You must come round for a meal...

'You must come round for a meal - I'll text or email and all being well, we'll find a date to suit.'
That's it - it's out- you've said it and you can't take it back.

Why do we do it? Maybe to convince people that we're normal, sociable people, more than happy to prepare a restaurant style meal for the friends we are so fond of. It is definitely not the case that we want to stay at home, flop on the sofa and watch something crap on the television. Oh, no, that's not the case at all.

So the email is sent, the tone is jolly along the lines of, 'Oh, amazing! Didn't think it would be so easy for us to find a date, we're all so busy, but great, we've done it so what about 7 for 7.30 on Saturday the 5th?'
Then the reality - the decision as to what to make, consideration of the personal preferences of  the guests. You've decided to invite 12 people, get them all done at once, as you owe them all.
Then comes acceptance. Get out the cookbooks or trawl the internet, dither, finally make a decision then go and buy the food. Is there enough? You don't want to appear mean. Or there's far too much, you don't want to over-face people.

It's good if you can make something before hand, cut down the anxiety and the rush, rush, rush of it all. Then the day of the meal arrives. It's calm then increasingly less calm until you're in a panic and whirling around the kitchen, shouting at your husband/wife and wishing for the life of  you that you hadn't actually voiced that you-must-come-round invitation.

Things become calmer and a que sera mood replaces the panic and irritation with your husband /wife and anyway you've got to shower and get changed.

It's time. The doorbell goes, several times and eventually everyone is seated in your living room. They have brought, wine, some have brought flowers too and some present you with chocolates. Lovely - how thoughtful.

You usher them to the table, they make appreciative comments about the food, the conversation is interesting and you are actually enjoying yourself. Someone stands up, he/she has to go, got some work to do tomorrow, so lovely, thanks great evening, we must do it again and so on. The others leave and you're really pleased with how it went. In fact, you enjoyed it very much.

Right, and now for the clearing up ...