Check the freshness date

I do so wish I'd discovered that the Anchored Nomad blogger was seeking photos of refrigerators (and written inventories) from around the globe before the project expired on Friday. It would have been a good incentive to do just a little tidying up before telling my fridge to smile and say "Cheese".

There's something fascinating about staring into an open refrigerator. Of course, I am a woman of a certain age, and this is Texas, so coooolness is the main attraction.

It's entertaining, too, to watch other people stare into a refrigerator. Are they making mental shopping lists or imagining what new casserole they might invent? My youngest stares like he's waiting for a fully formed meal to spring forward like Athena from Zeus' forehead, then he eventually grabs a DP and the salsa. My middle son actually pulls out every fresh fruit and veggie, deli meats, cheese, and condiments to make something really yummy for himself. My oldest stands there holding an open book in one hand until he completely forgets about eating and goes back to reading.

Anchored Nomad's contributors have given us the opportunity to stare as long as we want into strangers' fridges wondering if they are the type who would drink straight out of the milk carton or what's the occasion for all that champagne. When I finally pull myself away, it's with regret that I couldn't see inside the freezer compartments, then study the magnets and calendars on the fridge doors, too.

Some of the refrigerators are so organized that they remind me of model appliance demonstration kitchens at the gas or electric company headquarters or the county extension office. Some really suggest cultural differences. None suggest that children or teens live in the homes. Obviously, none are from Texas, because there's not a can of Dr. Pepper to be seen!

And let me just add, I'm jealous of the librarian who got to catalog the Frigidaire Collection at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. What a cool job!


Also, in the what's-this-world-coming-to category, you can buy a retro 1950-look refrigerator with "21st century" technology inside for about four thousand dollars (free shipping, though). I'm not talking about the Sims game here.

My first house in Omaha had a genuine pink 1950 refrigerator as big as a tank with the freezer at the bottom. We called it Big Pink.