skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

An Old Friend Gave me a Good Laugh

18 years ago

Some of you may remember that Mom died Thanksgiving night.

Well, what did I get in the mail today? But a Jury Summons for her. Not only is she too dead to serve, but at 86--would have been 11 years too old if she WERE still living.

Of course, I realize that computers send out those things, but I sat down and immediately wrote a letter to the county assignment judge. Who just happens to be a fellow I went to high school with, whose family owned the hardware store where my dad shopped for his business, and whose father was involved in the same civic club as my dad.

And I did fill out the questionaire for mom--listing her current address in the change of address space (XXX Cememtery). Couldn't help myself, I'm afraid.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

Cherryfizz
18 years ago
LOL I did that for my Mom when she got a jury summons 5 years after she died! LOLOL

I still get mail for my Dad or telemarketing calls and I have been known to give them the telephone number of the Cemetery Office.

My Dad has been dead since 1984 and I get credit card applications addressed to him all the time - he didn't have credit cards when he was alive, he doesn't need them when he is dead. LOLOL

Anne
workoutlady
18 years ago
You can be too old to serve on jury duty?Â I did not know that! It is funny how you responded.
Related Discussions
Old Friend - Old Fern - Mr. Greenthumb
Q
Comments (3)
Great story...interesting, as well...makes perfect sense! I worry about that fern:(....I hope the recipient can do it justice. My grandmother had a 'Boston Fern' growing in her 'sitting room' years back. The fern came from her mother when my grandparents were married....that was 1925. When Grandma had a stroke that necessitated her move to a nursing home in the early eighties, the fern (and the fabulous 'fern stand' where it perched) came to my Mom/Dad's home. My mom simply didn't have the right conditions (nor that famous 'green thumb' (lol!) to maintain/grow that fern...it died within a year. I was just a teenager, and though I owned a few plants at the time, I didn't have the knowledge or the interest to do anything about it...but I think of that fern cascading over that fern stand often and think of what a shame it's loss was!
...See More
Just had to share this, gave me a laugh!
Q
Comments (5)
That sounds just like 'em! & "Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle..." reminds me of something I read on another forum. A couple who had several Aussies hosted a family reunion at their home. After lunch, the children went outside to play, & the adults looked forward to sitting down & relaxing with coffee & conversation. Then the grown-ups heard screams & howls of anger from their children. They all ran outside, only to find... the Aussies had all the kids rounded up into a tight little circle!
...See More
This isn't for me, of course, but I have a good friend
Q
Comments (30)
While geokid's version has some pluses, I'd want to see the view when I was sitting up in bed. Also, I would move the door to the bedroom down the hallway some to retain a corner in the bedroom for chair or dresser or something. Not sure about the transom either as if someone's using the bathroom at night it can light up the bedroom... I know you may know, but just want to be sure, in "annie's version" the tub goes the other way so the plumbing is near the window, so when you sit in the tub, you are looking at the view, not the room. The shelved wall is pretty, but PITA to clean....reminds me of my grandmother who had something similar with floor to ceiling dishes. I'd opt for the view from the tub over the shelves. You could always do that as a mirror surround by the sinks or behind the sitting chair or at the blank wall by the closet.
...See More
Demo starts this week - good by old friend
Q
Comments (14)
LoPay - I can so relate. We tore out our kitchen to the studs almost 3 years ago, and just have it functional (but far from done!) in the last 3 weeks. (Reluctant DIY husband and totally unhandy me!) We actually tore it out in stages over the first 3 months, leaving the sink cabinet alone until this past February when it had to go to finish the walls & sub-floor. Anyway, it wasn't long after we started tearing it out that I had second thoughts, and after 2 years I really wished we had never started. We lived in the old kitchen 15 years, but it was the years my 3 girls were growing up and it was a busy and active place. Lots of meals, lots of baking, lots of love. My new kitchen has so much more counter space and I love a lot about it, but it doesn't have the memories. I guess time will help with that as the kids come home for holidays and my grand-kids come and stay. And the same thing will happen in your new kitchen. I wish you the best of luck with your remodel and a life-time of memories from the old and the new.
...See More
jannie
18 years ago
My husband got a Notice of Jury Duty about ten years ago. To get out of it, he sent them a copy of his father's death certificate. Can you guees, they were Senior and Junior? It worked, they didn't send him any more letters.
Lindsey_CA
18 years ago
Jannie, that's disgusting, and possibly against the law.
jannie
18 years ago
I agree it's disgusting. I told him not to do it. I've never minded going on jury duty. I hate to admit it, but DH also blamed some old parking tickets on his dead father.
Lindsey_CA
18 years ago
Jannie, you can tell him that I checked with my hubs, who is an attorney, and what your hubs is doing is most definitely a crime, and he could be arrested for it.
azzalea
Original Author
18 years ago
Scissors--I'm sure the rules vary from state to state, but here anyone over 75 doesn't have to go to jury service. But you have to request that in writing, ahead of time.

