Belated Happy Holidays (and all that)

 

I would like to extend a belated Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Seasons' Greetings to one and all who spend a bit of their time gazing upon my blog. Your continued interest and support is much appreciated here in Hesse Seewald.

This year's Christmas tree in the Library Room.
Bella the Golden Retriever seems to fit right in.

Bella and me enjoying a bonding moment.

Christmas Eve

Mrs. Fritz and I went to the 5PM Christmas Eve service at the local Episcopalian church (Church of England, or "Roman Catholic Lite" as I call it). The church is very beautiful and is designed in the shape a cross, with the alter at the center of the four wings of the "cross". The ceiling is supported by massive oak beams to remind me of many a church that I've seen in England during my travels. There were lots of holiday decorations inside including a forest of red poinsettias and garlands of greenery hanging from the rafters. All of this can't help but get one into the Christmas spirit what with the decorations, the ceremony and the singing of Christmas carols. 

The only off-putting part for me was the opening ceremonial procession of candle bearers, a Bible bearer and a carrier of a Chi-Rho vexillum. The minister and his staff bowed and crossed themselves whenever they passed by the front of the alter. The minister wore some magnificent looking robes and all that seemed to be missing was a miter cap. This is the Roman Catholic Lite part that makes me chuckle a bit to myself. I can't help myself thinking of a Dave Allen comedy sketch whenever I see this processional. Mrs. Fritz is a church member. I'm a sometimes Presbyterian.

All that said, this church really is a sight to behold and the Christmas ceremony is second to none. The Anglicans know how to put on a good show.

After everyone snuggled into their beds for a long Winter's nap, I turned on the television to watch some of the choirs singing on some of the PBS network shows. I like the St. Olaf's Choir (from Minnesota) the best. I was going to retire for the night, but at the last second I started scrolling through the channel guide and stumbled up a playing of the movie Die Hard. I just had to watch it! I stayed up until about 2:30AM watching Die Hard and I made myself turn it off, missing the ending. I know how the movie ends so I wasn't missing anything, but I still would have liked to have watched the movie to its end. Alan Rickman and Bruce Willis are hard to beat. LOL! Over the years I have learned that going to sleep after 3AM is a fool's errand. If I stay up that late then I go into a restless sleep that makes me no good for the rest of the day. 2AM is my cut off point if I want to get some good sleep and be at my best the next day.

Christmas Day

Santa decided that I probably had enough wargame toys so there was nothing under the tree or in my stocking that was hobby related. Mrs. Fritz and I decided that this year we would try to keep the number of presents to one another at two or less, making an exception for the small stocking stuffers that show up every year. 

As is often the case, the best present is being able to be around family and celebrating with a Christmas Day dinner at Schloss Seewald. We had 14 guests for dinner this year, including some relatives that we hadn't seen for a couple of years due to that Covid thing that has been going on. We prepared two legs of lamb (14 pounds of lamb in total) and an assortment of side dishes including stuffing, mashed potatoes, mashed yams, French cut green beans and a spinach and pear salad. Our guests brought the desserts for the party and there was much to choose from an assortment that included pumpkin pie, a Yule Log cake (or Buch de Noel), lemon squares and lots and lots of cookies.

Before dinner, I conducted a tour of my war game room at the request of some of the guests. I guess that I am always a little bit surprised at how interested "civilians" are in our little hobby. If someone shows a keener interest in the Little Men then I often give them a painted figure to take home. I sometimes worry that "civilians" will think that (1) I am a lunatic war monger; or (2) a little boy who is still playing with his toy soldiers. I am not the first, but I confess to still having some of the second in me. Always have and always will.  I'd say that 99% of visitors to the war game room are fascinated by our hobby and they ask lots of good questions. So my fears are not justified for the most part.

After dinner, four of use settled onto the Living Room floor and played a game of Euchre, something that I hadn't played since my college days. It took me a hand or two to remember how to play the game, but it came back to me quickly enough. Now we have a card game to play at future family events!

Later that evening I had to drive Lady Emma Cuddlestone-Smythe back to her home and that proved to be the opening that the guests were seeking to bug out of there (just kidding). Usually once the first couple leaves, the other guests go home shortly thereafter. Afterwords, Mrs. Fritz and I did a partial clean up of the kitchen and then we settled in to watch the final two episodes of "Wednesday" on Netflix. The eight episode series focuses on the Adams Family teen daughter, Wednesday, and her life at boarding school. It's a brilliant concept and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a new series to binge watch.

