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The Wings of Love
Jun. 14th, 2012 08:11 amAustralia's Prime Minister is a knitter! And she has a funky-sounding knitting bag! So that's nice. (Although I am not pleased by the patronising headline.) What hobby does your leader have?
My great-aunt has been unwell recently. They have found a small cancer in her oesophagus, so fingers crossed. She says the doctors sound positive, so that's a start. When my mother and I went to see her yesterday evening, she was going to throw out a pile of magazines that she had read during her hospital stay, so she sent them home with us instead. I have one here. It is the May issue of this magazine, featuring a Mothers' Day special: readers were invited to write in with their answer to this question: What ingenious cleaning trick did you learn from your mother? Happy Mothers' Day! Do you know what cleaning trick I've learnt from my mother? Put it in a cupboard and shut the door. Works every time.*
Also, this magazine has an etiquette column, which features a question from a reader who doesn't like visiting her cousin, who is 'a terrible hostess' with piles of laundry and paper in her hallway, but the reader doesn't want to hurt her feelings by confronting her about her bad housekeeping. The etiquette expert concurs that this would be a bad idea, suggesting that the reader stay in a hotel when visiting instead. Genius. I'd have said, just suck it up for a few days. Paper and laundry won't kill you.
This is the next etiquette question and answer:
I am a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding. I have already dropped more than $1,000 on everything from the dress to the bachelorette party**. Now I've been asked to chip in another $50 toward a gift from the whole wedding party. How can I politely decline the request?
Here's an important lesson every woman must learn: Don't agree to be a bridesmaid until you have a sense of what's required, logistically and financially. If it's a no-frills backyard affair, your time and money outlay should be minimal. If it's a fancy destination wedding, expect the opposite. It's too late for you to make these inquiries now. You're stuck, and—I'm sorry break the news to you—you need to pony up for a gift, just like all the other guests. Remember: You're in this position because the bride is a close friend. Fifty dollars for a wedding present is a small price to pay for maintaining a valuable friendship.
This is wrong, isn't it? It's not answering the question at all. The first part of the answer, about finding out about your obligations, is true, but that's about the dress and shoes and whatnot, not presents. The reader isn't asking 'do I have to buy a present?', but 'do I have to chip in for a group present?' And I say no; no, she doesn't. She can get one by herself. What do you think?
* That's a bit unfair on my mother. If I have learnt nothing else from her, it's that dishwashing liquid is good for getting out greasy food stains on clothes. From my grandmother, I learnt that you can get wax drips off carpet by covering them with brown paper and ironing over it. Make use of those as you will
** It's an American magazine, obv. An Australian would call it a hens' night.
My great-aunt has been unwell recently. They have found a small cancer in her oesophagus, so fingers crossed. She says the doctors sound positive, so that's a start. When my mother and I went to see her yesterday evening, she was going to throw out a pile of magazines that she had read during her hospital stay, so she sent them home with us instead. I have one here. It is the May issue of this magazine, featuring a Mothers' Day special: readers were invited to write in with their answer to this question: What ingenious cleaning trick did you learn from your mother? Happy Mothers' Day! Do you know what cleaning trick I've learnt from my mother? Put it in a cupboard and shut the door. Works every time.*
Also, this magazine has an etiquette column, which features a question from a reader who doesn't like visiting her cousin, who is 'a terrible hostess' with piles of laundry and paper in her hallway, but the reader doesn't want to hurt her feelings by confronting her about her bad housekeeping. The etiquette expert concurs that this would be a bad idea, suggesting that the reader stay in a hotel when visiting instead. Genius. I'd have said, just suck it up for a few days. Paper and laundry won't kill you.
This is the next etiquette question and answer:
I am a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding. I have already dropped more than $1,000 on everything from the dress to the bachelorette party**. Now I've been asked to chip in another $50 toward a gift from the whole wedding party. How can I politely decline the request?
Here's an important lesson every woman must learn: Don't agree to be a bridesmaid until you have a sense of what's required, logistically and financially. If it's a no-frills backyard affair, your time and money outlay should be minimal. If it's a fancy destination wedding, expect the opposite. It's too late for you to make these inquiries now. You're stuck, and—I'm sorry break the news to you—you need to pony up for a gift, just like all the other guests. Remember: You're in this position because the bride is a close friend. Fifty dollars for a wedding present is a small price to pay for maintaining a valuable friendship.
This is wrong, isn't it? It's not answering the question at all. The first part of the answer, about finding out about your obligations, is true, but that's about the dress and shoes and whatnot, not presents. The reader isn't asking 'do I have to buy a present?', but 'do I have to chip in for a group present?' And I say no; no, she doesn't. She can get one by herself. What do you think?
* That's a bit unfair on my mother. If I have learnt nothing else from her, it's that dishwashing liquid is good for getting out greasy food stains on clothes. From my grandmother, I learnt that you can get wax drips off carpet by covering them with brown paper and ironing over it. Make use of those as you will
** It's an American magazine, obv. An Australian would call it a hens' night.