Socks? What Socks??

While I plan to post pictures of the nearly finished kitchen, I haven't gotten everything put away and I WILL NOT shame myself by showing the utter mess plaguing my kitchen. So, let us divert ourselves with a rather odd tale of a dog and a sock.



This is Moose. He is part St. Bernard and part Golden Retriever. We took him as a rescue and, while he looks terrible here (we live on a farm, it is fall and raining -- a lot; what can we expect??), he is normally a very clean and pleasant pup. When we first rescued him, the poor chap was 50 pounds underweight and very afraid of everything. No car rides from him! He was terrified we would abandon him. No loud noises! He knew he was going to be struck. Sweeping? He'd fly from the broom faster than dust bunnies in a nesting mother's home. In short, he was nervous, scared, and very humble. So, we took every chance to keep him with us and give him lots and lots of love.

During one of the first weeks he was here, I was knitting on a pair of socks for my Sissie for Christmas. I had one sock done and was on the home run on the second sock. Moosie was snuggled at my feet. The phone rang and I got up to answer it. When I returned, my sock and needles were no longer on the sofa. I looked on the floor. Nothing. I checked to see if I had carried them to the kitchen. Nopers. All this time, Moose has stayed Very Quiet On The Floor. Innocent.

Then, he turned around. Sticking out of his mouth in all manner of pokiness, were four sock needles and what was left of my sock.

"Moose! You, you, you have my socks!" I cried.

He looked up at me as if to say, "Socks? What socks??"

Then I nearly fell out laughing. He wagged his tail and seemed to smile; the needles and sock remnants dropped to the floor with a sorrowful plunk. One needle was left, but who cared? Moose loped over to me, gently putting his head on my knee as if to apologize.

I petted his head, picked up my needle and the soggy mess of what had been a nearly finished sock. He lay back down and I knew we had passed a milestone. And, I learned, too, never leave a sock alone with a Moose!

My Sissie's Christmas present? One sock and a great story of a dog learning to knit!