DEAR MISS MANNERS: My home has an open floor plan with the kitchen, living room and dining area all combined. This leads to guests meandering through the kitchen area while we’re preparing food.

No approach I have used has been successful to deter this. How do I approach my dear aunt at Thanksgiving, who is a repeat offender? She hovers over the food being prepared, touches things and samples dishes before they are done. This makes my husband unable to enjoy the food, as he is concerned about sanitation.

GENTLE READER: Thanksgiving being about expressing gratitude for what one has, Miss Manners cannot help noticing that the purpose of an open floor plan is to encourage people to move about -- though maybe not to put their thumbs in the gravy.

She assumes that selling the house before Th

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