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Article posted Wednesday, May 27, 2015 2:52pm

Dear Mary Pat,

My husband and I bought a house with several guest rooms last summer. The word has gotten out among our family and friends that we have a great place to stay in Door County. We just had six family members leave yesterday and have another group of four friends coming up in two days. This was supposed to be our fun retirement home and instead I feel like we are running a B&B. I’ve heard locals joke that you don’t ever want to have more than one guest room and now I get why. I don’t mind so much visiting with family and friends, but Frank and I feel compelled to entertain and guide people around the peninsula. Where do we draw the line? We’re only at the end of May and I’m already worn out with housework and laundry. I just looked at our calendar for the rest of the season and it’s really full with people coming to stay. I think this may have gotten out of hand and I’m not sure if we’ll ever have time just for us.

Signed,

Innkeeper for All

Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Dear Innkeeper for All,

I’m sure it didn’t take much for this situation to spiral. I think you should honor the commitments that you made for this season/year, since it would be very difficult and awkward to un-invite people to stay in your home. In the future, you will want to try to be selective about your guests. Are these people really close to you? Or is it more like your second cousin once removed caught wind of a free place to stay and you were too nice to say no? (If that’s the case, maybe it would be worth the awkwardness to un-invite a few guests.)

Purchase an inexpensive calendar to scribble on and look at next year as a whole. Block out some time when you would prefer to not have any guests and be selective about which guests you would like to have stay with you.

Another thing that will really help is to fire yourselves as tour guides. Yes, you will, and should, want to take your friends and loved ones around to some of your favorite places, but give them some time to explore on their own. You don’t need to schedule an itinerary for them and aren’t solely responsible to entertain them. Even innkeepers can expect a little break now and again.

Good luck,

Mary Pat