Hospitality for a Crowd - Part III--Bedding and Bathing



Our guest room.

It took me awhile to figure out how to provide 18 of us with a place to sleep and how to make the bathroom routine run smoothly. Technohubby and I kept our bedroom. Another couple took the guest room (shown above). Max gave up his room to another couple. He and three other young men slept on the floor of the family room. Two younger girls slept in the schoolroom. And Felicity and Colette shared their attic bedroom with four other girls.

Everyone needed bedding. Yikes! That’s a lot of pillows, not to mention everything else that goes on a bed. I have a difficult time asking people (even children or young men) to sleep on the floor, especially for 1-2 weeks, so everyone who wasn’t sleeping in an actual bed had an air mattress. The young guys all had sleeping bags and pillows to go atop their air mattresses. The girls all had sheets, a single blanket, a pretty quilt, and a pillow. I found it best to buy inexpensive, plain white, twin sheets and cream colored cotton blankets. I opted for the neutral linens to allow the most flexibility for future giant slumber parties…no pink sheets that some 19-yr. old guy has to sleep on someday. I already owned some pretty quilts for the girls, and I picked up a couple more at antique stores (not old) for about $12-$20 each. (I store them all in the linen closet, bound round with twill tape that I marked with their size with a permanent fabric marker, so that I don’t have to unwrap five or six sets of sheets trying to find the right size.)



A word about guest rooms: When we moved from the west coast to the east coast, we knew that when friends and family came to visit, they wouldn’t just come for an overnight visit, but would probably stay for a week or more. So it was important to us to find a house with a designated guest room, so they would have a cozy home-away-from-home. We stock our guest room with: hangers, an ironing board and iron, a small sewing kit for emergency repairs, a few toiletry items that might have been forgotten at home, a lint roller, chocolates, a tote bag, books, tourist guides, local maps, pretty postcards and notecards with local scenes, first class and postcard stamps. Even if you have guests sleeping on your living room couch, you can make up a little basket with some of those items to meet their needs away from home.



A cozy afghan in the guest room is much appreciated for afternoon naps.

We have 2 1/2 baths in our home. Seven of us shared the master bath. And the remaining eleven guests (all related to each other) shared the other whole bath. The half bath was used by shaving men, girls doing their make-up, teeth brushing, etc. I let the eleven figure out a bathroom schedule that worked for them. To keep the septic system in check and everything running smoothly, it worked best for some to shower at night and others in the morning.


Our group at the bottom of the Flume Gorge, once described "as what nature looks like in your dreams" (unknown).  Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire.

All this brings us to the question, how do you keep 18 towels and washcloths straight? I pondered that one for a long time. Finally, I hit on the solution. I took two lengths of cotton twill tape per person (about 5″ long). I wrote each person’s name on the two pieces with a fabric marker. I then attached a tape to a towel and a tape to a washcloth with a zigzag stitch. Now everyone could easily find and keep their own towel and washcloth.

But how did everyone get their towels and washcloths dry? We utilized every available towel rack and hook. A few people hung their towels on a shelf with hooks in the guest bedroom. And everyone else took theirs down to the basement and hung them by clothespins from hangers on the coat rack. It worked!

After a good night’s sleep, everyone was ready for a tasty breakfast! Come back tomorrow for Part IV–Breakfasts.

Hospitality for a Crowd - Part II--The Basics

A few days before our daughter's wedding, when there were only about 12 of us under one roof, one of our guests said to me, "I know the title of the book you should write?" "Oh?" I queried. "Yes," he said, "How to Throw a Wedding Without Killing Yourself...or Anyone Else." To which my wry reply was, "It's not over yet."



Our guests listening to a park ranger give a talk about the battles of Lexington and Concord adjacent to the Old North Bridge, Concord, MA.

All kidding aside...One of the most important things to me when we have houseguests is that I have time to relax and enjoy them. I want to spend as much time as I can having fun with them, and as little time as possible hurrying about, cooking, or grocery shopping. How can that be accomplished when there are 28 people to care for? The key is to do everything you possibly can as far in advance as possible. This requires some planning. Planning starts with the guests wants and needs.

