dahlia

An affirmation of LDS hot drink habits, from a non-LDS source.

Rice for the win!  My stepfather's people were from Eleuthera, a small island in the Caribbean. We had rice all the time, even if we also had potatoes. If he didn't have rice, he felt like he hadn't eaten. 

I learned that when Mothers Day rolls around and the ward honors mothers by singling out particular demographics (newest, family size, etc), that you should NOT try to help that special lady in your life stand as one of the "oldest mothers".
You WILL receive a very firm slap on the back (not an "attaboy") The bishop WILL draw attention to your comeuppance No one laughs with you I learned this lesson as a teenager when that "special lady" was my mom, so I've had a pretty good marriage.

No.
Most Filipinos have not had wheat in their entire lifetimes.  They have not gone extinct.

I grew up Catholic with Episcopalian (like Anglican Episcopalian, Queen's birthday celebrating, Charles I for sainthood, Episcopalian) parents. I had Catholic and Baptist relatives. I did 12 yrs in Catholic school and at one time considered being a nun - as in asking my parents to let me enter a novitiate when I was in high school. Long story short, over time I developed issues with the role of women in the Church and Original Sin. When my son was born, there was no way I could accept that he had Original Sin. So, I looked around for something else. If you know anything about pre-Vatican II Catholics, we were raised to distrust and pretty much dislike Protestantism. I couldn't see myself as a Protestant and entered Reform Judaism because I felt it was a direct connection to Catholicism. I found a congregation with a female rabbi and lived as a secular Jew for years. When my husband died, not one person in the synagogue came to visit me or call me, not even the Rabbi, though I had been converted in that congregation, attended faithfully for years and my son went to Hebrew School for a year. It was easy to drift away from attending, tho I still felt Jewish in my head.
OK, so this sounds really superficial, but fast forward years later and I find myself in Iowa, living close to 'Mormon Trek Blvd.' and the Handcart Park. One summer I decided to learn about Mormons and began reading and visiting the Park. The more I read, the more I found appealing - no Original Sin, respect for women (sending women back east to become doctors, etc.), respect for the family and males (I had a son, after all), no Trinity, and living a clean life. I wanted something that was more than just church on Sunday. I learned about Conference, and, a little fearfully, watched one. I always pictured Protestants as full of fire and brimstone and telling people they were going to hell. I was so surprised to find Conference open and warm and loving. It was a great introduction to the Church. About a week after, missionaries knocked on my door! I just wanted to learn more about Mormons, but those missionaries thought they were giving me lessons. : )  No one is more surprised than I am that I got baptized. You've seen my posts over the years. You can trace my thoughts and struggles with it all here on the site. 
If tomorrow Joseph Smith was proved to be a fake, I'd still want to belong to the Church. I don't think I will ever be a Utah perfect Mormon, but they've trusted me to teach RS and give talks. I have an article on information transfer by lay people in the Church that has been downloaded around 500 times. I want to be a Sister missionary when I retire. I'm very happy with the way things went. even tho I complain here a lot and will probably never be considered a 'sweet spirit.' I'm not a big pray-er, my first thoughts are not to run to the bishop with problems, but I hope I'm Mormon enough.
My mother is fine with all this. She's just happy I'm going to church, she doesn't care which one.

