Yes, Iowa really is that small.

Mom is well settled into her new apartment at Prairie Vista. Is a beautiful two-bedroom, two- bath, end unit. She has the loveliest neighbors and is definitely in the honeymoon phase.

Here is a sampling of the connections she/we have discovered in her new home:

The fellow who popped up to me to let me know he knew me because he has coffee with my sister-in-law's father every Wednesday.

The front desk person has two grandchildren who go to school with Cruz, and would have been in school with Cash.

The wife of the driver who took Mom to an appointment last week is from Mom's home town in Northern Iowa. Two of his wife's cousins were in Mom's high school class.

The hair stylist who comes to cut and style hair each week found out Mom's name and said, "Oh my gosh, your grandson had the hugest crush on my daughter when he was in 4th grade. He would follow her all around."

And my favorite:

Mom and I were walking in the hallway and passed a woman we hadn't met before. We stopped to talk and after she heard my name, she said, "My daughter's name is also Jennifer, but there were so many of them in her class she gave herself her own nickname when she was young."

"What name?" we asked.

"Jinx."

Well, I've known one Jinx in my life, and it's the wife of the couple who bought the Big Yellow House when we sold it 17 years ago. They still live there and Mom was their neighbor for 10 years, so they had often spoken of Mom to Mom's new neighbor.

I'm so grateful Mom has found another home with wonderful neighbors and friends to be made. She loved her old neighbors, and they are close enough to come visit often, and now she's comfortable and cozy, and thriving.