ALTER IDEM

You know, someone out there comes up with interesting names for common flowers. Names like 'Red-hot Cat's Tail', 'Queen's tears', 'Flaming Katy', 'Bleeding Heart',........ Most of you would have come across this flower. It is a very common border plant. But, did you know? It's called 'Bachelor's Button'!! Apparently, young men (in the west, of course!) wore these flowers on their shirts. If the flower faded quickly, it meant that the man's love was not returned. Very clever! Because, this flower does not fade quickly!! Think of THE woman... wear the flower... if it doesn't fade, approach her and confess.... is this how this is supposed to work?? Well... I'm unable to come up with any other logical explanation!! All along, I was under the impression that only giddy-headed young girls indulged in flowers & 'he-loves me, loves-me-not' sort of stuff! This flower here, is called 'B...

During my school days, for a brief period, we had a dog and a cat - a pup & a kitten, actually! Bumpy, the dog, treated the whole world like his long-lost buddy. That's why, he was given away to the very first person who asked if she could have him! Chinky, the cat, had to be put to sleep thanks to some incurable illness. After that, we had neither the time nor the inclination for pets..... A couple of months ago, I had been toying with the idea of adopting a pet to keep me company -- not any more.  It is so important to make a unanimous decision about the choice of the animal because all of us have to live peacefully in the same house!! And, our problem was precisely that! The choice of the animal!! Dogs---NO! With dogs, we (my husband & the rest of us) have exactly opposite attitudes. My husband thinks that dogs should NEVER be allowed inside the house and should be tied up most of the time, preferably in some far-out corner. The rest of us feel that a...