Ellen Woodbury's Second Life

Disney animator Ellen Woodbury has joined the blogger ranks with this wonderful chronicle of her new 'second life' as a sculptor in stone.
Ellen was the lead animator and designer of Zazu the hornbill in THE LION KING, and Pegasus in HERCULES. She left Disneys two years ago, moved to Colorado, and began seriously working on her new career as a fine artist in stone. Ellen has landed some important commissions and exhibited in shows in the area and her work features stones and techniques I've never heard of. I literally read her blog with my jaw dropping. Who knew there were such things as honeycomb calcite and red travertine in the world?
Well, all right then. So I didn't know. Now, I do. Read Ellen Woodbury's blog to see how she brings an animator's sensibility to stone--her work has a tactile, organic quality that is a joy to behold.
Tonight I'm attending a film festival in Toronto that features 2008 Sheridan BAA graduate Ellie Ventura's senior Sheridan animation project, Crema Suprema. Ellie was one of the first Sheridan students to work in the new stop motion studio at the college, and Crema Suprema has been accepted into several film festivals already. I'll report back on the festival after I attend!
And last night was my first dinner party at the new apartment. Jean and Melinda Pilotte, old friends and new neighbours here in Oakville, attended along with two new friends I met in the past few weeks. Gizmo the cat actually sat on my chair and attempted to join us at the table, but otherwise was very well behaved and seemed completely over her recent indisposition.
The weather continues erratic; just before the dinner, I heard a tremendous clap of thunder. Then another. But the sky was clear, even sunny; not a drop of rain was falling. The storm was three miles to the north, drenching the Pilotte's house and flickering their lights.
Weird, weird weird weather but it's at least not baking.
Speaking of baking, I used my new induction cooker to cook some very nice bean soup. The kitchen didn't heat up, the heater 'turned on a dime' to exactly the temperature I needed, and the pressure cooker stayed pressurized without constant adjustments to the 'flame'. I'm sold on this, and I plan to use it for most things other than stirfries. I'm also a convert to electric kettles; they really do boil the water faster than an old fashioned tea kettle.