Husbands are funny creatures. They will, especially around other men, beat their chest and play at being macho men until the day that annual cold shows up. Suddenly they're quivering puddles of goo who demand coddling.

I don't know if I'm the only woman who dreads cold and flu season, but this time of year sends shivers of fear down my spine. Not because I'm afraid of getting sick myself - with my overactive immune system I hardly ever get a cold or the flu - but because I just KNOW the first sniffle, cough or sneeze my husband has is going to turn my quiet, well ordered life upside down for at least a week!

Those sad, puppy dog eyes, the "I'm dying" voice, the calls for asprins, cold meds and thermometers will ripple through the house at predictable intervals... namely, every time I ask him to do something...

Right now I have a musical trio in my bedroom. Both dogs are curled up next to my husband on MY side of the bed and they're joyfully snoring in 3 part harmony!

I think I'll just settle down on the sofa until this cold passes. It's the only quiet place left in the house...