Remember this post , back in February, when my son, the one and only, best beloved , left home to go flatting ?…..w.e.e.e.l.l…….I would not need to hire dear Monsieur Poirot* (* possible, but unlikely, spoiler alert) to tell me that said son has returned to the fold. The evidence is clear.
And, if those signs were not compelling enough to indicate a son-in-residence, this one is indisputable.
Where’s the Pair?
How is this possible? Where does the other half go? Perhaps I do need Monsieur Poirot, after all, to help solve this mystery that is as old as the sock itself? Even if he were not able to find the missing items, he would surely throw some psychological light on the subject of sons and socks and mothers who treat their own socks like this ….which is very just so..
-
- Place socks in washing bag
-
- Wash and dry
-
- fold and put away
But more mysterious than the missing socks,
(and here I might require some fanciful intervention from Mr Kipling because I fear I am now seeking answers in a realm beyond Monsieur Poirot’s logical mind )
is that mismatched socks may appear in the laundry, but I do not know when my son ever wears socks, in pairs or otherwise. Every time we meet in the house, or in the garden, he is barefooted.
Be that as it may, it is good to hear the noise and the quiet of him again. And little Jack is thrilled to be able to race upstairs, once more, and find a ready place to snuggle down with his best buddy.
Number one son, best beloved, may not be home for long. This is just an interlude between the end of the academic year and whatever he plans to do next. Should I suggest a job involving socks…selling, finding, darning, washing, knitting….thereof???
(Isn’t it fun that there’s always a good yarn to be had from a sock 😀 😀 :D? Yes, you may groan! )
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Looking at your son’s socks, I think their pairs may be in my son’s sock drawer. Which of course explains why I can only find one of each. Two mysteries solved!
This surely must be so! Since writing that post, I have actually found a good use for the single sock. I am using them to protect my tea pot spouts and I may use others to protect some of my less frequently used china.
What a good idea! I just put them back in the sock drawer – on the basis that half the time the boy-child doesn’t notice whether he’s wearing a “pair” or not.
Well, I do that too but it’s more in the hope that the missing sock will somehow, miraculously, find its pair.
Well, I don’t mind when I have to wear different motives of socks for my feet. Isn’t it unique ? 😀
It is unique. I don’t know why we are obsessed with matching socks. Maybe we have been brainwashed by sock manufacturers 😉
So what do you do with the missing pair socks? I usually wear them with the other same size missing pair and of course in a shorts, so they are eye-catching enough on my feet. 😀
They must be very eye-catching :). Well, one time when I had a lot of single socks, I tied them altogether and made a play rope for my dog!!!!
Well, that is also pretty good ideas. I think, I am the most eccentric person in my town or maybe other people thought that I am a senile dementia to their eyes. You think so? 😦
Mmmmm……possibly! But as long as you have two socks and two shoes on, I think they will not worry.
😀
I think I know the feeling.
I thought you might 😀
Fun post! It’s impossible to keep track of socks.
Indeed, and gloves/mittens are almost as troublesome!
Ah, the case of missing socks! I always wonder if the washing machine has a secret stash of them somewhere…I have a whole box full of them! So glad that your son is with you again…treasure your time since they won’t most likely stay forever!
I am sure you have a very interesting collection of odd socks, and in different sizes too. I think perhaps we need to return to the times when wearing different socks was a statement of style (about 15th century, I think). I also found this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footwraps about footwraps which seemed quite sensible. I will enjoy my son’s stay at home. I bet when he leaves, though, he will leave behind an odd sock.
How interesting! I had not heard of footwraps before.
Me neither. But apparently standard army issue!
I’m so pleased you are enjoying having your son back home, what a treat! Despite all the mess, of course. Make the most of it! My house is looking similar at the moment with my 17 and a half year old boy, he used to be so tidy and organised. I have to admit though, his sister is even worse…. girl’s bedrooms (ugh)! The socks will turn up at some point and somewhere unexpected, usually just after you have thrown it’s partner away!
LOL yes, that is usually what happens! There must be a “Law of Lost Socks” And, I certainly agree that girls can be as messy, even not messier, than boys. In the overall scheme of thngs, the mess doesn’t really matter, in fact it can be a good thing if you believe this http://www.forbes.com/sites/dalebuss/2013/09/19/messy-deskers-unite-new-study-hints-that-were-more-creative/ I love the quote from Einstein about messy desks 🙂
After reading that I will try to overlook the mess. Yes it is a great quote!
And you can feel less guilty if your own desk gets messy 🙂 !
Oh, mine is always messy, unfortunately. I also get in trouble for the state of my bedside table! I have regular tidy-ups but it doesn’t last long. How is your desk?
At the moment; it is messy! I used to get really cross if the children put books and other stuff on the dining table. The other night my daughter and I were on skype video and she saw a mountain of my books on the dining table behind me….she was flabbergasted by the decay in my standards 😀
Oh dear, I guess you can’t hide anything with a Skype video. It’s a telling reaction from your daughter though, it shows she is still abiding to ‘your rules’. Well done.