It seems like every Christmas, Mrs. Fritz and I decide that this year was the best Christmas EVER and I suppose that it is, at least until it comes around again next year. Then next year's Christmas will be the best ever.

Scenic Dividers Part II

 

The new end cap terrain pieces on one table edge.

The original terrain end cap pieces

Yesterday I put the final touches on a second set of scenic dividers for the other table edge. So now my 6 feet wide table has terrain pieces covering the width of each end of the table.

The complete table layout with end cap terrain pieces on each table end.
And no, I am not going to make pieces for the side

I also made two dice trays placed inside two of the terrain pieces. This is a nice way to store the dice used in the game or to have a surface on which to roll one's dice during the game. If the dice are not rolled in the tray, then they don't count. Maybe. In any event, I like that the dice are now hidden and that the holders can do double duty as terrain end cap pieces.

Two of the new end cap pieces are actually dice holding trays.

Close up view of one of the dice trays

Here are some pictures showing the grand view of the game room:

View of the game room.

A view of the table edge with the end caps.

Ground level view showing the effect of having terrain end caps or scenic dividers on the table edges.

I am almost finished with making the terrain for my Khartoum! game at Historicon 2023. I will need to make two more dice holders so that I have one for each corner of the table. I might make a couple more small terrain pieces to scatter around the table for the visual effect. I probably have enough buildings and walls for my Khartoum city, but there is always the possibility of the city growing larger. After all, you know how I roll: bigger and larger is better than small. Always!

With company coming to our house for Christmas Day dinner, I will probably leave all of the terrain up so that my visitors can take a look at it. After Christmas, if I have the time, I might remove the river and push the city onto the middle table. My thought is that the players defending the town can have the city walls and the Dervish attackers in front of them while the rest of the city, the houses and other buildings, are behind them. Once the Dervish climb over the walls (and they will), then the fighting can go house to house and there will be more space for the players to maneuver inside the city.

FYI - Please Note

The Fife and Drum Miniatures staff will be going on a vacation for a couple of weeks in warmer climate. They tell me that they need a well deserved rest. So we probably won't be able to ship any orders during the first three weeks of January 2023. After that, the staff will be well rested and raring to go back to work, roll up their sleeves, and ship out lots and lots of miniatures. 

On the beach in Sarasota

I plan to post several more blog posts before I (ahem, we) head out on Vacay, but in case I do not, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

TTFN and cheers!

Sprucing up the den for Christmas

Bella staking out her territory in the Library

This  year we set up our Christmas tree in the den (or should I call it The Library) so that the dogs don’t knock it over. The Library has pocket doors that we can close to keep the hounds out, although we allow them in the room when we are there too.

The other side of the Library room.

I must say, though, that nothing makes a room look better than to have it graced by a Golden Retriever.

Merry Christmas From der Alte Fritz

The official Christmas Tree of Hesse Seewald

Mrs. Fritz, Princess Lelia Jane and der Alte Fritz wish all of my blog readers a Merry Christmas with your family and friends and a happy and successful 2020.

While Christmas is the primary Christian religious holiday, I think that Christmas represents so much more than that. It is the spirit of giving and helping others, of being polite to others, and of being with close family and friends for the holiday season.

The other day Lelia Jane said to me, "Dad, you know what I like best about Christmas?"

" No" I replied.

"I like giving presents more than I do receiving them. I like to see people's expressions when they open their packages and gifts." she said.

I couldn't put it any better than that.

Merry Christmas everyone!

A few Napoleonic ornaments are tucked away in the branches.
Here is a Guard Polish Lancer.

An Old Guard Grenadier

A Golden Retriever to represent our dog, Tiberius (or just Ty)

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The Top Twelve Best Songs of Christmas

Aw, who can resist Golden Retriever puppies.
Merry Christmas everyone.

Now that we have the "Worst" list out of the way, let us turn to something more joyful, the Top Twelve Christmas songs for 2019. Once again, our guest list maker this year is my daughter Lelia

1)    Silent Night

2)   O Holy Night

3)   Little Drummer Boy

4)   Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly

5)   Jingle Bells

6)   God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

7)   Hark the Harald Angels Sing

8)   Carol of the Bells (instrumental)

9)   The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...)

Lelia left off numbers 10 through 12, so I will add three of my favorites, although they might have been rated higher on my list.

