DEAR ABBY: For the last 10 years, a family of four has come to our home for every Christmas and Easter meal. It started when my wife invited a co-worker. They had no family in town and nowhere else to go.
My wife's relationship with the woman has cooled, but the family assumes they are automatically invited and show up without being asked. They spend more time talking to our other family members than they do to us.
How do I politely let them know we no longer wish for them to come to our family meals? -- FAMILY ONLY IN MISSISSIPPI
DEAR FAMILY ONLY: Your wife should tell her co-worker that your plans for the holidays have changed, that the two of you are scaling back the festivities to include only family members.
She should be sure to convey this news in plenty of time for her co-worker to make other arrangements -- whether it will be preparing something herself or getting together with another family. Now would be a perfect time to do it.