So... this totally back fired in my face and I would highly suggest not duplicating it either. This happened a couple of days ago. In my "wisdom" I decided to do a prank on my family since I had access to a fog/smoke machine for an upcoming Youth Dance. I sneaked the machine downstairs and waited until my wife and kids were all upstairs cooking and getting ready for dinner. This smoke machine is definitely a high output device. I turned on the machine close to the basement stairs leading up to the kitchen area. Smoke quickly filled the down stairs and to my surprise, thinking it was a "fog" machine, the smoke detectors all started going off. The alarms triggered the start of the panic upstairs.
"What is going on?"
"Are you burning the food?"
"Where is your father?!?'
As they called/screamed for me I remained silent down stairs. Shortly afterwards the smoke made it's way upstairs... finally they saw the smoke and that it was coming from downstairs. This set off a higher level of panic and some choice words from my loving wife (who never swears, ever!). As they called down for me from the upstairs, I still remained silent. So with all the alarms blaring, panicked kids, swearing wife I decided to emerge while laughing.
Well... the reaction of my wife realizing it was a joke/prank almost left me one step away from being divorced  I have seen her mad before, but she was MAAADDDD x1,000,000. Oh boy!
So lessons learned:
1. Don't prank involving your death. My wife thought I had died or was dying downstairs.
2. Realize that your family will basically panic in a house fire situation unless you have practiced this.
3. Realize that you are going to burn downstairs because no one came to rescue Dad...he is disposable
So again... don't try this if you want a happy marriage. Don't do this because you might come to the shocking realization that your family loves you, but not enough to risk their lives to go help you downstairs.

