DEAR MISS MANNERS: I went to the WORST SHOWER ever.
My friends and I were NOT greeted at the door by anyone. Fifteen seconds after a young woman saw me struggling at the door with packages, with NO smile she said, "I'll take those."
The three of us walk into the kitchen. No one welcomes us; they just look at us. We get plates for food. The cheese cubes were, at most, 1/2-by-1/2-inch big. There was a vegetable tray -- yea! :) -- but the vegetable dip had ZERO flavor.
They offered huge bagels (is there SOMETHING we could put on them?!). There were small cupcakes with stale, thick icing. Drinks: lemonade or water in bottles. I looked around, and oops ... THAT WAS IT on the food and drinks.
Anyway, we're through eating, and NO ONE came to take our plates ... so I get up to take them. I'm walking around the kitchen with our plates, looking for the trash. FINALLY one of the women points and says, "The trash is over there." SIGH.:(
The shower starts. No one introduces anyone. The presents get opened. It's time to leave. NONE of the hostesses ever talk to my friends or to me. There were only 15 people attending. The one person who DID act wonderful is our friend, who is the mother-in-law of the mother-to-be.
Question: What SHOULD hostesses do at the shower?? I have been to AWESOME showers where young women hostesses were SO nice, hospitable, helpful; the food and punch were GREAT! This aforementioned shower was horrible.
GENTLE READER: Indeed. Miss Manners is happy to hear that your friends are not like that. As you seem to have survived, Miss Manners is focusing her worry on the innocent baby who will be exposed to people who have so little consideration for the feelings and comfort of others.