Socks for Mom

I spent Memorial Day weekend at my mother's house celebrating her 80th birthday.  We were joined by my sister, my younger brother and his mate. The only ones missing were my older brother and his wife, who were not able to make the trip from Arizona.  And Daddy, whom we've been missing every day for more than 10 years.
My mother is the only person other than myself for whom I make socks.  She loves her collection of handknit socks.  She likes to show them off and carefully darns them when they begin to show signs of wear. For this birthday, these socks were added to her collection...

Doesn't she have great ankles? Sadly, that delicate bone structure was not part of the genetic legacy passed on to me.

The yarn is Bertha from Dirty Water Dyeworks, a Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend I got in the teacher gift bag at Sock Summit last summer. There is no pattern for this design yet, but Mom has asked that I call it Ramona - her middle name. I'll let you know if I decide to write it up for publication.
At 80, Mom is going strong.  She lives by herself in the house she and Daddy shared, drives herself wherever she wants to go, and is in remarkably good health.  I keep waiting for the day when I can beat her at Scrabble (a game at which my family is insanely competitive), but that day has yet to come.
Happy Birthday, Mom! You are a daily inspiration.  I love you.