Skip to main content

Christmas Trees for Jeff!

As requested a few days ago by Jeff Hudelson -- the Prince of Saxe-Bearstein -- here are a couple of quick photographs of the Christmas trees here at Stollen Central. I tried using no flash at first, but the pictures came out too dark for you to see anything, so flash it was. Still, you can see some of the little white lights, so it's not too bad.

The top photo is the 8' plus tall tree in the library at the front of the house, and the lower photo is the 31/2' tree to the side of the dining room table. This is the "family tree", which has mostly ornaments made by Sonja when she was a girl as well as a few decorations given to her through the years by her mother and father.

The taller tree is the "fancy tree", which has all kinds of shiny glass and metal ornaments on it as you can see. Just out of sight in this picture are the gifts already beneath this tree thanks to Sonja's mom and sister really getting on the ball admirably early this year and wrapping/sending things at the beginning of the month. Tomorrow, I'll get busy myself, wrap a few things for the Grand Duchess, and add those to those presents already under the tree. That way, we'll be able to enjoy "the look" of the thing (a nod to Charles Grant Sr. here) for a full week before Christmas Day.


We have about two inches of powdery snow outside and more is falling. I don't think we are to have quite enough to strap on the ol' cross country skis, but you can't argue that it sure makes the neighborhood beautiful. Why, I can almost hear those sleigh bells jinglin'!


Finally, I just had an unexpected phone call from an old, old friend in Pennsylvania a little while ago as he was driving home in the snow falling there. "Donny" and I go way back. We met on the first day of school when I was in first grade, and he was in second grade in 1973 and have stayed in touch all these years.

We used to work together in the 80s and early 90s and played together in a number of rock bands during that period. He played drums and sang while I played bass and sang. Ah, those were the days. So much hair and such small waistlines ago!
;-) Anyway, isn't it funny how hearing from an old friend out of the blue like that can brighten your spirits? Even when you already feel pretty good. Have a nice afternoon everyone.

Comments

Bluebear Jeff said…
Both trees are lovely, Stokes . . . and we very much like "family" ornaments. We buy at least one for ourselves every year . . . and they all go on the tree.

However there is one slight correction I need make. Saxe-Bearstein is not a Duchy; it is a Principality. The ruler is a "Furst" . . . although this is generally translated to "Prince" in English.


-- Jeff
guy said…
Loved the bit about the old,old friend. A friend of mine in vancouver and myself have been trying to track down for ages a great friend from university days who we last saw 24 years ago. After an impressive bit of Sherlock Holmes style deduction we eventually have just tracked him down and the e-mails are whizzing around. Superb to catch up.

I had a couple of hours in my soldier room painting last night for the first time in ages and then came downstairs to find one of the Sharpe episodes in India on TV. An excellent evening!

Regards,
Guy

Popular posts from this blog

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

Taking Stock Part II: The (As Yet) Unpainted but Planned OOB. . .

  Two companies of Reichsarmee grenadiers painted back in 2017 or 2018.  Minden Austrians of course. A lovely early autumn day here in the grand duchy.  Bright sunshine and a light breeze with cool temperatures will make for some very pleasant late afternoon lawn mowing in a little while.  But first a bit more discussion of painting plans for the future. Last time, I looked back at the various and sundry units, support troops, and civilians that I've managed to paint in the last 17 years as the Grand Duchy of Stollen project has developed.  So today, let's look into the seemingly bottomless Drawer 'o' Lead to my left for a clue to the new direction.  Be forewarned, it's not going to be a quick job getting everything painted and based, but there we are. The following plans are based on the pile of unpainted figures already here.  Any future purchases will be limited to small things that might be needed to fill out the envisioned units (the odd few officers mounted o

Having a "No Day". . .

  F or the almost 20 years that she lived in Mexico, one of my late mother's Irish friends frequently mentioned having a "No Day."  A day with no social obligations, chores, tasks, or other work that interfered with whatever personal interests took one's fancy on the day in question. Since today -- a gray and chilly Saturday -- is Mom's birthday, the Grand Duchess is out with friends, and the Young Master is ensconced on the sofa in the TV room with a cold, yours truly is taking his own such No Day.  I think Mom would approve of my decision to make the world go away, as the old Eddie Arnold song intoned, even if only for a little while. So, I will spend Saturday afternoon focused on that first squadron and small regimental staff of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers.  These have stood waiting  untouched over on the painting table for almost three weeks while we skied and otherwise gadded about with snowy, winter outdoor activities. I hope to share a painting update Sunday a