A Little Post-Holiday Lethargy. . .

If it's good enough for the Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II. . . Lately, the Saxon-Polish army of the 18th century has been on my mind.

Sigh. I was just saying to the Grand Duchess, in the kitchen upstairs as I waited for the coffee to brew, that I would fold a basket of the Young Master's clean clothing this afternoon. Keep in mind, the basket of said garments has been living in a corner of our bedroom for the last five days or so. But as I explained -- ok, rationalized -- by the time it's 8:30 or so in the evening, and the Young Master has gone to bed, who in the heck wants to tackle folding a basket of laundry??!! Far better to have a second mug of coffee and, mentally speaking, put up one's feet.

Similarly, I have been wrestling with a touch of painting lethargy since just before Christmas when I finished those four hand-made trucks for the Young Master. Oh sure. The desire to sit myself down and paint for an hour or two most evenings is there, but somehow between the late afternoon, supper, coffee, and now syllabus preparation for the coming academic term, which begins on Wednesday the 9th, the will to open a bottle or tube of color and pick up a paintbrush evaporates. And I simply want to lie down with a book and the Voice of Russia on the computer. I used to be an avid listener to shortwave radio, but that seems to be fading as more and more broadcasters have their funding cut and are forced to leave the shortwave bands.

Anyway, Christmas, the New Year, and Epiphany have come and gone now. The syllabi are done and off to the printing office. No related reading to do yet. Or (cringe) undergrad papers to read through. No more excuses. So, tonight, come hell or high water, I'm going to get my seat into the chair at the painting table for 90 minutes or two hours and work on some of those Minden, RSM, and Fife & Drum officers. And I will post a photo or two of my progress here tomorrow. As an added incentive, I give you, loyal readers, permission to jeer, sneer, catcall, mock, deride, and harangue yours truly if I fail to do so. Just keep it clean, please. The Grand Duchy of Stollen is a family place after all. ;-)

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!

Having a "No Day". . .

F or the almost 20 years that she lived in Mexico, one of my late mother's Irish friends frequently mentioned having a "No Day." A day with no social obligations, chores, tasks, or other work that interfered with whatever personal interests took one's fancy on the day in question. Since today -- a gray and chilly Saturday -- is Mom's birthday, the Grand Duchess is out with friends, and the Young Master is ensconced on the sofa in the TV room with a cold, yours truly is taking his own such No Day. I think Mom would approve of my decision to make the world go away, as the old Eddie Arnold song intoned, even if only for a little while. So, I will spend Saturday afternoon focused on that first squadron and small regimental staff of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers. These have stood waiting untouched over on the painting table for almost three weeks while we skied and otherwise gadded about with snowy, winter outdoor activities. I hope to share a painting update Sunday a

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 her

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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