Well Happy Mother’s Day to any moms who might be reading this. Today I plan to list the contents of my refrigerator. Here goes:

Bag of milk
Bowl of Pipian—it’s in the squash family
Bag of Reeses Eggs from Easter (they melt quickly outside the fridge)
Bag of Trail Mix (it has chocolate bits and also melts)
2 eggs
5 bottles of purified water
Gallo Pinto (about 4 servings left in the pot)
Cuajada (nica cheese that goes with everything)
Pineapple ($.50)
1 Guayabana (I call it the “Cloud Fruit”)
Fresh Basil
Half stick of Butter
Baking Soda

Both yesterday and today first thing in the morning, I needed something from the store. Yesterday it was milk—mine had gone bad. I blame the cat. This morning I needed oatmeal and a new jug of purified water. Honestly, I got up, pulled my hair back, put on a hat, and walked to the store. I did not wear my pajamas but I easily could have. Everyone is up and about in the morning getting corn ground at the mill, bringing fresh milk to the collection center, sweeping their patios. At this point, I’ve know the faces of the people around town and they know me. With each one there is some greeting or brief exchange, “Good Morning. How’d you wake up? Looks like rain, no? How old is your kid again? What time is the baseball game today? Your cat sure is cute. So, you’re back from Costa Rica. Hey, look at that dog. Yep, Sunday. Nice day.” We tend to state the obvious here. But compared to Chicago—a wonderful, lovely city where I could walk around for a whole day and never see a familiar face nor greet another pedestrian or neighbor—it’s nice. People smile so much more.