for the health of your family

Villagers, in thickly padded coats, line the streets edging the markets. They stand in the slush, hawking their wares spread at their feet. Sometimes that may be as little as six or seven beets, a tiny pyramid of potatoes and some jars of home-made sauerkraut. Some bring their "home" eggs from their personal flocks, others bottles of home-made sour cream, farm cheese, and fresh milk.

Yesterday I succumbed to the temptation of "fresh milk for your family," and picked up a small bottle (a re-used "Fanta" bottle) of fresh milk for two hryvnia. Being raised on pasteurized, sanitized, governmentally officialized milk products, we offered the milk to Axel with slight trepidation--but not enough to make us take first sips beforehand. Axel assured me he liked it, drank it up and then asked for a second glass--of store-bought milk. This morning I had some with my meusli; other than a hint of Fanta orange, the milk is delicious. Not as thick as I had expected, and not altogether different from the store-bought milk.

Pyramids of eggs are offered by several stands at the market, white and brown, large and small. The first time I bought eggs, I had to ask how to get them home (imagining that residents had their own, special egg-carrying cases). Laughingly, the egg-selling grandma tore the 12x12 cardboard egg case in thirds, fashioning a 6-egg case from two pieces (top and bottom, no hinge). I've been carrying these two pieces of cardboard with me when I shop for eggs (which I haven't seen any one else here do...). Some vendors offer me a small, plastic bag to put them into, tying it tightly so that they're almost held together. Yesterday, the vendor tore off a length of cassette tape, wrapped it around my egg case several times, like a pastry box from Crixa's.