So you can count your blessings this Mother's Day...A different sort of complaint

[bunnisa]

My DH did well (I'm blessed to have a husband who's great with gifts)-- so I hope no one minds if I vent about MIL instead.

She went on and on about this "Pre-civil war family heirloom" she was giving me. Now understand, MIL is a compulsive liar (and I don't say that flippantly), so I had my doubts.

But on and on she went -- "This was given to my Great- or Great-Great-Grandmother as a communion gift and has been handed down through the generations, and now you can hand it down to your daughters, yadda yadda."

So I opened the box.

Inside?

A costume jewelry bracelet (an ugly one at that), no older than 1950's, I guessed. I knew immediately that she'd fabricated the whole story.

When we got home, I looked the bracelet up online (it had a maker's mark on it). Sure enough, it's costume jewelry from the 1950's/1960's. Oh but's it's GOLD-PLATED. With the plating wearing off.

Thanks, MIL! You're the best!! ;)


(Oh and did I ever tell you about the time she and step FIL gave us a side table? They insisted that it was a German antique (elaborate story and all) and my sFIL told us he had it recently appraised for upwards of $1500. Guess what? It's American, Mid-Century-mass-produced and I saw the exact same one on Craigslist for $50.)

...blessed wife and mama to two & one due this summer!

"And children are always a good thing, devoutly to be wished for and fiercely to be fought for."
-Justin Torres

[janeybwild]

Oh dear. One wonders what they get out of telling these whoppers. Hope you enjoy your heirlooms :)

[LarsMal]

Yikes! And I thought the "silver" candlestick holders my grandparents recently gave me were bad. They played these things up, I thought I was getting some great, 50+ year old silver holders. The things are freakin' hollow, I don't even know what kind of material they are- tin! Certainly not silver!

Hope your heirlooms last many more generations ;-)

[pb&j]

I hear ya. MIL's always giving us "antiques." Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's an antique.


-Ry,
mom to Max the one year old
and my girl in heaven

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/37124.gif

[momathome]

Well, at least you have an amusing story to tell. :) Dh's grandmother, who was more than a little nuts, once gave my SIL a plate that she said was a precious family heirloom - it had American Airlines stamped on the back. ;)

[ellies mom]

That would be the sort of thing my MIL would do. She used to work at Raleys (grocery store) and she used to always give us the Sacramento Kings stuff they'd give out because it will be a collectible someday. Uh No. If they are giving Sacramento Kings "coins" to everybody who walks into Raleys, they will never be a collectible. Not even if you have the complete set. Not even if you have the "holder". It's great if she wants to fill her tiny two bedroom apartment with that sort of stuff but we just throw it to the curb.

[s_gosney]

Gotta love kooky in-laws. My mother's day afternoon was full of my FIL (who was wasted as usual) trying to convince me to buy some stuff from Jewelry TV and be "blessed." Apparently if I would just spend $30 on these "top grade" jewels I would be able to sell them for >$500.