My Christmas Eve disaster was looming. I was curled up in bed with a cramping stomach as my companion. What to do, what to do? I mustered up the strength to twist off the cap on my bottle of peppermint oil.  Not caring that it would sting a little if I used it straight, I rubbed a few drops on my agonized  tummy. After a while, I crept to the bathroom, and sat on the oh-so-comfortable laminate floor, sniffing the bottle. Much to my relief, I started to feel… better. After another few minutes, I returned to bed, a drop of peppermint on my hand, I fell right asleep, and…