I’ve always been good at getting along with boyfriends’ parents. Except for the set I was actually married into–I loved my father-in-law just fine, but he up and died on me, leaving me with no support in a family full of harpies. Needless to say, my mother-in-law and I did not get along well from the day we met. It was initially her problem, but once you’re so thoroughly disliked, it becomes yours too.

So after that, I looked at meeting folks a little more nervously. The next set of almost-in-laws cured me of that though, and I was proud to be considered part of their family.

This set I’d already met, but just as a member of a fellow hunting camp. I liked them, but I was still nervous about meeting them in a different setting, and as their son’s girlfriend. That’s a pretty big change of status in a fairly short period of time. It’s important to me to not only get along with, but to like and be liked by these people who raised such an outstanding son.

So last night, I bit the bullet. I went up to see him for once, and brought the redneckiest gift ever. We’d been cleaning a drainage ditch out at work all week, and I’d been right down to the tops of my rubber boots in the mud, catching crawdads with a shovel. My original intent was to eat them, but they’re a little too small for that. They’re just perfect for bait though, and his father is a big fisherman, so sure enough, I showed up at their house with a bucket full of muddy crustaceans.

And they liked it, which just goes to show that I’m going to fit in with these people just fine.

I think they liked me too. We were talking hunting (of course) and at one point his dad said something about him having a hunting partner now, so I guess they’re OK with the concept of me being around for a while. That’s good; I intend to be, for a good long while. I am really getting all sorts of goofy for their son, so it’s nice to be comfortable with his family.

It’s a good start anyway. I like these people.