Claire
Master Chef
My next door neighbor is getting ready to throw a brunch. Whenever she entertains (a few times a year) she gets very anxious. We're talking fewer than a dozen people, a brunch (which is so easy). My husband is presiding over a bloody mary bar. I'm bringing the ham. I guess what I'm getting at is why is this so stressful for her? Don't get me wrong, when I'm expecting 40 or 50 people over for my two annual parties, I tend to stress out myself .... not because of the people coming, but because I hate to clean house. Hubby says that from now on he's hiring a friend of ours to do the basic house-cleaning. But this woman really goes ballistic. What can I say to her to calm her down? She always asks me, "Claire, what do you do so you can throw a party for 40 and not be anxiety ridden like I am?" I really don't know the answer. Is it just personality? I'm not saying I don't have my anxious, 3 a.m. moments when I think of everything I should have done. But it is always worth it. If I got as upset as she does, I doubt I'd ever even have someone over for dinner (something I do at least monthly), much less throw a party. Any words of wisdom I can throw her way would be appreciated.