Happy Feast of Stephen. . .

One versions of the Uhlans des Saxe for yours truly to daydream about in the coming year of cavalry painting and basing. The Grand Duchee presented yours truly with a unit of Minden Lanciers de Saxe for Christmas this year.

"Happy Day After!" as my much missed maternal grandfather used to say while sipping his scotch and water before an open woodfire on the hearth (we enjoyed two working fireplaces at my grandparents' place).

It has been a peaceful, quiet few days here at Totleigh-in-theWold. Christmas Eve saw us attend a church service at the Episcopal church just down the road from us, and the Young Master did remarkably well through the the hour-plus "family" service at 5pm. He has never experienced a church service before, and given the challenges he faces day-to-day, we weren't sure how things would go. But well he did, and we came home to supper and reading Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas before YMP, his teddy bear, and Miss Kitty went to bed so that Santa Claus could stop by in the middle of the night long after the three of us were sound asleep.

Christmas Day and today have been full of more than enough rich food, telephone calls to and from family, seasonal music, gifts, and enjoying each others' company. I hope for some time to myself to sit down and do a few hobby-related things, but thus far, Legos, assembly of several gifts the Young Master received, and other father-son activities have taken precedence. Here's to a Christmas Week that continues in a quiet, peaceful, and happy vein.

-- Stokes

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!

Keepin' an Eye on the World Going By My Window . .

'The Nap at the Palace' by Jose Triado Mayol N ot much in the way of hobby-related activity happening here in the Grand Duchy lately. Sigh. And no surprise there really since there are only so many hours in the day, only so much mental and physical energy to spare, and you sometimes simply just have to give in and know when to say, um, "When!" A glass of wine and/or evening yoga by the hearth with the Grand Duchess (who has practiced for over 20 years), and then off into la-la land. Zzzzzzzzz. More immediately, I'm recovering, mentally speaking, from a grueling Friday in which I was involved with three (online) conference sessions, one right after the other, followed by a 90-minute meeting at the end of the day. Also virtual. My brain has been mush ever since, so an easy, completely unproductive Saturday watching intermittent snow fall outside (no accumulation however) and drinking coffee while the visiting handymen completed some repair work down h...

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

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