A cheerful pre-Christmas quiet settles over the Grand Duchy of Stollen. . .

Here's another great old Christmas card from years gone by. I really like the green robes and purple hat of this particular St. Nick. Hmmmm. Green and purple. Might look good together on a future unit of infantry or cavalry!

Well, the Grand Duchess Sonja and I got a late start yesterday afternoon, but we managed to pick up the Christmas trees and decorate them last night. In fact, we sat up until almost 1am drinking egg nog and talking about this and that by the light of the trees and our Swedish Advent star that hands in the front window. Young Master Paul stirred at about 4:15 am and drifted easily back to sleep after a bottle and a change of diaper. But this time it's Dad who can't go back to sleep! I've been awake ever since, finally giving up the ghost and rising about an hour ago. And it's 6:50am on a Saturday, darn it!

So, what better way to start the day than with a quiet cup of fresh coffee and a bowl of oatmeal (porridge) while some light snow drifts down onto the ground outside. A final little bit of Christmas shopping later today and maybe a little painting time this evening. But the house is all ready for Christmas, the kitchen is well stocked, and life is pretty darn good, so I feel very lucky. And, if you'll pardon my straying into this, I guess it's important to remember those sorts of things at Christmastime because not everyone in the world is as fortunate.

Comments

ColCampbell50 said…

And let the congregation say "AMEN!! Brother."

Jim

10:31 AM

Mosstrooper said…

Amen indeed !

11:09 AM

The Eventual Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment. . .

The Anhalt-Zerbst regiment musters in the drill square to sort themselves into platoons and companies during the coming weeks Fall maneuvers if you will. A large dose of real life the last few days with the start of classes next Monday, various preparatory meetings, and finishing up a few other things this week. But, I managed to sort out 60 or so Minden Austrian infantry from the pile and get 'em stuck to temporary painting bases. Must carefully drill out the hands of several NCOs for flagpoles and pole arms this weekend before the usual basecoat. I'm thinking of mixing the usual white gesso with the usual light gray to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Applying both base- and undercoat in one fell swoop as my grandmother used to say. In the meantime, the recently finished squadron of Saxon cuirassiers has been placed carefully in one of the clear acrylic boxes on my shelves until I have the suitable flag to affix. -- Sto...

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!

And It's the End of September!!!

Saxony's Ploetz Cuirassiers, an illustration lifted from the Kronoskaf website, which has thus far guided my spectacularly glacial painting of 30 28mm Eureka Saxon cuirassiers purchased all the way back in October 2016. A gray, cool Saturday here in Mid-Michigan with rain in the forecast. The Grand Duchess is away at a conference, so it's just "The Boys" here at home. The Young Master (almost 15) has retreated to his room for something or other following breakfast while I have stolen back down here to Zum Stollenkeller (masquerading as my office) with a second mug of coffee and both cats comfortably ensconced nearby. Enjoying the late morning and still in my pajamas! Not much planned for today beyond designing a couple of promotional flyers for workshops my department is presenting (small parties we will throw?) in October and November. With maybe a bit of on the next podcast script. More important, I am toying with the idea of returning for an hour or...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

Search This Blog