Protected by Copyscape Unique Content Check

Sunday, June 17, 2012

It's not just weight

Having guests is always a delight for us. The bottom line is that we live as if in a commune when we have guests. We requests no gifts but ask guests to bring favorite recipes to cook while at our house. We do not pick up guests at the airport and we do not lend our cars. No one asked us ever anyway. I always cook on the first evening of their arrival and the fridge is stocked with cold cuts, cheese and anything they may want for breakfast and lunch. I also asked for their preferred hairstyles before they arrive. As soon as convenient I show them where everything is and how to prepare their own coffee and what ever they need for their breakfast and lunches. Also as soon as convenient we discuss their plans, what they will do separately and what we will do together, and how we will plan the evening meals, share the tasks (I always take care of the dishwasher myself) and who will cook and where the grocery shops are. Whoever cooks buys the groceries. We have had families of 5 staying with us for 2 weeks, recently we had a couple with us for 3 weeks. I miss them. Such wonderful guests. We know enough wonderful, responsible, mature people without having to put up with the difficult ones.
We are elderly, need our alone time, peace and quiet, get tired around other people for any length of time, etc. We book our lodging before we say we are coming, rent a car, hairstyles and prepare our own meals. If we are invited to a home meal, we are happy to accept, but we do not expect to be. We visit for a few hours every day and that is it.
One couple stayed with us, expected, perhaps cultural differences, to be driven to Yosemite for a few days ... I said, oh no, we can't do that, but here is the phone number of a taxi driver who can be hired to drive you. No, no, they didn't want a taxi driver, they wanted to go with us.
Oh, that isn't possible, I said. As it turned out, they didn't go. They would only do things that we did for them, nothing they had to do for themselves.