A Stollen Moment on Christmas Eve. . .

The 2024 Stollen just out of the over as the Grand Duchess butters it generously. A heavy dusting of confectioner's sugar followed, courtesy of the Young Master. I'll share a photograph of the finished artwork once Sonja bounces the photo to me.

My contribution, while not quite as spectacular as Sonja's annual stollens, is the cherry pie, which is her favorite. I experimented with the top crust this time, something I have thought to do for many years. It worked out reasonably well I think.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! And pardon the bad pun, Just a quick post before Young Master Paul joins me at the breakfast table for some Raisin Bran and cantaloupe (for him), and stollen with coffee (for me) while we listen to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College Cambridge via BBC Radio Four online. How things have changed since I used to tune in to BBC World Service via the shortwaves 20+ years ago!

A shower, shave, and dressing for the occasion will follow breakfast with Christmas dinner mid-afternoon, so we can attend Christmas Eve service at Saint Katherine's Episcopal Church just up the road from us. The fact that this particular church is less than five minutes from us was, possibly, a sign for us to purchase the house we did given my own long dormant Episcopalian background.

I would like to think my late maternal grandparents, both of whom were quite active for many years within their own congregation (Saint Gabriel's Episcopal Church in Douglasville, Pennsylvania) smile down on us when we attend. And possibly the rest of the time too.

Ok, much to do before dinner and church, so I will sign off for now. I bid you Merry Christmas however you might celebrate the occasion with possibly a few moments for peaceful contemplation.

Warmest Compliments of the Season,

Stokes

Comments

The Good Soldier Svjek said…

My ! those look delicious! all the best wishes, Tony

1:14 PM

Fitz-Badger said…

I got a chuckle out of the stollen moment. And that pie is the cherry on top! Nice work on the upper crust. Cheers!

4:34 PM

Duke of Baylen said…

Merry Christmas to you and yours and your readership. The Christmas food looks delicious. Last night [Christmas Eve] we went to the service in an ancient church in a neighbouring village. I hope to find a moment or two to be 'lost in wonder, love and praise'.
All the best for '25
Stephen

2:08 AM

A Little More Brushwork. . .

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M aking some early progress with Batch A of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment over the last several days/evenings. Nothing terribly exciting just yet, but the basic black, brown, and flesh areas are done as are the green bases, and gray undercoat. The latter two areas needed some careful retouching early in the week. Next up, the neck stocks. I might just do these in red for the enlisted men although some of my source material suggest they were black, but I always look for an excuse to shake things up a bit. Any errant splotches of red (or black) can be covered with another application of light gray before I move onto the next step. "Giddy up!" as one Cosmo Kramer might have said. -- Stokes

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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