Lagniappe

In New Orleans, lagniappe (pronounced lan-yap) means a bit of unexpected good fortune. Though they probably don't get many snow days in New Orleans, a snow day is as good an example of lagniappe as anything.

There's nothing quite like waiting for a snow day, and I must say that as a teacher I enjoy them almost as much as I did when I was a kid. It's like a little bonus vacation, and everyone needs one of them now and again. The uncertainty is part of the excitement of it all. You go to bed not knowing what the morning will bring. Being a 3 school family we have to check multiple web sites to be sure we have all the information, but it's kind of a routine by now.