You're a pip Robert. Thanks for the prompt response!
This car with 108k miles on it, loses or burns some oil (no leaking though). I believe that new engineering tolerances result in new combustion engines that do NOT burn up oil, but exhaust its properties and dirty it. She insists on having the oil checked in ANY car she drives because she believes engine oil is a consumable, much like gasoline.
I can see an older modern engine finally starting to 'consume' some oil, either through leaking or valve related issues ... but generally, it seems most newer cars don't consume oil like the engines of the 70s ..