In sickness...

Glowsticks. And children. In case you were wondering. New Year's Eve was sparklers and glowsticks, and walking up to the top of the hill to watch the fireworks, which started on the stroke of midnight from the town hall clock. There have been days of fun with our normally distant but most beloved relatives, walks and swimming and hours of boardgames... and throwing up.

Our guests were mortified to have brought a nasty tummy bug with them across Bass Strait, but I reassured them with the tale of the time we were The World's Worst House Guests. It was after my grandmother's funeral, and just after The Man had stepped onto the plane to continue a business trip, that Posy, then a baby, started to throw up at my brother's house. She threw up all night, and used up all my sister-in-law's towels. Then the other children started in...

The next day my poor brother and sister-in-law joined them. I spent the day disinfecting the bathroom and washing towels, feeling just terrible about making them ill, then drove the children to my mum and dad's house, and got there just in time to spend the next two days in bed. Oh the bliss to be ill at your mum's house, and have her look after the children!

It was then I discovered my grandpa was in hospital on an IV drip, with gastro, transferred, no doubt, by loving hugs from his great-grandchildren at the funeral. Thankfully, he made a good recovery, but it took some time for me to recover from the terrible guilt of having almost killed Grandpa at his own wife's funeral..

So anyway, a couple of twelve year olds throwing up? Nothing to worry about. However, when there's gastro about, eucalyptus oil is a girl's best friend. I always have a giant bottle of it on hand. Wash everything in hot water with eucalyptus oil in the fabric conditioner drawer of the machine. Put it in the mop bucket to wash the floors. Put it in a spray bottle with water and spray everything, especially the doorknobs. I'm pretty sure germs get downright discouraged at a whiff of eucalyptus oil. At least it makes you feel like you are doing something proactive anyway. Positive thinking probably kills germs too.

Our guests have departed for further Tassie adventures, no-one is ill, and after restocking in the milk and bread department, I'm going to see if we can survive until next week from the pantry and garden. If this seems like a low target to aim at, it is because we will be tripping along interstate then, for further family celebrations, which will be chiefly characterized by the COMPLETE health of all family members involved...