So I had a houseful this weekend; my daughter for three days or so, my older son periodically throughout the weekend, and my mother for about three hours. Okay, if you count the times she was dropping off/picking up my daughter for airport trips and a ballgame, then she was actually here about five hours. Total. Over the whole three-and-a-half days she was in town.

She visits once a year and no, in case you’re wondering, we don’t go see her. Mostly because we can’t take that much time off work and, even when she was working, she could; but also because of the expense and, I might add, the altitude plays havoc with my entire body.

Good news is that she wasn’t really critical or obnoxious. Oh, even though the entire house was clean and the yard looked decent she still managed to comment on the patio, which really did need cleaning but it’s not like she was even out there at that point.

And she asked if I was going to turn the steaks on the grill, and wondered how long I was going to cook the corn…. She spent a good deal of time talking with my older son during the barbeque on Sunday, and we all know how well that’s turned out in the past…. She basically ignored my younger son, asked him a few questions, that was about it.

Oh, and she thought my sister’s middle name was mine. True, they do start with the same letter, but she’s the one who named me – 45 years ago, in fact. It hasn’t changed.

She didn’t bring up the farm sale, and neither did I (yes, thank you, I will accept your applause!). Not much at all, in fact, and I did get compliments for the dinner and for a suggestion I made to her the day before about her friend.

So I guess it went well. The best thing, I suppose, is that it really doesn’t bother me much, all the part that were missing – or even some of her comments. And that’s a very good thing. In a nutshell, she’s just someone who came to visit, briefly. And that’s even better.