Tonight now you will be gassy

Did she really say that? Yes, she did, with rose petals falling out of her mouth. We have frequent visitors here at residence #5, and as you know, many of them are children. After church this morning/afternoon I arrived at home earlier than Tommy and Wes, and was greeted by a whole slough of children—Suri, Prisca, Kindness, Marlise, Marian—all between the ages of 6 and 10. While we stood around chatting about church and airplanes and my name (pronounced Charlie, not Trarlie), Prisca pointed to one of our wild rose bushes and told me that you could eat the flowers. I only believed her after she had returned with her four other friends, chomping whole roses (see the picture), and smiling big to prove it. A little twisting of the arm, and soon I too was tasting rose buds with the kids. Not too bad, so I ate a little more with them, wondering if this was a manifestation of the hidden culinary protégé within me, or if I was just acting childish. Who cares. It was good—really good. And so was the experience, until Kindness said to me, roses falling out of her mouth, "Tonight now you will be gassy." Kindness, thank you. Really, thank you so much for not telling me this PRIOR to eating half our rose bush. So thus have I spent my Sunday afternoon a little anxious over what the rest of the night will bring. But the roses really were quite good.

Charlie