I always contact our guests and ask them what they would like to do when they are with us. (I also ask them about food allergies and dietary restrictions.) Our guests usually come from some other area of the country, and for many this is the first time they've been to New England. This is a trip they've always dreamed of, and they want to see the places they've only known from the history books and tourist guides. I usually suggest some additional places that I think they might particularly enjoy, or would fit easily with their ideas. Once they give me a list of places they want to go to and I know how long they will be with us, I do up an intinerary.

The intinerary helps the guests. In addition to helping them to know what's going to happen, it helps them know how to pack. And I hope it helps them feel cared for and thought of and loved, even before they arrive. The intinerary I sent to our large crowd of guests contained information such as: locations we were going to, how long it would take to get there, any costs they would incur, whether we would be packing lunches or buying there (so they could budget), how to dress (i.e.: casual clothes and comfortable walking shoes for dirt paths). I also sent along information about: the normal weather at the time of year they were coming, a reminder to pack something in case it rains (jacket, umbrella), our home and cell phone numbers, and any important information about driving laws in our state (seat belt, car seat, cell phone and texting restrictions, etc.)

The intinerary also helps me to plan the menus (hence, do advance cooking) for their trip. I keep a 3-ring binder full of recipes that are good to serve guests. Much more on food in postings to come.

Besides the obvious food that will have to be bought to have a crowd of houseguests, there are a lot of other things that many people will go through in a short amount of time. Here's my list of items I want to be well-stocked in:

--paper towels
--toilet paper
--klennex
--paper goods: napkins, plates (dinner plates and small plates), bowls
--plastic ware: cups (large for water, small for juice), cutlery
--Ziploc bags (gallon for leftovers and sandwich for lunches), wax paper, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil
--trash bags
--dishwasher detergent
--soap (liquid for soap dispensers and bar soap)
--coffee, coffee filters
--water bottles (we stocked a case in a couple of cars every day)

Another small, yet very important detail for those of us who live out in the country, is the septic system. We had our tank pumped a couple of days before guests arrived. Enough said.


Our guests at the Minuteman Statue - Concord, MA.



Feeding, bedding, and touring with a small army is a lot of work. No doubt about it. You should not hesitate to put your guests to work. People need to feel useful (there's a whole lot to be said about raising kids and the elderly on that topic, but that's for an entirely different sort of posting). Your guests will feel more at home if you put them to work. Help comes in many forms. Help with meal prep is essential. When we hosted "the crowd", I put one man in charge of making sure there was always ice in the large ice chest (holding extra food) in the basement. When it needed replenishing, he took himself down to the general store and bought more, and I never had to stress about it. Teenage boys were great for emptying trash, fetching and carrying, sweeping floors, watering the withering garden, etc. Teenage girls helped in the kitchen, set the table, made waffle cones, served desserts, and more. And even though we ate off paper plates, drank from plastic cups, and used plastic cutlery, there was still the meal prep mess to clean up after dinner each night. I always assigned K.P. (kitchen patrol) duty to three or four young people, who got the job done cheerfully and in no time flat, while we women who made the meal sat down with our glasses of wine and our spouses and enjoyed some good conversation.

Advance planning, stocking up on the essentials, and helping hands all make it possible to show hospitality to a crowd and still enjoy them immensely!

Come back tomorrow for tips on making a crowd of houseguests comfortable in Part III--Bedding and Bathing.

Hospitality for a Crowd - Part I--The Background

"Houses full of love have elastic walls."

That's a quote from a movie based on O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. I've loved that quote since I was 12 years old, but it became more of a reality to me when I was a new bride and we lived in a one bedroom apartment. Our tiny apartment did not stop us from practicing hospitality, because "houses full of love have elastic walls."

More importantly, Scripture commands us to practice hospitality. Hospitality is not a gift given by God to certain people, but it is something all Christians are commanded to practice. Here's just a sampling of what God's Word has to say about hospitality:

--Hospitality is to be generous: "He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days." - Acts 28:7

--It is commanded: "Practice hospitality." - Romans 12:13

--It is a blessing to others: "Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy..." - Romans 16:23

--It is a good deed that godly women practice: "...is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality..." - 1 Timothy 5:10

--It is to be shown to strangers: "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:2

--It is to be cheerfully given: "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." - 1 Peter 4:9

After less than a year of marriage, we moved from our newlywed apartment when we purchased a condominium. Now we had 900 square feet with elastic walls! We had friends over for dinner, hosted birthday parties, baby showers. week-long stays from out of town guests, extended family celebrations, and started the tradition of an annual Christmas party. We had a baby, and another, and ANOTHER. Five people in 900 square feet requires a lot of creative storage solutions and furniture arranging, as well as daily walks to enjoy some s-p-a-c-e. There were times when I thought I couldn't stand another day in our ever-shrinking condo, and I prayed to God for another house, for a spirit of contentment, and poured out prayers of thankfulness for a solid roof over our heads and food on our table. The size of our home, however, never stopped us from having guests. I would remind myself that "houses full of love have elastic walls."

