A Detailed Painting Update. . .

Now, we're beginning to get somewhere!

As and when I was able to snatch 30 minutes or an hour this afternoon and again this evening after The Young Master's bedtime, I began addressing some of those many details that always, always, always bring us crashing to earth whenever we begig to feel smug about our painting.  Know what I mean?

It was white markings on the horses, stirrup leathers and girths using the usual hobby acrylics today, finished this evening with oil-based Winsor & Newton 'Silver' thinned with a drop or two of Liquin Original, which makes the paint a bit easier to apply and helps it to dry by morning.  For metallics, you simply cannot beat the brilliant sparkle of oils.  Much else to do on the 14 riders and horses, but the squadron of 14 is starting to look more like, well, Frederick's Bosniaks.

Tomorrow, Sunday, I'll fix a large breakfast for The Young Master and myself about 10:30. Eggs, sausage, English muffins, orange juice, butter, French preserves, traditional German Christmas carols playing in the background, all by candlelight. Sadly, The Grand Duchess won't be able to join us since she'll be returning via train from a quick jaunt to Chicago this weekend to catch up with some old friends from our years in Bloomington, Illinois.  

Anyway, after breakfast, I'll help our son wrap the very first gift he has ever bought his mother using his very own money.  I won't reveal what the item is here since it is not unheard of for The Grand Duchess to look at the GD of S blog now and again unbeknownst to me, but Young Master Paul exercised wonderful taste in choosing a gift for his mother when I took him out for it early last week.  He already had in mind what he wanted to find and give his mother, bless him. 

He was also unexpectedly helpful following dinner this evening and informed me -- when I returned to the kitchen after putting on pajamas upstairs -- that not only had he put his own plate, glass, and silverware into the dishwasher as requested, but that he also loaded my things.  Needless to say, I'm really proud of the young man he is becoming and yet a bit sad at the same time that our little boy is growing up.  He turned 10 at the end of October this year.  Only eight more years left until he heads off to college or university if you can believe it.  I certainly can't.  If the breakneck pace of the last decade is any indication, that day will be here before you know it, a prospect that is both exciting (for him) but also poignant (for ol' Dad).

You'll forgive my going on about Paul, I hope.  I've always been of two minds about being a parent and, frankly, have had difficulty assuming the role of a father.  It's not something I have ever felt especially cut out for or good at.  I try, of course, but there have been lots of mistakes along the way that have caused me to second guess myself much more than is usually the case.  That is probably true, though, for many parents.  Possibly.  If we are honest, there is a a lot about parenthood that is pretty awful, and it takes a toll on many things that one takes for granted prior to becoming a parent.  

And yet you soldier on, muddle through, try to do your best for your children, provide direction, instill healthy values and habits, and live for the more pleasant times, which as The Young Master continues through his childhood become more frequent.  He is very bright, quick-witted and extremely funny at times with an infectious laugh.  What's more he is increasingly thoughtful, self-aware, determined, and interested in more things than I can keep track of.  Needless to say, I'll be interested to see where our Paul ends up in another 20 years or so, and what he decides to do with his life.

But that is still a few years away.  Let's get back to the present for just a moment.  Following breakfast, I think Paul and I will take a long walk around the neighborhood given our temperate weather with no snow on the ground at the moment.  And then, who knows what the boys might get up to?

-- Stokes