Strange gifts from relatives?

Why me? My dear sister gave me a package, upon opening it were 4 little mink bodies with mouths that clamp onto each others tail! Whatever will I do with something like that? Must have been new, as the store plastic security tag was still clamped on it! (Very certain came from a resale shop!) People wore these in the 1920's!

The security tag is still on it? I thought they removed it at checkout. Are you sure this is a legitimate purchase? Yes, they were quite a popular gift for the fairer sex, who should have been disgusted by the realism. Status symbols throughout history have been weird, of course. Let's see, you could regift it, or you could have it attached to your favorite cashmere sweater. Or send it to me and I will sell it for a ridiculously high price to one of the antique dealers downtown.

Was it a 'gag' gift? Maybe your sister is into vintage clothing? I remember those in the 60's, ladies (still) wore them to Church. A little too realistic, I think... John

What a curious present!

I once had the worst jumper (sweater) ever made, given to me for Christmas. It was a black jog suit type thing, absolutely covered in alternating lines of 2inch applique white dogs and smaller blue and burgandy triangles outlined in white. I had been discussing my dread of such a present with my then boss(it's quite normal for me to get socially unacceptable jumpers as presents).

My boss requested that I wear it to work as she felt I might be being a little unfair. On taking my coat off she ordered me to take off the jumper so's not to frighten the cows. Mother got a burgandy jumper that year similarly decorated with smiling reindeer and Christmas trees.

Your present definitely beats the weird jumpers though!

Ok I will never fuss about my MIL's gifts again. lol

All I have to say is be happy that you don't have my Father in Law (My DH's real dad who split when he was 6 and has been in and out of his life only during holiday times)!!! For the first 6 years of our marriage, I recieved a ....how can I put this nicely........a nighty from Fredrick's of Hollywood every Christmas. He always got such a kick out of watching me open the thing in front of everybody including his mother until that last year when I refused to open the box. Money, Now I just tell him to give me money and it will save me the embarrassment of having to return the thing.

Aww, toadlily, he was just trying to add a little romance. Maybe he thought it would bring on the grandkids.

Aimee,
I really think he was just trying to be rude. You would have to really know the man to understand. I am grateful that he only comes around a couple of times a year. I can't for the life of me understand why my DH even cares about this man. He has been so hurtul to him his whole life. Kind of like something you could make a movie out of. I am so glad that his mother remarried and he had a REAL father figure. I guess I should be happy my DH learned what NOT to do. It helped him to become the best father anyone could have ever asked for......besides, for the first 3 Christmas' I was already pregnant. :-)

Couldn't you just strangle an old geezer like that? I would have been tempted to let him see the little rag being used to polish the oven or something. Even money from someone like that is insulting, isn't it? Good for your MIL, she knew when to change horses. And good for your DH, because he earned your respect despite the distaff side of his gene pool. Our family has some of those oddballs, and I do a stellar job of avoiding them.

Yes, he is the kind you want to just stay as far away from as possible. One day, he won't be the one laughing when he is standing in front of his maker trying to explain everything he did.
Sorry djm906, didnot mean to hijack your post :-(.

NO, thats OK. I found your post rather fascinating! Thanks for the ideas, Aimee! I will keep ALL in mind. Eighteen year old grandson wanted to hang a few from the bottom of his jacket! Sheesh! I guess the minks are better than a lecherous FIL!!!!

This message was edited Monday, Dec 30th 12:58 PM

Yuck, it would give me the creeps getting something like that from my FIL, and if I were his ex-wife I'd be so offended. :P Definitely money!

Mmmmm, do wedding gifts count? One of our wedding gifts was a cardboard box filled with various household items: A roll of paper towels, a couple of used towels, some dish sponges...And plastic cups from a local water park. The guy who gave this stuff to us was one of Howie's old co-workers, an odd little man with wild hair and questionable hygiene! He would brag of how he liked to fish all the good cups from the trash at this water park, so there was NO doubt where those came from!

Oh my goodness GW! At least what I got was new and had tags on it, LOL

This all reminds me of Christmas in the sixth grade. My name was drawn by a niece of the principal/teacher. They were a well-heeled prominent family known for being cheap, and I received a dirty yellow string of fake pearls, in a dirty stained box. No wrapping, no card, just my name on the box in pencil, obviously written by an adult. A piece of twine held it all together. I felt humiliated as everyone showed their gifts and mine was met with uneasy responses. Now I realize it shouldn't have been my humiliation, but it was so difficult to bear then. I must have been jinxed, because in eighth grade my best friend gave me a jar of cold cream from the five and dime. She had acne, I had perfect skin, and I had given her the best imported linen handkerchiefs my step father had in his store. I began that year to realize a gift could be a weapon. I also learned this: expect nothing, and you will never be disappointed.

