Jim says I always get “testy” before we have guests. He’s right as he often (not always) is. I want to make sure the house is clean, a menu has been partly set with their likes and dislikes in mind, and that they have current guides for their visit so they can do what they want to do while visiting.
There is so much to do here and families like different things, so I try to tailor recommendations to our guests. In the end I think we’re lucky to be where we are for even a brief period of time and we’d like to share it with friends and family.
There’s a family coming in next week and I’m just trying to keep the house clean and keep my lists ready for food et al. That drives Jim crazy as he believes he should go through the house like a human tornado and let someone else pick up after him That would be me. But that’s the battle.
I know it’ll go well if I only remind him to come home from work at a reasonable hour to greet his guests. Fingers crossed, Dee
Cooking with Dee 
I’m the exact same way. I love having guests whether they are dinner guests or overnight guests. I try to make sure my home is their home and I want things as easy and smooth as possible for them. My husband says sometimes my Southern hospitality gets the best of me when it comes down to details. We had guests recently and I racked my brain for a welcome gift. I ended up etching wine glasses with the Chinese symbol for friend as their daughter is also from China along with a few bottles of wine from wineries throughout NC. There were fresh towels, linens, soaps, lotions, coloring books and other kid-friendly fare for their daughter. Friends are the family we get to choose and I want no one to ever leave my home having felt like an inconvenience or not having had a good time.
Enjoy your guests.
Thanks for chiming in. I have a wonderful TX five-star basket that I can fill with a couple of books and maybe a game or two, that I did for my nephew just a few weeks ago. He was thrilled and told his older sisters he was playing Uno with “real cards!”
Must check out your blog, hope all’s well. Dee