Not a very model soliderly photograph at all, and, sadly, not our dinner table this year either since most of our finer things remain in storage. But maybe by Christmas?
Deathly quiet in recent months here at The Grand Duchy of Stollen without much to report. We are still alive though. The planned solider painting just has not happened due to extremely limited desk space, much of which has been covered with student papers and related course notes since classes began back on September 2nd. Still, we have much else to be thankful for including the sale of our old house in Illinois, which closed yesterday and now belongs to someone else. . . or rather their bank for the next 30 years.
Here in Michigan, we are waiting for our lender to issue a closing date for our own Totleigh-in-the-Wold, but that has been delayed by the long Thanksgiving Weekend. We had hoped to hear on that early this week. Sigh. All desired repairs have, however, been carried out and given the A-OK by our house inspector, all paperwork from us has been submitted with all it the i's dotted and the t's crossed saying we the purchasers approve of said repairs. With any luck at all, we can close shortly, move in just before Christmas, and get the first floor of the house squared away before Christmas Eve. Cross your fingers and toes. The Grand Duchess and I have had it with this blasted apartment into which the three of us have been crammed since the summer.
In the meantime, allow me to wish those of you who celebrate to have a happy and reflective Thanksgiving wherever you might find yourself today. It ain't all just about the food and the NFL games. While I may fret, grumble, and grouse about this and that, we indeed have much to be thankful for. Goodness knows that there are plenty of people around the world in much more dire straights and in want of common necessities that I and many others take for granted from our relatively safe vantage point here in the United States. When I stop and remember that, suddenly my own frustrations seem very small in comparison.
-- Stokes
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