Our neighbourhood grocery store is truly a thing to behold: it has every foodstuff that you could possibly desire, and then some. Every time I walk into this store, I look around at all the beautiful, colourful produce and marvel at how blessed we are to have a place like this mere steps from our home. Every single time.

About 20 years ago -- longer, maybe -- I remember reading a story about a woman who had defected from the former Soviet Union as a mail order bride. The story was a fluff piece in some newsstand rag, describing how this woman was adjusting to her new life in the United States, married to a man she barely knew. She was, as you might imagine, homesick for the family she'd left behind; however, the article described how her face lit up when asked what she liked most about the United States.

'The food shopping!' she gushed. And the article was accompanied by a snapshot she'd taken and sent to her parents, showing her with her head thrown back in apparent ecstacy, while standing in front of stacks and stacks of snackfood in her local supermarket.

I remember how I felt looking at that picture: at the time, it seemed so odd that someone would get so excited about groceries. It was strange even for someone like me, who came from a small island in the Caribbean.

Now, in the grand scheme of things, Trinidad is hardly a destitute country: its natural gas reserves ensure this. Still, it doesn't have the monolithic supermarkets that are so common in the United States. Shortages of foodstuffs aren't unusual, and certain produce, even if locally grown, is only available 'in season.' There is plenty, but as I learned when we returned to Trinidad to live in 2005, you learned to make do with what was available at any given time.

Since returning to America eight months ago, however, I find myself somewhat breathless at the overload that is available in American supermarkets. Every time I enter our local store, I shake my head in wonder at how items like apples, and grapes, and limes -- LIMES! -- are available to me at any time of the year, no matter what. Every single time, I think about the young woman in that article, and for a brief moment, know exactly how she must have felt in that snackfoods aisle. And I feel a pang of ... what is it ... guilt, maybe? ... for being so completely spoiled.

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On a lighter note (and speaking of being spoiled), the lovely Stephanie of Cool People I Know honoured me today by telling me that she'd nominated me for Best Photography Blog in the 2008 Bloggers Choice Awards. Thank you so much, Stephanie, you absolutely made my night.

Because I'm so proud, I've added a little 'I was nominated' button to my 'about' page, as well as to this page, below. If you're so inclined, please feel free to click on it and vote for me. If you're not so inclined, then please don't -- because really, really, truly, it's an honour just to be nominated.