Is my Mother-in-Law Insane?

In some cultures, sending someone a picture of a dead pet is a threat. "Ya don't wanna sleep with da fishes, do ya?"

In the world of my husband's mother, it's just a cute way to say, Happy Birthday!

That's right. In today's mail was a birthday card for Randy. On the cover is a picture of a black and white cat, drawn in pastel markers several years ago by Randy's mom. Inside, the inscription reads, "Happy Birthday -- Mona."

Mona is not the name of my MIL. Mona is the name of the cat - who died about 25 years ago.

Maggie complains that the cat's eyes are looking at her -- from beyond the grave.

For the first 4 or 5 years of our marriage, I used to get small Christmas presents from Mona. "Who is Mona?" I asked the first year, wondering if I had overlooked a relative. "Oh, she's our dead cat," the family replied.