Having people over.

(Warning - like my last post, this post is being sent from my mobile device, so please pardon all typos.)

I really don't like the word "entertaining." Or, more specifically, I don't like the verb "to entertain," and the phrase, "perfect for entertaining." Or the phrase, "We love to entertain." I hear these phrases all the time on home and garden shows, the ones that showcase the people shopping for the home of their dreams. Their forever home. Their overpriced, top-of-their-budget, cookie-cutter home on the end of a cul-de-sac, with plenty of yard for the kids and dog to run around free. What does entertaining mean to these people? Bringing people over for some kind of song-and-dance routine?

Doug and I like to have people over to our house. We like people to come over and sit around and enjoy being in the company of other friends, family, or similar-minded people. We like to make sure they feel welcome and taken care of when they come to our home, meaning fed and watered. We like to make sure they have a clean place to sit. That's what we like to do. We like to open our house to others.

We did that tonight. We had friends over for an end-of-season barbecue. Hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, a couple of types of salad, chips, appetizers courtesy of our guests, and plenty of wine and beer (most of which was consumed, as you can tell by the above photo). It was nice. Very nice. We really like having people over. We like bringing people together at our house so that they can enjoy it as much as we do.

I was thinking as I was baking and cleaning and preparing for the cookout that our house is too small for having people over. That we need a bigger kitchen. That we need a deck or a more convenient door to the patio for more seamless use of the outdoor space. But then I checked myself. Because our house is just fine. Better than fine, even - it is great. It is small and compact so people are forced to be close and socialize together. It is colorful. It is clean and comfortable. It's a home that reflects our personalities. Anything larger, anything more, would be too much. We don't need more. We have enough.

This is why I never say that Doug and I "like to entertain." That phrase reminds me of women who covet dual sinks in the master bath and granite countertops in the kitchen. Doug and I like to have people over. We like to bring people together. We like to do it in our little house with our over-turned plastic totes as tabletops. The day we start "entertaining" is the day we give up hot dogs. That would be a tragic day indeed!