And I thought getting a hat and scarf made of orange, green and yellow yarn was a bad gift!!!! This is what I got this Christmas from my multi-millionaire God Mother. I don't wear hats and am always too warm so the scarf won't be used either. LOL Money would be nice for me too. That way I could afford the trip to the Salvation Army thrift store to give them this hat and scarf. LOL

Aimee, how sad! It reminds me of that Walton's episode (was it the first movie, The Homecoming?) when the missionary lady was giving out toys to the poor heathens. The toys were cast-off's and broken...Yuck. How sad!

Forgot to mention the other strange wedding gift we got. I typeset our wedding invitations way back when, and a friend printed them for me at the hospital where we worked. Well, I proofread them, she proofread them...everyone did. But we all missed it until we sat stuffing envelopes: Cemony begins at 6:00pm. Cemony?! Too late, had to mail 'em.

As if that wasn't bad enough, a well-meaning friend made us this hideous, HUGE, candle with the invitation embedded in its side. I'm talking glitter, fork marks, lumps of ill-shapen wax, the whole experience. With our misspelled wedding invitation featured for all to see. We still have it in our box of wedding memories; it's too awful to put out, but too precious to throw away. :)

I'm very lucky, I won't mention any of mine. But my 5 year old grandniece spent all of Christmas with her father. He enforced visitation, her mom didn't get to see her one minute on Cmas day.
He has plenty of money.

He gave her 2 pink hair ribbons.

When I heard, it just went all over me. She's five, the wonder of Cmas must have been in her head for months. She knows days, and knew which day it was. It just broke my heart.

tiG, rejoice! I have seen an ex sil pull this and worse with my two grandchildren fathered by him. But now they are teens. And they remember. And they can choose where to spend the holidays. My DD helped them to deal with it by having Christmas at home before they went to meet him in the years it was his turn to have them on Christmas. It can be extremely trying to wait for the years to pass, but children are resilient and they will learn from those experiences. It's sad when they must learn bad things about a parent they naturally love, but he makes it necessary, and they will see the harsh truth gradually while they learn about human nature. When your niece is just a year or two older, she will begin to realize on whom she can depend. He is the loser.

I know, and you're right. I just hate that little children have to be hurt, it ain't right!

"Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord"

so sad. I always wish I could find poor children who fall through the cracks of charity and give them a real Christmas. And why can't the food stamp program of this country pay for soap and toilet paper and the like? That would be Christmas to lots of people.

Getting down off my soap box now.

Oh, Ponditis, get back up there! I have said for years, it makes no sense to feed people and think it ends there. Basic essentials includes such things. But I honestly believe the powers that be don't want to help half as much as they want to be sure you remain down so they can feel higher than someone.

OK I am back up on the soapbox again. Thanks Aimee. I was not saying that to offend anyone or start a debate either. I just have been there.

Pond, someone not far from where I live recognized the need you mentioned above a few years ago: a church a county north doesn't provide a "food pantry"; they provide a "soap pantry". It includes paper products (including diapers!), laundry soap, shampoo, etc. It is always a privilege to donate to groups who are "making a difference".

What a wonderful church that is! I have mentioned it to several groups here and they think I am being silly.

I think that the greatest gift is ones health and happiness. I wish you all health and happiness.

lupinelover,

I know of another church or maybe the same one in Columbus that does this. A few years back I had the priveledge of serving Sunday breakfast to a large group of homeless people in the church basement on a cold snowy morning. After breakfast they had a chance to pick out clothes and toiletries in the "store". We sent them off with a bagged lunch. They were some of the more polite people that I have met, and it certainly had an impact on my preconceived notions of the homeless.

It's good when churches do toiletries and other taxables; many familes really struggle, even with foodstamps, for they can't get these items with them.

No strange gifts here just stange realitives.

*giggling at Howie**

nmax, it is very possible that you were helping at that church: it is in Delaware County. They are part of the Second Harvest organization, and get almost all their supplies from mfrs and retailers who would otherwise discard these.

(Sorry I hijacked) Back to the topic: many years ago, one of my brothers actually chose a gift for me himself (he usually leaves it to his wife). He picked out a shirt of the most electric orange (with big black zig-zags) I have ever seen! Baa, it sure would have scared any cows I encountered! Hhmm, maybe it would be a good idea to wear it if I go to collect some natural fertilizer? Sure get a whole lot *giggle snort**

Especially if you go out at night in it! Probably curdle their milk besides!!!!

Hmmmm homemade cottage cheese anybody?

I just remembered something that happened to us this year and last at Christmas. We got a card from my hubby's dad signed Dad with no return addy either year along with a card from the same dad's adopted daughter with no return addy. Dad was moved to a nursing home somewhere in Utah a couple of years ago and this daughter is watching over him. I keep thinking that it may dawn on her someday that she needs to give us an addy if she wants to hear from us too. LOL