Is it an Aussie thing?

My in-laws are lovely people and they have always been incredibly kind to me and supportive of my relationship with Jason. I truly bear no ill will against any of them. So I don't want to sound like I'm being an ungrateful, snotty bitch when I say that they give the strangest, most random gifts I have ever heard of.

Today I went out to get the mail and there was a package for me from Jason's mom, Jan. The Australian postal service requires people sending packages to identify the contents of the package on a label. This package informed me that Jan had sent me a coat hanger. I opened it up, and sure enough, there was a small wooden coat hanger covered with pink crochet and decorated with a pink ribbon. The note accompanying the package talked about some travel she was doing, expressed wishes that we were doing well, and asked about Max (my dog). But nothing like, "oh, and I saw this hanger and thought it would be cute for the baby" (she doesn't know we're having a boy), or something explaining the motivation for the gift. Just a letter and a coat hanger.

This is not, incidentally, the first time I have received coat hangers as gifts from Jason's family. A couple of years ago his grandmother, Noonie (who, again, I must reiterate is an awesome, sweet woman whom I love dearly), gave me a package of three purple-satin-covered puffy hangers for Christmas. In Noonie's defense, she also recently sent me some little baby booties for Zeke that she crocheted herself. So cute. Anyway, I have also received from Jason's family styrofoam coozies and a bath towel. Not a decorative towel or something that said "Australia" on it or anything like that. Just a beige bath towel. I also once got bright turquoise socks so huge that they would hang off of Shaquille O'Neal's feet.

Last week, Jan sent Jason a birthday present (his birthday is tomorrow). It was a wine bottle carrier, like something you would take camping. Which is great, except that Jason doesn't drink wine.