when socks are the perfect gift

8am, 25-12-09

Santa came! I guess from the North Pole, but certainly via Scotland this year. He left me all sorts of things, tiny packets, interesting packets, soft and squishy packets. He brought me SOCKS!

Sadly lacking in my wardrobe were dark, coloured, socks to match my winter woollies. Santa must have peeked. Somehow the bright socks with frogs and bees and happy faces on them, perfect for the New Zealand junior classroom, and the white sports socks, aren't quite appropriate here - but they just wont wear out!

I guess you could almost say I have a thing about socks. I have socks from Trinity College, Dublin. Socks from Loch Ness with the monster on them. Socks from Verona with Romeo and Juliet on them... and now I have REAL socks too!

While the rest of the family surf, barbequeue and play on beaches, my toes will be well looked after in every colour, matching the jerseys, scarves, hat and gloves that mark Christmas in Europe.

We didn't get a white Christmas, but Santa's email said that she has plenty snow where she is, at -10 degrees!

So now, Christmas morning, I shall listen to gentle pan pipes playing Christmas music and look at a beautiful book of photographs assembled and made with love... and decide which socks are the best colour for today!

Today I am grateful for love and family.