Annie's Mailbox 'Velma' doesn't make a gracious houseguest

Dear Annie: What do you think of a woman who walks into your house, sniffs the air and says, "I smell pork!" then wrinkles up her nose in disgust? That is my sister-in-law, "Velma." She and her husband are militant vegetarians.
Velma and her husband used to visit us every summer and would stay in a small apartment we have over the garage. Since this apartment had no kitchen, they had to cook their meals in our house, using the "untainted" pots and pans they brought with them. We had to stay out of their way until they finished. We were quite willing to prepare vegetarian meals for Velma, but she never seemed open to such an offer.
Velma's mother recently moved to a retirement home not far from where we live. Velma and her husband now stay in a nearby motel when they visit, so they no longer have to cook their meals in our house. However, Velma usually arrives a few days ahead of her husband, and she stays at our home until he gets here.
I always thought the whole purpose of a visit is to sit and enjoy talking with one's family and friends and to share a meal. The entire time Velma is here, she barely speaks to me. I feel like the front desk clerk in a motel. The situation has become so uncomfortable that I am considering moving out for the duration so I won't be confronted with her unfriendly attitude. Am I being unreasonable? Ignored in Vermont
Dear Vermont: Velma is entitled to her eating preferences, but as a guest, she certainly isn't being particularly gracious. We're not sure how much effort you've made to engage her in conversation, and you might try harder, but it does sound as if she is not interested in chatting with you -- she simply wants the free accommodations. Either ignore her for the few days that she stays at your home, or next time tell her that your house is not available. The choice is yours.
Dear Annie: You printed someone's pet peeve about the improper use of "less" and "fewer." Please print mine. I have two.
The first is the misuse of the apostrophe, either by omitting it in possessives ("the dogs tail") or inserting it in nonpossessive plurals ("table's for sale"). My second peeve is the comma splice, in which two complete sentences are joined by a comma, but lack a coordinating conjunction, such as or, and, or but ("The water was cold, Jill went swimming anyway"). I had an English professor who automatically gave an F to any paper, no matter how good, that contained a comma splice. Author in Vermont
Dear Author: At the risk of having the grammar police on our tails, we are printing your letter and hope people will pay more attention to their punctuation. We agree that the misuse of the apostrophe is one of the most galling.
Dear Annie: I own a housecleaning business and have wonderful clients. Last year, for Christmas, I received six wreaths that were quite beautiful, but, Annie, nobody needs six wreaths.
I don't want to sound unappreciative, but I would like to let clients know that what workers really want is a cash bonus. A big thanks to all the wonderful folks who remember their hard-working gardeners, house cleaners, etc., with a very much-appreciated holiday gift. Busy in Salem, Ore.
Dear Salem: Most employers give their workers a holiday bonus of some kind. For those who wonder what the perfect gift is, your suggestion will help.
XE-mail your questions to anniesmailbox@com-cast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox™, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, Ill. 60611.
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