A) you have not historically got on well with
B) is visiting your family from far away in an attempt to build bridges (suggested by other son)
C) can't really hear but is too vain to use a hearing aid, so impossible to initiate a conversation with
D) only converses on the topics of her own health and her old (listed) house
E) declares herself far too ill to walk anywhere at all - this includes 100m from car to lake and back
How?! To be fair she is being far less PA and subtly divisive this time, and we are giving her all due credit for this and playing nicely ourselves. I can't shift the feeling though that she'll go home fed up that we didn't really talk to her; however she's impossible to talk to as she can't bloody hear us and will be upset if we shout (because she's not DEAF, you know). You can only converse if she initiates it (getting right up close) and all she talks about is her bloody house/health. It's hard hard work.
One day more, so these suggestions may be more helpful for the next visit (if we have one). Please suggest away!