This particular visit was for something other than the usual wellness visit. Anni-Ming and I had both been doing the hacking bark-clogged faucet tango long enough. When Dr. Mark wrote "for thick gluey congestion, the following will bring an oozing flow", I already liked the sound of it. When "the following" turned out to be "1/2 C ginger, ½ C onion, 1/2C honey, 1tsp. red pepper, cook to syrup approximately ½ hour in double boiler ('does anyone still use a double boiler?' he mused) offer 1Tbsp. hourly, if flatly rejected, it makes a good marinade," I couldn't wait to get to the store for more ginger.

That night, as Anni-Ming finished her dinner, I stood at my usual cook station, a place I occupy for the lion's share of the day, madly chopping and tossing into the beautiful new saucepan I got for Christmas. I turned the burner on low, stirred a few times and took Anni-Ming back to her bedroom to get her ready for bed. Not five minutes later she began a violent coughing spasm. My heart sank, we'd both been so much better all day, did this portend another all-nighter? I headed for the kitchen to get my newly concocted cough syrup.

As I turned the corner of the hallway, I saw the thick, choking smoke, felt it envelope me as I ran for the stove to grab the burning cauldron. I strode to the window, but opening it fanned the smoke back into the room. I forced the pan between the childguards and set it on the window ledge, praying a strong wind wouldn't leave me with a manslaughter charge, slammed the window down and ran for the door.

In hopes of ventilating, I opened the door to the neighbor couple and their five (yes, five) children, all dressed up for a night's outing, now being blasted and stunk up by a deadly cloud of putrid pitch-colored smoke. I didn't stop to explain or apologize. I was laughing though, and that may have confirmed their suspicions of my being a practicing witch. How can I describe this smoke? It makes burnt toast smell like Chanel #5, it constricts the throat in such a way as to assure you that all your attempts to protect yourself from DDT, ADT and red dye #2 over the past ten years have been undone in an instant. It feels about as good for you as chewing asbestos.

Running down the hall to Anni-Ming's room, I open another window and sit her in front of it. "Stay here and breath this clean air, it will help your cough", I command as I run off to check the damage elsewhere.

"NO, NO! NO STAY HERE MAMA! NOOOOO!" I run back, hacking all the way, grab her and high-tail it to my bedroom, the area of most breathable air for the moment. I sit her down on my bed and open that window. It occurs to me that sitting in front of an open window in 45 degree weather with 20mph winds isn't the greatest thing for someone trying to beat the croup, but what are my options here?!