Mimi wrote:
Don’t be embarrassed, Bik (I don’t understand the seat of your embarrassment, mind. If it’s important to you and you love your space, rejoice in it), it’s lovely to see the pictures.
We’ve got my in-laws coming over in a fortnight, weather depending, and I’m really nervous about criticism and judgement (past experiences playing a massive hand here), and I know I’m going to work too hard trying to get as close to spec as possible, so I’m worried that this will steal the joy away from this space for me. It’s on my mind a lot.
If they always have a dig at you (pun intended) then it’s them that have a problem. I know you can’t easily just ignore it, our next door neighbour, Cynthia, has exactly the same problem with her mother-in-law, and it’s entirely unjustified. No matter how well she prepares for a visit, the woman will find something to comment on, like not having napkin rings on the dinner table, ffs. And she ALWAYS makes some comment about how she’s raising her kids. It may only be one thing that she picks on during a visit, but Cynthia always takes it to heart. Every time her M-I-L is coming, she tells us that she’s going to let any comment just pass by, but it’s not easy, even with support from her husband, the rest of her family and us.
You’ve done wonders with you garden. WE all know that, and we’ll still be here being positive after your visitors have gone. I hope that’s some comfort.