We lived in that condo for 7 years, 3 months, and 8 days (but who was counting), and have moved twice since then. Our hospitality has seemed to grow with the blessings of our home. We have had more friends for dinner, barbecues, bridal showers, out-of-town guests, baby showers, teas, monthly homeschool group meetings, musical evenings, large homeschool events, and our annual Christmas party swelled to 100+ people. More than a hundred people!?! No problem, because "houses full of love have elastic walls", and a backyard with a trampoline for the kids doesn't hurt either.

But our practice of hospitality, not just our walls, was required to stretch last year at the time of our daughter and son-in-law's wedding. Ten days before the wedding my parents arrived to stay with us. Two days later five more people moved in. Two days later two bridesmaids arrived. And a day later my parents moved out into a hotel with my aunt, and six more friends moved in. Bear in mind, we were a family of five. In case you're trying to figure this out, we are now three days before a wedding and there are eighteen people under our roof.

What a blessing to have so many friends and family arrive from all over the United States! And those staying with us were just some of them. We had more friends and family in hotels and a campground. We wanted to have a relaxed and enjoyable time with all of them, not just see them at the wedding. So two days before the wedding we hosted a barbecue at our house...for 32 people. It rained, so the barbecue moved inside. No problem! "Houses full of love have elastic walls!" (Scroll down to the bottom of this posting for the barbecue's menu and some recipe links**.)



The now-indoors barbecue.  Our formal dining room and the dining area of our kitchen abut each other, allowing us to join one 8-ft. table with two 6-ft. tables, so that most of us could eat together.  There was another table in the family room off to the right.  It was crowded, but so much fun!!!

The morning before the day of the wedding, we hosted a bridal shower brunch for Felicity, since most of her bridesmaids and all of her female relatives were here to attend. The rehearsal went well (despite rain, thunder, and lightning), the wedding was beautiful, and Walter and Felicity departed to start their life together. The fun with our guests, however, was just beginning.



Man and wife!



Period dancing at the wedding reception.

For the next five days twenty-eight of us toured New England!

Our group (minus my husband and in-laws) in front of Paul Revere's house on the Freedom Trail, Boston, MA.

There were still seventeen of us living under our roof, another nine in a hotel, and two in a campground. That's seventeen people who must eat breakfast and be out the door each morning by 8:30-9:00-ish. In addition to getting breakfast, each morning we made and packed lunches for all 28 of us for four of those five touring days. And all twenty-eight of us ate dinner each night at our home after a long day of touring. How did we do it? That's what this series of postings is all about.

Over the rest of this week, I will be sharing what we learned in a series of postings:

- Part II--The Basics

-Part III--Bedding and Bathing

-Part IV--Breakfasts

-Part V--Lunches

-Part VI--Dinners

I will be sharing tips, pointers, and recipes!

**The menu for the barbecue was themed around local and New England flavors. Appetizers were crackers and an assortment of New England cheeses

we bought while cheese touring in Vermont with the first seven guests we had. Dinner was Maple-Chipotle Barbecued Chicken topped with maple caramelized onions, a recipe from the Balsams Grand Resort in New Hampshire,



local strawberries, a fabulous salad recipe from Yankee magazine with dried cranberries and bleu cheese, and locally-baked artisan breads. We served wine, locally brewed beers, and locally bottled, artisan sodas. Dessert was an assortment of New England-themed ice creams served up in homemade waffle cones.

Come back tomorrow for Part II--The Basics.

One Year Ago Today

It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year, but it has. Today is Walter and Felicity’s first anniversary!!! Happy Anniversary!

And now they are three!



