Thoughts....

My oldest son recently got an apartment of his own after his ex-girlfriend tried to move back into the house he was renting from her parents---with a new beau in tow.. That was not going to work. Apparently the new beau and son got along well, but the girl was a pain as usual. Let's see. if you live with someone, you will be expected to pay rent. Apparently somehow she thought my son would support her and new boyfriend...I know.



Crazyland.



So son found a place of his own. I am going there Friday to help him get some of the basic such as pots, pans, dishes, etc. Everything to start a new home. I had been looking in thrift stores here hoping to find decent pots and pans, but that did not happen. Today, on a lark, I stopped by a store called Dollar Tree and found great looking stoneware plates and bowls for $1 each, along with a lot of other stuff. After I got home, I hit my cabinets and found more stuff for him such as a hand mixer and blender, a few pots to get him by until we can find more, and other utensils. I was hoping that the car I reserved would be big enough to somehow squeeze a microwave cart into, but since I rented a compact, I wasn't going to hold my breathe. When I got to the counter, the girl said they were short on cars and asked if I'd be upset with a bigger car at the same price. All they had were vans--YES!! Just what I needed! That puppy is totally loaded to the gills!

So the game plan is that I am driving to Iowa to spend time with him and help him get all the basics so he can cook and be comfortable. That made me think: What ARE the basics. And how much is really needed to start out? I started looking around at all the stuff I have and realized that we have a lot of stuff that we don't use or that is just "here". I went through all my stuff to see what I have extras of so we don't end up buying more than needed and as much as I hate to admit it, I had a LOT of extras of the same thing. Much more than I needed! So this was also a good opportunity to relieve myself of some clutter. Once I get there, we will unload and compose a list of what he still needs, THEN we'll go shopping.

I can already tell the budget is going to take a beating this month. But when you have a kid that needs stuff after a difficult situation, you just have to take a deep breath and dive in. I do intend to get him stocked on groceries and spend some time teaching him how to buy in bulk, freeze single portions and plan meals around sales. I've realized I did a poor job teaching the basics to him, and need to make sure I double back while I'm there and help him work out a budget. You can bet I am going to work with the two still at home to make sure they learn this well. My mother and I got into a discussion about meal planning for one. She thinks it'd be cheaper for him to just buy frozen meals like she does. Unfortunately we don't agree on that. First, the amount of preservatives and salt are really not something you should consume regularly. Plus they really aren't that tasty--it is like just eating on auto pilot and not learning to develop a taste. Secondly, I have a problem with the disposable packaging. That's a pretty heavy load on the ecosystem if everyone did this. My mom uses a lot of paper plates and cups, which I stay away from if we are eating at home.

So, I will be traveling to Iowa again--I am looking forward to it, but the weather is a bit wild in that area, so I am hoping it behaves both while I'm there and when it is time for me to come home. Put in a prayer for me? I'm hoping I won't need it, but it's always nice to have backup!

Good coffee and great friends to you and yours!