Oh no, she is not abiding! She always thought it was a silly rule. She thinks I have come across to her side; the dark, messy side! 😀
Ha, ha, never mind! Have a great weekend (tidying your desk?…) 🙂
Yes, I will give it some thought.
I searched and searched and searched for a quote about socks. Here it is, by Jean Kerr an Irish-American author, known for her humourous “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies”
“Women speak because they wish to speak, whereas a man speaks only when driven to speak by something outside himself like, for instance, he can’t find any clean socks.”
Jean Kerr
I am laughing and laughing. This is wonderful. I am so glad you searched and searched.
😆
I think socks have a mind of their won, they just run off to see the world 🙂 Annie
I think so! I have been wondering how you are. Did you have any of the terrible tornado weather?
ah.
it’s easy to solve this mystery.
your son is barefoot when you see him.
which means the socks have moved to the bottom of the garden to lie in a hammock and read Proust.
Why, of course! What other explanation could there be?
there’ll be a small hammock under a blackberry bush.
we are Convinced.
I think it may have to be the blackcurrant since I don’t have a blackberry 😉 I will look carefully tomorrow.
LOL! The signs are certainly clear, a son in residence. I bet it’s nice to have him around for a while whether barefoot, with one or rarely two socks. It’s funny that I keep losing socks in the laundry too, my hubby never. I must have inherited that skill from my son, right?
You lose socks and your husband never does….intriguing 😉 Dogs like socks….perhaps it is not you, or your son, who is to blame!
I know, but he won’t tell. His lips are sealed on the issue of missing socks 🙂
How wise!
🙂
Ah, friend, you made me laugh right out loud – which has done nothing to improve my reputation around here – at the antics of your son and the mysterious affair of his socks. Monsieur Poirot would be very proud indeed to take on so refined a task, and would make haste to puff up his ego even further if he were to achieve success! hehe 😉
I do hope Poirot would be proud of a successful outcome in such a case but , to tell the truth, I am a little worried that he might consider sock shenanigans beneath his dignity 🙂 Will your son be home any time soon? Christmas holidays?
I get to see him tomorrow for a bit – and then who knows? I will take what I can get… 🙂
Wonderful 🙂
This sock thing appears to be a worldwide epidemic – and we really need our socks – all of them – with this bitterly cold weather we’re having here! 😉 I had such fun reading this post!
Indeed, it is almost a universal problem; gosh, just had a horrible thought. I hope the missing socks aren’t floating around in that awful Pacific Trash Vortex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_garbage_patch I bet at least a dozen or so have found their way there 😦 Yes, you definitely need to hold on to all your socks and, when it’s cold, I am sure it doesn’t matter in the least if your socks are mismatched. 🙂
This is serious! You don’t need Hercule, you need Jane Marple. But I know, what happened!
Your socks are running off with mine as if they were single and not part of a pair.
Shocking!
We really need don’t need Agatha’s detectives, we need her villians!
How about Lawrence Wargrave to bump off these philandering socks!!
Why, of course.. Miss Marple would be marvellous because, at least. she would knit new socks if she couldn’t find the missing ones. And Miss Marple doesn’t bat an eyelid at murder so I am sure she could handle philandering socks. But, then, your villainous idea is genius; like sending in ex-hackers to solve hacking crimes. I feel we may yet solve the case of the missing socks!
My husband buys all socks that look alike–he has umpteen pairs of navy blue socks that all match. So we never know when one goes missing because there are still zillions around. Enjoy your son while he is home–and let him help and enjoy having a mum close by for a while!
Your husband has a sensible plan 🙂 I think we tried something similar when my children were at school but eventually we would hit the one sock crunch time! I like your expression “let him help”; sometimes I am guilty of ‘not allowing/letting’ . Often our children want to help but we don’t make it easy for them to do so.
My children have started early- Cupcake’s already got single socks and she’s 9 months old! Unbelievable.
By the way, I think your son is very lucky to have you as a mum… and I hope he tells you so x
Oh sweet Cupcake, what do you do with your socks???? I can imagine they get sucked, chewed and pulled off sometimes; there is nothing more fun than pulling off socks!
My son sends Skype hugs from upstairs sometimes (!)…how the modern family communicates…and says nice things like “Can I get you anything from the store?” That is actually the greatest help because getting out and about in the city is such a pain these days with most of the roads undergoing earthquake repairs…it’s really stressful, to the point that I have to steel myself to go out.
I have a return of the oldest son. I refuse to do his laundry, and I’m suspecting he is wearing some of the same clothes over and over….especially his socks. *eye roll* He is graduating from college next month, and we are excited to see what comes next. However, he did mention to my husband that he plans on living with us for a year to save up money. I’m happy with that, but he is going to have to pick up after himself–especially the dirty dishes.
I like it! I will do the washing if a wash is on the go anyway and IF the clothes are downstairs in the laundry basket. Fortunately, my son likes to do his own cooking and food shopping and he has worked out how to be a one pot/one dish man….a skill I could usefully learn, I think 🙂 ! No rumours that he is planning to be at home for a year, though!
