Saturday, April 7, 2012
Yummy Pastries!
I mentioned my wife making some pastries for a "food show" she was at last week and here are a few photos of what she made for the event. I've never been to one but she told me it consists of several different restaurants setting up a booth or table with samples. Each "food show" might have a particular sponsor or perhaps a theme of some sort. Anyway, it's all lot of people eating free food all night. Here are the photos.
Pecan pies... tiny, pecan pies! whoah!!
Check this out, people. It's an Easter sampler. Each dessert is Easter egg-shaped.I'm familiar with this particular sampler because she labored over what it should consist of for a few weeks. She even drew a sketch of how it would look. She always puts a lot of thought into whatever she does. That's a good thing.
Apple pie with spiced rum-soaked raisins and roasted pecans...to go, please.
Here's the neat sign they made for her table. Very neat!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Friday Roundup- Pastries, Props and More!
Fossil prop completed! Yahoooo!! More eye candy for the kids!This week was chock full of all kinds of fun stuff here at Rancho Ramirez. Pammy had and continues to have plenty of baking chores in preparation for Easter and on top of that she had to make extra goodies for a "food show" that was held yesterday in Boerne. Then there is the very cool gig she got for this summer directing a show at St. Philips College. She's already prepping for that because summer is right around the corner and the show she's going to direct will have physical comedy, singing and dancing. Lots to plan for that show but it's all very exciting.
I was up to various orifices in Doc Ed work most of the week. There were shows the Medina County Ag Fair and at the Environmental Fair at the Texas Research Park. Both events had plenty of school kids in attendance and as always we were fed well by the good folks organizing those events. The Ag Fair always has brisket as the main dish along with coleslaw, beans and other assorted goodies plus some homemade cookies and brownies. Not bad. The Enviro Fair had plenty of Bill Miller Barbeque chicken and sandwiches. Hey, it's Texas after all! Just in the nick of time I also finished the nautilus fossil prop for the Rock Star: The Edwards Aquifer show.
Driving back from the Enviro Fair I saw the beautiful tents for the Circo Hermanos Atayde just off IH35 North on the southside of town. What a sight! We're hoping to see the show this weekend. That's all for now. Hasta manana!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Oh, Joy-ce!!
I saw this on Cartoon Brew and had to pass it along to you here at Rancho Ramirez. Last Christmas we gave our kids copies of the first two books of The Guardians of Childhood series by William Joyce. There's The Man in the Moon which is a beautifully illustrated picture book and a novel: Book 1- Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King. A couple of weeks ago we bought Book 2- E. Astor Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core. I'm a big Joyce fan. I find his stories and art very appealing. It's the kind of story I'd like to write someday filled with the magic that can only be found in childhood.
I was more than a little thrilled when I saw the preview for Rise of the Guardians which appears to be an origins story and will be one of the many movies I'll be lining up with my family to see this coming holiday season.
Here's the link to the Guardians of Childhood website. Enjoy!
Monday, April 2, 2012
My Monday
Trying to multi-task. You can see the solder wire armature minus a leg. Boo hoo!! I had the nautilus prop out too but didn't get around to working on it until the evening. Jose's dragon sculpture is just above my armature. Looks pretty good. He's developing into quite the artist. Das m'boy!!
Monday's are pretty hectic around. This one was no exception. The afternoon was particularly busy. I was trying to do some work on my stop motion figure's armature which, when completed, will be a Bigfoot. Why? I don't know. I seem to be interested in them lately. My goal was to begin animating my figure for this evening's class.
Normally the armature for most any stop motion animation figure is made using specially designed, machined parts but they are rather expensive. That's what lies beneath the clay figures you see in Wallace and Gromit movies, for instance. An inexpensive but effective alternative is using soldering wire to form the metal understructure and soldering the parts together. Soldering is an art to itself and I'm still not comfortable with it... yet.
Well, I was trying to finish soldering the limbs when a leg broke off. I didn't have much time remaining before I had to pick up the kids. It was one of those temple throbbing moments one has from time to time. I had to set the figure aside and accept the fact he wouldn't be completed in time for class. Soldering in a hurry can cause owies. Muy malo! In desperation I started adding hair to the head and shoulders so that at least I could possibly animate him through some close ups.
My incomplete Bigfoot. Alas.As it turned out class was canceled for the evening so it all worked out, I guess. Still, I would have like to have animated him. Patience.
