Confucius says�

As it turned out, Herr Doktor Professor was most understanding and even gave me a pat on the shoulder and I have ceased to agonize over my faux pas. I learned a new expression from one of my students, a maritimer, who remarked on the large fluffy flakes falling outside the vocal studio window, "Big flakes, little snow." This apparently means that large, fluffy flakes do not accumulate on the ground the way smaller flakes do. I had never considered this wisdom before. I shall be more observant in the future.

I am now convinced that I am allergic to my house. I was fine all day at school, but the instant, and I do mean the instant Hubby and I opened the door from the garage into the mudroom, I began sneezing. It could be that it�s time to get the vacuum cleaner fired up and wave a dust cloth around. Sorry, it�ll have to wait until after Friday night. I can�t risk a major dust storm in here until later. In the meantime, I think I shall try antihistamines for the next few days.

My blue jasmine (it�s not really a jasmine, but the flowers are jasmine-like without the delicious aroma) is flowering. I cut this plant back ages ago and it has bushed out in a wild manner. Suddenly I noticed flower buds all over, and there are actually a couple of blue blossoms opening up. The peace lily I repotted last summer is also flowering, as is my African violet. The hibiscus is still going at it, and the Christmas cactus will be joining in soon. I love it when my houseplants burst forth in bloom. It seems like an acknowledgement for all the care I put into them. I repotted the three cacti I bought at the biology sale into one pot and they seem quite happy there. When I was a university student I actually named my plants. I don�t do that anymore.

I leave you with a pearl of wisdom handed to me in another Shanghai II fortune cookie: Nothing is better than happiness, but a ham sandwich is better than nothing.

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