DEAR ABBY: Most of my guests use my personal bath towels to dry their hands, even though I have guest towels in plain view.
I recall some time ago you printed a poem in your column to encourage guests to use the guest towels. Would you kindly print it again? I want to frame it and hang it in my powder room. - ANNALEE BOSSON, DES MOINES, WASH.DEAR ANNALEE: The poem was written by Mabel Craddock of Ventura, Calif., who had grown weary of having her guests drying their hands on toilet paper, bath mats and even her cutains, leaving her pretty little guest towels untouched. Here it is:
A GUEST TOWEL SPEAKS
Please use me, Guest;
Don't hesitate.
Don't turn your back
Or vacillate.
Don't dry your hands
On petticoat,
On handkerchief,
Or redingote.
I'm here to use;
I'm made for drying.
Just hanging here
Gets very tiring.
DEAR ABBY: Can you stand one more letter about "drop-ins"? What does that idiot mean, "If we drop in, and see that they aren't happy to see us, we can always leave."
Now I've heard everything! What can these poor trapped people say when unintvited guests appear at their door?
"Gosh, I'm sorry, I was just cleaning my garage. My hair looks terrible and I don't have any makeup on, the house is a mess, I have no snacks, not even a soft drink in the fridge, I'm dead tired and had planned on resting when I finished with the garage - give me a break!"
As usual, Abby, you are right on the money. There is absolutely no excuse for people dropping in without calling first. And just for the record, I did an office survey. We have approximately 200 employees in this office, and I circulated a "memo" throughout the place with the question: "How do you feel about drop-in guests?"
Not one person said they would be welcome. Several expressed the opinion that "drop-ins" should drop dead or drop out. - FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.
DEAR FORT LAUDERDALE: It's official. The drop-ins lose by a landslide. Now you handful of folks who love to be dropped in on: Hang a "Welcome" sign on your front door. Be sure you have plenty of soft drinks in the fridge, chips and dips and cookies galore, and the world will beat a path to your door.