Dear Aunt Sister - September 03

When I wrote for the now defunct Foothill Sentinel, I was the ghost writer for the Dear Aunt Sister advice column. When writing the column, I channel my beloved aunt, born in 1913, known affectionately to her five brothers and all their offspring as "Sister." She handled everything with charm, fantastic wit and always a twinkle in her eye.

Dear Aunt Sister,

I recently threw a party for a small group of people. They spilled food on my floor and left it there. Plates and cups were left all around the house and patio. Someone spilled a drink and made no effort to help clean it up.

I was taught to clean up after myself. What’s wrong with these people?

Tired of Partying with Pigs


Dear Hostess,

Not everyone was raised with the good manners you have. It sounds as if some of your friends were raised in a zoo! Unfortunately, all you can really do is continue to lead by example.
As hostess, you can let people know what you expect of them. As you serve them, tell them where the trash can is or where to leave the plates. Hand them extra napkins and say, “Just in case you spill…” Ease the burden by asking someone to stay and help clean up.

You also have the option of only inviting the neat ones next time. Let the “pig” wallow in his own mess.