When in doubt!

"What are you all doing huddled together in that chair?"

"He's cleaning the glass and polishing the shelves where we normally live: he's just dumped us here for the time being."

"Doesn't look very safe to me."

"It isn't: the white angel has already been on the floor once when he dropped her."

"Does he always do the housework?

"Oh! he does quite a lot round the house. He's already done the inside of the bedroom windows this morning."

 "Why isn't she doing it?"

"She's busy clearing out the pantry and the frig: they are getting ready for Christmas."

"Do they only do the cleaning and clearing out at Christmas?"

"No! but the daughter's coming and they are terrified that 'when in doubt she'll throw it out'."

"Does she make a habit of doing that?"

"Only when she discovers a jar with a best before date of 1903 - which can happen in this house!"

"Why all the polishing and cleaning?"

"The grandson is coming as well and now that he has his own apartment they want to keep up the house to his standards."

"Why aren't they going to their family for Christmas?"

"They are getting on a bit you know and everyone is too kind: no-one will let them do anything  - 'you just sit there and relax grandma; we'll do that grandad' - makes them feel older than they are.

"They are not all that old are they?"

"Well, you've seen her picture with the broom hanging up in the kitchen - and I can only show you his birthday balloon."

"85 isn't too bad!"

"That's not his age: that's the year of his birthday - 1885!"

"In that case, when in doubt . . . . . !"