Where Do Dust Bunnies Come From?

Did you ever wonder where dust bunnies come from? I found myself thinking about it last time I looked under my bed while cleaning the apartment. Housecleaning chores the Brazilian way involve (in my case) using a broom and an implement called rodo, which looks like a giant squeegie. To these I add a super absorbent flour sack I bought for one real and a pail of water. I use the broom first and as I vigorously sweep the beautiful dark wood floors, the dust bunnies take flight and swirl in the air and gently land somewhere else. Meanwhile I try to anticipate where they're going to end up and position the broom to start again. A losing battle, hence the need for the wet rag wrapped around the rodo afterwards.

Here I must take a break and tell you about a dialog with a couple of friends yesterday morning. Every Saturday I eagerly partake of a Rio ritual, breakfast out. Sometimes it's at a dingy coffee bar at the market - which I actually prefer because I find it very democratic - other times at the fancy coffeehouse where I meet these oldtime buddies of mine. Anyway, they asked me what I missed most about the U.S. Funny they should ask, I said, because I had been thinking about this very subject and names like Dyson and Swiffer WetJet had sprung to mind. And now we can get back to dust bunnies. Once a month I take a break and surrender the task of getting rid of them to my cleaning lady who, if she ever saw what those American appliances can do (the asthma-friendly, never loses suction vacuum and the all-in-one mopping system), would doubt my sanity ever after.

This adorable fuzzy thing here is my friend Ellen's REAL bunny, Nibbles.