Take Heart
When I turned 79 this August, I decided to celebrate each day of my 80th year on the planet by making an origami heart.
I started out with traditional origami paper, six inch square, but have branched out since, buying Italian marbleized and other art papers, and have even made small hearts which I may turn into earrings. The larger ones will be finding their way to friends and family.
The simple, meditative effect of folding each heart gives me a small moment to focus on gratitude for my life. It also allows me to think about “courage,” derived from the Latin word for “heart” as we continue to navigate through the pandemic unpredictability. “Take heart,” my title says. Indeed. It’s not always easy, but I keep at it.
Here are a few more of my many grateful hearts…
♥On My Bookshelf: Food for Thought
I just bought Stanley Tucci’s latest book Taste: My Life Through Food and hope to begin it soon. In the meantime, I slowly read through a lovely upper “Journal for Self Exploration” called Start Where you Are by Meera Lee Patel which has many inspiring recognizable quotes, delicate illustrations, and space to write reflections on prompts. Here’s a prompt for you: “List five things that always and immediately bring a smile to your face.” And a quote by Arthur Ashe: “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” Is it ever too late for some self-exploration? Hmm…
♥Tidbits
This is a second shout-out for a game I mentioned in my blog last year called Original Table Topics: Questions to Start Great Conversations. We played with the questions a bit on Thanksgiving, and I thought they were fun and thought-provoking. Here are a few of the questions that we tackled: “If you could do something dangerous just once with no risk what would you do?” And “Would you rather live by the beach or in the mountains?” And “What’s the biggest lie you told as a child?” For more information on this original set or to peruse other sets, see www.tabletopics.com.
♥Fun and Yum
We are loving a gift sent to us—a Bonne Maman Advent Calendar. For each day of Advent, we open a paper doorway to a holiday phrase and a mini-checkered-topped jar of fruit spreads or honey. Sweet, in so many ways!
These hearts are as beautiful as you! I’m loving the polka_dotted ones.
Thanks,,dear friend❣️
Lynn, I love the origami hearts!
I am going to help my students make origami xmas gifts for the next 2 weeks
also, I re-learned how to make paper snowflakes, which is pretty fun!
How fun that you’ll be doing origami with your students. Lucky them! And how great that you also re-learned how to make paper snowflakes. Does that bring back good memories, or what!
Your blog is so inspiring, Lynn, thank you! We spent Thanksgiving in San Francisco and I was thinking of you. As we have discussed, our son lives near Golden Gate Park. We got an Airbnb in Outer Sunset…. still thinking about our time at Ocean Beach, just amazing! And we had great weather
Thanks so much, Lenore. So glad you enjoy the blog. And how great to hear that you were in San Francisco, in my old neighborhood. I remember many happy hours at Ocean Beach when I was a little girl. And when the weather is good, San Francisco is magic!!
I thought, Lynn 79(!), that must surely be a typo! Your joy, creativity, and love of life, are an inspiration, Wonderful hearts!
Ah, yes… 79 and not a typo☺️ Thanks for your kind words, friend. I feel fortunate to be alive and well and loving life the best I can💃🏻💥💃🏻 Hope to see you in 2022❣️❣️
LOVE, LOVE your little hearts. It will be fun to see 365 of them come next year.
Little Hearts from the most Big Hearted woman I know.
Little tidbit….Derek used to start each semester of his Industrial Art arts class having his students make small origami boxes. He thought it was a good exercise in creating and engineering.
It sure was wonderful seeing you and the girls. We look forward to another visit in February.
Happy Christmas to the Archers. xoxo
Such kind words, dear friend💓. It was so wonderful to see you and to look forward to that again, and soon, is a gift. And now that you’ve told me about Derek’s class project, I may have to try a box🥴. Or…a rabbit🐇❣️ Happy Holidays to you both💕💥
Just lovely, Lynn ~ Buono Natale! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas!
Miss seeing you from time to time! In the coming year drop in and have a painting class with us!
How wonderful to hear from you, Joan❣️ Buon Natale to you as well🎄. And what a fun thought to come to an art class…I may just do that🤗 Ciao💃🏻