I hope I haven't already used up too much forum space with my previous post, but I'll try to give you a shorter synopsis of the "mechanics" of my conversion.  
I was about to turn 19 and I worked at on the shipping dock of a big factory.  It was my first job out of high school.  As I said earlier, I had drifted away from Christianity and had an interest in eastern religions.  One day I was assigned to work at a different loading dock location with a guy I later found out was LDS.  I didn't know anything about the Mormons and I relished the opportunity to ask some questions.  I thought the answers he had were interesting.  As I mentioned earlier, one of my chief objections to Calvinism specifically and Christianity in general were the notions of predestination, free will, and what happens to people who die without a knowledge of the gospel.  The teachings of the Church about the gospel being preached by Jesus in the spirit world were surprising to me.  It just seemed so fair!  I always figured that God would have a way that would be fair to those who didn't have a shot in this life.
The guy offered me a copy of the Book of Mormon.  I accepted his invitation to read it and he brought be a copy the next day at work.  This was on a Friday.  
At day's end, I was waiting on my ride and I began to peruse the pamphlets that he gave me along with the book.  I read them in this order: Joseph Smith's Testimony, The Plan of Salvation, and Read the Book of Mormon, It Can Change Your Life.  I remember being strongly impressed at the earnestness of Joseph Smith's account.  It was clear that he wanted to present an extraordinary experience in a sober, direct manner without sensationalizing it.  I reserved judgment because I thought the guy could have just been delusional or something, but I kept an open mind.  I felt that, if he were so, it would become manifest in the stuff he had written.  A was also impressed about the angelic visitations of Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John.  It made the connection about the keys of the kingdom and authority that I had believed to be lacking.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Plan of Salvation.  It was the most reasonable Christian explanation of those topics I had ever read.  I was, up to that time, more Hindu/Buddhist in my thinking, believing in Karma, reincarnation, etc.  I also appreciated the selections from the Book of Mormon in the last pamphlet because it gave me some insight into what I'd be reading about, and it contained the critical reference to Moroni's promise.
Moroni's promise struck me profoundly.  Everyone had previously answered my questions either with just Bible verses (which people interpreted differently) or with a claim that one needed to just believe without question.  The promise of a personal revelation was unprecedented.  NOBODY had the cojones to say that before!  I have to say that I was somewhat astounded by that.  The guy had essentially said that, if you read this and ask if it's true, you can ask God with the expectation that you'll get an answer.  
I took the Book of Mormon home and began to read it.  I read it most of Friday night and most of the day on Saturday.  There were certain things that challenged me.  I think they are placed there by God to dissuade those who are unwilling or too biased to get past them.  The killing of Laban by Nephi bothered me, but I had read enough of the Bible to know that God had ordered Joshua to kill men, women, and children in conquering some cities in the Promised Land.  There was the ingrained prejudice that the Bible could not be "added to," but Nephi's arguments about God adding to his own word made sense to me.  The dark skin thing about the Lamanites was a bit troubling, too.  I was the product of a liberal 1970s education at the time and that was a little worrisome.  Then I considered that a book written thousands of years ago might not share the same views on race that our more "enlightened" times would.  An ancient record that had a more "politically correct" presentation might be even more suspect, I thought.
By Sunday afternoon, I came to realize that I really couldn't find any flaws in what I had read up to that point.  I was near the end of 2nd Nephi or thereabouts.  I realized that, much like Joseph Smith, I was too young and unacquainted with "men and things" to figure it out on my own.  Moroni's promise was still hanging out there so I decided to make the attempt.  I had only really prayed one other time in my life where I felt that I had received an answer.  I mustered up the same degree of sincerity and faith that I had exercised at that time.  I understood that you couldn't be trifling with God.  You can't fake him out or play him.  He knows if you're for real or not.  There's no sense it trying to be insincere about faith.  So when I prayed, it was kind of like KIng Lamoni's prayer: "God, if there is a God, and you're God..."  I resolved that I would accept whatever answer came.  I think that was the key to me getting the answer I did.  I knew that, if this would be true, it would require a commitment.  I would have to do what God directed.  If it was true, I'd have to commit my life's path to that truth.
When I prayed, I didn't immediately feel anything.  I prayed for several minutes and then stopped.  I resolved, "Well, I'll just keep on reading then.  Maybe I'll find out later after I've read more."  Within minutes, a warm glow enveloped me.  I can't really describe it, but I went from not knowing to knowing.  I marveled that there were people holed up in caves in the HImalayas, meditating, trying to find truth and there it was in my hand.  I had found it.  (I had actually thought about going to India to find a guru, but a book I read told me that, when you're ready, the guru comes to you.)  I didn't realize my "guru" would be a 19 year-old Mormon guy.
I have to mention that there was a logical "domino effect" that sort of rewired my understanding.  The answer was that the Book of Mormon was true and that Joseph Smith indeed saw God.  That led me to conclude that God indeed did exist and that Jesus Christ was his Son.  That was a big hurdle.  In a moment, with this exciting new information, I had to consciously decide that I would accept Jesus Christ as my Redeemer.  I thought, "Dang, I'm a Christian, now!"  That realization made me determine that I truly had some things to put aside in my life and repent of them.  The the flood included, the need to be baptized, priesthood authority, keys of the kingdom, revelation, apostasy, restoration, and a million more things.  All this seemed to happen in just a fraction of a second.  It was exhilarating!
I went back to work on Monday and around lunch time the guy came and asked me what I thought of the Book of Mormon.  I told him that I though it was true and asked if I had to be baptized or something to follow through.  I could have pushed him off the loading dock with a feather!  He asked how I knew and I tried to explain to him what I had felt.  He responded, "That's the Holy Ghost!"  When he said that, I felt it all over again.  I learned in that moment how the Spirit speaks.  
I had not met a missionary or even been to a Church meeting at that time so he hooked me up with some elders to take the discussions.  I went through all seven discussions in three days.  The next week was the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra.  I gladly went along on the 14-hour trip from Virginia to upstate New York to experience it.  I can't tell you how great it felt to be an unbaptized investigator walking around those Church sites.  Everyone was so friendly and for two days, if felt like the heavens were opened to me.  There was so much I didn't know and new information came pouring in like Niagara Falls.
For example, we'd been on the road about 4 hours, leaving after work on a Friday evening.  I'm in the car devouring, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, by LeGrand Richards.  Somebody said something about the Prophet, and I asked if he meant Joseph Smith.  He said, "No, Spencer W. KImball--the current prophet."  Imagine my excitement to find out in that moment that the Church still had a prophet and 12 apostles leading it!  Then about 10 minutes later, we pass the Washington Temple.  You can imagine how mind-blowing that was and the discussions about baptism for the dead.  The whole weekend was like that.  
I was baptized the next weekend.  It was an amazing experience.  I left for a mission 20 months later.  When I came back from my mission, I had been a full-time missionary longer than I had been a member before my mission!  It was a great experience and I grew a lot in my testimony.  Shortly thereafter, I met my wife-to-be and we married.  Now we've been together 33 years.  We have five kids, and very soon our 10th grandchild will be born.  We've had many adventures and many trials.  I have never regretted my decision to join the Church and I still enjoy teaching the gospel today.  

