Everything's coming up roses

I wish that I had a voice like Ethel Merman and could belt it out from my terrace to the probable horror and dismay of my neighbours… You know, her revered performance from Gypsy, which you can find here: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifwxqw5ldhe~T3
(just select “Everything’s coming up roses” then you can let it rip and continue reading at the same time!)
Indeed, Sheba and I are now enjoying a beautiful canopy of roses that are perfuming my office today (see close-up), and more are on the way elsewhere in the garden.
I currently have numerous blog texts in mind:

The Madame Butterfly Manifesto inspired by my unforgettable visit to the Dijon opera this past Sunday and the heart-wrenching lead performance by Marie-Paule Dotti, with a fantastic seat enjoyed for free thanks to my friend, opera singer Eric Demarteau;
The Quest for the Perfect Paris Brest (it’s a pastry, people, so get your mind out of the gutter!) most of the detailed research for which, hélas, was lost when my old laptop died, although it is still visible on my hips and thighs…
A worshipful tribute to food writer Jeffrey Steingarten and an equally reverential homage to Down With Love…

But unfortunately, due to the colossal amounts of the estimates mentioned in Size Does Matter, I’m having to work my poor fingers to the bone right now instead of regaling you with attempts at wit, irony or even accolades.
In the immortal words of Arnold S, however: I’ll be back.