Thanks for the tips!
Nope, Tilmann, I haven't added or changed the parameters in the notifications, but what I have done, following a previous error message that said I had two notifications modules installed, was unmount the root notifications package so that I am left with the /dotlrn/notifications package -- which at that point two weeks ago worked, so I remember anyway.
Now I notice that it does not matter which forum I reply to I get the same error message indicating an error in a non non-existing forum. This leads me to think that the problem lies in the way the package was mounted, or as noted above, somehow double-mounted. This leads me to think that I might best backtrack, unmount /dotlrn/notifications and then remount it -- or should I remount the /notifications package? This follows the theory that you turn off the car, everybody gets out, then gets back in again, and you turn it on again. Other might there be other recommendations for surgery?