I sent this photo to my friend to thank her again for my favorite socks. “Rhonda,” I tapped, “I love these socks you gave me so much I’m darning the holes in the heels & toes to get a few more miles out of them.” 

“DARN!” she came back, “Your mom would be so proud of you darning socks!!!!  Do your grandkids know you do that?”

When my husband noticed me sitting on the couch with this basket in my lap threading a needle he said, “Are you crazy?!” He used to toss his holy socks in the trash until I found out. Now they get laundered and go straight to my studio. Can’t have enough studio rags.

The truth is, I find mending a soothing activity. It goes back to when my children were young. It was calming to sit on the sofa in the evening after they’d been tucked in. Just me and my basket of thread in this quiet space sewing up holes in socks and jeans.

These days I mend my dogs’ toys, over and over again – stuffing the fluff back in and using the strongest thread I can get through the eye of a needle. Very satisfying.