A Stollen Moment on Christmas Eve. . .

The 2024 Stollen just out of the over as the Grand Duchess butters it generously. A heavy dusting of confectioner's sugar followed, courtesy of the Young Master. I'll share a photograph of the finished artwork once Sonja bounces the photo to me.

My contribution, while not quite as spectacular as Sonja's annual stollens, is the cherry pie, which is her favorite. I experimented with the top crust this time, something I have thought to do for many years. It worked out reasonably well I think.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! And pardon the bad pun, Just a quick post before Young Master Paul joins me at the breakfast table for some Raisin Bran and cantaloupe (for him), and stollen with coffee (for me) while we listen to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College Cambridge via BBC Radio Four online. How things have changed since I used to tune in to BBC World Service via the shortwaves 20+ years ago!

A shower, shave, and dressing for the occasion will follow breakfast with Christmas dinner mid-afternoon, so we can attend Christmas Eve service at Saint Katherine's Episcopal Church just up the road from us. The fact that this particular church is less than five minutes from us was, possibly, a sign for us to purchase the house we did given my own long dormant Episcopalian background.

I would like to think my late maternal grandparents, both of whom were quite active for many years within their own congregation (Saint Gabriel's Episcopal Church in Douglasville, Pennsylvania) smile down on us when we attend. And possibly the rest of the time too.

Ok, much to do before dinner and church, so I will sign off for now. I bid you Merry Christmas however you might celebrate the occasion with possibly a few moments for peaceful contemplation.

Warmest Compliments of the Season,

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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