Have you ever done one of those "Your Life according to Your Music" things where you put your music on shuffle and use whatever songs come up to answer a question or describe a life event? Well, once when I played, one of the questions was "What will they play at your funeral?"
Answer: The Point of No Return from Phantom of the Opera

Concerns like this is why I intend to have my funeral while I'm still living.

I always forget the condiments and things like shampoo. That said, before they decimated my department a couple of years ago, I bought a ton of contact lens solution, shampoo, body wash, etc.I still have a fair amount of them left, but will need to restock shortly.
I get beans, canned tomatoes and sauce of all types, green beans, white beans and carrots for soup, oatmeal, hot chocolate, mandarin oranges. Stuff like that. I'm not doing the carb thing as much, but I think a big box of rice is good to have. I don't have to eat it all at once. : )  I always have veg, fake meat, and frozen fruit for smoothies in the freezer. I'm good as long as there is power. : )  I also buy boxes of almond milk of various types.  I'll go to Walmart at the end of the month or early Nov. before the snow and stock up. 
I get 6 months of toilet tissue and paper towels 2x a year. It was nice to have extra to give my son for his new house so they don't have to spend any more money right now.

I grew up Catholic with Episcopalian (like Anglican Episcopalian, Queen's birthday celebrating, Charles I for sainthood, Episcopalian) parents. I had Catholic and Baptist relatives. I did 12 yrs in Catholic school and at one time considered being a nun - as in asking my parents to let me enter a novitiate when I was in high school. Long story short, over time I developed issues with the role of women in the Church and Original Sin. When my son was born, there was no way I could accept that he had Original Sin. So, I looked around for something else. If you know anything about pre-Vatican II Catholics, we were raised to distrust and pretty much dislike Protestantism. I couldn't see myself as a Protestant and entered Reform Judaism because I felt it was a direct connection to Catholicism. I found a congregation with a female rabbi and lived as a secular Jew for years. When my husband died, not one person in the synagogue came to visit me or call me, not even the Rabbi, though I had been converted in that congregation, attended faithfully for years and my son went to Hebrew School for a year. It was easy to drift away from attending, tho I still felt Jewish in my head.
OK, so this sounds really superficial, but fast forward years later and I find myself in Iowa, living close to 'Mormon Trek Blvd.' and the Handcart Park. One summer I decided to learn about Mormons and began reading and visiting the Park. The more I read, the more I found appealing - no Original Sin, respect for women (sending women back east to become doctors, etc.), respect for the family and males (I had a son, after all), no Trinity, and living a clean life. I wanted something that was more than just church on Sunday. I learned about Conference, and, a little fearfully, watched one. I always pictured Protestants as full of fire and brimstone and telling people they were going to hell. I was so surprised to find Conference open and warm and loving. It was a great introduction to the Church. About a week after, missionaries knocked on my door! I just wanted to learn more about Mormons, but those missionaries thought they were giving me lessons. : )  No one is more surprised than I am that I got baptized. You've seen my posts over the years. You can trace my thoughts and struggles with it all here on the site. 
If tomorrow Joseph Smith was proved to be a fake, I'd still want to belong to the Church. I don't think I will ever be a Utah perfect Mormon, but they've trusted me to teach RS and give talks. I have an article on information transfer by lay people in the Church that has been downloaded around 500 times. I want to be a Sister missionary when I retire. I'm very happy with the way things went. even tho I complain here a lot and will probably never be considered a 'sweet spirit.' I'm not a big pray-er, my first thoughts are not to run to the bishop with problems, but I hope I'm Mormon enough.
My mother is fine with all this. She's just happy I'm going to church, she doesn't care which one.

I got enough of my own sins to be worrying about to get too worked up over someone else's.

