One day during the summer of 1993, I took off the lapis-lazuli signet ring I had inherited from my father, put it in the pocket of my skirt, and proceeded to pot up six tuberous begonias. An hour later, I reached into the pocket and there was no ring; it was gone. During that hour, I was working in the garden at the front of the house; over the next several days I damned near tore down the front porch and dug up the garden but the ring was really, truly gone.

Somehow, I just don't like tuberous begonias all that much any more.