I Hope Y'all Are Having A Fabulous Christmas, Too!

Sir? Yes You!

Today has been great. Actually it has been more than great, because this morning I received an exciting e-mail from our dear friend Jay Pennington, the writer, director and actor in Smile. And his note has made this the best Christmas present that I've ever received.

I know, and you probably know by now, that I can easily get excited about all kinds of things. But let me just say Jay's unexpected news didn't just get me all excited—it nearly caused me to wet my pants or even worse, because I was not expecting this could possibly happen. But I am so glad that it is going to happen.

Now you may be asking yourself, "What in the heck did Jay write to cause all of this? We already know that Cousin Nancy is going to be an actress in Jay & Gerry Olert's next short Western movie, Vinegar to Honey."

So here is clue. Imagine that you're at the Academy Awards or at home watching the Oscars being handed out, when the MC finally says, "And the Best Supporting Actress for a short Western movie goes to—Little Debbie! And the audience roars with applause and approval and they all stand up, as the orchestra starts playing the Vinegar to Honey soundtrack.

In fact (or fiction) at this awards event, I pass out when they call out Little Debbie's name, because I had hoped that it might be me that gets the award. Because I am great at playing a crazy old lady.

So Tony thinking-fast pulls my cowboy hat down, over my face, takes Little Debbie out of my arms and they go up on stage to accept Little Debbie's Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

And I was still passed out, when Tony told Little Debbie's adoring fans, "Little Debbie wasn't expecting to receive this award, but Nance was and I am sure that she'll be okay in a little while. She faints all of the time. Sir? Yes you. Would you mind putting Nancy's cowboy hat back over her face? Thank you."

Then the music starts playing softly, in the background, to speed up Little Debbie's/Tony's acceptance speech. "Little Debbie wants to thank Jay Pennington and Gerry Olert and the entire awesome cast of Vinegar to Honey for making this happen. She thanks you." Then a pretty woman walks up to them and escorts them safely backstage, so they can attend the parties.

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!

And We Were Wired!

Today has been great. Tony and I worked this morning and after work he and I went to the Medina Post Office to pick up a mystery gift sent to us from sweet Lisa.

In the past year working over at Escondida Resort I found out about these electric kettles and I fell in love with them.

Anyway, last Monday when we were visiting with Lisa and Eileen I was telling them about discovering these electric kettles, how cool they were and wanting to buy one, because a few years ago we switched from drinking Keurig's K-Cup coffees, because we got hooked on drinking Taster's Choice Instant Coffee. And I joked about us still using our old Keurig Coffee Maker machine, but only for the hot water. It made them laugh.

Long story short, two days later Lisa sent me a note about us receiving a mystery Christmas gift from her. We had no idea what it could be, but I figured that it might have something to do with aliens—but I was wrong as usual, because Lisa sent us a beautiful electric kettle!

So when we got back home we unplugged the old Keurig machine, said goodbye to it and then put it away.

After we had both carefully read the owner's manual we test drove the electric kettle and it worked perfectly. And I especially love the ring of different beautiful colors, near the bottom of the kettle, that indicate which temperature you chose. This is the pretty, purple/pink color for a 90 degree setting.

It is my favorite of the four colors, but after testing and retesting one cup of coffee after another at different temperature settings we decided that we were 80 degree (green ring) coffee drinking people—not 60, 70 or 90 degree tea sippers. And we were wired and bouncing off of the walls by then!

So, I want to thank sweet Lisa for gifting us with our beautiful electric kettle, mystery, Christmas gift. And I think that our first AACC (Ancient Aliens Coffee Club) meeting should be held here, at Big Foot Ranch, because I am dying to know what color (temperature) Lisa, Eileen and Kris & Jim prefer.

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!

The AACC!

Monday when Lisa and Eileen came to visit us, Lisa told us about her binge-watching Ancient Aliens on the History Channel and how much she loves this show. And I told her that I would love to watch it, too.

