The Magic String

File this one under “The Benefits of Boredom.”

At some point in the early 1960s, I somehow obtained a copy of String Figures and How to Make Them by Caroline Furness Jayne. Rarely has an acquisition made such a monumental impact on my life, and in this case, I have no idea how it happened. Was it a gift? Something my mom had that I took an interest in? Or did it just appear one day, like manna from heaven? The latter, although the least likely scenario, is what seems to be the case, as I only...