Now that things are back on track. . .

A snowy pre-Christmas Market scene in Bolzano, Italy. This is a part of the world I have yet to visit, but one day we will. A few years ago, I tried repeatedly to convince the Grand Duchess to chuck it all and move lock, stock, and barrel to the city. A place in the north of Italy where German is the second language with mountains (for her) and snow (for me), plus the cafe culture we both love, and at least two universities for employment possibilities. And the opportunity to learn Italian on top of that. What could be better? My efforts thus far have been, sadly, for naught.

Let's finish the run up to Christmas this year with a few carefully chosen, quiet seasonal and Christmas-related pictures, a December tradition of long standing here in the Grand Duchy of Stollen. The Grand Duchess informs me that her authentic Dresdner Stollen will be delayed by a bit this year given the interruption in our lives caused by the move to Michigan from Illinois last June, hanging around in space since then, and our just-this-Monday move into the new house finally. However, with any luck at all, there might -- just might -- be a fresh stollen baked by the Grand Duchess (assisted by the Young Master) by Christmas Eve or during Christmas Week.

-- Stokes

Comments

Unknown said…

Sounds like you're settling in well. I bet the Grand Duchess' Dresdner Stollen will be particularly delicious this year.
Best regards,
Simon

2:28 PM

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!

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...

Happy September 2nd!!!

T his weekend, the question of what, precisely, constitutes an "imagination" came up in an online forum of which I am a part. To be fair, the issue originates from further afield in a Facebook group that I am not a member of, but I weighed in with my own view. The following was in response to the question posed yesterday (Sunday) morning by an exasperated member of my own rather more gentlemanly town square, who had been met with a strident response to information he shared about his (admirable) hobby activities on said FB group. Here is, more or less, what I wrote: To my mind, the concept of imagi-nation(s) is a broad one. It can range from historical refights or what-if scenarios/battles/campaigns between armies of a particular era, to completely made up combatants operating in a quasi-historical setting, to the rather generic red and blue forces of the Prussian Kriegspiel that examine a particular tactical problem, task, or exercise. ...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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