"Brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 2 Mar 2013 07:01:10 -0800, "Cheri" >
> wrote:
>
> wrote in message
. ..
>>> On Sat, 02 Mar 2013 08:27:16 -0500, jmcquown >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>On 3/1/2013 3:48 PM, wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am old enough to recall when guests came first.
>>>>> Drop-ins might have been unexpected, but never unwanted or unwelcome.
>>>>> The family made accommodations as if they had been invited -- even if
>>>>> guests got most of the meal or the children of the household ate
>>>>> peanut
>>>>> butter sandwiches.
>>>>>
>>>>> Nowadays the family's schedule comes first, and drop-ins might not
>>>>> even
>>>>> be invited in for a brief chat and coffee. Calling first does not mean
>>>>> they will be welcome either.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> While I'd like to agree with Miss Manners, I suspect that what the
>>>>> writer
>>>>> meant was that he/she lived in a rural area where few people had
>>>>> phones
>>>> > - maybe in the 1950s? - and that kids, unlike now, were expected to
>>>> > make
>>>> > sacrifices for adults all the time, so it would have been considered
>>>> > rude
>>>> > for the "hosts" to make the "guests" eat the PBJ sandwiches instead.
>>>>I only
>>>> > wish MM had not ignored that possibility; it would have made for a
>>>> > more
>>>> > interesting explanation of how and why times change.
>>>>>
>>>>> Lenona.
>>>>>
>>>>(attempted to "fix" the GoogleGroups line-wrap crap, hopefully)
>>>>
>>>>It doesn't really matter why things have changed, does it? Fact is,
>>>>they have. This *isn't* the 1950's. IMHO it's rude to show up
>>>>unannounced (*especially* around dinner time). I don't consider people
>>>>like that "guests".
>>>>
>>>>Jill
>>>
>>> i say 'freezer' !!! i love people to drop in, friends or family - i
>>> have dishes in the freezer i can nuke to unfreeze then bake or
>>> whatever.
>>>
>>> what greater joy than sharing food together ?
>>>
>>> (sorry about lack of caps but hand is casted for next 3 weeks)
>>
>>
>>A greater joy to me is knowing they're coming so I can plan something
>>special, but I don't really keep already prepared meals in the freezer, so
>>they'd be out of luck waiting for the roast to defrost.
>>
>>Cheri
>
> I can instantly shift to one of several menus that are easy to prepare
> a larger amount quickly... I always have lots of eggs (and Spam),
> pasta/rice, and sauces that can stretch a meal. I keep enough
> groceries on hand in case a military helicopter has to make an
> emergency landing in my yard... don't you own a can opener... and
> nowadays canned beans are in pull top tins.
Do you have lots of drop in guests where you live? Seeing the pictures it
seems pretty isolated, but I do know that you keep a nice freezer full of
tasty things. I don't like drop in guests at all though, so don't really
worry about it much and certainly don't prepare for them.
Cheri