One of my pet peeves, thank you notes. I told my son and my daughter when they were young that if someone thinks enough of you to buy you a gift, the least you can do is write them a thank you note. Just because you receive an invitation to a graduation, shower or wedding, a gift isn't mandatory! Write a thank you note to thank them for the gift they gave you and for remembering and thinking of you. I do agree that any thank you is better than nothing, but not much. I helped with a wedding shower a few years ago, the hostesses bought the couple their cookware and had a nice shower for them. A year and a half after they were married I got a form letter, and so did everyone else, I assume, telling us what all they had been doing, how busy they were and "thanks for the gift." I think after that amount of time, I would have just as soon they hadn't bothered. I'm sorry, but to me not writing a thank you note and thanking the person for what they bought and gave to you is simply bad manners and thoughtless! Anyone has time to write 10 or 15 notes in the evenings, until you get it done. If not, don't socialize so much!!

It is helpful to add on to the quantity of each dish about 10-20% so that you know you have enough for generous portions. My caterers for the office do this and then I add on 2 extra people for a small group and up to 10 extra people for up to 100. We had breakfast here for 30 this morning and she had 34 pieces of vegetable quiche casserole, a large platter of fresh cut fruit, ham biscuits, cranberry bran muffins, 3 kinds of juice, coffee and tea. It was all delicious and very well received. I would delete either the couscous or the pasta primavera and add the grilled chicken kabobs, shrimp or poached salmon.

I do hope Carl IS enjoying his retirement. His daughter tells me that he has a "new lady friend", and that they are taking ball room dancing lessons. I find that just entertaining as heck, Carl doing the waltz instead of packing beef! I observed a moment or so of silence in Carl's honor. His brother, Dallas, will still do my slaughter for me, but I've got to find a new place to do the actual cutting and packaging. That means that at least my animals, for now, will not have to be trucked or shipped or handled by anyone except me, and their eventual end will be the same process as it has always been, and performed as quickly and humanely as possible. Annie

KEWL! Thanks for posting! I want to do a wedding scrapbook, and picked up some supplies at my local scrapbook store. Great price here! Thanks again! Penny