10)  White Christmas (Bing Crosby)

11)   Sleigh Ride (instrumental by Mozart)

12)  Joy to the World

The Christms Mantle at Schloss Seewald

Honorable mention songs:

*   Santa Claus is Coming to Town

*   We Wish You A Merry Christmas

*   There Is No Place Like Home for the Holidays (Perry Como)

*   Baby It's Cold Outside (yes, I know #metoo and all that, but I still like the song)

*   Christmas Comes to Harlem (Louis Armstrong)

*   Good King Wenceslas

*   The Twelve Days of Christmas

*   Here We Come A-wassailing (Here We Come A-caroling )

I send all of my blog readers my best wishes for a Merry Christmas* and a Happy New Year

* or Season's Greetings if you prefer

Twelve Worst Songs of Christmas

We are not amused.

It's that time of year again. Time to release der Alte Fritz's annual list of the twelve worst Christmas songs ever imaginable (at least to Fritz).

This year, we have a guest provider the dastardly dozen songs: my daughter Lelia Jane (better known as the world's reigning and undefeated champion of the Teddy Bear Wars).

The 2019 Guest List Judge

So without further ado, here is Lelia's list:


The Twelve Worst Christmas Songs - by Lelia Jane

1)  All I Want For Christmas Is You  - Mariah Carey

2)  Last Christmas (I Gave You My Love) - Wham!

3)  Dominick the Donkey

4)  I Want A Hippopotumus For Christmas

5)  Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt

6)  Have A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives

7)  Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms

8)  Rocking Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

9)  Santa Baby (again) - Taylor Swift

10) Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer

11)  I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Jackson Five

12)  Blue Christmas - Elvis


Some analysis by der Alte Fritz:

Some of these songs are on the "Worst" list because they are played over and over and over and over again on the radio. Others are just plain bad. None of them are caroling songs. Most of you younger boys and girls who follow my blog probably have no idea of what Christmas carols are or what carolers are. The first are only played on Christmas Eve and the second disappeared during my childhood, back in the Dark Ages. People used to gather at someone's house and go door to door singing Christmas carols.

Listening to "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" 2000 times in one day will do this to you.

This year I have taken the sensible approach and refuse to play the 24-hour Christmas music station. As a result, I don't have to listen to the wailing of Mariah or the mind numbing lyrics of Have a Holly Jolly Christmas after hearing it for the two-thousandth time in one day.

You can compare Lelia Jane's list to my list from 2018:

Last Year's Dirty Dozen List


Der Alte Fritz and Family present the Dirty Dozen list of Christmas songs every year as a public service to our readers. Avoid listening to theses songs at all cost.

The 12 Worst Songs of Christmas

Don't mess with Chips the Wonder Cat by playing any of the songs on the list.

It is Selection Sunday, that time of year again when I release my annual list of the 12 worst Christmas songs that we all hear over and over again on the one radio station that plays Christmas songs. This year we have a Selection Committee comprised of Mrs. Fritz, the Princess Fritz and me, the Original Fritz.

We have some big changes in the list, compared to last year, with a couple of songs making the list for the first time. In this #MeToo era I had to add a newcomer to the list: Baby It's Cold Outside. You know what I'm talkin' about. See the You Tube version of the song from the movie - YIKES! The committee added another newbie when we heard this song on the radio just this very morning - "All I Want for Chistmas is a Hippopotumus."

A few of the songs on the list moved down in the ranking. I added last year's rank after the song. It's not that they are any less objectionable to me or the selection committee, but there are others that annoyed us worse.

So with further ado, let's look at the horrible 2018 Twelve Daze of Christmas song list.

1.  Dominick the Donkey (3)

2.  I Want a Hippopotumus for Christmas (new)

3.  Last Christmas - by Wham! (1)

4.  All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey (2)

5.  Baby It's Cold Outside (new)

6.  Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt (4)

7.  Jingle Bell Rock - various artists (6)

8.  Rocking Around the Christmas Tree (8)

9.  Have a Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives (7)

10. Frosty the Snow Man - Jimmy Durante  (10)

11. Christmas (Baby Come Home) - Mariah Carey (9)

12. Santa Lost a Ho (5)

Dishonorable Mention

*  I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Michael Jackson (11)

*  So This Is Christmas - John Lennon

*  Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Day - Paul McCartney (12)

*  I don't know the name of the song but it's a group sing that sounds sort of like "We Are the Children"

Fife & Drum Christmas Season Hiatus

Hello everyone! I wanted to let you know that the Fife & Drum Miniatures shipping "staff" are going on holiday hiatus for the next several weeks so we will be closing shop and will be open for business again on January 1, 2019. 

