Since well before the start of the Challenge, I knew this letter was always going to be …challenging, especial after the gauntlet was thrown down.
A couple of weeks ago I had the good fortune of having lunch with a friend who also blogs. She has chosen the dark side for her blogging platform, but I won’t hold that against her. We got to talking about the Challenge and she threw it down, right there in the middle of the bistro where we had decided to dine. The gauntlet. She bet me that I couldn’t come up with a real X word to write about noting that words like eXcited or eXternal were ruled out. My friend blogs at Annals from a Citrus Grove In the Suburbs, and has chosen Australian icons for her Challenge theme. Today she blogged about XXXX Beer (pronounced fourex beer) and I can’t help thinking that the gauntlet has found its way to the right place. Anyway, I tend to have a thing for picking up gauntlets and I just couldn’t let this one go.
That’s the back story to why I’m being xenial today. Like all good hosts and in keeping with the theme for today’s post I wish to make you comfortable and to feel welcome. So here’s a cup of coffee for you to enjoy and an ottomon or three for you to put your feet up.
Let me show you the fun welcome mats I found during my research for this post.
My house is certainly ecstatic judging by these standards and isn’t it always nice to peg expectations up front?
I think my favorite though is knock, knock because it’s such a classic and classically simple and I’m totally bummed that I didn’t think of it first.
But getting back to being xenial, I have spent the weekend getting the spare room ready to host a friend from interstate next week for a couple of nights. We will be going to a much awaited concert on Friday night and shooting the breeze and just spending time together.
And as a final tidbit, I will leave you with this little gem that you always wanted to know, but just wasn’t aware of until now – the Hotel Xenial can be found in Biratnagar, Nepal and has been rated as the best choice in Biratnager by Tripadvisor. If you’re in the area, drop by, if only to take a photo of the name.
Time to go and fluff up the welcome mat.
Today I give myself permission to be Xenial.
Raising the Curtain 
Well done. I like all of the door mats!
Thank you, glad you got a laugh out of them 🙂
Excellent! 😉 I was in the same boat as far as being determined to use a real X word – not just one that happened to have an X in it. The “A messy house…” mat is my favorite, and that’s not because my house is messy. Really. 😀
I believe you, really :). I think I cheated last year by using X chromosome, so it was time for redemption.
I’d say you won this gauntlet challenge! But I admit I’m biased in your and this word’s favor. I love the welcome mats–I’m still chuckling.
Jagoda
Thank you. A good gauntlet always reels me in.
I didn’t even know xenial was a word… and here you are already IT! I feel discriminated against… and a tad bummed. 😛
LOL Dagny, you can drop it into as many sentences as you like 🙂
This word is new to me. Ha, I learned something new today. Wonderful choice.
We live, we learn, we write 🙂
Nice use of the dreaded “X”, and now I’ve learned a new word.
I’m afraid I resorted to cheating this year 🙂
Whatever works for you :). Glad you found the post useful.
There’s a cartoon that’s run for as long as I can remember called “Andy Capp.” I believe it originated in England, because Andy speaks with a British accent (as far as anyone can tell reading the newspaper). Anywway, I remember one particular cartoon where he and his wife Florrie are out shopping for a welcome mat, and Andy asks the salesman “‘Ave yer got one that says ‘GET LOST’?” Seeing all the welcome mats reminded me of that….
I remember growing up with the Andy Capp cartoons, they were quite big here. And I think you’re right, it was British. As I recall, he didn’t talk much.
Nice one Jude, not much of a challenge seeing as you are already most xenial.
I dip my lid.
Why thank you ma’am 🙂
Lovely post and I learned a new word! I used to have a doormat that said “Well, butter my but and call me a biscuit, look who’s here!” It got loads of comments.