This reminds me of a situation in the Great White North. Medium density mormonville, dense enough to have the coveting of callings.
A man that I grew up with is a bit of a career hotshot makes lots of money. Also has beautiful wife. Also has quite the attitude and likes to tell others how they should do things.
He was very good at organizing youth programs. He was made bishop. The rather staid families in the ward resented this hotshots criticism when they were in charge. These families were not very supportive when he was made bishop. One of the youth was hired by my friend to do some home repairs. The teenager found some risqué photos of the bishops wife taken by bishop. The teenager spread the word. The stake told the bishop not to worry about it. The staid families were even less supportive. The stake asked the bishop to step down. The bishop left the church feeling betrayed and posted a blog about how the church had betrayed him.
Sad. 
Lots of blame to go around.
but morale of story is don't say what is on your mind unless prompted by the spirit.
i am with Miss Manners who believed that civility helps us to live in harmony with those who are different from ourselves.
Don't go there. Only be your authentic self when your authentic self is responding to the promptings of the spirit. Otherwise put your authentic self in a small box and sit on it.

I've moved several families that had alcohol in boxes.
Lots of families just happen to be barely active enough to ask for the LDS moving company...what'd you expect? 
Where else are we going to find opportunities to serve?
So you just move the boxes with the rest of their stuff, that's what you do.

Are you kidding?  It's not your property. You don't have a right to destroy it. And going to the bishop when you don't even know why that stuff is there?
I'd never speak to you again. I wouldn't have you in my house. I wouldn't sit near you in church. THAT's if I stayed in the church.  If I had to deal with the bishop over some BS that got your knickers in a twist, I'd rather sit at home.
Maybe it's from being a lawyer and professor and having to keep confidences, legally protected confidences, but I'd be d.....d if I told someone else about this. It's not my business and the person hasn't asked for my help or told me why he has the liquor.
Bomb-making material, maybe.

I grew up Catholic with Episcopalian (like Anglican Episcopalian, Queen's birthday celebrating, Charles I for sainthood, Episcopalian) parents. I had Catholic and Baptist relatives. I did 12 yrs in Catholic school and at one time considered being a nun - as in asking my parents to let me enter a novitiate when I was in high school. Long story short, over time I developed issues with the role of women in the Church and Original Sin. When my son was born, there was no way I could accept that he had Original Sin. So, I looked around for something else. If you know anything about pre-Vatican II Catholics, we were raised to distrust and pretty much dislike Protestantism. I couldn't see myself as a Protestant and entered Reform Judaism because I felt it was a direct connection to Catholicism. I found a congregation with a female rabbi and lived as a secular Jew for years. When my husband died, not one person in the synagogue came to visit me or call me, not even the Rabbi, though I had been converted in that congregation, attended faithfully for years and my son went to Hebrew School for a year. It was easy to drift away from attending, tho I still felt Jewish in my head.
OK, so this sounds really superficial, but fast forward years later and I find myself in Iowa, living close to 'Mormon Trek Blvd.' and the Handcart Park. One summer I decided to learn about Mormons and began reading and visiting the Park. The more I read, the more I found appealing - no Original Sin, respect for women (sending women back east to become doctors, etc.), respect for the family and males (I had a son, after all), no Trinity, and living a clean life. I wanted something that was more than just church on Sunday. I learned about Conference, and, a little fearfully, watched one. I always pictured Protestants as full of fire and brimstone and telling people they were going to hell. I was so surprised to find Conference open and warm and loving. It was a great introduction to the Church. About a week after, missionaries knocked on my door! I just wanted to learn more about Mormons, but those missionaries thought they were giving me lessons. : )  No one is more surprised than I am that I got baptized. You've seen my posts over the years. You can trace my thoughts and struggles with it all here on the site. 
If tomorrow Joseph Smith was proved to be a fake, I'd still want to belong to the Church. I don't think I will ever be a Utah perfect Mormon, but they've trusted me to teach RS and give talks. I have an article on information transfer by lay people in the Church that has been downloaded around 500 times. I want to be a Sister missionary when I retire. I'm very happy with the way things went. even tho I complain here a lot and will probably never be considered a 'sweet spirit.' I'm not a big pray-er, my first thoughts are not to run to the bishop with problems, but I hope I'm Mormon enough.
My mother is fine with all this. She's just happy I'm going to church, she doesn't care which one.

