The Grand Duchy of Stollen

How many of us would like to think about writing. . . . . . and a more realistic vision of the process. -- Stokes

A few enterprising soldiers' wives have opened the 18th century equivalent of a Coke stand  by a handy roadside along which troops and non-military types pass.  The influence of hobby luminaries like Bill Gaskin, Doug Mason, and Peter Gilder, here and in the following pictures, is freely acknowledged.  30mm W i llie figures stocked with E u reka and F o undry provisions along with a scratch-built tarp and table . Sam the Smith and Friends, keeping hussar steeds in tiptop running order.  1/56 Fife & Drum figures along with a nother scratch-built table . And finally, here's another old favorite, Margarete the Marketenderin on her way to set up shop opposite the ladies pictured above.  A 28mm Eureka set, but the Na poleonic vivandiere has had a headg ear conversion .  The three vignett es here were all painted in, I believe, 2014.   The enterprising Wolfram the Sutler drives his wagon of goods and sundries to the front.  I think this is an Old Glory

Here is an old Knoetel print I've always enjoyed, a bunch of Prussian hussars clowing around with the contents of a French officer's trunk. I t is Saturday morning (Yes!), and I am taking a "No Day" here at the Grand Duchy of Stollen, saying "No!" to most other things besides tinkering with 20 RSM95 Prussian musketeers (the final batch of that large 80-figure regiment begun in January 2015).  I will also listen to jazz online from Norwegian State Radio (NRK Jazz) all day, begin organizing my ideas for a hobby-related article that is due before long, and take a closer look at the contents of a nice little package that arrived earlier this week from Fife & Drum Miniatures.   The latter contains a bunch of Prussian and Austrian limbers, limber riders, and 64 limber horses.  Christmas all over again in a way, which it was since I finally applied a Christmas 2015 gift from my in-laws (plus a bit of my own scratch) to the purchase.  The coming summer wi

This brand new title arrived in the mailbox here at Totleigh-in-the-Wold a few days ago. D igby Smith's latest book struck me as interesting a few months ago when I f irst learned that A New History of the Seven Years War Volume 1: Power and Politics (175 4 -1757) was forthcoming, and I immediately placed an order for it.  I always enjoy adding titles to my shelves on subjects that interest me, military or not.  This one, though, left me a bit nonplussed if I am completely honest.   That observation is in no way intended to downplay the not insignificant amount of time and effort required to produce a book-length manuscript, mind you, nor the back-and-forth revision process before a title finally reaches the publication, printing, and sales stages.  Considerable blood, sweat, and tears go into the develop ment of any book project (or should) , and if I were able to make my living writing military h istories, or crime thrillers for that matter , I would in a heartbe

"I gave at the of fice!"  Frau Cor nelia Lohmeyer attem pts to fend off feckless Bernhard t he Stick. Posing as a half-witted farm labor er , here is cunning g ambler and "m oney l ender " e xtraordinair e. . .  Jan-Henrik along with h is b rother Hrothgar. . .  and h is o ther b rother Hrothgar .  The mere th ought of any business d eal ings with the m ought to make your kneecaps hurt .  Fugeddaboutit! The Laundress Tableau, a.k.a. "We n eed m ore Calgon!"  Soldiers' wives E l s e and Heike earn extra money by taking in laundry from the officers and men of the Grand Duke's army.   I call this one, "Cecil ia and Ste f anie T ake a Stroll , or Sauntering Soldiers' Wives with Sticky Fingers" The Fuller Brush man, circa 1759.  Niels attempts to work his way across the Grand Duchy of Stollen northwest to Riga by selling shoddy brooms to soldiers' wives like Frau Katarina Rudat. The Nau

 Here they are, almost done, for better or worse, with two coats of acrylic gloss, newly painted tents, and freshly hung officers' sheets.  The same acrylic gloss in the laundry cauldrons has yet to dry out.  I must also add a few tiny pieces of smoldering kindling beneath same as well as some carefully teased out cotton for whispy smoke.  Figures pictured include those manufactured by Minden/Fife&Drum, Suren (Willie), Reaper, and Black Hussar. W e woke this morning here at Totleigh-in-the-Wold, to a wintry scene outside, about three inches of fresh snow !   No great tragedy as far as I am concerned since I am a big fan of winter weather, but perhaps it is a bit much when you consider that it is already April 9th .   The tulips have been threatening to open here since before Easter after all.  Sadly, however, there is not quite enough snow on the ground to drag out the toboggan or strap on the cross-country skis one last time.  Sigh.  But as Pete the Cat is fond of say