I thought as I am in a reflective mood - but promised myself I wouldnt dwell on things too much - I wanted share the secret of the stripey socks.

Wobbly wibbly lines in the mannner of going back in time. (do do do doooooo)

Siting in my wee house having found myself penniless with two young babes to bring up, I have to admit to feeling a bit sorry for myself in early March 2000 - I was trying to think about what on earth to do next............single mum, needing to get back to work - retraining or return to the scary world of trying to be an accountant.......

I had a lovely chum come to stay on the weekend of Mother's day (as good chums do just after their pals are alone with two kids for the first time). I remember it well as it was also the day I got my letter for an interview to start a proper 'Horticulture course'. It had always been my dream to work with flowers so I had been bullied by her to apply to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh for a course there. There was no way on the planet they were going to want me!

Anyway we had a lovely weekend and went to the local town on the coast to do a bit of window shopping etc - that's where I spotted the first pair of long stripey rainbow socks I think I had ever seen for grown ups. We all oooohed and awwwwwed at the silly things in the shop and had lots of fun guessing what kind of people wore such ridiculusly silly socks. Of course we didn't buy them - far too outrageous but we did make up some amazing stories. Easy when DD was 2 and DS was 4 and a half

Anyway - chum went home and arranged to see me for my interview in Edinburgh to look after the kiddies when I went in to the big scary Botanic garden. Low and behold a week before my interview we got a lovely 'thank you card' and a thank you package from my chum for staying. With a note looking forward to seeing us the next week when we got down to Edinburgh.

In the parcel was the longest, most outrageous pair of ridiculus stripey socks (complete with individual rainbow toes) and the note just said -

Dear Fay,
'You are the person who wears such silly socks!
These are to give you something to keep smiling about in your interview - completely free to use, apply to each foot for instant confidence, powered by rainbows, roll up the leg or fold down dependant on the level confidence required. Completely re-usable after interview, reapply to legs frequently for maximum benefit'

The interview went well, our lives were transformed in so far as they let me study flowers there and I know that without that step I wouldn't be doing the job I love and actually getting paid for it. Ever tried to stop smiling when you know you are wearing the most ridiculus socks on the planet. So the socks whilst silly were given to us at a time when the universe seemed to be conspiring against us. I love them now (the originals are very very worn and whollly and now reside inside of my DD raggy annie doll as part of the stuffing).
Mainly I love the thoughtfulness behind such a small action from my friend they cost £1.99 (she informed me later on!). I love the invisible confidence they give you for free and how you seem to just radiate from an everyday object as a pair of socks. When the scary monsters come - or I am doing my bills - (and when I did my SOA on here) I was indeed wearing a pair of stripey socks - rolled up as high as possible. Whilst we are far from being sorted - we have a drawers in both DD and my bedroom which looks like a snakes nest full of stripey, spotty and flowery socks which are applied daily for a free secret boost.

Thus ends the story of the secret of the stripey socks.

I can't ever thank my chum enough.
*sorry if this is a bit too much - she's not with us anymore and its her birthday today*