The call came a little after three o'clock. Brother-in-law. Informing me his wife would be here sometime this evening.

Now, this is a total surprise to us. Haven't seen either of these two for nine years (we figured that out when she got here), although their daughter and her daughter stopped by just a couple years ago. With a day or two more warning.

We knew SIL was driving cross-country, but the plan was she would bypass us in the outward route, and then they would stop by on the return leg.

So wife figured she had at least two more weeks to get the house cleaned up and semi-presentable.

Instead, we had three hours.

Still horribly cluttered, but at least presentable. At least everybody had a place to sit and eat when youngest son delivered the pizzas.

We spent the first hour or so of her visit doing a service job on youngest son's Subaru.

Really.

Her voice and laugh haven't changed at all. Hair is all grey now, and a few more laugh lines around the eyes. Are you getting old when folks your age are grandparents? And have been for almost 13 years?

They're upstairs getting a bed ready at this moment. Guess I should go up and look useless.