I love that name! ;) I didn't intend to give EK such a popular name, but it turned out that way. I had picked the name way back when I was a teenager (1970s) , and never new anybody with that name. Suddenly, the year before EK was born (1993), it was the 5th most popular girl name! When she was born in 1994, it was 3rd, and from 1995-2007, it was #1! HOWEVER, we did change the spelling slightly--"ie" on the end instead of "y".

My dd is in it, as are many of her friends. She rarely gets on though. It sounds fun, but I haven't tried it.

:iagree: :iagree: This is what I had to keep telling myself. I considered everything I did, figuring out how it glorified God. If it didn't, I found something else to do. But I was amazed at how even the little things I did--cooking for my family, even cleaning the bathtub--brought glory to God because I was doing those things to serve my family, and ultimately, that is serving God.

I hadn't even thought of that. I think this is a great idea! I hadn't thought of this either.

Thank you! I can tell you put a lot of thought into this!

Those prices are about right around here (deep South).

I'm loving all these great ideas!

Great! Thank you so much!

Wonderful! Thank you!

Exaactly the kinds of ideas I was looking for! Thank you!

There's an Aldi about an hour's drive from here. It opened recently, but I haven't been there. I know NOTHING about Aldi, as this is the only one I've ever seen.

The only soup kitchen around here (small town) just closed--they lost their lease. But it was only open for one meal one day per week. There used to be a couple of churches in the area doing Angel Food Ministries, but no one's doing it any more. I think there is one church nearby that has a food pantry. I'll get him to check into that. Also, our church is planning a surprise "pantry shower" for him.

Yes, he does that already. A big group of us goes out to a nearby Mexican restaurant for lunch after church each Sunday, and since he likes to go but doesn't have the money to eat out, he asked dh if he could take out the trash and tidy up around dh's office each week in exchange for a $6 meal for Sunday lunch each week. Dh readily agreed. :) We also have him over to our house a couple of times a week. He helps dh with yard work and I fix lunch or supper and invite him to eat with us.

Yes, we've been talking about surprising him with a "shower" and giving him pantry items and also basic household items that he doesn't have yet: towels, washcloths, sheets. He gets no help at all from his family (parents are divorced, both are alcoholics and barely get by). This young man is one of the hardest-working, eager to help others, eager to learn young men I've ever met. He works at a large grocery story and gets a 10% discount, so that will help him be able to afford a little more.

Oops! Should've said "hot cereal". I'll go correct that.

A young man (same age as ER) in our church has recently moved out on his own, and he has asked me for help with planning a menu and making a shopping list. He will only have about $25 per week to spend for groceries. He does physical labor, so he does have a big appetite (and needs a lot of protein). Fortunately, he is not a picky eater. He has never cooked, but is willing to learn, and for now, he needs really, really easy recipes (3 or 4 ingredients to stir together and dump into a crockpot or baking dish). He does have a stove and an oven, and also a crockpot and a microwave. For breakfast, he eats hot cereal (oatmeal) with milk or grits with cheese, or he has toast with cheese or peanut butter. He usually has sandwiches for lunch (peanut butter, turkey or ham, tuna, hot dogs). He would like something substantial (meat + starch + vegetable) for supper, and is particularly interested in learning to make chili and pot roast. He says he would like to cook only 2-3 dinners per week, and heat up leftovers on the evenings in between. I thought this might be just the kind of challenge the Hive might enjoy. So, fire away! ETA: Suggestions are good, but if you can, please provide an actual one-week menu and a shopping list (assume there is NOTHING in the house except salt & pepper, because that would pretty much sum it up ;)).

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I set the clock for 7:05 so I can push the snooze button once and then get up at 7:15. I need time to shower, dress, and have some coffee before my student arrives between 8:00 & 8:15. We start school at 8:30. I'd rather have an extra half hour, getting up at 7:45 and starting school at 9:00, but my student has to come early because her mom has to be at work at 8:30.

I use his first name or "baby". Sometimes when I'm talking to the kids, I refer to him as "Daddy Dude".

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:iagree: We have scorpions too, every spring and fall. We find them in the sink, in the tub, or running across the floor. We just smack them with a fly swatter and flush them down the toilet. We've lived her almost 20 years, and I'm the only one who was ever stung, and that only happened one time. It really didn't hurt much at all--maybe about like a fire ant sting, but the pain and itching didn't last nearly as long.

Very connected. My family has lived here for many generations--since before the American Revolution.