Thursday, December 9, 2010

Paper Cranes















































Once upon a time, I learned how to fold origami paper cranes.

We found ourselves in a hotel at Christmas in Bahrain. We had packed a medium sized artificial tree into a big trunk along with toys and took the whole lot with our luggage (in those days when you COULD take luggage) on the trip from the East Coast, through Spain and to Bahrain.

Every time we had to go through customs, I had to take the kids far enough away that they couldn't see what was in the trunk. The contents amused and puzzled lots of customs agents along the way.

We couldn't squeeze in ornaments too, so I took sheets and sheets of colored paper and, instructions in hand, we all folded paper cranes in the hotel until we were cross-eyed. It was a beautiful tree, though. The hit with all the hotel staff.

None of those cranes survived to return with us two years later......but cranes have been associated with Christmas in a small way ever since.

One year, with the help of a wonderful old Mac program called Super Paint, I designed a way to include features on the cranes before the paper got folded. I made lots of those cranes and gave them away. I still have a few left, but alas, I can't use Super Paint again. (I loved that program.)

They look like little Concordes.

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