I grew up Catholic with Episcopalian (like Anglican Episcopalian, Queen's birthday celebrating, Charles I for sainthood, Episcopalian) parents. I had Catholic and Baptist relatives. I did 12 yrs in Catholic school and at one time considered being a nun - as in asking my parents to let me enter a novitiate when I was in high school. Long story short, over time I developed issues with the role of women in the Church and Original Sin. When my son was born, there was no way I could accept that he had Original Sin. So, I looked around for something else. If you know anything about pre-Vatican II Catholics, we were raised to distrust and pretty much dislike Protestantism. I couldn't see myself as a Protestant and entered Reform Judaism because I felt it was a direct connection to Catholicism. I found a congregation with a female rabbi and lived as a secular Jew for years. When my husband died, not one person in the synagogue came to visit me or call me, not even the Rabbi, though I had been converted in that congregation, attended faithfully for years and my son went to Hebrew School for a year. It was easy to drift away from attending, tho I still felt Jewish in my head.
OK, so this sounds really superficial, but fast forward years later and I find myself in Iowa, living close to 'Mormon Trek Blvd.' and the Handcart Park. One summer I decided to learn about Mormons and began reading and visiting the Park. The more I read, the more I found appealing - no Original Sin, respect for women (sending women back east to become doctors, etc.), respect for the family and males (I had a son, after all), no Trinity, and living a clean life. I wanted something that was more than just church on Sunday. I learned about Conference, and, a little fearfully, watched one. I always pictured Protestants as full of fire and brimstone and telling people they were going to hell. I was so surprised to find Conference open and warm and loving. It was a great introduction to the Church. About a week after, missionaries knocked on my door! I just wanted to learn more about Mormons, but those missionaries thought they were giving me lessons. : )  No one is more surprised than I am that I got baptized. You've seen my posts over the years. You can trace my thoughts and struggles with it all here on the site. 
If tomorrow Joseph Smith was proved to be a fake, I'd still want to belong to the Church. I don't think I will ever be a Utah perfect Mormon, but they've trusted me to teach RS and give talks. I have an article on information transfer by lay people in the Church that has been downloaded around 500 times. I want to be a Sister missionary when I retire. I'm very happy with the way things went. even tho I complain here a lot and will probably never be considered a 'sweet spirit.' I'm not a big pray-er, my first thoughts are not to run to the bishop with problems, but I hope I'm Mormon enough.
My mother is fine with all this. She's just happy I'm going to church, she doesn't care which one.

I grew up Catholic with Episcopalian (like Anglican Episcopalian, Queen's birthday celebrating, Charles I for sainthood, Episcopalian) parents. I had Catholic and Baptist relatives. I did 12 yrs in Catholic school and at one time considered being a nun - as in asking my parents to let me enter a novitiate when I was in high school. Long story short, over time I developed issues with the role of women in the Church and Original Sin. When my son was born, there was no way I could accept that he had Original Sin. So, I looked around for something else. If you know anything about pre-Vatican II Catholics, we were raised to distrust and pretty much dislike Protestantism. I couldn't see myself as a Protestant and entered Reform Judaism because I felt it was a direct connection to Catholicism. I found a congregation with a female rabbi and lived as a secular Jew for years. When my husband died, not one person in the synagogue came to visit me or call me, not even the Rabbi, though I had been converted in that congregation, attended faithfully for years and my son went to Hebrew School for a year. It was easy to drift away from attending, tho I still felt Jewish in my head.
OK, so this sounds really superficial, but fast forward years later and I find myself in Iowa, living close to 'Mormon Trek Blvd.' and the Handcart Park. One summer I decided to learn about Mormons and began reading and visiting the Park. The more I read, the more I found appealing - no Original Sin, respect for women (sending women back east to become doctors, etc.), respect for the family and males (I had a son, after all), no Trinity, and living a clean life. I wanted something that was more than just church on Sunday. I learned about Conference, and, a little fearfully, watched one. I always pictured Protestants as full of fire and brimstone and telling people they were going to hell. I was so surprised to find Conference open and warm and loving. It was a great introduction to the Church. About a week after, missionaries knocked on my door! I just wanted to learn more about Mormons, but those missionaries thought they were giving me lessons. : )  No one is more surprised than I am that I got baptized. You've seen my posts over the years. You can trace my thoughts and struggles with it all here on the site. 
If tomorrow Joseph Smith was proved to be a fake, I'd still want to belong to the Church. I don't think I will ever be a Utah perfect Mormon, but they've trusted me to teach RS and give talks. I have an article on information transfer by lay people in the Church that has been downloaded around 500 times. I want to be a Sister missionary when I retire. I'm very happy with the way things went. even tho I complain here a lot and will probably never be considered a 'sweet spirit.' I'm not a big pray-er, my first thoughts are not to run to the bishop with problems, but I hope I'm Mormon enough.
My mother is fine with all this. She's just happy I'm going to church, she doesn't care which one.

