answers and a memory

 First the answers to yesterday's Valentines quiz:

1. most popular flower - rose

2. Cupid's father - Mars

3. Cupid's mother -Venus

4. amount spent on Valentine's day in 2023.  None of the choices given were actually correct so I decided to give an up to date answer.  27.5 billion dollars were spent on Valentines Day gifts, etc. in 2025.

5. most popular Valentines Day activity - going out to dinner

6. classic Valentine's Day gift - chocolate

7. the USA produces the most chocolate for Valentine's Day

8. the meaning of XOXO - hugs and kisses

9. Valentine's Day originated in Italy.

10.  Teachers receive the most Valentine gifts

And that is quite enough about Valentine's Day, except to share one of my most embarrassing moments.  When I was in 8th grade, already 5'9" tall and less than graceful, my teacher, at our little parochial school, brought a sheet cake pan of bright red anise candy to school as a special treat for all of us students in the class.  He had the candy sitting on the corner of his desk and had promised to share it with us after lunch.  During a study time, I walked up to his desk to ask a question and bumped that pan of candy which fell to the floor and shattered into at least a million little pieces.  I really don't know how it happened.  At that point my face was as red as the candy.  I was mortified (and obviously not very popular with my classmates).  My dear long-suffering teacher, who I did like very much, just sadly shook his head and said "Get a broom and sweep it up."

He did not act at all surprised.  He had, after all, been teaching 8th graders for a long, long time.