Painting Continues Apiece. . .

Here's a teaser to tide you over until the first batch of 29 Huzzah figures are all finished. The above illustration depicts a member of Wurtemburg's Garde zu Fuss in a post-Seven Years' War uniform I believe, but his kit is fairly similar to the one I'm currently applying to my figures. The SYW-era uniform lacked a plume and had black gaiters instead of white.

Well, it's been a busy weekend so far here at Stollen Central. I did some painting Friday evening, and the first 29 Huzzah figures are getting very close to completion. I hope to wrap them up in the next week and get started with the next batch of 16 infantry privates since all officers, NCOs and musicians will be finished. That should make painting progress a bit faster than has been the case around here, painting funks notwithstanding, during the last few months.

Saturday midday saw me noodling around with the layout of the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog, something I have meant to do for quite a while. There are still a couple of things to add, but by and large I like the updated, more colorful, and personalized blog that you are seeing on your computer screens now. Thanks to Phil for coaching me through how to add a large photographic image to the top of the blog some weeks ago. It turned out to be much simpler than it seemed initially.

Early evening saw the three of us at a small dinner party where Young Master Paul was the star of the show until he fell asleep in his carseat after an hour. Then, the party became considerably less entertaining. However, the Grand Duchess and I had an easy out, claiming an 8pm bedtime for the baby. I never before considered how a baby might help to ease certain social obligations. Why, it almost makes me want to have another nine! Just kidding. We are very happy with the one child we have now.

Finally, my amateur rock and roll band The Indras played a live date last night at a local music establishment, and we tore the place up. Our 75-minute set saw us breeze through 24 classics like Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Bad Boy, Blue Suede Shoes, So How Come No One Loves Me?, Besame Mucho, and Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey. We kept the crowd of twenty- to forty-somethings on their feet, dancing and singing along until well after 2am. We were brought back for an encore by the owner, playing Buddy Holly's That'll Be the Day to an apreciative house. It was a memorable experience with many slightly intoxicated people approaching us outside in the street afterwards, to reiterate how much they enjoyed the show.

So, today it's back to Earth and real life with a resounding "Thud!". But I did fix us a nice brunch at with bacon, fried eggs, orange juice, coffee, and plenty of Dundee orange marmelade. In addition, there will be a bit of time for painting later this afternoon, when the Grand Duchess and Young Master Paul attend a picnic for her German language students and graduating majors at a nearby park, very close to where we lived before purchasing our house a couple of years ago -- right across the street in fact. I have politely bowed out from the proceedings and should have a couple of hours to paint quietly as a result.

Well, I could sit here prattling on about this or that all afternoon, but there are things to take care of before painting, so I'll sign off for now. Over and out.