Daughter-in-Law Duty

Since Husband was at a Guru Mastermind weekend, DuckyBoy and I spent the weekend at Grandma's for a couple of reasons.

We'd been invited to a Saturday party at Exit 68 (if you know the Long Island Expressway you know how far out east that is) and Grandma lives at Exit 63, so I thought if we drove to her house Friday we could avoid the long drive both ways with just the 2 of us.

Also, BonePa (that's grandpa -- I think it's probably spelled Bon Pa but this is how his wife and 2 grandkids spell it) was in the hospital last weekend, so I thought they might like a little help around the house.

He's done all the shopping and errands for several years now, and already last week she was saying how exhausted she was from the running around she'd had to do during his 3-day hospital stay.

He shops not only for them but also for his 105-year-old (!!) mother (BonMama) and her live-in aide. Grandma was funny talking about doing it -- "the drugstore, the grocery store, the wine store... 3 bottles of wine! And [the aide] doesn't drink! No wonder [BonMama] doesn't make any sense when she calls! Three bottles of wine! I think drinkers live longer..."

She was also hysterically funny talking about the grocery store: "I was such a fish out of water! I didn't know where anything was, and there were all these new things. I go into the cleaning aisle and there's this mop called a Swiffer, and it looks so neat, and a new thing you stick in the dryer [new from Bounce, they were at BlogHer!]... I came home with $100 worth of stuff and [BonePa] said, 'what the h*ll is all this stuff!?' and I said, 'I need all this!'"

So. Anyway. We go out Friday, and it was hot. Oh, and their a/c is broken this year, so they're hot and languid because of that too. We talk about what we can have for dinner that involves no cooking, and since they liked my chicken salad last weekend (Sunday lunch, his first day post-hospital) I suggest it again.

They were happy to let me make it, which is so unusual! Usually my FIL is bustling around the kitchen fussing with side dishes and condiments, setting the table, grilling, and so on. So I knew it was good to be there when they let me. I think I set the table, too!

They'd bought steaks for Saturday night, which were delicious.

I cut up the rest of an Edible Arrangements basket they had, and made a fruit salad for dessert (thanks for the lemon yogurt idea, Nanc!).

Sunday after church I made Mom and DuckyBoy go to the Sunday School beach picnic, just 'cause I like the beach. Afterwards Mom was wiped out and when she mentioned to her husband that she was thinking suasage on teh grill for dinner, I asked "Sweet or hot" and said I thought I'd go pick up a few things at the store so I'd get it.

She sat back with a "whew," and said, "That would be nice."

So that made me feel good.

I was hesitant to empty the garbage bag -- was afraid that'd be crossing the line and I'd get a "That's ridiculous!" comment.

Nobody said a word.

So I did it again before we left Sunday night.

I felt like I'd done the right thing. Oh, and we enjoyed the party too!