“Yumi,” I said the other day, “look at the Hanafubuki.” Our dogwood tree was dropping its pinky white flowers resembling the Japanese ‘hanafubuki‘ of the sakura cherry tree blossoms.

She said in disgust, “I can no longer enjoy flowers showering down after how you say hanafubuki before blowing your nose.”

It has become something of a habit really. When I need to blow my nose, I say, “hanafubuki shitai, tisshu wa doko?” (I want to ‘hanafubuki.’ Where is the tissue?)

I guess when I think about it, it really does take something away from the beauty and transience of flowers falling, but it was a sight to see. (the flower hana, not the nose hana)