Darning . . .

Yes, I can hardly believe it myself. I did really, honest to goodness, darn a sock this morning. I have some favorite, very comfortable socks from LLBean, soft and with just some wool. They are only one year old! One had a hole in the toe. I was miffed because I surely didn't want to throw out the pair. Then I had a vision of my Pépé Bonnin using a shmoo looking gourd to darn our socks. Well I didn't use a gourd but I did dig out needle and thread and my sock is better than ever! Hip, hip, hooray! I saved the day. I must admit I do miss my Pépé Bonnin to this day. He was such a kind, gentle soul. I still think of him when I get up to a bright sunshiny day and I can hear him say, "Good morning, Mary sunshine!" There was nothing but calm and loving in those clear blue eyes. Still smile when I recall being sent to Paul's Package Store to pick up Pépé's medicine. I remember the church key hanging on the door of the store so the guys could crack open their beers and stand around and chat. And I remember the posters of the beautiful Rheingold Girls hanging up above the counter and the men could vote for their favorite girl. I remember winning drinks for all the kids (Yoohoos) when one of the men would challenge me to complete a plastic rectangular number puzzle which he had scrambled. Manischewitz have we lost a lot of the freedom we used to enjoy.

Had a good visit with youngest sister-in-law yesterday, a little bite of lunch, lots of good chatting (it's so nice to have another woman to help you bounce ideas around) and a bit of piano playing. It was great.

Quote: A faithful and true friend is a living treasure, inestimable in possession, and deeply to be lamented when gone. Nothing is more common than to talk of a friend; nothing more difficult than to find one; nothing more rare than to improve by one as we ought.
A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide, and whose opinion we can value at once for its justness and its sincerity.
He who has made the acquisition of a judicious and sympathizing friend, may be said to have doubled his mental resources. ___Robert Hall