Tuesday Lisa sent me an e-mail informing me that Ancient Aliens is also on Netflix, too. So, last night I started binge-watching Ancient Aliens on Netflix and I absolutely love this show.

Wednesday morning after posting on my blog about Jay and Gerry's fabulous movie Smile, I sent Lisa an e-mail suggesting that we get together more often and I proposed that we meet for coffee once a month, in Kerrville. I also suggested that we get Eileen, Kris & Jim and Tony to join us. Lisa was totally on board with the idea.

Later that morning Lisa sent me a note. She told me that she was excited about us meeting for coffee every month, because it would be so much fun and it would also give her and I a chance to discuss Ancient Aliens episodes, and she also wrote, " ...We can call ourselves the AACC (Ancient Aliens Coffee Club)." I totally love that name.

Even though Kris & Jim, Eileen and Tony are still unaware about all of this I am sure they will want to be participating members in our exclusive Ancient Aliens Coffee Club.

I can't wait for our first coffee meeting, because we will have a lot of business to discuss. Such as:
a logo, who pays for the coffee, a mascot (hopefully Little Debbie), rules, a secret handshake, decoder rings, an oath, etc.

And since Lisa and I are the co-founders of this new prestigious Ancient Aliens Coffee Club I am hoping that she will be voted president and that I will get to be the vice president. I think it is the only logical and fair thing to do.

Anyway, I do know at our first official meeting I do plan to suggest that we dust off our alien-attracting-pot-pie-tin hats, (The hats that I made, in 2016, that we wore in the making of the Longmire—Texas Style video spoof.) for us to wear to every club meeting and special events. And if no one objects to my idea I will offer to make even more alien-attracting pot-pie-tin hats to sell at events to help pay for our coffees.

This is all so exciting to me I keep pinching myself, but I've forgotten why.

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!

P.S. This morning Gerry Olert sent me this picture of him and Jay Pennington scouting locations, in Texas, for their next movie Vinegar to Honey!

The WEST KERR Current & Irene Van Winkle Made Me Smile!

Today has been great and it started out early, because sweet Irene Van Winkle sent me her fabulous copy/story that she wrote about Jay Pennington's and Gerry Olert's awesome movie Smile—for the WEST KERR Current's December 5th edition.

So I especially want to thank Irene Van Winkle and the WEST KERR Current for giving me permission to reprint Irene's fabulous story about our dear friend's fabulous movie. So Extra! Extra! Now You Can Read All About It!

****

'Smile' - The little Western that could  

By Irene Van Winkle

West Kerr Current

The accolades keep coming in for a new short Western film made on a shoestring and a prayer by two friends from Texas who have been finding that dreams sometimes do come true.

Actor/writer/co-director Jay Pennington and technical guru/filmographer and director Gerry Olert think they may be shaping up to become the next Coen brothers. 

They became friends through a mutual interest in film, and lately have been collecting kudos for their first short film, “Smile,” along the film festival circuit.

“I wrote it, played the lead, we co-directed, and, Gerry got on film what I saw in my head, so audiences would see how I visualized the story. We make a real good team,” Pennington said. “Gerry does the cinematography, sound, editing, and has a great feel for the music, and the technical side. He can create a visual masterpiece!”

“It looks like a higher budget film than it was,” said Olert. “Using different angles, I got to make it look like a multiplecamera shot. We shot 80 percent of it in one day.”

So far, “Smile” has received five Official Selection awards in various film festivals, eleven nominations and four awards (acting, writing Audience Choice and Best Western).

They were recognized at the Wild Bunch Film Festival in Tombstone, Ariz., with awards for writing and acting, including their young star, Daniel, who won Best Child Actor, in his first featured role. 

At the Billy the Kid Festival in Hico, Texas, they got the Audience Choice award. At the Indie Short Fest (L.A. International film festival), “Smile” was an official selection, nominated for best original story and for directing.

Most recently, they got more great news. On Monday, Olert learned that “Smile” had won the Best Western award at the Los Angeles Film Awards.

