"i need socks!" I say loudly over the din of my family's conversation. We are in Princeton for a…read morefamily memorial, and as usual when multiple generations are together, I revert to the 16-year old girl who is struggling to be heard against the cacophony of voices.
"I need socks!" I repeat.
"Hold on, hold on, Liz says she needs socks!" my mother announces.
"What, they don't have socks in California?" my Dad asks with his eyebrow raised.
"I need WARM socks. It's freezing here." I say, trying not to sound like I am pouting. My socks of of the thin, cotton variety - a joke when faced with wintry, snowy weather.
So, all morning long we discuss my need for socks, and we go in search of them, and also the Einstein museum that my mother has read about.
We have gone about a block on Nassau Street when we see a sign saying "Sock Sale". Everyone smiles and we march in like a troop of soldiers.
Now, if there were a store ever built for my family, Landau's Woolens is it. The store is piled floor to ceiling with more product than I have ever seen in my life, everything from scarves to mohair blankets to boiled wool jackets to Viyella shirts. Like kids being set loose in a candy store, we all go our separate ways.
The treasures, the treasures! Out of the corner of my eye, I see my Dad walking around in a top hat looking like something out of Dickens, my mom cooing over the handmade Christmas stockings, while my grandfather's wife and I are pouring over the huge variety of socks for sale.
Let me tell you, these socks? You haven't tried socks until you try these socks. Cashmere wrapped around other fibers, soft yet durable, in a variety of colors and....HALF-OFF *angels singing*. This is truly the mecca of fine hosiery. They get them directly from the factory in Camden, NJ, the same one that sells to Nordstrom's. I pile them into my arms like I have just won the lottery.
"Please" our salesperson says, "go put them on right now." They clear a chair for me and I put on my first pair of socks. It's like stepping into a warm bath. Suddenly all is right with the world.
Wait...there is more. Remember Mom's wish to visit the Einstein museum? Yeah, that was easy too, because it's located right at the back of the store! Now that's not something you see every day.
We walked out with our multiple purchases and a business card with the website address for future needs. My Dad fails to make a comment about how spoiled I am because he is too enamored with himself in his new hat (which was a big hit around town). My mom is giddy about her new Christmas stocking. And me? You can just call me Happy Feet from now on.
Great store, great staff, excellent product. Einstein is not the only genius in residence there!