AT HOME WITH KAYLA PRICE 12/27: Vicks salve and other childhood memories

Vicks Salve and Other Childhood Memories

I recently had to use some Vicks VapoRub (Vicks salve as my mom always referred to it) on my husband’s chest.  A dryer-warmed towel was then placed over the Vicks to help it sink in.  He was tucked in for the night.  He said it helped break up his congestion.

Several months ago I learned that my sister hated it when our mom would use the Vicks salve and warmed towel (or one of our dad’s old undershirts) on our chests.  My sister told me that it was one thing she vowed she would never do when she got old enough to have her own house.

I was always a sick kid, so I had lots of Vicks salve treatments.  They always felt good.  It was the lemon juice, honey, whiskey which was heated up and then given to me to drink in order to stop my coughing that was my least desirable sick experience. Yuck!  It made the grape flavored (which did not taste like grapes) cough syrup that Dr. Hodges would prescribe seem like candy.

By the way, Vicks VapoRub is 125 years old.  It was originally named Vicks Croup and Pneumonia Salve, so I see why my mom would shorten it to Vicks salve.  To be honest, I kind of like the smell.

What I do remember declaring was that when I got my own house I would eat a baked pie shell, sans any filling.  My sister and I both loved the browned crust around pies even if we didn’t like the pie itself.  But, understandably, we weren’t allowed to just eat the crust off pies.

When I got my first home, I did purchase and bake a prepared frozen pie shell.  It tasted horrible!  Years after, I did the same thing, but with a homemade crust.  It had a much better taste!

Isn’t it funny that the experiences we have when we are little can create two very different responses:  Must do and will never do!  There really isn’t much I recall that I would say I will never do again.  It seems there are too many things that I wish I could have the chance to do again.