Easter, origami, and chai tea

Some days just don’t go as you expect them to and sometimes that’s delightful. I expected to attend virtual church this morning which I did and have been doing for over a year. The service was great as it often is.

After church I expected to get into my saw-dusty jeans and t-shirt, don my respirator, and ear defenders, and spend the rest of the day in the shop climbing the ladder and using the compressed air nozzle to blow dust off shelves, window ledges, and light fixtures. Then I expected to get off the ladder, get down on my hands and knees to blow the dust from under benches and tools into the centre of the floor where I could sweep and then vacuum it up. I spent most of the day doing that yesterday and was tired and very dirty by the time I came in. I haven’t made it to the shop yet today. I sat on the couch, watched the snow come down and drank two large cups of chai - with honey. After all, it’s Easter so I might as well celebrate.

Friday morning when we got up the newspaper was on the step along with a bag of chocolate eggs and a note from the girls next door wishing us a happy Easter. We also had a few eggs for them and planned to put them out this morning. Because of the snow we were trying to figure out how to package the eggs nicely and still keep them dry. I thought about origami and googled, ‘origami Easter basket.’ I used to do a lot of origami in my early 20’s and, like so many things, a foundation laid when you are young tends to stick with you. I took out a piece of printer paper and scribbled on one side of it because origami paper is usually coloured on one side and white on the other. I had origami paper the right size but only a few sheets of it and I didn’t want to screw those up right off the bat.

Learning with YouTube videos is great. I stopped the video when I needed to catch up and realized, as the folds came back, that the basket was quite easy. I even learned a new way to fold a box base. There are a few different bases from which a lot of the simpler models progress. The printer paper version turned out well so I graduated to origami paper and made two more small boxes. By that time I was out of small paper so I decided to make a couple of larger boxes and was able to complete those without looking at the video. I had a wonderful time. Origami boxes, of course, are not waterproof so I left it to Richard to figure out the technicalities of that problem. A zip-lock, another bag and eggs and baskets were safe from the elements so Richard could deliver them.

Meanwhile, I went down an origami rabbit-hole looking at some of the models people make. They are amazing and, while I don’t think I’ll get deeply into it, it was a fun way to spend a good chunk of time on a snowy and rather chilly Easter Sunday. Now it’s in the back of my mind to recreate a complete nativity scene in origami for next Christmas. I made one once before and I don’t remember what happened to it. After a few years it probably got crushed and tossed out. Whether or not I actually make one is another question but the idea intrigues me and I did like the small delicate animals that were part of the scene. Ah well, that’s for later.

Now I think it’s time to get into the dusty clothes and get to work. Somehow I don’t mind so much since I’ve spent a lot of the day doing things I enjoy. Happy Easter and if you don’t celebrate Easter eat chocolate anyway!