Puppy

Yesterday as I struggled to fold the fitted sheets, I thought about my friend and recent cruise-mate Anita Quan. While we were on the high seas, she and I had an in-depth (NOT!) discussion about the folding problems inherent in those annoying wonders of the modern linen closet – and how much better are they, anyway?

Elephant

I told her that I would send her a link to a fabulous video clip of an Asian woman folding a fitted sheet in less time than it would take to make the first four folds of an origami swan. I even remembered to look on YouTube when I got home, but I couldn’t find that particular video. I found lots of others including, of course, Martha Stewart, but they were all too pedantic and boring, Besides none of them ended up with the perfectly squared off edges and corners that I remember.

Rabbit

The sheet-folding discussion was prompted by the creations of our respective room stewards, Joseph and Juan. Each evening, while we were out dining carousing, the two Js were plumping our pillows, turning down the bed covers and leaving a wonderful surprise at the foot of the bed. There to greet us when we returned would be a cleverly folded towel creature – usually an animal but, once, a cleverly designed and easily recognizable Eskimo.

Eskimo

Anita and I compared notes about these bedtime companions and, although Joseph and Juan’s repertoires were the same, the creations didn’t show up in the same order. Each evening Anita oohed and aahed over the new arrival in her stateroom. I took pictures of the one in mine. Nan, however, who was the third distaff member of our group, carefully unfolded and refolded each one, learning how to replicate them for future reference. (She always was the crafty one among us!)

Crab

That’s the thing about cruises – or any vacation come to think of it. There’s always a string of memories to keep you amused while you go about the mundane business of ordinary life – even folding laundry!