I am guilty of holding onto stray socks. I never want to toss that lone sock just in case the other one miraculously turns up, or in a more likely scenario, one of a different pair is gone creating a need for a new mate. This last Christmas I asked for socks. I got one pair from my friend saintvi and 2 pair from my fashionista friend. Although they are wonderful and soft and a delight, they aren’t the usual everyday kind of socks. Maybe I’ve trained the men in the family too well. I can only imagine them contemplating the Christmas list.
#1: Mmm, it says socks. Why are there socks on the list?
#2: Really? Socks? Let me see that!
#1: I think it is a trap. Do you remember when Dad got her a bathrobe?
#2: Yeah. That was a disaster.
#1: I think I’ll get one of the other things. Socks aren’t very expensive and I’ll leave those for Dad to get.
#2: Me too. Dad is braver than I am!
Sparky: Socks. Nope. Not touching that one with a 10 foot pole. I’d rather get her another bathrobe. At least the bathrobe costs more than some ugly black crew socks…
So I’ve not had any new socks since 2018 when I bought some to give myself, from Santa of course. I’m down to 3 pair that aren’t threadbare. I had been saving and making new pairs from the single sock drawer for so long that I don’t have anymore lone socks in the drawer. Well, no more black women’s socks are languishing as solo footwear. I do have a couple men’s crew and tube socks of a variety of brands and styles but that doesn’t do me any good. On the bright side, I just might take the time to go buy some socks (besides I have a 30% off coupon for Kohl’s)!
Skin as pale as ice
My feet get cold when snow falls
Thick socks cannot warm
Fire fails to thaw my feet
My toes are waiting for Spring
This is a Tanka, a Japanese form consisting of 5 lines with a syllable count of 5-7-5-7-7. As with most Japanese poetry rhyming does not occur.
A Different Perspective 
I never wear socks. Always sandals!
❤
David
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I’m happy for you! Of course the high was only 16 degrees F yesterday. Today it is going to get to 32 F – a big improvement but not one that would make sandals comfortable especially with the snow still on the ground…
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Dang! You must live in a tropical place. I too once lived there, continents away, but have since learned to wear shoes with socks, which I dislike—– so much.
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Middle East
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I save the stray socks too. (K)
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It would never fail – if I tossed a stray sock the other one would turn up… I have a laundry drawer with stray socks. It has come in handy!
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I am always losing earnings too, so I often just wear a mismatched pair.
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You are a trend setter!! I worked with a woman who got one ear pierced with a second hole. It was because she had so many single earrings that she couldn’t wear… with 3 holes she always had earrings!
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That’s a great idea. The perfect solution.
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I thought that was the whole reason behind an odd number of piercings!
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Hope you get the new socks soon. Happy New Year gift to self 🙂
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I’m planning on vacation soon and I’m going this weekend to get my 30% off socks! (and the big secret is that I have small feet so boys’ black crew socks work great and are less expensive than the women’s!)
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My mom gives Wrangler a 12 pack of socks every Christmas. He likes taller socks so he refuses to wear them. I on the other hand like the height in the winter or when I wear boots and at least they last longer than 3 wears for me unlike the women socks. They are thick and warm.
I have a pile of single socks mainly because when the get threadbare or have holes they are recycled into cleaning on the truck and trailer socks that can be discarded after a major usage.
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Wrangler’s loss and your gain!! I agree – men’s socks are made better and last longer! I used to do that with the worn and holey ones but with 2 sons and Sparky my cleaning/dusting sock stock was over flowing… So I’m not adding to that stash until it starts to get really low.
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Wrangler goes through a sock to two a week cleaning so he can always use a new supply.
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I love that he does cleaning! You need to make sure you praise him for helping out!
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When he cleans inside the house he gets praised. He has been helping out a lot lately inside. In the truck we each have tasks so I never praise him for that.
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Helping out inside is what I thought he was doing (and he is!)… That has to make your life easier!
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my socks, when all together seem to last longer than Wil’s.
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I need to get the kind of socks you have! What brand are they?!?
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I would see you with different socks,Val . One of them would show a printed golden frame and the second the picture of Sparky . So the ones who would encounter you would have there eyes going from the left to right then from right to left! Creative socks ! or choc socks!
