You'll remember my lament about my Christmas dinner, how I invited a couple who didn't respond, and an exchange of emails where I essentially dis-invited them? And the other couple who said they might be here in town and if they were, they'd definitely come? And how I didn't know where to go from there, whether to make more calls to more people, and if everybody came, to convert my dinner from a sit-down to a buffet? Well, there's more.
My back-up couple - the ones I decided to invite when I dis-invited the first couple - couldn't come; they had elaborate plans that included trips to their children in far-flung places in the world. And a back-up couple to the back-up couple (are you confused yet?) couldn't come either. They always went to their children's and grandchildren's for Christmas. So I was back to square one. Swallowing my pride, and my embarrassment, I called the first couple back, apologizing profusely, and told them, as graciously as I could, that if they weren't going to their niece's, I'd love to have them here for Christmas dinner. The wife said she wasn't the least bit offended - I think she meant it - and that she still hadn't heard from the niece. But she'd call the niece right away and call me back. The call-back came in less than ten minutes. Yes, the niece was having Christmas dinner, so the couple wasn't available. But thank you so much for the invitation, and we must get together soon. I hope they'll speak to me again.
Then I emailed the couple that said they would definitely come if they didn't go out of town. They responded by saying they still didn't know but would definitely be here if they didn't go away. I asked them to let me know, please, please, by the Sunday before Christmas because I would do the shopping on Monday and begin preparations for dinner on Tuesday. I still don't know. But it doesn't matter so long as they meet my requested deadline. A third fewer people (or to put it another way, fifty percent more) will make a big difference in what I buy. I like them. They'd be an addition to my table. And I hope they'll make it.
And the couple who didn't respond to my invitation for brunch? They called to say they were horrified that I didn't seem to have received their phone message saying they couldn't come because of the weather. (Some mutual friend must have told them I hadn't heard from them.) Our modern communications devices being programed as they are, I didn't find any call from them on my "recent calls" list, so I can only presume they called the wrong number. No matter. Their hearts were in the right place. Our current plethora of information just broke down in there somewhere.
And as for the gay couple who didn't acknowledge my wedding gift? Still nothing from them. If the gay community (of which I'm a part) wants acceptance from (and with) the straight community in the matter of their (our) weddings, then we should comply with the accepted etiquette as well. Were she still around, I think Miss Emily Post would agree.
Stay tuned.
My back-up couple - the ones I decided to invite when I dis-invited the first couple - couldn't come; they had elaborate plans that included trips to their children in far-flung places in the world. And a back-up couple to the back-up couple (are you confused yet?) couldn't come either. They always went to their children's and grandchildren's for Christmas. So I was back to square one. Swallowing my pride, and my embarrassment, I called the first couple back, apologizing profusely, and told them, as graciously as I could, that if they weren't going to their niece's, I'd love to have them here for Christmas dinner. The wife said she wasn't the least bit offended - I think she meant it - and that she still hadn't heard from the niece. But she'd call the niece right away and call me back. The call-back came in less than ten minutes. Yes, the niece was having Christmas dinner, so the couple wasn't available. But thank you so much for the invitation, and we must get together soon. I hope they'll speak to me again.
Then I emailed the couple that said they would definitely come if they didn't go out of town. They responded by saying they still didn't know but would definitely be here if they didn't go away. I asked them to let me know, please, please, by the Sunday before Christmas because I would do the shopping on Monday and begin preparations for dinner on Tuesday. I still don't know. But it doesn't matter so long as they meet my requested deadline. A third fewer people (or to put it another way, fifty percent more) will make a big difference in what I buy. I like them. They'd be an addition to my table. And I hope they'll make it.
And the couple who didn't respond to my invitation for brunch? They called to say they were horrified that I didn't seem to have received their phone message saying they couldn't come because of the weather. (Some mutual friend must have told them I hadn't heard from them.) Our modern communications devices being programed as they are, I didn't find any call from them on my "recent calls" list, so I can only presume they called the wrong number. No matter. Their hearts were in the right place. Our current plethora of information just broke down in there somewhere.
And as for the gay couple who didn't acknowledge my wedding gift? Still nothing from them. If the gay community (of which I'm a part) wants acceptance from (and with) the straight community in the matter of their (our) weddings, then we should comply with the accepted etiquette as well. Were she still around, I think Miss Emily Post would agree.
Stay tuned.
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