Blog du Wren

Pfeffernusse

Anyone that's been through the Studer/Schultz household during the holidays knows what pfeffernusse are. These little round hard cookies are possibly the best holiday tradition we have going. Kind of like gingerbread with a hint of anise, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without them.

Each family has their own recipe for pfeffernusse* so even if you had them somewhere else, you haven't had ours. Our family's recipe came from Germany with my great-grandmother and was translated into English by her daughter. While my mother doesn't exactly follow that traditional recipe*, there can't possibly be a better version on earth.

So if you are in Anacortes over the next couple weeks, stop by and grab a handful. But if this is your first taste, let me share a warning: just like Lay's potato chips, you can't just eat one. You'll be hooked and the other 11 months of the year will become a cruel cruel waiting game. Take it from me.

Sunday December 12 2010

File under: holidays, food

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FC 124 - Bust Out the Champagne

This comic didn't turn out exactly how I wanted. I couldn't get the blurb just right. I am, however, proud of my laboring Egyptians. I was almost tempted to do the people in the style of old Egyptian art, because not only would it be funny, but it would be easier to draw. If I lived in the time of Egyptian artists, I would be their Picasso!*

The guy not pulling the giant block is partially inspired by my time as a stone mason. We had a piece of wonderfully shaped driftwood that fit perfectly over your shoulders with buckets tied to either side. We used it to carry materials into sites where a wheel barrow couldn't go. We called it the Yoke of Depression*. Believe it or not, I sometimes find myself missing the Yoke of Depression.

Thursday December 9 2010

File under: comic

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Quarry Warehouse Slab Pour

We [finally] poured a slab for the warehouse out at the quarry. Of course, if by "we poured" I mean a dozen or more wonderful friends came to help out while I juggled tools and held a baby. Good times. Hopefully I'll have a post about putting up the warehouse in just a couple weeks!

Wednesday December 8 2010

File under: quarry

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I Tell Jokes

I've never made up a joke before. I'm pretty good at remembering jokes I've heard and I love sharing them, but I've never made one up. (Comics, of course, don't really count as jokes. Some of them might be funny, but you can't just bust one out in a joke telling session.)

This weekend, while gathered with a bunch of Chautauquans for a benefit weekend full of shows, meetings, and good times, we got into some inevitable joke telling sessions. Many were repeats from previous tours, and there were a few new ones. A something-walked-into-a-bar series* got rolling and it just hit me.

A pair of Daisy Duke's walks into a bar and says to the bar tender "gimme a beer".

The bar tender says "Sorry, you're cut off."

Heyo! Or maybe not. Kind of a groaner, but I've heard worse. What's the best joke you've ever made up?*

Monday December 6 2010

File under: misc

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FC 123 - Really Really Unbiased

There are supposed to be people sitting around the table, to whom he is giving his presentation. But drawing people from the back or funny angles is pretty hard. So you'll just have to use your imagination.

I put this comic together while on a plane, using only the touch pad, all the while with my elbows restricted because the guy next to me deemed the arm rest his territory. All in all, though I'd say it turned out pretty good. Not too shabby for a non-artist comic artist.

Thursday December 2 2010

File under: comic

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Impressive Architecture

It's been a while since I've come across a building that I get down right giddy about, a building that I want to come back to again and again just to look at. Yesterday, I found one of those buildings.

I mean, look at . It's big, it's impressive, and it's just plain awesome. Where is this Romanesque architectural spread? San Francisco, CA that's where. It's the Palace of Fine Arts which houses a theater and the Exploritorium* and is surrounded by a wonderful pond and lawns perfect for .

Although I felt like a slack-jawed gawker doing it, I couldn't help but snap after . Hopefully next time I come back, all the construction will be done and I'll actually get to go inside!

Wednesday December 1 2010

File under: travel, pics

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Christmas Lights in Portland

Back in the day, I used to do up our house real nice with Christmas lights. Okay, so maybe not "real nice" but there were a lot of lights and that counts for something. Lately, however, I haven't been around Anacortes for the holidays so haven't had the chance to put up any lights. But opportunity would have it that I've found a new tradition.

This year is the second year that I've helped* Andrew put up lights on his house. we started from scratch and this year added a few more strings. By 2017, look out Griswalds!!

Here's hoping that the tradition continues!

Sunday November 28 2010

File under: holidays, misc

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FC 122 - Oh the Convenience

CAUTION! This week's comic is pretty tasteless. Or sacrilegious. Or in poor humor. Or all of the above. If you are the type of person who doesn't like hearing jokes that fit into any or all of the categories, you shouldn't read this week's comic.

The word about me and my comics is kind of getting around. I love it. I talked to a friend the other day and, out of the blue, she informed me she came up with an idea for a Friday Comic for me and went ahead and drew it. When I saw it, I definitely chuckled, albeit cautiously because I didn't know if I could post it on my blog. As the warning above says, it is a little on the tasteless side. But today is Thanksgiving and I didn't get around to doing a comic myself. Since I definitely want to get back into an every Friday posting schedule for comics, I decided to go for it.

So with as much in the way of disclaimers as I can muster, it is. I hope you get a chuckle out of it like I did.

Thursday November 25 2010

File under: comic

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Canvas Fun 2 - Map Lines

Here are some further adventures with HTML canvas. For this one, I was trying to recreate an Indiana Jones style map to give someone a brief overview of my travels. Again, I realize this is by no means groundbreaking in terms of its display or anything, but the fact it is all done through HTML gets me pretty excited. Anyway, have a look and tell me what you think. Version #1, version #2

(As for the last adventure with canvas, I think I've isolated some of the issues, so hopefully it should load up correctly now. So go ahead and give it another look too, if you like. )

Wednesday November 24 2010

File under: coding, travel

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The Height Wall

In your home growing up, did you have that one place on the wall that you marked all the kids' heights as they grew? Well, we did, and one of the great things about still living in the house I grew up in is that I get to glance at the height board every now and again.

Anyway, Punksto was up this weekend and it looked like she had grown another 17.5 inches since the last time I saw her. To the height wall! I got her to stand up straight, no slouching, but no tippie toes and I make the mark: 58 inches. That's a tall little girl.

Then I started looking at the and just about died laughing. Cora is the same height at 8 years old as Andrew was, with shoes, at 12.5. We all had a good laugh. But don't worry, Andrew, we were laughing with you, not at you. We all, Cora included, still love you!

Sunday November 21 2010

File under: misc

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