My youngest niece's wedding was a riot. The groom does not dance, so he decided there would be no dancing at the wedding. They did have a three piece jazz group. Of course everyone thought you were supposed to dance so watching people try to gyrate to the jazz was hysterical. They both love fly-fishing and had a fishing theme -- ahem. The wedding cake had a fish on top that looked like it was dead -- seriously, a dead trout lying on top of the cake. There was a groom's cake and I never did decide what that shape was. The centerpieces were bowls of goldfish. Cute -- but what do you do with 100 goldfish after the wedding? In the end, a good time was had by all but there was a lot of eye-rolling and tongue biting. Yes -- kudos for you for pulling this one off. It will make a good family story for years. I wish the couple much happiness and a home of their own!

Okay Eyester, I hope you enjoy your "problems" while you have them because the biz is extremely volatile and this may be your last hurrah as a restaurant owner. My rebuttals to your whining: 1) "IâÂÂm sorry, but we havenâÂÂt been waiting around all day for you and your ten friends to pop in " Send that party of ten to a restaurant that appreciates the business. A party of ten is more apt to drink lots of profitable booze and order more extras like appetizers and desserts. Deal with it. 2) "I love how a restaurant is expected to acknowledge your birthday like itâÂÂs a national holiday or something. " Get off your high horse. Many people don't frequent expensive places unless it is an occasion. Popular high-end places in my area ask you over the phone if it is an occasion, and will do things like decorate your table and personalize your menu. Celebrate your customers and you will reap repeat business. 3) "PeopleâÂÂs utter disregard for hours of operation. " What Ann Landers always says - you can't be taken advantage of unless you allow it. Get some people skills and learn how to nicely turn people away or excuse yourself. 4) "Why am I obligated to hold your table when youâÂÂre late?" You are not. But try your best. People will be late for all kinds of reasons - plan for it. 5) "HereâÂÂs a rule: coming to eat at my restaurant once a month, while I genuinely appreciate the patronage and support, does not automatically qualify us as friends" At a restaurant my friends and I used to frequent about once a month, the owner once told me that if all her customers were once-a-month diners, she would be busy and happy. She had to close her doors. Eyester, you make yourself out to be an ungrateful beeyotch with a bad attitude. Restaurants are part of the hospitality industry. Look up "hospitality" sometime.

Ginny, we had a discussion about frocks somewhere around RP not long ago. I got the impression no US female has worn one for many years but the word is still around over here although it has come to be used as in a 'party frock' event or maybe a summery picnic-by-the-river/watching a game of polo with an eligible Royal. At the other extreme 'frocks' are worn by the transvestite community. The artist Grayson Perry collected his Turner Prize wearing a natty little number . . . a path down which I shall no further tread. Re plus-fours my father wore them as a young man about town/golf course, years before he married. We still have the long socks/stockings that he wore with them. They were kept for Christmas Eve and left at the end of our beds for 'Father Christmas' (as we in the UK call Santa Claus). They were inherited by our children, pity Dad didn't have three legs. Still holding up well since c1930 . . . could the same be said of modern materials?

Hi Mas: That was funny !! One runner-up in Biggest Loser stated: no matter how much one works out, if one doesn't change how one eats, it doesn't matter much. SO TRUE !! I put in 2 hours of snow-shoveling yesterday, and lost only 1/2 lb. on the scale. Compare that to 3 lb. a week, with zero work, when I drastically changed my eating a decade ago. For me eating while watching TV for the past years caused weight gain .. I mindlessly throw stuff into my mouth without thinking. So I took away the table in front of the TV, and put my Nordic-ski-machine, plus a Bow-flex. It works !! Now I eat slowly at the kitchen table, drink herbal tea while eating, plus lots of RAW veggies ... that really cut down my intake of food. Eating mindlessly, esp. in front of the TV, can pack on pounds. It didn't dawn on me, until I asked Jesus to help me with losing weight. Hi Frances & Damask & Jim: So glad to have all of you here with your strong faiths. To improve my kid's handwring, I copy & paste Bible verses from my Pinterest into Microsoft Word document. I chose a nice font at size 18, print in light blue, and made her trace that in black ink. One verse that she traced today: 2 Peter 2:19 "They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for "people are slaves to whatever has mastered them."" Also Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make our paths straight." Below is the link to my Pinterest with pics. of roses, plus Bible verses, recipes, etc. Here is a link that might be useful: Straw's collection of rose pics, Bible verse, recipes This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Mon, Feb 2, 15 at 15:29