> There are other considerations. My wife always sets a nice table. We
> have several sets of dishes, in various degrees of completeness. We have
> enough of one set for 8, but if she wants to use my grandmother's Limoge
> there are only 5 complete settings. Ditto for table napkins. *and napkin
> rings. *She likes to have the table set well in advance and would not
> appreciate having to change everything because someone didn't have the
> social graces to commit to an invitation ... especially one that she
> extended to herself.
>

Mix up the table settings - it's a modern thing to do, and Martha does
it all the time. If you keep the different patterns fairly equal in
number, it should be fine.

N.