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The wonderful aroma of. . .

 Not necessarily a traditional Christmas image, but I cam across this wintry illustration of Pooh and Piglet several weeks ago, and thought it deserved a place here in the run up to Christmas.  No doubt, they'll want some warm gluehwein (possibly cut with some honey) when they arrive at their destination.

The wonderful aroma of oil paints has filled my corner of Zum Stollenkeller for the past couple of days!  A delightfully familiar, comforting scent that instantly takes me back to when I was a small boy and used to sit at my mother's feet while she worked at her easel. . .   more than 40 years ago!  Back in the present, I'll need to sit down to the painting table for an hour or two this evening and work on the next couple of steps on those 20 RSM, Minden, and Fife&Drum 18th century staff figures since the olfactory reminder of my youth has abated somewhat in the last 24 hours or so.


A snow-covered Luebeck, Germany from December 2010.  Again, not strictly a Christmas image, but it reminds me of the first time I visited the city in February 1986.  It was extremely cold, snowy, and, at that time, there was still lots of coal smoke hanging around in the air.  Not healthy at all, but just the stuff of which vivid memories are made.  I hope that one day the grand Duchess, Young Master Paul, and I might get to spend a Christmas and New year's period in the north of Germany.


Comments

MSFoy said…
Nice to see the old EH Shepard illustration. It's nice anyway, but it reminds me of a time when I was young enough not to find Winter threatening, and also it demonstrates that there were some treasures in the world long before Disney applied a layer of cheese to everything!

Thanks for that - Regards - Tony
7:17 AM
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