Another Christmas Tree Story

Looking back at my childhood, there were signs that I might become a graphic design person.

As early as second grade, when my mother's sloppy handwriting offended my aesthetic, she was only too happy to let me hand-letter anything that needed to look presentable. We joke that I was the only third grader whose mother actually encouraged to sign their own report card.

Mom did another quietly encouraging thing to fan my creative fire. When I was in fourth grade, my pilot father (also a pretty good encourager) brought home a package of 100 sheets of origami paper from San Francisco.

The crane was my favorite origami pattern because it actully had moving parts; I loved making those wings flap. A few hours after tearing into the package of neat paper squares, I had 100 origami cranes of varying sizes and colors.

I begged Mom to forego the usual decorations that year and put nothing but my cranes on the tree. She was delighted to let me.

So in 1967, we had the only themed tree on Pleasant View Drive, and my first big "project" was a sucess.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.