An Old Wives' Tale, a Rude Awakening and Probably the Best Cupcake in the World

Friday night I was looking forward to a really, really good night's sleep.
I had had two really bad ones in the run up to Mr U-t-B's surgery, and I was all alone for the night, what with him still in hospital at the time.  But blow me down, didn't the stupid cold that I have had hanging around for the last ten days or so turn to the most irritating and persistent, tickly cough, just to keep me awake long into the night I had planned as 
my 'catch-up' night.  Grrrr!

Only two weeks ago, I had been saying to my family (who were all here for lunch on the Bank Holiday Monday) that I had heard that rubbing Vick's VapoRub on the soles of your feet and donning socks overnight was a sure fire way to deal with night-time coughs, but that as I never, ever get colds, I hadn't had a chance to see if this was true.

Image coutesy of sublimeseaglass.wordpress.com - I love seaglass!

Less than twenty-four hours later, the cold virus claimed me 


(obviously my boastful statement had incurred his wrath)


but I wasn't wise enough to go and buy some Vick's straightaway. 

On Saturday, after the Friday night cough-a-thon, I did, and dutifully rubbed it into my feet when the coughing began at about nine-thirty.  A definite improvement, but I wasn't actually in bed yet (had to pick up Miss U-t-B from a party at ten-thirty).  I rubbed a bit more in before bedtime, and slept like a baby!

So that's the old wives' tale!  Admittedly my cough isn't really bad (it's just a cold), but I would recommend it (even though I can't abide to wear socks in bed!)


After a good night's slumber, I was a bit lazy getting out of bed on Sunday and was finally downstairs at eight forty-ish, halfway through making tea and toast for 'im-upstairs, when there was the sound of a speeding car, then the eerie sound of wheels not making contact with the ground and finally a sickeningly loud thud.


This is what happened right outside our next door neighbour's house.

View from our bedroom window - blue car the culprit

This one's in a bad way too - it bumped the white car, but that's not too badly damaged

Three cars written off, plus a fourth damaged, a bollard knocked down and tossed through the air into our neighbour's sitting room window (luckily it didn't break), but fortunately no-one badly injured.


Not even the drunk driver...


All I can say is it was a good thing it was a quiet Sunday morning, with nobody on the pavement.  Had it been a weekday, the pavement would have been busy with children on their way to the school where I teach, or the one Miss U-t-B went to.  Doesn't bear thinking about...


It was like a pyjama party out there (only without any food, drink, balloons or mirth!) with neighbours from five houses all out in their jimmy-jams and dressing gowns, waiting for the ambulance and the police. 

The paramedics checked the driver over, then he was taken away by the police.  
A bit of a dramatic start to the day...


Later on, Miss U-t-B and I went down to my parents' on a flying visit to see my cousin from Argentina, who we last saw five years ago.

Miss U-t-B with two of my cousins' children in 2006

My sister was there too, with yet more goodies to make sure Mr U-t-B doesn't fade away whilst he is recuperating...

Tiramisu Cupcakes 
from The Hummingbird Bakery's 'Cake Days' book.

...which you can get at a very reasonable price from 'The Book People' whose photo I have pinched...

These are seriously yummy - I am dribbling at the mere mention.  


Now I am off to tidy my sewing room, which got a bit untidy last week as we had a visitor for five nights.  I am feeling in the mood for new projects, so hopefully I will have something to show-and-tell soon!