You have just MADE MY DAY.  I spent two years working on a book about MILs for MILS and I keep wondering just where are these awful, mean, malevolent people I hear about on mommy blogs come from?  Sure, there are always a few crazies...in every category...but I interviewed scores of women and most of them seemed quite sane...some, as you describe Mary, really wonderful. So hurrah for this post.  
susan lieberman, MIL...and MUCH MUCH more.