produce wash. They can be purchased or made at home. It's best to avoid pre-packaged or pre-cut fruit and vegetables. There have been several recalls of these types of products in recent years. They seem to be at a higher risk of contamination and because they are supposedly "pre-washed" they are usually consumed without being washed at home. Again, I strongly recommend to grow whatever you can on your own and buy local as much as possible.