“What an original concept and great execution,” said the congratulatory letter from LAFA.

Another film festival will be coming up in Australia, and they hope to garner an invitation. And of course, they’re hoping to get that plum — an invitation from the Sundance Film Festival, the granddaddy of them all.

Pennington, a lifelong student of film, has had a gamut of small and large acting roles, but has aspirations to stretch his acting chops in writing screenplays and in filmmaking. He penned the script for “Smile,” which he and Gerry shot in just a few short days.  

Olert started out in radio, then progressed to outdoor TV fishing and hunting shows as well as private assignments.

He filmed “Smile” armed with a Sony HD camera, which presented some challenges, but, Pennington said, “With his great editing skills, Gerry made it look like we had a major budget.”

Pennington praised everyone else on a job well done. Jack Palance’s widow, Elaine Palance, is in the film along with Destiny Hallman and her son Daniel, musician K.R. Wood, and Sarah Pennington. Music provided by Chet O’Keefe, K.R. Wood and Steven Sellers.

Filmed at Knowlton’s Vista Verde Ranch near Hondo, where Kimberly Knowlton built a western town, “Smile” has been a journey for Olert and Pennington.

“Movies are expensive to make,” Pennington said. “Gerry and I were talking and he asked if he could just film me doing a monologue. Then we thought, ‘Why don’t we write something.’”

The short version of the plot is that a gunslinger finds gold while he’s watching over a town. It’s inspired by the classic film, “Rashomon,” where one person sees one thing, but others interpret it completely differently. 

“In this film, it’s a whole different story than the one you thought you saw. Daniel is part of the Rashomon surprise, but I don’t want to give it away,” Pennington said. “It’s been a great audience pleaser and Daniel did a great job. He just knew what to do.”

At the Wild Bunch Film Festival in Tombstone, held in a historic theater, Pennington said they were near the front row, gauging audience reactions.

“They laughed at the right times, and then were either laughing or gasping at the appropriate times. And we got a big applause with a little added hollering at the end, then a second round of boisterous applause after the credits. To be able to write something and have the audience react like that was great,” he added. “It is an extreme thrill to author a story, make it a reality, and then have an audience enjoy it and heartily respond to it.”

There is a desire for more Westerns across the U.S., Pennington said. The TV series Yellowstone is a huge hit and he is working hard to get a role in that show. Some of his friends have recurring roles in it and he thinks he would be a great fit.  

So for now, there will be even more reason to celebrate -- a local party premiere -- on Saturday, Dec. 14, starting at  6 p.m. at the location where “Smile” was shot, Knowlton's Vista Verde Ranch between Bandera and Hondo, Texas. 

“It will be more of a party that just happens to show ‘Smile’ every 30 minutes. There will be food and drinks ... the Bandera Cattle Company Gunfighters doing skits ... music ... all within the Western town movie set,” he said.

As there will be food,  drinks, music and entertainment, it will be $20 per person to be paid for before Dec. 14 so they know how much food to prepare. Email Jay@Jay-Pennington.com for details on purchasing tickets.

And Olert said he has “definitely caught the bug” for films.

“We will continue to make more Westerns and use local talent. One friend said if we did well with ‘Smile,’ and the next one, Netflix is always looking for new content,” Pennington added.

They are already working on a second film together, “Vinegar to Honey,” a tongue-in-cheek Western that will be filmed at the Pine Moore Old West Studio in Blanco. Amanda Smith will be in the spotlight on this film and the characters in “Smile” will be in the second Western playing their same roles.  

Pennington said he wrote “Vinegar to Honey”  so that if it were picked up nationally it could be a Western series. 

 

With the success of “Smile,” they are confident that with lessons learned, their next film is sure to be another award winner.

****

Here is the IMDb TV link to see photos, etc. about  the movie Smile. And here are a few pictures that Tony and I took Saturday night at Knowlton's Vista Verde Ranch, located between Bandera and Hondo.

