Meeting the in laws.

Ok, so you are madly in love, good luck with that! This isn't about the two of you, it's about the rest of the story. So, when do you have the first summit meeting? Bringing YOUR intended to meet your family? Well, if you think it isn't a big deal, think again. I will talk at a later time about the proper attitude of a family towards a potential new citizen, this one's for you buddy. DO NOT bring anyone home that isn't a potential keeper. If you're just fooling around, it's very confusing for all concerned. If you're so young that meeting the folks can't be helped, (because they are driving you on your dates) that ought to tell you something right there. And if you're way past old enough, but you still sleep with your parents down the hall, that tells you something else.

Food Rules

This the Madrone's friend, Lily. We go way back, to when our sons were babies and we couldn't imagine them doing anything we hadn't already done. Thirty years later, they figured out a few things but we'll keep those private. Today's lesson is that food rules in family-you need to figure out the rules and then learn to live with them or work around them. For example, say your mother in law lived through the Depression and thinks Starbucks is a bar. DO NOT bring Starbucks to her house just because she only drinks instant coffee. Do what I do, offer to run an errand (preferably something that takes at least 20 minutes)- before running the errand, go to Starbucks, get your latte, drink it in the car, dispose of the cup (or if you're ecological, hide the cup) finish the errand and chew gum so she can't smell real coffee on your breath. Next week I'll give you instructions on other food rules such as learning to live in a meat based family when you're a vegetarian. (Do not try slipping the meat to the dog, the dog will rat you out)
God Bless.