How are you about this, dear readers? Do you invite people in advance, and plan a special meal for your guests, or do you pick up guests while you are at synagogue? Or do you almost never have guests for Shabbat, because it's your special family time?
Or do you have a regular guest? When I was growing up, our regular Shabbat guests were my grandmother and my great uncle. I looked forward to seeing them every week.
I am often smitten with regret because I figure "Oh, I won't have time to cook much this week" and then I do cook a lot and I haven't invited anyone over to eat it. Not everyone likes a last-minute invitation, and sometimes you can't get them to come over unless you make plans weeks ahead. I am sad about this because I find that if we invite people to our house for lunch after services, they come back to services! It makes a difference even if you only share a bowl of cold cereal (and of course the obligatory stale matzot for motzi! Or am I the only one who was charmed by such a meal?)
Let's see if keeping this blog makes me a little more organized about inviting people!
My kids get very bent out of shape if we don't invite guests for Friday night dinner. They *always* ask who is coming over, and oy va-voy if there isn't a good reason for not having guests or going out somewhere.
I posted before that we had impromptu guests last Shabbat afternoon, but it's somewhat rare. I always make a ton of food, so maybe I should be more proactive about having Shabbat afternoon guests. I guess one of the reasons it doesn't happen so often is that there is always a sit-down lunch at our shul.
Posted by: me&3 | January 20, 2005 at 07:38 PM