What A Nice, Nice Lady

Heads, Tails, We're Dancing

This is the most beautiful ballet I've seen since that all-boy performance of Swan Lake.

Das Eilend of Lost Toys

So in a few short weeks I'll be off to Germany, and what will I do there?

Well, talk about books a lot, but I will have a fun weekend, Berlin-Style, so hopefully I can find these toys to bring back for every for everyone on my Weihnachten List.

Apparently, they are designed as educational toys to teach about mental illness. Whether they're for children learning about illnesses or patients, I'm not clear. Either way, they're sure to provide me with hours of fun!

There's Dub, eine Schildkröten suffering from das Depression.

Kroko, eine Alligator with Gestaltzerfall. And a cute pillow!
My favorite though is this sweet slow Flusspferde. Lilo here has, according to the website, been focusing exclusively on this jigsaw puzzle for months now and has not been speaking to anyone. He needs meine Hilfen!
God Bless You, nutty Germans. I'm excited for all your toys.

Happy Happy Hippo

Now this here, this is a nice story.

Happy The Hippo was - irony alert - anything but. Much like Amber, when he lived in Washington, DC he was as glum as a goose. His mom had passed along, and he was living out his days in the hippo house all alone, and apparently afraid of people wearing hats. (Good thing he left DC before Aretha did the inauguration).



Happy-ly, he was relocated to Wisconsin - making the reverse trek our friend did - where he met a few lady hippos, including one he may breed with. 28 years later, he's a cheerful fellow.

My favorite part? Happy The Hippo literally gets a new dating pool. I mean, come on. This stuff just writes itself.

In Which A Crocodile Gets It Right In the Peppercorns

Here's life in the Animal Kingdom. They always say, Hippos kill more than all the other animals combined.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

And Then This Happened!

What a week! It was filled with Foreigners, Books, and some Friendship.

Also, some other stuff happened.

Mysteriously, my nephew met a pig.

Some kid in Texas - not my nephew - shot a gator.

I found these lovely Smiths embroidery thingamajigs

A pygmy hippo - or nijlpaard - was born in a Dutch zoo.


Oh, and I discovered this.

This Week In Hippos!

Now, if you know me at all you know I am dear friends with the Hippo. Hippos are my favorite, along with Sharks and Manatees. And Kitty Cats and Alligators and Shelley Winters.

One of my Signature Styles is Cute Small things in my house. For example, these nesting buddies I received as a gift many years ago. They still greet me each day and make me happy.



When I go on safari in Africa, I always like to see the Hippos, even though they're scary and not for swimming with. Here's a nice snap of some buddies in Botswana.


Recently, Doug sent me a link that he said would either Scare or Scar me. He's both right.



I don't think even Isabella Rossellini could do a better job.

I read this story in the paper recently with interest, but also sadness. I mean, I didn't really need ANOTHER reason to not like Escobar.



And finally, I was very happy to see that my nephew is carrying on the family tradition. Here he is on his Hungry Hungry Hippo ride-on toy.



Thanks Hippos, for all the Awesomeness!

CRD & Homecoming Hippos

Oh hai. It's me ALH. I iz guest-blogging fur CRD.

CRD is coming home today. Hooray! Yesterday, he blogged about how much he loves hippos. I had this great idea to decorate his apartment while he was gone with a total hippo-cuteness theme. Diana says CRD's signature style is already cute animals, so why not expand on that theme?

To start, I would replace his fig soap with lilac-scented hippo soap in the bathroom for bathing fun. Hippos love baths!


Next, I would replace his orange backpack with this hippo messenger bag which I find to be both stylish and hippo.


Then, I would crochet him a bunch of amigurumi using this pattern and place them around the house.

Finally, I would buy him this wrist cuff to put on to unwind after his long journey home.


Only, I woke up late and have to go to work. Sorry, CRD.