remedies for a Christmas cold

Maybe it's an early Christmas present!  I was home sick from work today in an effort to kick this thing quickly and be back in the office tomorrow...but at the end of the day, I'm just feeling worse.  Fortunately, the impending arrival of my beloved Walshies (including my awesome godson!) reminded me of one of their favorite remedies for a cold: the hot toddy.

I basically followed these directions here, and added a few cloves because, well...why the cuss wouldn't I?  I'm feeling optimistic about the effect the drink (in combination with the beyond-wonderful Damariscotta mug from my family) will have.

Have I ever waxed eloquent about Damariscotta pottery before?  It's a pretty huge part of my life.  It's an amazing pottery place in Maine that creates and hand-paints some of the happiest plates, bowls, mugs, and lamps you'll ever see in your life.  [If you don't understand how such inanimate objects can be "happy", then we need to have another conversation.]  Our family friends, the Eberharts, introduced it to my mom, and I've always known I wanted a house full of the pottery just like the Eberharts, and my own family.  In fact, when my parents' gift of four mugs came to our apartment, I told Will that I was happy to move anywhere, because those mugs were a sign of permanency and consistency.

That may be a lot to ask from four little mugs, but they'll have others to help them shoulder the burden soon, I hope!  Plus, they just look great with our french blue Le Creuset, and provide such a fun pop with our all-white dinnerware.  Hooray for whimsy.