You can still place orders on the Fife & Drum webstore site  here, but just be aware that any orders placed after December 18th will not be shipped until the first week of January.

Should you want to squeeze in any last minute orders, the staff can probably handle and pack orders received by Noon Central Standard Time in Chicago for shipping on December 18, 2018.

We want to wish all of our customers and visitors a joyous holiday season and a happy new year too.

We have a lot of new products in the pipeline for 2019 including the following which will be in production and available in January 2019:

Available in January 2019

Austrian horse grenadiers

French heavy cavalry in bearskins

French foot grenadiers with turnbacks and bearskin hats

French Kettle Drummer

French personality figures: Marshal de Broglie and Lt. General Chevert

Prussian postal delivery figure

Figures in the Sculpting Pipeline

We are getting back to the Fife & Drum AWI figures with a full range of Highlanders for George III's British team. There will also be some new AWI personalities including:

Generals Howe and Cornwallis

George Washington and Nathaniel Greene

Merry Christmas From Der Alte Fritz

The Great Pond of Hesse Seewald

Merry Christmas everyone. It is Christmas Eve Day and we are getting a nice blanket of snow this morning that is quite beautiful to behold. I took my dog Tiberius on a long walk this morning, headed for the secluded large pond near our house where I can let him off leash to run around in the snow.

This is our first snow of the Christmas season and it is just enough snow for a White Chistmas (Bing Crosby song) without being too much of a hassle for traveling around.

We are having 25 people at our house for Christmas Day supper, bonhomie and joy, and the sharing of presents. So I spent the morning at various grocery stores picking up the food that we had preordered for the party. I hit the store early at 8:30 A.M. so there was but a light crowd in the stores which made the shopping easy.

One needs to embrace the snow and see its beauty.

I have decided that I will embrace the snow and cold weather and look at its beauty rather than its inconvenience and chill. I took a lot of pictures with my iPhone during the walk and I thought that I would share a few of them with you.

Mother Nature is a very talented painter.

Tiberius is enjoying his unfettered romp throw the snow.

A Winter's trail winding its way through the woods
with evidence of other travelers trodding the pathway.

I want to thank all of my blog followers and visitors for taking a look at my compositions all year long. I also want to thank all of the visitors and members of the new Fife & Drum Miniatures forum that I established earlier in the year.

Forum link here.

Initially, the forum was supposed to highlight Fife & Drum AWI figures and Minden SYW figures, but then it sort of morphed into a general 18th Century information and discussion group that presents topics in a very relaxed and informal way.

Der Alte Fritz wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.
May your stockings be full of presents and may you be surrounded by friends and family.

Battle of the Bears

Der Alte Fritz & Lady Emma Cuddleston-Smythe resume their Teddy Bear Wars.
(click on all pictures to enlarge the view)

Yesterday Lady Emma Cuddleston-Smythe and Der Alte Fritz met on the field of the kitchen table in a battle of wits and dice. I leave it to you to decide who had the advantage in those categories. Lady Emma issued a challenge to Der Alte Fritz to resume the Great Teddy Bear Wars, which were last fought in 2011, so we both decided that it was time to renew the table top tilt.

General Fritz went into the battle with an abominal record of zero wins and four losses, so he hoped that in the intervening years he might have improved his generalship, or at the least, have better luck with the dice.

Basic Game Rules

We created some simple rules off the top of my head to use in the game. Movement was 6-inches in line formation and 12-inches in column or skirmish order. Pop-gun range (this is the weapon that the bears were armed with) was 6-inches. To fire, take the number of bears firing in up to two ranks deep and roll one D6 for each figure. Hits are scored on a roll of a natural six (i.e. "box cars"). Any other number of pips on the D6 is a miss. It is important to note to any kiddies that the bears that are hit are not killed, but rather, they are going into hibernation when hit by a popgun cork.

We also rolled an initiative dice (D6) to see who moves first. All firing is done simultaneously.

Game Background

The quiet little village of Honey Hollow happens to be the home of the First National Bank of M&Ms, also known as The Gingerbread Bank. Knowing that the Bank is an attractive target for certain bears who have a sweet tooth, General Blackford (Blackie) Oakes has been given the assignment of defending and protecting the village and the Bank from maurading Brown Bears.

Black Bear Objectives

The Black Bears are defending the Bank and their objective is to stop the Brown Bears from either capturing the Gingerbread Bank or stealing a majority of the M&Ms candies that are laying on the ground all over the town. Since there are 40 M&Ms on the ground, the Brown Bears must not be allowed to capture any more than 20 of the M&M pieces.

