Origami, Fireworks, And Working too Much!

With my postings becoming more and more infrequent,  I'm not sure where to begin and what to talk about.   So much happens between posts that I simply do not have the battery life to type it all up. Well,  I guess we will begin with the fireworks for the Fourth of July.  We watched them from the  cool and comfort of our own apartment and managed to take a few pictures of the experience.  We were still new with the camera,  so many of the pics did not turn out.  However,  I AM impressed with what did turn out!   I have seen some other blogs that posted really cool pics so they must know the settings to have when taking them. 

Otherwise,  I have become more and more famous at work these days.   So much so that I'm having panic attacks whenever someone seems to recognize me!   ( Just kidding)  Actually, our group leader is in charge of the news feeds and is having a bit of fun keeping everyone at ACT guessing at the "mysterious origami artist/ghost"  I actually like hearing people talk about the sculptures that I leave around and trying to guess who might be leaving them.   I even have had a few commissions on a few! 

I have had the opportunity to tackle several rather difficult patterns lately.  Some have turned out rather spectacular.....which only raises the bar for me to "WOW" them with something even more stunning!  It's rather fun, and now that I can score faster and more actually,  I can now fold while I read ( something I was doing before, but now I can do it a little more often.)  Reading essays all day really does a number on your brain!   And your eyes,  so it is a good idea to take a break now and then to keep your sanity. Peering into the minds of High school students can be very fatiguing and frustrating at the same time.  But alas,  I digress!  

So now,   We actually sold a stocking!   IN JULY!  And that has provide a little encouragement for us to continue sewing.   However,  Cheryl is beginning to have her doubts  about the whole thing....which is typical for this time of year.   It happens so often that all of your optimism and hopes begin to dwindle away a little at a time until you are out of  "MOJO"   just before August.   IT happened to me during the carving days, and it is almost nice to  count on the 'summer time of depression' to hit us.  I know we will soldier on as we always do.   In the Army it was called a 'gut check!'   The moment one a long run or march when you hit that wall and want to quit.  That is when you reach down and dig deep to see if you are a quitter or someone who drives on,   and separate yourself from the ones who fall back or out.  

Ok,   This is getting long with my evangelizing about the virtues of perseverance.   This is becoming quite long now so I better wrap it up and post my pics before my battery dies.   Hope everyone is having a great week so far, and I will continue to hope for more opportunities to post. 

4th Of July...2 years of Independence in Iowa.

Can you believe it?  It has been 2 full years since we sold everything and came to Iowa!   Time sure flies!   Well,  To celebrate our freedom from Michigan, 

 We spent a small portion of our day working on the Web shop....See the pretty colored stockings?  Anyway,   Much has happened and I do not have much time to talk about it all,  buyt I thought blogging a little is better than none.  IN short,   I have been doing quite a bit of Origami lately, and I've become quite the celebrity at ACT. 

 Also,  The New camera is working out GREAT!  I had some really cool pics to show the differance between the two cameras,  but let me just say it is a world apart!  And last but not least,  Origami Moose!  

 I'm quite proud of this one...Also the peacock turned out pretty good as well.   So....Untill I have more time,   that is all for now..

And  a Really Great shot of the cats!    What a Great Camera!

Mochi Success! Well, Sort of..

So I have been working on mochi  for the past several weeks now and finally achieved success worth showing off!  It only took three times to get it right...sort of.  

 That means that it has the same taste and co9nsistencey as the professional ones,  but I still have to work on the presentation.   I already have ideas how to fix that with my next batch.    These guys were filled with peanut butter because I like that better than the traditional red bean paste.   ( besides,  I JUST figured out how to make the mochi,   I didn't feel like tackling red bean paste!)  So it is Tuesday, and Cheryl and I made a special Trip to Iowa City to do some errands and make some major purchases. 

  We decided that the stockings need an upgrade in their picture quality and we have been taking pictures with the best camera we could afford.   It's not bad,  but it is quite limiting in its quality and focus.  Hopefully,  you will see a better quality in my blog postings as well.   ( perhaps I'll be able to capture that Butterfly egg next time!  )  Other than that,  

 Cheryl and I have been working on Stockings and hopefully will get some posted online this week or at least begin to chip away at the pictures.  Oh!  And before I forget,   We have a couple of new Animes!    Black Butler 2 and Antique Bakery!   

We finished Antique last night and will begin with black butler tonight.   Antique is not bad,  but the MAnga is MUCH better....so to truly appreciate the anime,  read the manga first.....the character development is better, more fun, and there are several story arcs that are left out in the 12 episode anime.... but it is still a fun time.   Check it out!   

Origami Mouse, Elephant, Drancing Crane, And Crazy Neighbor part 2....And really cool beetle.

So Here we are again,  It has been forever since I have last posted but now that the scoring season is letting go a little,  We now have some time off.   I still might not be able to blog as often as I would like,  but it is nice to have some time off.    Anyway,   there is much that happens between posts,  And since I have to sqeeze it all into one,   here we go:

So first lets get some of the origami out of the way.  I figured I have made over $100 from my co workers as they "donate" money  for their favorite foldings.    ( I don't ask them for anything,  they just leave me money!)  So, between the paper and the money,  I have been motivated more and more to continue pushing the limits of my skill.  ( granted,  I'm not the best there is ...yet) So I was rather proud of the way the last couple sculptures turned out.   The paper is differant, as well as the technique. I also had a wet folded cat that I was pretty proud of.  but the picture did not turn out very well.  

