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Singles, Invitations and Entertaining…not always simple


I was chatting with some friends the other day, one of whom is recently separated, and she was asking how I manage to entertain so frequently and apparently effortlessly – with smoke and mirrors most of the time! – often without my partner. And the other question she asked is whether I received less invitations when I am in my single status. The answer is a resounding “yes”!

I’m not sure if it’s a particularly Australian thing, but when it comes to dinner parties, for example, people seem to be more comfortable with even numbers of boys and girls. It’s tiresome. Even my long standing friends feel the need to invite someone to “make up numbers” if I’m invited to a meal with them. And when I ask my gay friends about this they say the same thing applies to them – safety in equal numbers.

As for me, I don’t care if the numbers of my guests are not “even” when we sit down at the table. As long as my friends enjoy my food and each other’s company I am content.

So, how do I provide a meal, and look after drinks simultaneously? I don’t. I ask the husband/partner of a friend to “do the honours” in the drinks department for me. I invite them a little earlier than the other guests and explain what wines I have provided to complement the meal. It always works effortlessly and I find people are always more than willing to help me if needed.

As for the invitations,  I don’t mind. If people are “so last century” that they feel a need for traditional compliance to outdated etiquette then so be it. Their loss most of the time!
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Comments

  1. Phivos NicolaidesSeptember 18, 2010 at 8:46 AM

    Beautiful, entertaining and informative! Kind regards, Philip Travelling

    ReplyDelete
  2. LouiseSeptember 18, 2010 at 12:05 PM

    Thanks Philip. How nice of you to post a comment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ladybirdSeptember 27, 2010 at 10:51 PM

    Hi Louise, This is not a strictly Australian thing, believe me! I'm single too, and although I have a friend I can call on in case of a 'social emergency' I'm often on my own. Although people nolonger tend to 'fix me up with someone' as the know that it won't work, they can be very tiresome about it. As for entertaining, I now invite people over for drinks and nibbles and then I take them to a nearby restaurant. Most of them insist on going Dutch, even when I insist on the fact that I want to invite them. Martine

    ReplyDelete
  4. LouiseSeptember 28, 2010 at 10:15 AM

    Thanks for commenting Martine...it's such a great idea to entertain at home followed by a restaurant. I also find many friends prefer to "go Dutch" but I also have found that some people make the division of the bill really difficult...they don't drink wine, they didn't have coffee, dessert, whatever! Ccourtesy and consideration for others though usually wins the day.

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