Let me tell you a story.

Traditionally, on Memorial Day, my parents, myself and other various family members would walk to a specific spot on Main street, watch the parade, then come back to mom's house and have a cookout.

As mom's no longer IN her house downtown, but in a cottage 4 miles out of town, I asked her if we were going to be doing anything Memorial Day.  She told me she was getting some dental work done the Friday before and wasn't sure how she would be feeling on Monday.  Plus, he brother and two of her nieces had asked about doing something and she had told them all the same thing: that she wasn't doing anything.  And I said, that's fine.

So the beginning of the month, we were doing exactly nothing.

A few weeks ago, I got to thinking about inviting the ParisPekings (Mr,, Mrs., and the three girls) over to see the parade, if they weren't already doing something.  And then I said something else to mom, asking that if they DID come to the parade, could I bring them out for a cookout, as they feed me many times during the year and we'll then watch a movie.  I said to mom that *I* could cook the burgers and dogs on the grill and we could just have chips, pickles, mac salad, etc, stuff that didn't require any cooking, just in case she didn't feel up to doing that herself.  I'd just need to use her grill and her cottage (since it's much quieter and less traffic there).  She said yeah, that's fine.

So a few week's ago, we were having 4 adults and 3 kids, and the only thing not already made and ready to eat would be the burgers and dogs we'd do there.

A few days later, she called me and said she thought she'd better tell her brother and nieces that she was having a cookout, since she was having one and had told them she wasn't and that they could come..  I told her that would be fine, I had no problem with it.

So then, we were having 8 adults, 4 kids, and 1 toddler (my uncle, his wife, my two cousins and their two sons added to the above totals).

Then she called me a few days later and says, "You can't have a picnic without baked beans, so I'll just make a big pot of my baked beans."  I told her she didn't have to but that was fine.

And then she calls a few days later, and asked what we want for dessert.  I told her we didn't have to have any desserts, but she said, "Well of COURSE we do!  I'll bake a cake."  I told her I preferred pie, but she said you can get more pieces out of a cake, so she'd make that.  And I said okay, that's fine.

We had made plans to go last Thursday to get the stuff we needed.  So I went out there and before we left I saw store bought cookies on the dining room table.  I asked about them, and she said thought the kids might enjoy them more than cake.  So she just went and bought them.  Okay....

Also, before we left, she showed me the fridge in the pantry and all the drinks she had in there: Diet Coke, Regular Coke, Diet Ginger Ale, Diet Lemon Iced Tea, Diet Peach Iced Tea, Lemonade, and bottled water.  She said she'd have to get some regular Iced Tea at the store. I told her, what she had was PLENTY!  But she insisted she had to get some just in case someone wanted it.  Okay...

On the way to the grocery store, she said he brother wife asked about what to bring, should she bring deviled eggs?  Mom told her SHE was already going to make some!  I said something about her not making anything, but she said she already bought the eggs for it.  Okay.

So at the store, getting some of the stuff we needed, she pointed out the strawberries and said, "I'll need to get some of these for the fruit tray.  OH, by the way, I'm making a fruit tray and a veggie tray too."  I again told her none of that was necessary, but she insisted.  I shook my head, chuckled and just said okay.

So now, in addition to the changes in people being there, we went from an easy to prepare minimal menu to basically a buffet from the local all-you-can eat place!  I'm not upset about her being this way, not at all.  I just have to smile and laugh.  She does like to entertain.  And she does enjoy cooking, and eating, and preparing food, and socializing.   And she does them all so well.

POLT