DEAR ABBY: My mother-in-law, "Madge," lives 1,400 miles away, and my husband and I rarely see her. Because of issues in the past, I do not care for her company -- and that's putting it mildly.
Yesterday, Madge called my husband and invited herself and my sister-in-law to Thanksgiving dinner with MY family! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I look forward to spending the time with my family, especially those I only get to see a few times a year. How can I tell Madge that they can't come without making them angry? -- T-DAY WITH MY FAMILY
DEAR T-DAY: Obviously, you can't -- and neither could your husband. You can, however, control to some extent how much contact you have with her if you have assigned seating.
Put Madge and your sister-in-law at the other end of the table on either side of your husband. Keep a smile on your face and stay busy with all the "duties" a hostess must perform. You'll get through it. And next year, tell your husband to check with you before allowing his mother to invite herself.