This weekend, we experienced something that we heretofore have not had to concern ourselves with; which invitation, to which relative, do we accept to celebrate a holiday?

When we lived in NJ, we never got invited anywhere, which probably attests to our losing personalities.  It could also be that we never accepted any invites early on, and our friends just got sick of asking us.

A few weeks ago, my cousin Jim, the guy who introduced me to my husband a million years ago, emailed to ask if he and his wife could visit on Saturday.  I said that was fine, although I would have to work in the studio until 2PM.  He emailed back and said they would come Monday.  That was also fine with me.  Then my mother called and asked us to her house for a picnic on Monday.  She said she would invite my cousin, too.  My husband wanted to go to my mother’s, but I didn’t want to drive there on a holiday since I just went Wednesday and planned on going this Wednesday, too.  So I vetoed that invite.

Then Jim’s brother’s wife, Hedy called and invited us for a barbecue on Sunday.  Jim had forgotten to tell me that his brother Tim called earlier in the week and mentioned that invite.  That was fine with me.  But then my cousin, Judy, called Saturday night to ask if they could come here Sunday.  We already made plans to see Tim and Hedy Sunday.  So we had to say no can do to that visit.

I feel so normal!  This is what my friends in NJ had to do every holiday.  One friend finally gave up trying to balance time between her family and her inlaws, and invited everyone on both sides of their family.  Her children never had to go anywhere on holidays.  Last Easter, she had sixty people at her house. I don’t KNOW sixty people.  The week before her throwdown, she went to the local dollar store and spent over $200 on Easter Candy and baskets, and plastic eggs to have an egg hunt.  I can’t imagine what the meal cost her.

So we went to Tim and Hedy’s yesterday and had a really nice time.  The food was delicious.  We finally met Hedy’s daughter and her family.  Today, Jim and Cindy came here.  It was their first visit to our house.  We had a great time with them.  We went into Saugatuck and did some antiquing there; one salvage place was fabulous.  I got an old Parisian floor standing pot rack for $30.  We went to the beach, got our season beach pass, went for a walk and collected driftwood.  We drove past my grandmother’s old farm house, which is still vacant.  (Waiting for me?)  We had a wonderful lunch at our favorite haunt, The Kalico Kitchen. Delish!

We finally had that day off.  It feels nice!  I am ready to work tomorrow now.  So if you want to invite us to your house for a holiday, please do so in advance.  We are evidently very desirable guests!