Aghh! I didn't want to talk about weather again, but having just walked three blocks each way to school in minus two (farenheit) degree weather I can't feel my face and my ears are on fire. (Yes, I was wearing a hat.)
Anyway, the real issue of the day is the huge pile of socks artfully lying in an ex-gift basket, on the top of my dryer - without partners.
I found a great poem in a book called "101 Poems to Keep you Sane", edited by Daisy Goodwin.
Since posting the poem I have discovered that not only is it copyright infringement to do that, but Wendy Cope (whose poem it was) goes insane about it. In fact she wrote an article about it in the Guardian last December, entitled "You like my poems, so pay for them!" (Gulp) I have dutifully removed it and urge everyone to buy a Wendy Cope anthology as she writes very funny stuff.
I have decided that the kids will have to wear mis-matched socks if they can't get two socks safely to the laundry basket. I have checked the ever-increasing gap between my washer and dryer, and apart from a small hairbrush there's nothing there. So this time it can't be my fault.
I have printed this poem out and stuck it on the wall above the sock basket.
l also have an odd sock collection chucked on top of the tumble dryer. l always try to buy marks & spencer socks that have coloured bits on in an effort to match them up. all l can say is it doesn't seem to work, the pile of odd socks is growing at an alarming rate, perhaps there should be a site to unit those missing socks!!
ReplyDeleteV funny. Worth reading 'Making Cocoa For Kingsley Amis' if you come across it. Wendy Cope has several poems I love, including one that's similar to the sock one. It compares 'Bloody Men' with 'bloody buses' (see below).
ReplyDeletehttp://home.egge.net/~savory/cope.htm
She makes me laugh out loud.
I love it! We also have lots of lone socks. Sometimes & chuck them out on impulse & within a very short time the other one usually turns up. What a waste! I use "nets" now to put all the small items in. Do you get them in USA?
ReplyDeleteYes Maggie, I have quite a few nets all around the place, but usually forget about them. My problem is that a pair of socks doesn't ever make it to the laundry room in the first place. I have found though, that they are on about a two month cycle, hence my basket. If you wait around long enough, their partner often turns up.
ReplyDeleteLittle B - I will definitely look up more Wendy Cope as I like her sense of humour.
Muddyboots - I used to think that buying all white socks was the answer, but the kids reckon they have different "textures" so you can't just fling any old two together. Going for socks with some kind of colour in them is definitely the right move.
How sad is all this though - a discussion about missing socks! Ah well.
Went through my sock drawer yesterday by pure coincidence - it was amazing how many couples were reunited. Any day now I expect to see baby socks start appearing in little nests of pants and tights as the reunions bear fruit...
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha - we wish. What a business that would be!
ReplyDeleteIn regard to your comment on weather, I know what you mean. We live about 90 miles south of Chicago and have just come through some minus 12 degress F days. It IS cold enough to freeze nose hairs. Fortunatly the weather is starting to moderate and we're expecting highs in the 40's. (And with only two of us here, we still get singleton socks.)
ReplyDeleteYay! Beach weather!
ReplyDeleteHi, I came across you after I came across Little Britainer.
ReplyDeleteIt brought a smile to my face that you pinned the poem to the wall.
I'm so happy to find more ex-pats, I'll definitely be back.