Love ❤
Michel
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Please read ….. their eyes ….. !
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I once had art socks that were printed with a portrait of a dancing girl by Toulouse Lautrec… they did generate interest when anyone got a glimpse!
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I imagine easily ! 🙂
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❤
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in my limited cupboard it’s stray pop socks – some how they never fit to a second one when they come out of the wash 🙄 as for going barefoot, I have by chance found some acupressure insoles – they are delightful and keep my feet warm (in shoes I need to wear because of brace).
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That was always a problem too – I’d have a single purple sock and another sock in green and red stripes… Then the fad of wearing mismatched socks came and solved my problems! My father had neuropathy in his feet and wore special massaging innersoles that helped alleviate the pain. Those kind of inserts can be a big help!
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btw pop socks are over in Britain socks from material like tights; I have not quite brought myself to apply the principle of wearing mismatched to those not yet. 🙄
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Hehe! I learn something new every day… We call those trouser socks. Of course I own some but rarely need to wear them in the winter.
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PS another delightful family tale 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed!
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Hubby had two odd socks in the wash this week. I told him not to worry he probably had an identical ‘pair’ at home………….. which he did!!
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Hehe! It is sometimes hard to tell the difference between navy and black socks!! At least that’s my experience. Sparky switched to either all white or all black socks eliminating all the blue, navy, and brown ones which made laundry so much easier! Now he’s started wearing novelty socks – NASA, socks with dogs on them, ones with musical notes or bicycles. He even has a couple pair with his favorite football teams on them!
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Sweet! Hubby’s are either blue, grey or black with a small stripe above the ankle. He didn’t notice that one pair had two stripes!
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hehe! Yeah as long as the are the same color it doesn’t seem to matter – you know, details! As soon as we were married I started switching his socks from ones with a colored stripe at the top for ones that were all white. He wondered that he didn’t run out of socks so quickly! (I was making matches without having to hunt for a red stripe or looking for the elusive blue stripe.)
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like your style Val!
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Thanks!!
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I save the lone sock too. I enjoyed the tanka too. 🙂
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Thanks Kitty. so happy you enjoyed the poem! I have perpetually cold feet in the winter….
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Yes, same here about cold feet in winter. 🙂
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Ah, the winter will pass (soon I hope). Until then I’m wearing my warmest socks!
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I like socks. My friend knits beautiful light-weight wool socks I’m happy to have. I wear expedition weight wool socks in the house in winter. I wear Solmate socks in summer. I think socks are awesome. Getting socks for Christmas is OK by me. Now, bathrobes? I still have the one my Swiss family bought me in 1997 and it’s like new… 🙂
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Wow! I’m loving the Solmate socks mission and product!! I looked on line and I’m adding them to my Amazon birthday list!! Perhaps Sparky will get the hint!!! My old bathrobe was 35 yrs old and had pretty much died. The new one is 5 yrs old and so far so good… If it lasts another 30 years I’ll be happy.
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I love my Solmate socks. 🙂
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I hope I can say the same soon!
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The tanka was fun!
I do only my own laundry at home, and haven’t lost a sock for a very long time. I am also more barefoot than anything, since I work from home and don’t go out much – very few socks worn. When it was windy, and in single digit temps, I will admit that I wore some thermal socks for men. Cause I had some, and they are comfy.
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Thanks tons Dodi! I enjoyed writing the Tanka. I haven’t lost any socks since getting the front loading washer… That doesn’t mean they don’t go missing. Sparky seems to lose socks all the time – found one in the back of the closet, another under the bed, and when I changed the sheets found one stuck at the foot of the bed. Fortunately their missing mates were reunited for a happy ending!! I have a couple pair of thermal socks that are so warm that Sparky won’t wear them (make his feet sweat) so they became mine! Great when geocaching in the snow!!
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Hope you went today and bought yourself some socks. My toes are ready for summer too.
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Not today – I’m probably going on Monday or Tuesday next week. But will definitely go before my coupon expires on the 23rd!
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My story to the t Val.
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I think most people who live in the Midwest can relate!! Hope you and your toes are staying warm (and you got much appreciated birthday gifts)!