Jannie, that's terrible. But on the other hand, maybe it's for the best--I'm not sure I'd want to trust my future to someone who had so little regard for right/wrong and the law--so maybe it's a good thing he didn't go. He probably wouldn't have made a good juror.
joyfulguy
18 years ago
They call for old uncle a lot - I've kept the phone number - and when I tell them that he's not available, can I, his nephew, help them, they tend to get a bit skittish. Will call later, etc.

Usually eventually I tell them that he inhabits a box underground, didn't leave forwarding address/phone No. ... and I don't think that he's much interested in credit card, avoiding bankruptcy, participating in a survey, subscribe to a magazine, getting super-duper long distance service, etc. ...

... telephones can do some wonderful things, these days, but I haven't heard of them being able to get through to uncle ... or my Mom, Dad, brother, etc. ...

... well, not up till now, at least ...

... but who knows what they may be able to arrange in future (or claim that they have).

By the way ... didn't some of those TV evangelists give us the impression (if not almost the assurance) that they had a direct line to heaven??

Oh? ... They still do? Well, fancy that!!

And some of the politicians tend to agree with them? Well, fancy that!!

Enjoy what's left of your weekend, everyone.

ole joyful

Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDES Old and New Make for a Jolly Good Mix in England

By Mitchell Parker

Give an 18th-century country cottage a contemporary addition, and what do you get? A surprisingly cohesive-looking home

FEEL-GOOD HOME 10 Friendly Furniture Pieces for a Comforting Home

Comfortable? Check. Sociable? Check. These enduring favorites never go out of style

FARM YOUR YARD Hello, Honey: Beekeeping Anywhere for Fun, Food and Good Deeds

By The Best Bees Company

We need pollinators, and they increasingly need us too. Here, why and how to be a bee friend

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Layouts: A Vote for the Good Old Galley

By KitchenLab Interiors

Less popular now, the galley kitchen is still a great layout for cooking

GARDENING GUIDES The Poop Scoop: Enrich Your Soil With Good Old Manure

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Get over the ick factor already — this natural super-ingredient for soil has so many benefits, you'll wonder why you ever went chemical

KITCHEN DESIGN Pet-Friendly Design: Making Room for the Dog Dish

By Mary Jo Bowling

In a dog’s life, you eat on the floor. Except in kitchens like these, where pets are factored into the design

PETS A Romp Through Pet-Friendly Materials

By Katya Popova

Deceptively durable, these stylish flooring materials and fabrics let you give Fluffy the run of the house

KITCHEN DESIGN Try a Shorter Kitchen Backsplash for Budget-Friendly Style

By The Inman Company

Shave costs on a kitchen remodel with a pared-down backsplash in one of these great materials

COMMUNITY Simple Acts: The Unsung Power of a Good Neighbor

By Alison Hodgson

There are many ways to be a good neighbor, and they're often easier than you think

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Good Fences, Good Neighbors — and Good Views

By Carol Crotta

See-through vertical fencing connects a yard with its surroundings while keeping children and pets safely inside

Sponsored

More Discussions

Still frosted and still learning

132

Friday/Weekend Quiz

5

I'll show you mine/you show me yours - Su 10/11/26

16

Weekend Music Part 2 - Rock & Roll

14

Smile today - 10/12/26

6