I agree that it is easier to ask your guests to bring only themselves most of the time. Better for everyone. I have a friend who offered to bring appetizers to a gathering of ours last year. She turned up about 15 minutes late with a cold package of brie that had come from Costco. Originally it had been frozen and she thawed it. It was designed to be eaten hot though so we had to cook it for 30 minutes. By then dinner was ready so I just added it along with everything else for dinner. It tasted strange to me so I checked the package and it had expired about six months previously. Into the trash it went. Now when those friends come I just ask them to bring themselves and whatever alcohol they really like. I provide the rest. Kate

that firebox is a Schrader and I bought it from a friend, about 20 years ago..I had another friend put it in and seal it..it's only a metal sheet in the back and sides, so it keeps the fire more contained but wasn't anything that was either already here or even necessary. I don't use it all that much and if the power goes out, with a proper screen, there's plenty enough heat from it...and then there are the generators...plural! lol he works up in the hills, so generators are a foreman's friend. I do believe he has about 5 of them. not much to worry about in the event of power outage. we could accommodate the neighborhood, I do believe..lol I liked the look of it, in the beginning but I'm to the point now, of just wanting the fireplace to be more decoration than function. I"m not so "little house on the prairie" mentality anymore, since I can't be lifting the firewood, like when I burned all the time, when the kids were in school and would come home to a roaring fire. geez, I even used to bake fresh bread, once in a while for them...hot bread, with butter all drizzled over it..., not so now....I just turn up the heat and curl up on the couch...no afternoon noise, or chaos anymore. and the dog has relocated to the end of the block, at my oldest son's place..lol she gets much more attention over there. it's just me and the chirping birds, during the day. (5 love birds and 1 cockatiel)

The advantages of having kids and grandkids! Well, well trained ones, if you can get them! Even a SO will do in a pinch! If I had lived there, I probably would have been able to finish everything the morning after the party. Also, I spent quite a bit of time the next day dealing with an issue that came up with my elderly father, whom I am quasi caring for at yet another place. How I long for the stability of one home and one town that I live in rather than endless packing and being on the road. I can say from my perspective, one of the reasons china and other dishes that need to be carefully washed and stored are not popular now days is because folks are so busy, many working two jobs and trying to care for children and/or elderly parents and also many folks single and not living near friends or family, also moving around a lot to follow work or on the road commuting long distances, so just not having the extra time or energy. I know folks worked a lot in the past, but the constant moving I think has always been an impediment to having lots of nice, fragile things, as well as having the time to entertain. Back when mom entertained a lot, she was not working, she stayed home and enjoyed doing those kinds of things. But still, yes it was fun while it lasted, lots of fun and I so wish that kind of experience was more available to me. It used to be when I just worked full time one job and lived and worked in one place, I used to have dinner parties quite often, as some old timers on here will remember.

Oh dear CP. I'm imagining your dog's narrative of this all lol You wouldn't believe what my Mom just did. She scared the c**p out of me. Here I was hanging around the kitchen waiting for any scraps. She always gives me apple scraps. I mean what was she thinking? All of a sudden there was this big boom and things started flying. I got myself out of there pronto. I mean, I know I'm supposed to stick around to protect her, but it's one thing to bark at strange people and make sure they won't hurt my Mom. It's quite another thing when things explode. When I saw her later, she actually tasted kinda good. I did enjoy licking her head, glasses and hair. My finger is fine, except for the burn between my thumb and index finger. Apparently my mini has been using my oven mitt as a chew toy and the hole was only revealed when I lifted a hot pan out of the oven. Which means beth09 is so right! barncatz, I think your burnt finger is reason enough to have to stay out of that kitchen for at a minimum the next week. And of course for your troubles, you need to be taken to only the best restaurants for dinner. Thanks Mamagoose. I took the chicken way out tonight. I'm making ceviche for dinner. Nothing to cook and any scraps are going in the garbage for now. The latest is my foreman is on vacation 12/20-01/03. Oh no, I'm assuming this means you won't be in before 2018 and no CO? I'm so very sorry. I'd hoped not to hear this news. No CO although they are looking into whether or not Hurricane Irma is allowing us an extra month. Keep your fingers crossed because they swear to me they can get me a CO by January. I'm not holding my breath and it's not a done deal with Tallahassee regarding them allowing us to get the exemptions. The photo of the batwing sink was all I needed to see. How could anything be worse than that? Well that's what I thought last year when we first moved into this rental. Boy did I find out the other day! I thought to myself. Oh dear, but it was. Heart going out to you. These things always seem to happen at the holidays. But it will be such a good story at next year's Thanksgiving dinner! Actually it was a good story at this years Thanksgiving dinner. :)