Jousting at Windmills. . .

Oh no! It's Windmills 10 -- Don Quixote 0. . . Kind of how I fell, er, feel at the moment.

Have you ever had one of those days when you planned some kind of wargaming related activity, and then real life intervened? Of course, you have. We all have. And such has been the day so far this morning here in the Grand Duchy of Stollen.

I woke far too early for a Saturday -- 6am -- and couldn't fall back to sleep, so gave up the ghost and rose quietly at 6:30. A short while later, safely ensconced before my computer here in Zum Stollenkeller, I realized that I did not feel quite right and returned to bed. Since I volunteered last night to get Young Master Paul up at 8:00, I informed the Grand Duchess that she might need to bell that cat after all. I then fell fast asleep for another 3.5 hours, though that was interrupted intermittently by. . .

The dreaded Terrible Twos! Yes, although Young Master Paul is only 19 months old, the routine screeching and tantrums have begun in earnest, which has turned our once pleasantly calm way of life here at Stollen Central upside down the last several weeks. Making matters worse is the fact that these behaviors do not happen with yours truly, dear ol' Dad, but poor Mom seems to get the brunt of it. While the two of us do our best to handle Paul in similar fashions, he seems to choose to "go ballistic" with his mother while remaining pleasantly calm and happy with me, which has caused my wife considerable distress you can understand.

Needless to say, the combination of my mild under the weather-ness (really just extreme fatigue), our son's current bouts of anti-social behavior, and how this is clearly affecting the Grand Duchess, plus dinner guests planned for this evening, kind of gets in the way of planned wargaming-related activities for the day. I don't know about you, but I need a fairly clear and relaxed mind, to sit down to the workbench for a productive painting and/or modelling session. The slightest bit of upset and tension tends to throw things off track for a day or two. Blast! Maybe I should suggest to my wife that we call our friends and reschedule this evening?

Later. . .

Thank you for the words of encouragement, everyone. We went ahead and had our friends over for dinner, which provided a few hours of much needed escape through good food and fun conversation, although we were soundly beaten in Scrabble later by the husband of the couple. A most impressive player, who used all seven of his tiles not once but twice during the game! Even better, I had a couple of hours in the afternoon to complete (almost) the complicated vain/sail assembly of the windmill I'm finishing up, using tiny strips of balsa wood along with strategic drops of super glue and beads of Elmer's wood glue for added strength. Should easily be able to finish everything up this evening after Young Master Paul's bedtime.

Finally, here is a recent photograph of the Young Master at work, "reading" one of his favorites, The Mitten by Jan Brett. . .

Comfortable Rules for Games of Glossy Toy Soldiers in the Old Style. . .

Introduction A Tangled Mass is a game of toy soldiers in the old style, set more or less in the middle part of the 18 th century. Our miniature forces are colorful and, we hope, glossy. Although the latter, like so much else, is up to the discretion of the players. But it is the modeling, brushwork, and unit organization of hobby greats like Gilder, Mason, and Robinson that provide our visual touchstone and continue to inform "the look of the thing" even now. Tabletop armies in A Tangled Mass can be historic, semi-historic, or whimsically fictitious, but the more flags and mounted officers, the better. Formations, while bearing some resemblance to their historic precedents, are generic: column, line, or extended order for lighter types. Squares, while possible, are less common than during all of that later Napoleonic madness with its guillotines and Spanish ulcers. And we'll simply choose not to mention patent leather dancing pumps, or that unseemly bedr

Prussian 3rd Garrison Regt. Update. . .

Still a few small things to do, including apply fleshtone to a left hand on an officer that I somehow missed at some point plus lace on the drummers and officers , but we're very close to the glossing stage. L ots of painstaking work to clean up edges, highlight folds, and touch up various bits and pieces the last few evenings. My trusty little Sony Cybershot, I fear, has gone to that big electronics place in the sky and no longer seems to be working. Well, I've had it since 2013, and small electronics don't last forever, so I cannot complain. With that little hiccup in mind, I snapped today's shot with my iPhone, brightened, and cropped it in Fotor before sharing it here. Again, the blue is not quite so bright in reality, but the auto-improve, or whatever they call it, makes for nice bright photographs in which everything shows up. Not long before these are done, and The Young Master was suitably please when I asked him to have a look a few minutes ago. -- Sto

A Break in the Radio Silence. . .

S till plugging away at the 60 or so Wied Infantry currently on the painting bench as and when work and family life permit. Using three different whites for the clothing, shoulder belts, and officers' wigs plus trying some Army Painter quick washes. My friend and one-time online magazine co-editor Greg Horne (the man behind The Duchy of Alzheim , still one of my blog and hobby touchstones) suggested I give washes a try a month or two ago, and I think he might be onto something. Admittedly, he suggested the Citadel contrast range, but what I purchased eventually is in that general direction. I am especially pleased with the Army Painter flesh wash, which picks out the facial details on the Minden figures very nicely. I've applied it on top of my usual Windsor & Newton alkyd oil fleshtone and then highlighted the brows, bridges of noses, cheeks, chins, lower lips, and knuckles/thumbs the next day with more of the fleshtone. Suddenly, and with relative ease, my paint

Conrad Kinch said…

Chin up young Swartz.

1:24 PM

Bluebear Jeff said…

Let me ask a question . . .

Given the start to the day, are you and/or the Grand Duchess "looking forward" to this evening? Or are you "doing your duty" by going forward with it?

If the latter, I'd say call up and postpone your guests to another night, pleading your illness and not wanting to infect them.

-- Jeff

3:24 PM

marinergrim said…

I've always found that my friend Jim Beam helps at night. Somehow a glass with Jim makes me deaf to the screams of children. My wife is't overly fond of my friend.
And I agree - a clear head is needed to paint. My friend Jim seems to preclude that too.

3:45 PM

Keith Flint said…

I reckon the best times with kids (I've got 3 - all teenagers now) are from about 3-4 years onward. Great times are ahead. But they do test you out, don't they?

Just remember that when your boy is 18 you'll look back at the photos of him at 19 months and sigh with nostalgia and love.

But then who needs advice from people you don't even know!? Anyway, like Conrad says, chin up!

4:04 PM

Bloggerator said…

Cheeky monkey!

Erin, at 2 years 1 month is trying out the word 'no' for all occasions.

I just ask her if she wants ice cream.

Greg

12:20 AM

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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