PORTLAND — Former President George H.W. Bush says his wife is getting fed up with his flashy socks, so he’s donated an exceptional pair of bright, cactus-themed socks to a church fundraiser.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland says the socks that Bush wore in a photo with former President Bill Clinton in Kennebunkport last month will be auctioned off Oct. 26 at its Harvest Ball.

The socks include a letter of authenticity in which Bush wrote: “I absolutely love a crazy pair of socks … Barbara, on the other hand, has had enough.”

The Harvest Ball helps sustain the diocese’s Harvest magazine. The magazine, sent free to its readers, has a readership of about 70,000 in Maine.