On the melted down ring, it was very painful for a long time. They’ve now been married about 15 years. She’s been a good wife to him. (And I have a good story?)
A few years into my being vegan, my mother gave me a pair of rabbit-fur gloves for Christmas.
Here’s the thing - She has always been very accommodating of my diet and is always telling me where they have lots of good non-leather shoes and purses and such… So…
I’m pretty sure she thought it was fake fur, and she just didn’t check the label. But it wasn’t. 
I never told her, but after keeping them in the closet for a couple of years, I gave them to charity.
Oh, Mom22039, I gasped out loud at what your MIL did. How could she be so clueless? I hope she at least consulted with your father, and it’s what he thought you might want - even though it was not.
I remember a news report where high end stores were selling goods that had been represented to them to be faux rabbit but they turned out to be real.
This isn’t bad, but extremely thoughtful. My then 4 year old D gave me Zip-loc bags for Christmas, waking me up at 5:00 am to excitedly give them to me. She knew I really wanted them
Yes, I remember watching a Zip-loc commercial with her and saying it was neat when the bag was turned upside down and no soup spilled out. It continues to be my favorite present ever.
Oh my, about the melted wedding ring!! Do you suppose she thought she was actually doing something sweet, creating a new remembrance from an old object? Is she horridly mean or horridly clueless??
I always hesitate to open these threads because I think it is so ungracious to criticize a well meaning gift. But OMG, some of these stories!
A Divorce in Hawaii book for an engagement present?!!!? Melting down a beloved mother’s ring without permission and re-gifting it to the daughter?!?!!?
Mean people suck.
Hanlon’s Razor: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
What part of “mother’s” did that woman not understand?
It’s like putting a knife through the soul to hear that it was melted down; I can’t even imagine how you felt!
I was very close to my grandfather. When I was a little girl, for his 50th birthday my mother helped me clean and shine pennies and I pasted 50 pennies on construction paper in the shape of the numbers 5-0. My gfather proudly hung it in his bedroom - it was a fine piece of art as far as he was concerned - and after he died I got the picture as a souvenir.
For my 50th bday just last year, my son - who is an awesome gift giver - took 50 pennies and pasted them on construction paper the same way. I cried like a baby. I will treasure it always.
PG, what a fine, thoughtful S you’ve raised! On a happy note, we have never had need of the Divorce in HI book and I did develop a close relationship with the gift giver.
It is very insensitive to make a permanent change to a deceased beloved’s possession without permission. I’m sorry the ring was melted down without your knowledge and permission. Am glad your dad has been happy in this 2nd marriage for so long.
“This isn’t bad, but extremely thoughtful. My then 4 year old D gave me Zip-loc bags for Christmas, waking me up at 5:00 am to excitedly give them to me. She knew I really wanted them”
I love stories like this. So sweet!
Just started reading this thread, but really, BunsenBurner #15, who would not love vintage Soviet posters on chemistry lab safety!
I’m sorry, maybe I’m being dense here, but I can’t understand why you’d leave the mother’s wedding band on your father’s bed the day he’s getting married to someone else. If it belonged to you why didn’t just take it? In her shoes I’d have thought you were giving it to her, or that you were being passive aggressive.
One of my dh’s grad students keeps giving him plates with really sappy sayings on them.
I assumed the wedding ring was left there long before the second marriage.
I remember reading eons ago about melting down a wedding band and turning it into a heart. It was considered a great way to be able to wear a ring It would have been nice to have been asked about it beforehand for sure but I doubt there was anything but good intentions behind it.
I’d reconsider your feelings about it–put it on a nice chain and wear it a bit–the good feelings it imparts are still there no matter what its shape.
And BB–I think the posters would be great!
Lol! Of course it was not a bad gift, just a bit bizzare… We had a hard time figuring out where to put the posters… let’s say they did not fit into the more “plant-and kid-art based” themes of our current wall art. Mr. took them to the office. 
I have several items that will never fit into any scheme–but I still love them and drag them out for viewing every so often!
I know widows who have had his ring converted. For them, it’s comforting.
My ex husband got me a talking scale, WHILE I WAS PREGNANT. He spent a lot for it, but it was a total miss. He either got me very nice presents, or just terrible presents. I never knew which way things were going to go.