I went back and re- read your Feb. post. It reminds me of how our beloved dog Jordan walks around the house now, looking for our daughter. She moved out about 3 weeks ago and I am sure Jordan knows it and feels the loss. It is touching.
Regarding socks– we suffer from the same ailment around here! If someone could come up with an idea to place a homing device on socks, they could make a million $$!
Oh Yes Yes…. a micro-chipped sock with GPS….what brilliance. This should be your next business enterprise. I am sure Jordan does wonder where your daughter is. Have you taken Jordan over to see your daughter’s new place?
Yes, Jordan has actually figured out the ride to her house. HONESTLY! She lays down in the car when we leave but then when we get off of the highway, onto the smaller road, Jordan will sit up and begin to wag her tail. By the time we pull into the driveway of my daughter’s, Jordan’s tail is wagging furiously! Amazing!
That is so gorgeous. What a wonderful story to greet me as I start my day. Give Jordan a special pat from me.
This is a cheerful story. I can feel you are having a great time. Solving sock puzzle keep your mind sharp 🙂
It certainly does but I fear there is no solution to the puzzle!
So funny Gallivanta. Sock it to ’em 😉 xox
I thought I should too…..sock it to ’em 😀
Yes. Sock it to ’em baby 😆
I need that little punch emoticon from Skype!
I deleted my Skype as the only ones who would try to talk were choo-choo from Ghana. So sorry can’t help with the emoticon 😉
Oh no! You deleted it! I would have talked to you. I am not choo-choo from Ghana. Actually, my main use for Skype is for talking to my family in Australia ( or my son, upstairs, or across town, or wherever he may be!. )
That last chirp was indeed groan-worthy!! 🙂 They had an advert on TV here about a sock that concealed itself in trucks, cars and boats in an effort to finally, in an exhausted state, reach a sun drenched beach island where all the odd socks were hanging out and partying. Perhaps that is where no. 1 son’s socks have all gone…..??
Glad you appreciated the groan-worthiness of that line! This advert you mention sounds like it has the answer to the missing sock phenomenon/mystery. I must see if I can find it on youtube.
If you didn’t find it, here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgFCdZUqQKE Mystery solved!! 🙂
Oh, glad you found that for me. I was searching but with no success. I think there is something in this idea of an island paradise for lone socks ;D
Your post brought back memories. We mothers have so much in common.
We certainly do 🙂
We have come so far and yet socks still seem to defy the laws of physics…this is why I still maintain an esoteric side!
Definitely wise! But now you have made me think that I should have put Dr Who on to this case or, perhaps, a Star Trek captain……Janeway? Picard? Kirk? which one would care?
Fear not. My sock pile is far worse than yours but then i have three of them!!
And you are adding to it by knitting ONEsock!!!!!! I like your sock attitude 🙂
LOl! for your info I am on the foot of the second sock!
Hooray. I feel relieved. I like pairs, as I guess my post reveals 😉
Nearly there!
I hope we will see the finished product 🙂
You make me laugh, but I have the same problem… twice…. two sons….double socks… and which ones go in which drawer….. It is science. I keep the odd socks for a while and if the other odd ones don’t turn up… I bin the loner or use it to polish shoes.
I am sure it is nice to have your son back for a while with or without socks 🙂
It is nice to have him under our roof again. And now you have made me laugh with your double, one-sock troubles. When my son was still at school he often used to come home from soccer practice with one sock….and it wouldn’t even be his sock. It would have someone else’s name tag on it.
I think some washing machines are built to eat just one sock per wash. I love the way you fold a pair of socks! There are many, many ways to fold socks but I doubt my sons ever bothered with much folding and would often sport unmatched pairs!
I still have “stuff” here that belongs to married, adult sons…….!
Sometimes an unmatched pair is not too obvious and even quite fun! And I would wonder who my son was if he actually did fold socks like I do!!! My sister has a brilliant sock folding technique but I haven’t mastered it yet 🙂 I think I left ‘stuff’ at home till I was about forty……
I forgot to mention that I liked the look of your Keruru painting in the background of one of your photos.
Oh thank you. It was sent to me by the friend in Wellington who gave me the stripey vase. She loves birds and delights in the Wellington birds as you do.
Gallivanta, it isn’t just sons. My husband has a collection of single socks, and he swears that i have a one-legged lover who keeps borrowing his socks….
Oh, too funny….If this is where sock conversations lead, I can see the benefit of your silent Tuesdays 😉 My husband would most likely be a one sock man if I didn’t supervise the sock drawer.
Gallivanta – I doubt there is a person – alive, dead, fictional or real – who can solve the problem of missing socks…. As any mother knows, only the Lord knows for sure. 🙂
I suspect you are right…and it’s strange because mothers can be relied upon to find most things..but the missing sock is ever elusive.
Yes, the missing sock even baffles a Mother !!! 🙂
🙂
Ah…your spirits are up with the arrival of your son. It shows in your post…sprinkled with laughter. 🙂
He has been around all year, really, coming and going, but it is good to know he is back in his old room for a while.