Crazy Stable

Nothing like a lush front lawn.  Here are two of our favorite amphibious homebodies, Ray the Reclusive and his cousin Ralph, now appearing at the American Museum of Natural History in "Frogs: A Chorus of Colors."  These are Golden Mantella Frogs; you can see other cool species that sound as if they hail from the Archie McPhee catalog, including Vietnamese Mossy Frogs, Mexican Dumpy Frogs, and Waxy Monkey Frogs. The exhibit, which just reopened for a return engagement, is on until September 9.

Speaking of mossy, yesterday morning we had to move the washing machine out to make way for a new one...it was, of course, pretty scary under there. I could tell the delivery guys were wondering why we were bothering to clean the footprint, since they were just going to put a new one over the slime/sludge anyway. Now that there's a new washer, dryer, and fridge, I feel as if I should be standing around in pearls and a perky Fifties housecoat, pointing to my Modern Appliances.

And speaking of Modern Appliances, there was one final (I hope) death in the Great Die-Off. Last night, about to whip cream for strawberry shortcake, I plugged in my Holy Ancient Handheld Mixer...the one so old my grandmother allegedly used it (and she died in 1958), the one whose plug I replaced and whose solid metal body is speckled with a Pollock-like frieze of every cake I've ever baked. Upon being plugged in, a rocket of sparks shot out of the wall, and the circuit-breaker tripped. (The same circuit-breaker that governs the dead washing machine next door in the laundry room. Coincidence? I don't think so! This may be how they communicate--through the electrical system!) Time to retire this noble instrument and go for a KitchenAid--handheld, not standing, I think. But I want to frame the Holy Ancient One in a shadowbox like a display of regimental regalia in an officers' lounge, its beaters crossed beneath it. Spouse says this is nuts. Actually, he said, quote, "Tell it to the blog." Hmm...the first signs of familial houseblog fatigue (FHF) syndrome?