I guess if she had waited until she was out in the driveway, that would have been OK? Or maybe down the road at a nearby Burger King, or whatever?
You see, I don't understand what you are so wound up about. You know your SIL is not an animal person, and never has been. And let's be real, here - 25 2-week-old chicks are gonna smell some, even right after you cleaned them. When you've been around the smell a while, you don't notice it as much, but someone who isn't used to it sure will! I've had a dozen or so chicks in a brooder in the house, and have occasionally been chagrined to have the smell of them meet me at the door when I've been away for a few hours. Rude would have been telling you to your face - she was keeping her company manners on and being polite to you, but she is entitled to her own opinion, after all. I mean, if she had just come out with, "How can you stand this smell? Why in the world would you do this?" you probably would have gone all defensive, what would be the point of that?
Honestly, I'd hate to know what sort of things my mother says about me when my parents have been here for a visit. I love her dearly (she is my mother, after all!) but we are very different people and have very different ways of dealing with things. I don't think it makes either of us bad people to have differing opinions, and just keep to ourselves things that we know would upset the other.
I agree with cassie - I think you have some issues with your SIL, and they really don't have anything to do with those chicks. Yeah, what she said was a bit strong, but this was her husband she was talking to. She did the right thing by apologizing when she realized her remarks were overheard - now you need to do the right thing, and get over it.
You see, I don't understand what you are so wound up about. You know your SIL is not an animal person, and never has been. And let's be real, here - 25 2-week-old chicks are gonna smell some, even right after you cleaned them. When you've been around the smell a while, you don't notice it as much, but someone who isn't used to it sure will! I've had a dozen or so chicks in a brooder in the house, and have occasionally been chagrined to have the smell of them meet me at the door when I've been away for a few hours. Rude would have been telling you to your face - she was keeping her company manners on and being polite to you, but she is entitled to her own opinion, after all. I mean, if she had just come out with, "How can you stand this smell? Why in the world would you do this?" you probably would have gone all defensive, what would be the point of that?
Honestly, I'd hate to know what sort of things my mother says about me when my parents have been here for a visit. I love her dearly (she is my mother, after all!) but we are very different people and have very different ways of dealing with things. I don't think it makes either of us bad people to have differing opinions, and just keep to ourselves things that we know would upset the other.
I agree with cassie - I think you have some issues with your SIL, and they really don't have anything to do with those chicks. Yeah, what she said was a bit strong, but this was her husband she was talking to. She did the right thing by apologizing when she realized her remarks were overheard - now you need to do the right thing, and get over it.
