Happy Feast of Stephen!!!

By Christmas Morning 2020 (yesterday), it was clear that Santa Claus/Father Christmas and the reindeer had indeed made a quick stop at our house sometime in the night. Now, call me superstitious, but I strongly suspect that ol' Saint Nick is anxious about stepping on the scale today.

A lovely, relaxed Christmas Day yesterday here The Grand Duchy of Stollen all things considered. A fire on the hearth, quiet German carols in the background along with other festive music throughout the day, far too much good food to enjoy, delightful company of The Grand Duchess and Young Master, Christmas crackers and charades, and so forth.

And of course a few gifts. Highlights include some Fife& Drum Hessian musketeers and grenadiers given to me by The Young Master, and (Surprise, surprise!) Minden Prussian musketeers given to The Young Master by yours truly. A toy soldier Christmas indeed.

It reminds me of the time that my sister and I each gave the other a copy of the album Parallel Lines by Blondie (remember them?) for Christmas of 1979. Goodness, gracious does that seem like a thousand years ago! In a number of ways, it might as well be.

Anyway, it looks very much like The Young Master will learn to paint figures in early 2021 as we work together to prepare his 32+ figures for their tabletop debut. I've already suggested a few of the Prussian garrison regiments to him given their relative simplicity (lots and lots of dark blue) which he can manage while ol' Dad assists with some of the smaller detailing, fleshtone, and a few of the finer points for example.

As for our planned Guilford Courthouse game, we've decided, by mutual agreement, that we'll set up the table today and play the actual tabletop battle tomorrow (Sunday). This will allow us time for a more relaxed approach to the day today. Who knows? I might even be able to find time for some more brushwork on those nine Minden Austrian horse grenadiers and dragoon regimental staff at some point.

-- Stokes

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!

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 h...

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...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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