Will Spring Ever Spring?

Just when you thought it was safe to put away your snow shovel and stash your car’s windshield scraper—WHAMMO!—another big snow storm hit. To most of us, this winter seems longer, snowier, and colder than ever before.

After yesterday’s big snowfall, I grabbed my trusty blue shovel. The snow was pretty light and fluffy, so I thought I’d be fine tackling the job on my own. And I was cruising right along, making quick work of the task when the blade of my shovel suddenly stopped short as it slammed against a big crack in my pavement. The jolt of the blow seemed to travel right up my arm and right down my back. Lucky for me, a neighbor saw me taking a break and took pity on me. He and his sons brought their own shovels over, and just like that, the job was done.

As for me, I went inside, tenderly removed my winter gear, and headed to the kitchen to whip up some sore muscle magic.

Here’s how you can make a little magic of your own, with ingredients you probably already have on hand:

Mix 1 tablespoon of petroleum jelly with 6 drops of peppermint oil in a small bowl, and put it in a larger bowl of warm water. Soak a towel in warm (not hot!) tap water, wring it out, and drape it over the sore spot. Leave it in place for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove the towel and massage the oil/jelly mixture into your skin.

Now that my pain has subsided, I’m hoping for the snow to melt so I can see the early crocuses pushing up through the ground. And then I can start thinking about patching that crack in my driveway, too!