“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…”

– James 1:17

New Skills

Technohubby has decided that Max is now old enough and capable enough to handle the riding lawn mower. Saturday Max set about to learn this new skill. Patterns for the mowing must be learned, as well as how to operate the mower. Not to mention, he’s really learning how to drive! It’s a lot to keep in mind.



The first lesson was a workout for Technohubby, as he walked along side the mower and coached.

And he’s off and running!

Celebrating

We honored Colette with a celebratory dinner for her graduation.  It was all about family and roses and diplomas and food and cheesecake!



The cheesecake display tempted us all.



Dinner was scrumptious!

And Colette's cheesecake had the word "Congrats!!" adorning it in chocolate drizzle.

So incredibly proud of her!  She has been a joy to teach!



Beauty and the Baguette

Last weekend, Colette took a class entitled “Beauty and the Baguette” at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center.  The class’ specific goal was to teach how to make beautiful baguettes in your home oven.

This was her classroom for four hours. I knew she would love it as soon as we walked in. She had her own little wooden countertopped work station complete with all the measuring cups, spoons, scale, etc. that she would need.  Colette’s a hands-on kind of learner, and if she just had to sit and listen to someone tell her how to make baguettes, she’d be bored stiff. But…oh the joy of having everything to keep her hands busy! (I did not take the class with her, but someday I’d like to take their brick oven baking class and get to use that giant brick oven over there in the corner.)

While she was in class, I went antiquing nearby, explored a fabric store, and enjoyed exploring the King Arthur Store.  It was full of all kinds of wonderful things: aprons, wooden spoons and cutting boards, whisks, cookbooks, and more.

Naturally, the bakery had to be explored.  We highly recommend their raspberry bars and their brownies.

Four hours later, she emerged smiling and bearing baguettes!  Wow!  That girl can bake!  But then I already knew that.











She chattered happily nearly the whole way home in a seemingly foreign language. She now talks about poolish and fougasse and bread having ears!

Looks good and tastes even better!















Colette Finishes

Today, Colette finished high school! She is thrilled! A celebration dinner at the Cheesecake Factory will be forthcoming! She has plans to continue her baking and farmers’ market booth, take classes in her areas of interest, and work on her homekeeping skills with me. We are so proud of her!



(That dress she’s wearing?…well, it was once made and worn by her Grandma! It’s ivory wool. The workmanship is exquisite!)

Life's Delicious Pleasures

Yesterday, we headed to the coastline to treat my in-laws to some sunny weather.



They've been here for a week and this was the first prolonged sun sighting we'd had.  They come from a sunny place and were feeling a bit lacking in vitamin D.  And a trip to the coast is a great opportunity to scout out an, as of yet unknown to us, ice cream stand.

This place boasts of 78 flavors of ice cream!  Decisions, decisions...

"Death by Chocolate", we were told, contains chocolate in seven different ways: ice cream, fudge sauce, brownie, etc.

Colette found it amazing!











Fishing Season Has Begun

The weather was warmer. The days are longer. And sporting new fishing equipment from Grandpa and Grandma (gifts from Christmas and his birthday), Max took to the woods last week. Wandering to the shores of the pond, he spent the late afternoon fishing, only to emerge from the woods disappointed and empty handed…but just in time for dinner!

But a few days later I took him to the lake in a neighboring town, and he caught a 14″ catfish!

A Mother's Day Stroll

We're actually celebrating Mother's Day this Thursday, but on Sunday we went for a lovely stroll around a coastal town.  Here's a glimpse at what we saw as we strolled.



It was a lovely day!

Fresh and Local Lunch

For science this year, Colette's been studying "food science".  She just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  To keep it all fresh on her tongue mind, I took her out to lunch at a local restaurant that features a fresh, local, and seasonal menu.  A chalkboard in the entry noted the local farms from whom they get their food...for produce, cheeses, pasta, and more.

Cuttings from my favorite bulbs were on the table.



The menu was quite extensive and everything sounded soooo tempting.  In the end, Colette chose a caesar salad with all natural chicken.  Vintage Vera scarf?  Gift from a dear friend who knew Colette would be just the girl to appreciate it.



And I chose the Apple Salad with: baby spinach, local apples, roasted apples, candied walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese, served with Poached Apple Dressing.  Wow!  Delicious!



We’re definitely going back to that restaurant!