And, one more thing...

In my haste to put up this review this morning, I forgot one of the most impactful points Conghlin made.  One of her "Ten Commandments of Hospitality" is:

Don't apologize.  It's OK to make mistakes.  Learn not to bring them up in front of your guests.  It makes them uncomfortable and robs them of relaxation. 

Would you be more comfortable if your host apologized profusely over a dry Thanksgiving turkey, or simply ignored it and allowed everyone to continue to enjoy the meal? Apologizing is not about making the guests in our homes feel more comfortable.  Rather, it is us trying to make ourselves look better.  "Really, I do know how to cook a turkey - I don't know how this one ended up so dry!"

How often when we bring someone into our home on short notice do we say, "I'm sorry - my house is kind of a mess right now"?  I say it all the time.  What I really mean is "I wish I'd had time to straighten up a little more like I do when I know someone is coming.  So I can give you the impression that the house usually looks cleaner than this."  But it really doesn't.  I've heard that "I'm sorry my house is a mess" apology so many times when I've come into someone's home, and not once have I seen a mess that has really bothered me.  I suppose if someone's house looked like those homes you see on those shows about hoarders, with things piled up to the ceiling so you can't walk, I might have a problem.  But, most of the time, people's houses just look lived-in.   

Coughlin's point is that true, gracious hospitality only happens when we are willing to let our guard down and let people come in and be a part of our authentic, day-to-day lives.  Focusing our effort on others and making hospitality about meeting their needs, and not impressing them with how neat and tidy our homes are, or how great our cooking is - well, that is the first step.

Sojourner.

P.S.  I'm sorry I forgot to post this with the first part of the review.  ;-)

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 2: "The Reluctant Entertainer" by Sandy Coughlin

This is a fantastic book for anyone who wants to make hospitality a stronger area in their life.   What holds most of us back from offering gracious hospitality, Coughlin argues, is perfectionism, and a false humility.  True hospitality is about making others feel warm, welcome and comfortable. That can be accomplished whether your home is small or large, clean or cluttered.   It can happen when you serve a gourmet meal on fancy china, or when you serve take-out pizza on paper plates.

This book is filled with lots of fresh, practical ideas for making entertaining simple and stress-free.  It includes plenty of recipes that look easy (I haven't tried any of them yet), tips for organizing and stocking your pantry, and for making hospitality economical.  She also has ideas for different things to try, such as progressive dinners.  Or, a dinner party where everyone is responsible for bringing one of the courses, so you don't have to cook a whole meal.

I found this book to be really refreshing and liberating.  As an admittedly "hospitality-challenged" person (I'm always intending to have people over much more than we actually do), I really needed this book.  I got it from the library, to read for the challenge, but I'm going to purchase a copy because it needs to be a go-to reference book in my library.  Highly recommended read!

And.....one more thing.....

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 1: Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult

If you're following my reviews this year, you'll be seeing a lot of Jodi Picoult novels.  I've read 4 so far, and she continues to impress me.  I don't know exactly how many she's written, but I'll be trying to find as many as I can.

Mariah White catches her husband cheating on her for the 2nd time in their marriage.  But this time, their 7 year old daughter Faith is with her, and witnesses the confrontation.  Mariah battles depression as her marriage comes crumbling down around her. Meanwhile, Faith begins to take solace in an imaginary friend whom she refers to as "My Guard".  Then Faith begins to quote Bible verses, even though she has been raised in an areligious household and has never been exposed to the Bible.  Mariah takes her for a psychiatric evaluation, and is stunned when the psychiatrist suggests that her daughter may, in fact, actually be seeing God.   Before long, Mariah and Faith are the subject of intense media scrutiny, as well as being besieged by believers who long to see and touch this little girl whom they believe is seeing and talking to God.  

This media circus becomes the focal point of the custody hearings in Mariah's divorce.  Is Mariah providing the best environment for Faith, or is she manipulating the situation and using  Faith to feed her need for attention? Is Faith really seeing and talking to God?  Or is it merely the playful imagination of a 7 year old?

Sojourner

Starting again in 2011

I headed to the library this weekend, excited about a fresh year ahead of me and ready to start on a new 52 week challenge.  When I was a kid and the bookmobile would visit our school, I would always leave with a large stack of books, and the librarian and teachers would say, "Are you sure you're going to read all those?"  The teachers quit asking, because they soon figured out that I always did.  I guess habits don't change, because this is what I came home from the library with this weekend:

A few of these are not library books, but that's my starting stack for 2011.  As I looked over it,  I couldn't help but notice that its very heavy on contemporary fiction.  I really want to round out my reading with more biographies and classics.  On the Read 52 books in 52 weeks Challenge page, there are several other built-in challenges you can choose from, and for this year, I'm going to choose the "12 Classics in 12 month Challenge" and the Well Educated Mind Challenge.  All the books from the Well Educated Mind Challenge will meet the 12 classics challenge, so I'm kind of doing 2 in 1.  

I recognize a lot of the classics listed in the Well Educated Mind list.  I read them in school, but I have forgotten most of them.  Our son is in 1st grade at a Classical school, so I figure its time to start re-reading those classics so I can keep up with him!

Well, I'd better get to reading.  Many scrumptious mysteries, tales, and destinations await!

Sojourner