Brown Bear Objectives

The Brown Bears, led by Lady Emma Cuddleston-Smythe, are hungry and need a little bit more of candy before they go into Winter hibernation. Scouts have informed Her Ladyship that the Gingerbread Bank has recently received a new stock of the precious (and highly edible) M&Ms. The Brown Bears must either capture the Gingerbread Bank or pick up a majority (21 pieces) of M&Ms that are scattered all around the village of Honey Hollow.

Game Objectives: The Brown Bears are attacking the village because they have heard that the First National M&M Bank is chock full of M&M candies. Their objective is to capture as many M&Ms as they can and haul them away to safety. 

Victory Points: 

Victory points will be determined by the number of M&Ms that each side has captured.

Lady Emma Cuddleston-Smythe (the "Good Guys") surveys the tabletop and holds a bag of the victory points (M&Ms)

The Game Report
The Brown Bears entered the village of Honey Hollow from the east end of the table and marched towards the Gingerbread Bank at the end of the Main Street.

A view of the tabletop along Main Street.

Lady Emma moves her Brown Bears on Turn One.

The Black Bears divided their forces into two companies of 12 figures. The first company deployed in the middle of Main Street and awaited the advance of the Brown Bears. The second company of Black Bears was distributed around town in penny-packets, with at least 6 bears defending the gates of the Gingerbread Bank.

Lady Emma orders her two columns of marching bears to redeploy into two companies in
line formation so as to have the maximum number of popguns to "bear" on the Black Bears.

Lady Emma orders her Brown Bears to change formation, from column to line, and they quickly maneuver to outflank the Black Bears and have more popguns to fire than the Black Bears have.

Blackie Oakes leads his advance guard of 15 Black Bears down Main Street to  delay the advance of the Brown Bears. However, Lady Emma turns the tables on Oakes by maneuvering to outflank the Black Bears.

The first firefight of the game ensues and 5 Black Bears are hit compared to only 2  Brown Bears.

The Brown Bears continue their attack down Main Street with the Gingerbread Bank in sight.

The first firefight ends with 5 Black Bears hit and only 2 Brown Bears hit. Meanwhile, small detachments of Brown Bears forage for M&Ms that are laying on the ground. When they reach an M&M they may carry two of them back to the supply wagon (the crystal glass). Once they reach the glass, it takes a full turn to put the M&Ms into the glass. Then they can return to action.

"Daddy, we are creaming your army." exclaimed Lady Emma.

The Black Bears fall back and call in their foragers in order to strengthen their firing line with more popguns.

The Black Bears, in blue coats, are still outnumbered by the Brown Bears in pink coats.

Lady Emma Cuddleston-Smythe is pleased with the results of the game so far.

The next phase of the game

Black Bears Advance, but are still outnumbered.

Another firefight, and three more Black Bears go down compared to two Brown Bears. Foragers can be seen in the upper righthand corner.

The final phase of the game finds General Blackie Oakes realizing that he is losing, so he calls in all of his remaining Black Bears and makes a forlorn hope charge up Main Street towards the Brown Bears.

The Black Bears' Forlorn Hope.

For the Black Bears, everything now rides on the roll of the dice. They have ten D6 to roll so they think that the odds are good that they will send some Brown Bears into hibernation. We need lots of Sixes!

Der Alte Fritz gathers up all of his dice for one final throw. Everything depends on him rolling lots of boxcars. He, he, he.

Gasp! Oh the horror and futility of DAF's dice roll. Only one hit.

Oh God, we need some Sixes!

Gahhh! Only one Six out of ten dice thrown. Sauve qui peu!!!!

Lady Emma appreciates the futility of her Daddy's dice rolling.

Der Alte Fritz sees that the jig is up and he offers to surrender.

Lady Emma gives the victory signal, indicating that the game is over.

And so once again, the Brown Bears won a victory over the hapless Brown Bear army. Some would say that Daddy let his little princess win the game, but I can assure you that no quarter was asked, nor any given by Lady Emma. Her superior tactic of outflanking the Black Bears and bringing more firepower to "bear", coupled with exceptionally good dice rolling, proved to be the difference.

Der Alte Fritz's record of wins and losses is now 0-5. He will be banished from the Premier League. However, he has asked for a rematch after Christmas Day so stay tuned for another round of the Great Teddy Bear Wars.