 

 

So, In addition,  we had a small flood....again,   a really scary beetle showed up that Cheryl was happy to share with me.  Luckily we were able to capture it before it ate the cat or got in Cheryls hair, and let it go.   Hats off to Cheryl!  After the initial shock,  she was able to overcome her fear and throw a used plastic container over it while I stood on a chair and barked orders between screams! So we let him go and everything eventually got back to normal.  

And the there is the neighbor.   At least she is consistant.   The neighbor upstairs parked in "her" spot ( crazy neighbor's spot) and crazy was able to send the message to  upstairs as well.   I know this is confusing,   so lets use the nick names Cheryl and I have provided for each neighbor.   "The Tickler" Is the upstairs neighbor who owns the black car.    "Flea Bait"  Is the Crazy Neighbor who owns the white car and thinks she owns the first parking slot.    No!  She is not handicaped in any way.....she just really wants that spot and gets upset,  Equally mind you,   when anyone parks there.   So I'm sure she will continue to park extra close to anyone who violates the unwritten rule.   What fun!  

Other than that,  Cheryl and I are planning on taking a little break from scoring for a week and work on stockings instead.   Scoring will kick back up after that so we should be back on the clock then.   Until then,  it is time to rest our brain and work on our ultimate plan to take over the world! 

So Much to Blog about, so Little time to Blog.

So, Where do I begin?   It has been a while since my last post and I just have not had the time to log on and post anything.  But stuff still manages to happen that is fascinating.  So first I will start with my origami.   I have recently had the opportunity to use the largest sheets of paper I have ever created....Not counting the tyvek.  This paper was old and rather brittle,  but I discovered that with wet folding, it comes ALIVE!   It was the most fun to work with as it held its shape well as I folded it into the dragon you see here.   I folded this dragon several times with the three sheets I could make.  It was a big hit at the ACT! 

Additionally,  I have been working on some other sculptures,   like  lobster, banana slug, and F15 eagle.   I also found a really great brown paper and folded a large scorpion.   The sheet of paper was 20 inches square!   This was probably the best scorpion I have folded to date.   It still could be improved on,  but the paper just started to rip as I was making my final touches on it.  

Additionally,  Just a small addition of something rather cool.   I was watching a sulphur butterfly when she dropped down in front of me and laid an egg on a clover leaf.  My crappy camera could not focus  well enough to take a decent picture, but, thankfully,  someone online who had a better camera was able to capture a true close up of the egg.   It was pretty cool, and it is the first time I have ever seen an actual butterfly egg.  

And  lastly,   I guess there was an incident at the place where we work.   I guess ( I'm only reflection on the rumor)  Someone came into the first floor of the building with a vest filled with sticks of dynamite...or road flares....not sure about the details.   Anyway,  they evacuated the first floor just in case until security was able to remove the man.   It was ok though,  Cheryl and I work on the second floor,   so they did not have to evacuate us.     And so it has been that Cheryl and I have been spending our weekends at ACT scoring and have had little energy to do much else at the end of each day.    I guess we will have a break coming up in the next couple of weeks,   but in the mean time,  we will continue to make as much money as we can and I will try to squeeze a posting in when I can.....and continue with the origami...it is the only thing I have the energy to do..I will have to post a later blog entry about how the Mochi making has been coming.   At this moment,   Two failures in the kitchen....but at least the results have been edible.  I think I'm getting closer to success though.  We shall see.

More Origami, Crazy Neighbors, and Cool Things about Wellman

With me posting only once a week,  I have to be careful to try not to overfill each posting.    SoooooWhere to begin.    I guess with the Crazy neighbor who is very possessive about her parking spot.    At first,   there was no reason for concern.  But when I decided to park in the top slot  ( when she was gone for several weeks.....it was empty)  she decided to take a not so passive aggressive approach to getting her spot back.   This is how I know it is malicious.....she ALWAYS parks this closed to the driver side....even when I back into the spot.!  How am I to get into my car???!  ( Notice the space she COULD park in)   So,   She is old,  single, and very particular.....much like my mother used to be....So   I decided I don't want to be there when she snaps.   (My mother used to stand in the aisle of the church if someone sat in our front row seat...!  Thanks Mom!)   I now park down by the tree. 

Anyway,  I have been working on several Origami sculptures recently.  Just as when I was a wood carver,   everyone would give me wood....Now that I fold paper....people are giving me various types of paper to play with.   So of the stuff is not very good,,  but others are pretty cool!   I can't wait to see what i can do with them!

And finally:  There is so little in Wellman to show off that when we DO find something,  we have to take a picture.  

 This is of a tulip tree.   The only tulip trees I have ever seen where white.   But this one was green/yellow with a orange band.    Pretty cool!  

 So Cheryl and I decided to take a walk and snap a few pics.  

 

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far.  We continue to trudge along at ACT while working on stockings on the weekend.  Perhaps I'll have better origami to show off as the summer progresses and I get to use the latest paper.  We shall see!

Making Mochi...My latest Culinary Challenge!

 So what is next?   After conquering the Gyoza mystery,  I'm now up for another Adventure in the kitchen!  This time  MOCHI!   Also known as a japanese Rice Cake,  Mochi is made from Pounded Rice flour and steamed, baked, grilled, and aparently, even microwaved!  

 I don't know if I will find the guys it takes to pound it,  but I think I can find the processed glutinous rice flour that is required.....Or maybe enlist Cheryl and make my own.   We shall see..    Having little to post lately,   this is all I got...and so I shall post my results when I have some of the gooey cakes to show off.....Get ready for FUN!