Miss Manners: Another mother chided me for group-texting a cute photo. Was I wrong?

DEAR MISS MANNERS I shared a cute photo of my daughter with several other mothers by creating a group text It was a single picture of my daughter not a mile-long text exchange Related Articles Miss Manners Can a guest reprimand a dog in its own house Miss Manners Her joke about dodging the check turned out not so funny Miss Manners My fun party battle went off the rails when my guest was arrested Miss Manners My fiance s family is upset about the wedding gift situation Miss Manners Is it gauche to give visitors a grand tour of my house One of the mothers texted me separately not to include her in a text chain with people she does not know and then exited the group Is it bad text etiquette to do this in general GENTLE READER Group texts without prior consent are a violation and they must be stopped They are not only confusing what with their rampant nameless phone numbers but can also easily be abused with product solicitations Girl Scout cookies anyone or other fundraising schemes That mother was wise to get out early You will rarely find Miss Manners touting the advantages of social media but at least its participation is voluntary Yours is a event when it would have been ideal If you totally must share that cute picture of your daughter do so there where friends family and strangers alike can comment to their hearts desire Without having to gain new anonymous friends DEAR MISS MANNERS I like pretty clothes I like cute shoes and accessories and I think clothing should be flattering and attractive There are a scarce family members who only wear olive mustard khaki black and other dull colors clunky unattractive shoes and sparse accessories I have never commented on their attire Yet every time they see me they have something to say When I attended a baby shower I wore a dusty pink jacket with a black top gray pants pink shoes and a pale pink necklace I am out of responses for Your shoes match your outfit Aren t they supposed to And my necklace was pink too Someone even required my son if I really liked pink or if I was just trying to match the shower He looked at her like he had no idea what she was talking about I feel like I have to defend my choices but I really don t know what to say to stop them from these comments Another cousin will stare at me and others as well and then say You look tired Do you feel all right All of these personal comments are in poor taste awkward and rude Is there any response that will discourage them GENTLE READER Thank you This is regardless of whether or not the comments are complimentary For the ones that are not Miss Manners recommends you just stand there in your cute matching outfit nodding and expressing happiness as they dig themselves in deeper DEAR MISS MANNERS Can you please advise me on how to politely deal with heavy condensation dripping from water glasses wine goblets cocktail glasses etc at outdoor restaurants when coasters are not provided Related Articles Dear Abby My girlfriend went ballistic because I was helping my sad kids Asking Eric He says the stepchildren don t deserve anything I think that sounds mean Harriette Cole I m being pressured to interfere in my brother s messy breakup Miss Manners Can a guest reprimand a dog in its own house Dear Abby I have no memory of those three days but somehow I alienated my friends Does one hold one s napkin under the goblet while sipping Let it drip to the floor before drinking Drip on one s attire Or shudder decant the julep into a portable container Nothing seems correct GENTLE READER Cloth napkins are non-negotiable Paper will disintegrate If those are not provided ask Then Miss Manners suggests you hold it discreetly over the bottom of the glass or goblet stem so that the condensation falls on it and not on your clothing or shoes Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website www missmanners com to her email gentlereader missmanners com or through postal mail to Miss Manners Andrews McMeel Syndication Walnut St Kansas City MO