The "Mother-In-Law" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just heard an old song on the radio I hadn't heard for ages.  Song was titled "Mother-In-Law" sung by Ernie K. Doe and came out in 1961 on Minit Records.   My guess is you never heard it unless you're ancient as I am.  Rather cruel song about his mother-in-law that starts out with …. The worst person I know …. Mother-in-law.  Well, I must say that my mother-in-law was anything but what is described in this song.  Matter of fact she was the one that set up the blind date for me with her daughter.  Was back in 1966 when she and my dad worked together at Meiskeys Jewelry in downtown Lancaster, PA.  I would stop from time to time at the jewelry store to say hi to everyone in the place and got to meet her on one occasion.  I had just broken up with my umpteenth girlfriend and I guess my dad was feeling bad for me so he and Grace set up our meeting.  

My mother-in-law, Grace.

Rode my motorcycle to her house and picked up her daughter for a drive around Lancaster.  Wasn't long before it started raining so we headed back to her house for the rest of our date.  Less than a year later Carol and I were married.  Hey, I don't waist time!  Besides I had run out of girlfriends.  Anyway, Mrs. Baker as I called her, since that was her name, was a really neat person.  She would invite me to supper every Sunday evening to try and influence me to continue to date her daughter.  Her husband, Charlie, was also a really neat guy and he would loan us his big Harley for rides around the countryside.  When you picture your average mother-in-law, you aren't talking about my mother-in-law.  She was the nicest and most sincere person you could ever meet.  I loved this one meal she made.  Really unusual meat, but I loved it.  After we were finished eating she told me it was venison, which is deer.  Wow, I had never eaten deer since my mom told me it was wild and had a bad taste. Mom would never make that in our house for fear it would make us sick.  She was a smoker and died from cancer related to smoking when she was in her late 40s.  Boy, did my wife and I miss her.  She never had the chance to see any of her grandkids or get to see Carol and I as we grew together in our marriage. I still remember this great smile she always had when I knocked on the door of their apartment to see my sweetheart. Neatest mother-in-law a fellow could have.  Still miss her!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.