My aunt asks a lot of questions, some of which come across as invasive or non-constructive. One example is we were planning to meet at a mutual family members house and she kept asking me questions like which route I would take to get there. I eventually asked why and she said "just making conversation". For me this is slightly annoying because it was coming across as a logistical concern, not "just making conversation". Other examples, are my mom and dad recently went through a bad divorce and my aunt sometimes asks about his career etc. which I think she may turn into gossip.
Another question she frequently asks with for no apparent reason is "where are you?" or "are you home?". When I answer she usually quickly changes the subject or asks another question. This messes me up because if my plan changes or if I go out, then I'm not sure if I should inform her or if she was just asking for the fun of it. It could happen I waste time playing phone tag to tell her I'm no longer home when it didn't matter in the first place.
I would also add she's a very social person.
What's the best way to approach this? Should I tell her directly, try to deflect the questions or try to change the subject? Is it polite of me to just reply with "why do you ask?" I'm all for "just making conversation" but there's a time and a place for it and I find when talking on the phone it's not a great time. I’m introverted and it kind of stresses me out when people ask random questions.
How do I communicate to her that the copious amount of questions she asks are unwanted, and that she needs to consider what she's asking?