My Mom…the Hooker

I think I was in grade five when I got frost bite on my toes while skiing at Monte Ste. Anne in Quebec.  What I do know is that I’ve had cold feet ever since.

Yeah, yeah you’re probably thinking, “Why does she always have to make these posts about herself? Get to the story already.”   … because it’s MY blog…and I’m getting to it…ok?

What’s the one thing in my closet I can’t live without? My sock drawer! Bet you didn’t see that one coming.  My sock drawer has the most amazing collection of hand knitted wool socks you can possibly imagine. Although I love ‘open toe’ season, I also really love my wool socks. Every time I go anywhere that I have to take my shoes off I immediately get compliments on my socks. I’m not kidding you! It happens ALL the time. And for good reason. I have memorable socks.My socks are amazing. Opening my sock drawer you will feast your eyes on an array of multi-coloured socks the likes of which you will probably never see anywhere else.

What’s inside my sock drawer.

Many years ago, my mom started knitting.  I was alway envious of that particular skill. I’m a lefty and knitting, although I have tried, always made me feel as though I had 6 thumbs and no fingers. So, when my mom started gifting me with not just wool socks, but hand made wool socks, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. My first pair were a heavy pair of cream coloured ones, and then another pair of cream ones followed. (sadly, one of those cream pairs has since gone to sock heaven… and I don’t mean the washing machine. I always take good care of my socks washing them by hand and rolling them in a towel to get the excess moisture out before hanging them to dry.  That way they last and last. Pretty sure that pair that’s now deceased was at least 20 years old. Mom’s socks aren’t just great because they’re wool. They’re great because they fit so well. They are shaped exactly to my foot when they are given to me. They aren’t tight, but never fall down or work their way down into the toe of my boot.   Genius!

My mom’s always been really busy for as long as I can remember. She’s an amazing cook, and her house, even though it’s almost always under renovations, always seems to look like it’s about to be photographed by ‘Martha’ herself.  When I was a little kid she bred dogs, trained them and even showed them at dog shows.  She has also been an artist for as long as I can remember, painting the sweetest acrylic on canvas paintings of houses, farms, animals etc.   She’s also painted many miniature pieces as well. Very charming. I really love her work, she has a great eye. She was an antique dealer when we lived in the east and I arrived home from school many afternoons to find her ‘stripping’ …furniture, that is. She was working out and doing yoga back before either were fashionable.  We always had a dog, a cat or two, chickens, sometimes goats, once a cow?, or did I dream that?  She’s even been a real estate agent.

These are only about one inch across!

Can you believe how cute these are?

Square Miniatures about an inch and a half wide.

   

Mom and dad now live on Salt Spring Island. A place I often equate with paradise. You know… the place on the brochure where you wish you were, but just never seem to get there.  It’s always so nice and relaxing! Obviously, I don’t get over there as often as I’d like for this reason. Going to SSI means driving 45-50 minutes to the ferry terminal, waiting there for an hour at least (if you want to get on the intended ferry) 3 hours crossing (milk run) or 1.5 hours non-stop. There’s only one non-stop on Friday, Saturday and Sunday….any way, you get my point. It’s really time consuming…to go there and come back uses up half of your weekend.

We talk on the phone often though.  When I called to chat one afternoon a few years ago (I call more than every few years btw) my dad answered. He usually doesn’t answer the phone. We were chatting for a while before I asked where mom was. Imagine my surprise when he told me  “Oh…she’s hooking in Nanaimo”.  Ok…. I’ve been to Nanaimo a few times. Driven through really, so the first thing that came into my mind was this hotel that my brother and I used to joke about because it was called the “Ho”…short for the Tally Ho.

Well I know my mom’s an original and always an adventurer, but, I guess my mind was going down the wrong road altogether. Turns out mom and  a few of her ‘hooker’ friends from SSI were attending a rug hooking seminar that weekend and I don’t think it was at the Tally Ho… although if I’d been planning it, that would have been different.

Bug Rug

Bugs

Dragon Fly

Beatle

And now for the Rooster series….

Rooster and Egg

Brown Rooster

White Rooster

And some more little treats…

Lily

Frog on Leaf

House

Kitten

And finally one of my personal favorites…

Farm Animals

My mom’s been hooking rugs for many years too. Just another of her many talents. Her work is absolutely impeccable, again, because she has an amazing ‘eye’, as I call it. It’s the ability to see things with clarity and recognize balanced composition and colours etc. making it seem natural to create beauty around you… at least that’s what I think it is. Anyway, that’s what mom’s alway done with everything in her life.

Happy Mother’s Day!