Formal Invitation
This weekend my husband and I attended a dinner party.
The occasion was the 91st birthday of my husband’s Aunt Clara.
They adore each other.
It was just a family party, but it was special too.
We dressed up – in new clothes, thanks to our weight loss. (I love shopping for little clothes.)
Clara had said she didn’t want a party, protested that she didn’t even feel well, and insisted that she was just going to stay home. But her son-in-law packed her up anyway, and, since he is one fabulous hairdresser, gave her a great hairdo for the evening. She felt much better. There’s nothing that boosts your mood like good hair. That’s my motto.
Clara’s daughter prepared a fabulous meal (as always). She set the dining room table with her best china and crystal.
It was lovely.
We had good wine and a zillion delicious courses, and polite conversation.
With only a couple of days until the election, discussions have recently become a little heated, even among loving family members. I am a born-that-way liberal, and my husband was required to convert to it during the marriage ceremony. And like many converts, he has become quite fervent. So I had warned Hubby during the ride over that given the proximity to the election, he should avoid political discussion.
And he did!
I was proud of him. He was so civilized.
Clara’s grandson is a smart funny guy in his early thirties. He and my husband get along great, but don’t get a chance to see each other too often, so they caught up on the significant life events since they last saw each other – cars, roofing materials, and the all-important chain saws.
James’s girlfriend Tracy has never been to our house, and she remarked that everyone has been telling her how beautiful our home is.
And so my husband, always delighted at the prospect of showing off the spectacular home he built, and maintaining the excellent manners he had thus far exhibited, graciously said,
“We’d love to have you both come and visit. Come any time, Tracy. James — bring your gun.”
- Posted in: Aging ♦ Home ♦ Humor ♦ Marriage
- Tagged: Aging, Conversation, Dinner Parties, Family, Humor, Marriage
notquiteold 
You may have been safer talking politics. 😉
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They look so cute…and he seems quite civilized.
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Just when I think I have finally civilized him….
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You had me at small clothes!
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nice, Nancy. you didn;t tell him not to invite someone over with a gun. LOL
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No. I forgot that part of the advice. From now on I will mention it before every dinner party.
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love it!
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Great ending!
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LOL! A very hospitable invitation indeed. 🙂
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Well, James did seem quite enthusiastic.
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One of my favorite of all your drawings! Perfect!
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I do think I captured the eyeballs.
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fabulous. i don’t know that i’ve ever heard of an invitation to visit a home and “bring your gun” in the same sentence. should be exciting!
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I recently told my husband as we were arriving at his parents’ home: “If the conversation turns to politics, I’m coming back outside and sitting in the truck”. It sort of became a joke, but miraculously, no political conversations since then. If I’d only known it was that easy, I would have made that comment YEARS ago!
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I did that to stop my husband and his mother from fighting. But after a while, I gave in. They liked to fight, and they missed it.
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Such a nice story, and funny, to boot! I don’t think the bickering will be lessened any after the election, though.
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Glad to hear there are heated political discussions in other families! Son is here now watching to see what trends there are in the voting process. I think he is planning on gloating. I have to bite my tongue and keep blogging to stay out of it. Funny funny story Susan… so what else is new?
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Well, that’s a new one. In Texas, I’ve heard invitations to come see a gun and offers to show a gun (sometimes in not very polite language), but never has anyone suggested a bring a gun to a dinner party. Hmm. At least I wouldn’t have to cook anything…
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That is my motto too! Nothing like good hair to boost the mood.
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Great ending. I’m a born-that-way-liberal too and my family conversations have been, um, interesting as of late.
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