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It’s really cold for a Navi Mumbai January and my socks are coming in handy. I have a lot of them with the big toe separate, so it’s easy to wear with house slippers. Nice to see you experimenting with different poetry writing styles!
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How cold is it there? We don’t have socks with the big toe separate, at least not in the stores but on line you can find almost anything! Glad you are enjoying the diversity of the styles… I rarely write the same style more than once every 2 weeks!
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I think it’s a few degrees below 20 around 6am and then it goes up to about 30 degrees C. which is pretty cold by our standards. Keeping warm with spicy Idli Sambar for lunch and a masala chai before I go to sleep.
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Your 20 is a balmy 68 here – that’s like a summer morning! And a high of 86 is definitely summer temps! We started the day at -17C and the high today will be 2C. I’d trade in a heartbeat!!!
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Yes, we’re so used to it being hot, that cool is a shock to the system. Summers & October can touch 41degreesC and 30 feels pleasant. We don’t usually have enough of cool to get used to it I think.
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Now that is HOT! I guess it is what you get used to… My sister that lived in Atlanta, Georgia (and now Florida) thought it was cold at 60 F so when we’d visit we’d be trotting around with out coats and she’d think it was parka weather!
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🙂
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🤣 guilty of the same here
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No guilt and no shame – frugality is my middle name!
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My husband hyperventilates whenever any of his socks return without its mate. No matter how careful we are, it keeps happening. I guess I’m resigned to navigating endless rounds of socksgates.
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Ha! I have the solo sock drawer. If I’m missing a sock it goes into the drawer. Sparky is completely unaware that the sock is missing! Of course it shows up in the next load of towels or maybe I find it crammed in the corner under the bed… Then the pair is reunited and all is well with the world. Of course if there was that much angst over missing socks, I’d “let” him wash his own socks so that he can figure out where they are hiding!
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Ah, that midwestern practicality. 😉 Love it.
And a tanka…another favorite form!
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Thanks tons Kim! I am practical. I think there are a lot of places that could use a little of the Midwestern practicality! I like the Tanka too!
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Socks are important! Especially for the freezing feet people!
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Hey there stranger! It is so nice to see you again. Yes, warm socks are a small delight on a cold day!
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Thank you for introducing me to the Tanka form – I’m going to try this in the future!
Socks are funny. they’re such an afterthought, until we’re faced with freezing feet and holes in the toes!
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I bet you can totally own the form! Tanka allow a lot of freedom for expressing all sorts of ideas!!
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I can’t wait to give it a shot 😁
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Please let me know when you post your tanka!
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These days mismatched is in fashion so you are a fashionista, Val!
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I’m fortunate to not have any mismatched socks at present… but I’m hoping to score a pair of solmates brand socks that are knitted and mismatched on purpose!
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The other day I read a post where someone suggested putting a plastic bag over your ‘socked’ feet before putting your boots on as this helps keep the cold reaching your skin. Might be worth a try!
🥶☕️
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Hehe! Nope – it just keeps your feet drier if your boots leak or you get snow in them… Not really any insulating value to plastic. It was an old trick my mom would use – put bread bags on our feet inside the boots. It also helped your feet slip in easier with thick socks…
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Hehe! Nope – it just keeps your feet drier if your boots leak or you get snow in them… Not really any insulating value to plastic. It was an old trick my mom would use – put bread bags on our feet inside the boots. It also helped your feet slip in easier with thick socks…
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Ahh ok, so many random tips floating around…I’ve seen you can buy rechargeable heated gloves and microwavable gloves….maybe there are some sock equivalents lol 😊🧦🧦
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There are but they are not very comfortable and only really useful if you are camping or hunting and will be spending 12 hours in the cold. The reusable ones only last a short time – like an hour so for anything beyond that they aren’t practical…
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I have a ton of socks 😉
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I used to – and tomorrow I’m going to top off the sock drawer with my 30% off coupon!
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Yay! I’m headed over to read them all!
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I am a firm believer in consistency, when it comes to socks-so comfy black socks go on my feet, every morning. Family in Naples, Florida reported a morning temp of 41 F, last week. They almost went into shock!
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Hehe! Yes it was a little chilly but a lot warmer than the -9F we were having in IN… It was very clear who the visitors were (wearing shorts and windbreakers) and who was a native Floridian (wearing parkas)!
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