• Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.

My Wife's Mom died yesterday, but there is a story

Paul B

NJRC Member
My Mother n law died yesterday in a nursing home. She was 90 years old and she lived a good long life. Her last few weeks were, unfortunately wracked with pain and suffering so now it is a blessing and she is at rest.

Judy was a big Frank Sinatra fan and she would always listen to his records and go to see him when he performed in New York.

She lived up stairs from us for almost 40 years and was a waitress for most of that time.

About ten years ago my wife bought her this Frank Sinatra Christmass tree ornament that actually sung in Sinatra's voice a Christmas song after you pushed the button.

8 years ago, when she entered the nursing home due to senility we put that ornament in a box in our laundry room and forgot about it.

Last week I was wasting time writing on some fish forum on the other side of the house and I heard Frank Sinatra singing.

I first thought it was a new ring on my wife's phone, but it wasn't. I searched the basement and found the song was coming from this box. I brought the box up to my wife and asked her if she knew what this was about. I thought it was one of those cards that sing when you open it.

We took the stuff out of the box, and on the bottom was Frank belting out this song. I pushed the button but couldn't stop the singing so I removed the batteries (no, he didn't keep singing) and he stopped.

I put the batteries back in and he was quiet but I told my wife to call the nursing home and see how her Mom was.

We were told that she was not doing very well and developed pneumonia and a UTI. They put her on antibiotics.

A few days later I am again on my computer, and I hear: "Its that time of the year data date data" and it's Frank again. I took him out, pushed the button and couldn't quiet him so I again took out the batteries. My wife called the nursing home and my Mother N Law was now on oxygen and they didn't think she would make it another night so we rushed to the nursing home, but before we did, we put fresh batteries in Frank and brought him with us.

We stayed there for most of the night but as soon as we got home, they called us and said she passed away. "Frank never again sang and we can't make him sing".

We are putting this enigma into the casket with her as they seem to be friends. My wife just hopes that when she gets to Heaven, she runs to my wife's Dad before Frank Sinatra

 

Paul B

NJRC Member
Sorry to hear about it MadReefer.
This was very weird and I am still looking at Frank here, but he won't sing any more.
The batteries in him were the original batteries, I am surprised they lasted so long. Unless he was waiting for the right time.
 
Sorry for your loss. I've been dealing with my dad's death Not easy. I spend a lot of time at moms house in Sayreville. So much needs fixing. And I hope she stays around. Been so preoccupied I didn't realize I lost one of my tangs. Can't find the remains. Makes sense why my tank has been bowing up with alge on the glass.
Any way. Oh. My grandfather was Sinatra's godfather. :)
 

Paul B

NJRC Member
Last night when I came home after my Mother n Law's wake I noticed an awful smell. I went downstairs and looked at the tank, and it looked fine, but in my workshop I found the problem. My live blackworm tank reeked. Yesterday for a split second the power went off, but the small pump in the worm tank didn't re start. 90% of the worms croaked and turned into this discussing tan jelly. I still had on my suit and my Grand Daughter was sleeping 10 feet away so I had to be quiet. I dumped out the worms and rinsed out the tank.
I removed the living worms and re started the worm tank. Now it is back to normal. My tank needs a glass cleaning because it has been neglected with the last days of my wife's Mom, the wake, funeral and all that.
It is all over now and tomorrow life should get back to normal. After the funeral we all went to a local Italian restaurant for a dinner. There were about 30 of our close friends and family there.
Now I need to hatch some brine shrimp, clean the glass, get ready to change some water and do a little much needed maintenance
 
Sorry for your loss. The ornament starting up like that after all that time & under the quite unfortunate circumstances couldn't have been happenstance. I was expecting to read that you took it in & played it for her but that wasn't to be. Maybe she heard him - hope so? May she RIP.
 
Top