Dear Eric: Recently, it was “assumed” by my husband’s family that we would host a gathering for some out-of-town relatives. We have a better house for entertaining. Everyone brought a side dish, or dessert. I usually have at least one gathering a year for his family. I’m happy to do it. We have a nice dining room, but our table was not going to work for the number of people attending. I set up a smaller table in the living room, adjacent to our dining room. As people were lining up to fill their plates I heard some commotion, walked into the dining room, and saw my two sisters-in-law carrying the extra chairs and place settings to the dining room table. They decided it would be better if we all sat together. We were like sardines. Wine was spilled on my grandmother’s tablecloth.