These days it's dressing up as a clown.  It can get you arrested now.

I know we've done this before but there have been quite a few new people that have joined since this discussion has been brought up.  We have been counseled to be prepared  both spiritually and temporally.  One of the things that is counseled is to have a 3 month supply of foods/supplies that you would use on a regular basis.   So what are the things that you have?
Today I went shopping to really get serious about getting this all done.  These are some of the things I picked up.  Of course keeping in mind that I need to be able to rotate these items as well.
1.  10 packages of the Knorr side dishes.  Easy to make with water and it would be enough for a meal for me and sometimes even 2.
2.   5 cans of Spam
3.  10 cans of green beans
4.  10 cans of peas
5.  10 cans of pork and beans
6.  5 cans of peaches
7.  5 cans of pears
8.  5 cans of fruit cocktail
9.  2 bottles of shampoo
10.  2 deodorent sticks
11.  3 cases of bottled water
12.  Picked up a huge package at Costco of toilet paper.  (Kirkland brand)  
13.  5 boxes of Mac and Cheese
14.  3 cans of Spaghetti-O's.
 
I've designed a plan for me.  I'm making a list of things I want and need in my 3 month supply.  I am going to purchase and add one item each day to build up my supply.
While I'm in the mindset of food, I also need to think of all of the other things that would be needed. 
So jump right in with your ideas.  
@mirkwood  Please feel free to offer suggestions since you are the expert on this subject.

I'm not sure I've ever heard of vegetarian chickens. Cage free, yeah, vegetarian no, precisely for the reasons you provide.  I have heard of people who make their dogs vegan. I don't get it. It would be like me trying to make my vegan rabbit a carnivore. Respect the animal. Let the poor dog have some meat - or don't have a dog for a pet if you can't deal with buying or handling meat (which I understand). 

Sigh. The next thing I was going to hire her to do was to overhaul my wardrobe. That woman could do anything!

Maybe this is why so many people don't want callings - they're too busy paving other people's driveways...
Well, this just confirms my theory that it's best to be useless.

Frequently our ward FB page will get requests to take someone, or some family, to the airport. Usually at some ungodly hour. 
I realize that we're supposed to do service, but aren't we also supposed to be self-reliant? I have had to go to airports all over the country and in a bit of Europe. I get myself there. I get a shuttle, or a cab, or an airport bus, or even a sedan, but I don't ask other people to take me. Mostly because I figure other people have jobs and responsibilities that don't include taking my lazy, cheap, self to the airport. If you can't get to the airport without begging for a ride, maybe you don't need to go on the trip? 
Do a lot of Mormons live where there is no transport to the airport? Is this something that's done out west (where I have also gotten myself to the airport)?  I just don't get it. It would never occur to me to impose on someone in that way. Maybe I'm more used to traveling for business, where taking care of yourself is expected. I don't know. 
Is it me or is it them?