The Carriage House was so awesome. It is where we watched the premier showing of Smile.

The super cool Western set near dark-thirty.

Jay Pennington and me posing before the premier showing of Smile.

Jay's wife, the beautiful Sarah Pennington posing and me. (In the movie Smile, Sarah played the town's you know what.)

Saturday evening was so much fun, because we got to meet the entire cast members following the movie premiere. And while we sat down and enjoyed eating a fabulous BBQ dinner, we watched the famous Bandera Cattle Company Gunfighters do one of their great shoot-em-up skits.

And are you ready for this? I am going to be playing a crazy old lady character in Gerry's & Jay's next Western movie —Vinegar to Honey! And I am so thrilled about it.

FYI: During the party when we were talking to Gerry and Jay about the character that I will be playing, Tony joked, "It will be a piece of cake for Nancy to play the character, because she is already old and she is definitely crazy." And after we had quit laughing, I did admit it would be an easy part for me to play. : )

Y'all have a great day and keep on laughing! 

She & The!

This morning after taking a shower and washing my white hair I decided to check my e-mail. Our dear friend, Steve Pietzsch sent me this hilarious picture and I want to share it with y'all. My reply to Steve was "....I love this and just think—this could be me riding around with Little Debbie driving it!" So I really do wish it was mine.

The next e-mail I checked while I was still laughing was from our dear friend Ronnie Namour. Ronnie is the fabulous writer that writes a weekly music scene column for The Island Moon newspaper, in Port A. And Ronnie is also in love with our dear friend Tracy Weatherall. 

I love this artwork. I also love our good friend Joe King Carrasco and his fabulous music and also because he was a big-time supporter of our rescue ranch. And Tony and I love Giggity's too. So, I wrote Ronnie, "I wish Tony and I could be there for the event/invasion!" This is the advertisement Ronnie sent to me:

Then I burst out laughing at my dear friend Nancy's attachment that she sent to me. FYI: Nancy is our dear friend that lives in Chicago with her adoring, beautiful cat, Theodora. She & The are also into aliens like I am and I wish I had a magnet with all of these Bobs on it.

Tony and I have to go to Kerrville today to run a few errands and we plan to drop by Wolfmueller's Books for a fun visit. And when we get back to Big Foot Ranch I plan to go to The Last Resort and practice podcasting with my new Blue Yeti. So please wish me luck.

Y'all have a great (day) evening and keep on laughing!

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT—in a couple of days! Yes, I know that I vowed to print Irene Van Winkle's fantastic article  'Smile" —The little Western that could, that she wrote for the WEST KERR Current's December 5th paper today.

But I didn't lie that I would do it. This morning I called the WEST KERR Current to talk to my dear friend Irene about getting permission to copy her article for my blog and to also congratulate Irene on writing another great article. "Irene, you are the greatest writer that I know of and I know many famous authors. You are such a talented author. Seriously, you're great writing puts me to shame. You write circles around me...."

After complimenting Irene with the truth about her writing, I told her about wanting to publish her article about Jay Pennington, Gerry Olert and their awesome movie—Smile on my blog.

Irene gave me permission, but she told me it would be a couple of days for her to send me her copy, because she was facing a publishing deadline for the paper. So, as soon as Irene makes deadline and she can find the time to send me her copy—I will put in on the blog for your eyes and the world to read and I cannot wait for y'all to read it.

But because we must wait to read Irene's awesome article that she wrote about the movie Smile, I want to share this beautiful story, Irene Van Winkle—The Busiest Woman In Print written about sweet Irene that I found in this great (my favorite) magazine the Texas Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country. It is a must read and I apologize that I do not know who wrote this great article for texasheartbeat.com so I can give them credit where credit is deserved.

Anyway, this afternoon our two great friends Eileen and Lisa came to visit us and Tony and I had a blast visiting with them. Bottom   Line: We did a lot of laughing and they fell in love with The Last Resort, too. And they also signed the door.

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!