Is talking to wooden virgin mary normal?

Since almost two years ago my mom bought 4 feet tall wooden statue of Virgin Mary for her dining room and since then she talks to the statue like it's a real person. First I thought she was just referring to it but then later on when I would talk on the phone with her and she would start laughing, when I asked what's funny she replied "Something Mary said." Then later on I noticed she has real long conversations with it where statue obviously replies in her head. I even talked to the priest and he said that it was perfectly normal, since God obviously sometimes channels trough statues and that people in church frequently talk to statues of gods and saints. But I don't think he understands or maybe other people are really like that?