No, this is not lunch. Today or any other day. How often do you have people besides your immediate family over for a meal? In the tiny circles in which I travel, I get odd comments about our frequent hospitality. People seem genuinely shocked that we have so many "outsiders" here for meals.
Having extra meal guests is very commonplace at our house. I am thankful that my DH doesn't mind feeding an extra mouth or two (or three...).
This week at Curves, I was introduced to a newcomer as the woman who wants to feed the world. I explained that the comment was a bit of an exaggeration! Then they asked me how many times I had fed non-family this past week or so. Well, it started with having 6 college men over for supper a week ago, then taking same group a supply of groceries (it was their fall break, and they were camping!), sent lunch for two on Sunday, then we had someone over for pizza and dessert after church Sunday night, made 4 to-go suppers for another group Wednesday night, we're having a family of four over tonight, one for breakfast tomorrow, and so on, and so on. It's been a slow week, LOL! That's not a lot...or is it??
Our frequent hospitality offers stem from our church involvement. I for one enjoy meeting new members and getting to know some who have been there for a while even better. Our house is never as perfectly decorated and maintained as I would like. I would nearly always (in retrospect) have changed the menu a little (either in amount, selection, or preparation). But it is what it is. There was a day when I would literally work in a frenzy (cooking, cleaning, wiping, fussing) until the guest knocked at the door. The visits were strained and uncomfortable. It was a wonder anyone came back.
So, how often do you open your home to others?
Curious in NC,
~Joan
3 comments:
Joan
You quilt
You cook
You clean
You even have time to blog - do tell me where and how (I know you have a larger-than-average no of dc) you do it.
Seriously.
I don't quilt
I try not to cook or clean unless I really have to (tho the dc pick up the slack; we dont live in a pig sty :-)
But simple plain energy wise, woman., how do you do it?
Our hospitality generally comes from our 3 sons' friends and acquaintances from Church, youth groups and used to be homeschool. I am not the best of cook, but I keep simple things ready to go. I would say we have an extra 1 - 5 at least once a week. We also have our couch and or family room floor slept on once or twice a month, by young adults or cousins for fun, or where there are issues and a friend wants a safe, happy place to camp out.
My DH and I love to make the kids (big now) feel welcome whenever, it is just the way we like it.
So Cal
My dh does not think I am hospitable and he thinks we should have people over more often. In 8 years I have had more than 100 guests. That is sleeping over, for one night - one week! I would always prepare dinners. Sometimes dh would prepare breakfasts. We did have a small guest house for them to sleep in and it had a kitchen, bathroom and laundry as well. BUt still...if they had children they always ended up sleeping in my house with my kids.
I guess now that we don't have that guest house anymore I need to be more proactive in keeping my numbers up. You set a very good example.
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