Skip to main content

Hospitality for the Rest of Us: Extended House Guests


I'll just say this from the beginning, I don't do this. Well, I've done it, but I'm not one of those people that has someone come and live in their basement for weeks on end while their in between jobs or assignments. I thought I could be that person, but it's just not me.

My tips from what I've learned are below.

Be positive that you want someone in your home, doubly positive and don't have a time line for them. Extended house guests may stay much much longer than you ever imagined. Don't believe me? Talk to some parents with adult children in their homes. It's better to say no in the beginning than to come to hate someone's presence in the end.

Give them a key, tell them when meal times are, explain the house rules and then let it go. You should not expect anything else from them at this point. They are now a member of your family. You can refer back to ideas from the Immediate Family post, if you want.

Extended house guests are a different kind of breed in the hospitality realm. They live with you, they change your rhythm, but they are also outside of you, allowed to create their own rhythm in your home. They are more than a tenant but need less attention than short term guests. You have said your home is open for them in every aspect.

They will see the fights, the dirty dishes, the lazy Saturdays, they'll also see the love and tenderness. And that is the key to their hospitality, they get to see your real and are invited to throw in their real, too.



Comments

  1. Replies
    1. I would say in general, no. They're your guest, so take the financial cost into consideration when you're deciding. If you feel like you need to charge rent, then there needs to be a contract drawn up.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hospitality for the Rest of Us: Long Distance

People are moving more and more. When I was a youngster, it was a rare instance for a friend to move away. Now it's me that moves away. We've moved a lot, especially when we first got married. It was something like five addresses and three states in the first four years of our marriage. We've slowed down a bit. In the midst of all that moving, we've made some friends along the way. I try to keep an open line in case of times of grief and celebration. One of the best tools I've found for keeping in touch with loved ones far away is Facebook. As much time as I could spend doing other things instead of checking it, it's the best thing I've found. It allows me to communicate with others, without having to call. I know calling is amazing, hearing people's voices, but for introverts, there are no body language clues for us to pick up on that help make our conversations easier. It's also why we prefer to video chat :-) Back to Facebook, some etiquette.

Stories from the Kitchen: Taste and See

I celebrated my birthday last weekend. It was wonderful and the leftovers left me with a question or two. Find out what they are and how I'm currently answering them in this week's podcast. Stories from the Kitchen Season 2, Episode 2: Taste and See Notes from the episode: Taste and See by Margaret Feinberg Dad’s New York Cheesecake (from the back of a Philidelphia Cream Cheese package) 1 ⅞ cups graham cracker crumbs ¼ to ½ cup butter, melted 1 cup sugar, divided 2 lbs cream cheese (4 packs) 2 large eggs (lightly beaten) 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup sour cream Preheat oven to 450F Mix well graham crackers, 2 tbsp sugar, and enough butter that the mixture holds together. Reserve 2 tbsp for garnish. Press mixture onto bottom and sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Chill in the freezer while preparing the filling. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and cornstarch until just blended. S

Tasty Tuesday: Roasted Broccoli

I ran across this recipe on Pinterest the other day that was labeled " The Best Broccoli Of Your Life. " I normally either steam our broccoli in the microwave or saute it with olive oil and red pepper flakes on the stove top. I decided this would be something to try. I did the salt, pepper and olive oil part of the recipe. I didn't have the majority of the other ingredients. In fact, all I had was a little bit of Parmesan  It was wonderful. Not the best broccoli of my life, but honestly, it was pretty close. And if I had the lemon juice and all that jazz, it may very well be the best. What have you been eating lately?