Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!
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This is my last post before Christmas so let me start by wishing everyone who reads this a very Merry Christmas. This year has been difficult for us all and I will reflect more on that at year end, in the meanwhile I hope you and yours have a truly great time or at least as good as the circumstances allow. I should also add that there will be no Saturday post from me this week as it is Boxing Day and I plan to sit down, eat, drink and watch back to back films!
As far as this weeks miniatures go all I have to offer is two more Dixon Confederates. The good news is there are now only two more in my little pile to do. As far as these two go they were just a run of the mill paint job and as Forrest Gump would say “That’s all I have to say about that”.
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Well It Made Me Laugh
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Christmas Past. Present and Future
I appreciate this will sound like Bah Humbug but Christmas Present for me leaves a great deal to be desired. I love the food and drink and am happy to see family and friends and play a few games and watch the telly. I really want to enjoy the occasion and to some extent I will but in truth Christmas Present isn’t that great.
My family is all grown up and this year Covid-19 has pretty much put a block on virtually all the things we would typically do in the lead up to the festive period. Accordingly I am left with the fondest of memories of Christmas Past from when I was a kid to when my own kids were young. Christmas is for kids after all and right now little children do not feature in my family. Hopefully, and all in good time, Christmas Future will address this.
In the meanwhile my only option is to act like a big kid myself. If Father Christmas does not bring me what I want I will throw a tantrum!
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Thunderbolt Mountain
A shout out to Mark A Morin to say a big thank you for two packs of Thunderbolt Mountain figures which he kindly sent me recently. Not a manufacturer I had ever heard of but Mark provided the historic details and some amazing information on the sculptor (as only Mark can). Having been bequeathed them himself but knowing he would never get round to doing them he kindly wondered if I might be interested and duly posted them to me all the way from the good old US of A.
The sculpts are quite different from what I normally do and the scale is a little smaller but I certainly aim to have a crack at one of the sets in the fullness of time. Thanks again Mark, very kind of you.
If you want to see why Mark hasn’t got the time to do them himself then check out his blog by following the link above to see what he has been up to on his Aztec project.
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Give Me Five
I couldn’t ignore the time of year so this week I have gone for my 5 best Christmas films. Not a huge list to choose from but I actually had to leave out a couple of films that I really like. Decisions must however be made and as such here are my top five in no particular order.
- Love Actually
- Die Hard
- Home Alone
- It’s A Wonderful Life
- Last Christmas
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This week TIM has been listening to …
“Happy Christmas War Is Over” by John Lennon. Being Christmas I thought it appropriate to have a festive song this week and as December 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of his death outside the Dakota building in New York I couldn’t think of a more appropriate song. R.I.P. John Lennon.
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This week TIM has been watching …
“Motherless Brooklyn” starring Edward Norton who also directed the film. Not the greatest plot but not a bad film despite that. Worth a watch in my opinion if only for some fantastic acting by Norton himself.
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Remember …
If your wife says you are a skeptic don’t believe a word she says.
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TIM
“The South will rise”
nice minis TIM
great choice of christmas movies
To you as well a merry christmas all the more with the current situation and to enjoy the coming even more!
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Thank you and enjoy yours to. 🙂
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I hope that you have a good and safe Christmas and make the most of it, regardless of the state of the world.
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Likewise Jean, all the best to you and your family. 🙂
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Deffo on the way to being an army painter mate… Panic if you get the sixth guy done and find yourself thinking ‘hmm… ten is a better number, so I only need to do four more… but then they’ll need a leader – maybe an officer on a horse? But then he would look understaffed, so I’ll need to do another ten troops… and what about a cannon?’
That’s how it starts mate, you mark my words!
‘Merry Christmas ya filthy animal’ (Kevin, Home Alone)
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Haha, I can see how it comes about that’s for sure! Have a good one Alex with the family and a great quote! 🙂
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Great work on the southern gentleman TIM, as for Christmas movies Die Hard is a tradition in our house, the children can’t start decorating until Hans Gruber has fallen off the Nakotami tower, additional one would be Gremlins and Home Alone. The joke was good and is proof that the English language can be misconstrued so often !
Hope you have a safe and Merry Christmas
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Thanks Dave. I do like Christmas tradition and the Die Hard one seems very sensible! 😉 Enjoy your family time. 🙂
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We introduced my 4 year old to Home Alone this year. It felt right and proper to do so. She loved the slapstick! I’ll leave Gremlins for a few years as I know it will scare her shitless 😂
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A wise move but when she is ready to see it you know she is going to love it. 🙂
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Nice work on the figs, perhaps you could paint up enough for a skirmish game?
Good joke heard it at work the other week 😊, don’t really have any favourite Xmas films, (the old Rankin Bass, version of Rudolf the red nosed reindeer perhaps?), and sadly I actually don’t like any of your choices (sorry), perhaps it’s because my wife is hammering the Christmas movies at the moment, there was one on the other week that was just “home alone” but with talking dogs instead of a kid!!
I actually found myself watching “White Christmas” the other night, till I told myself to snap out of it!
I liked you last comment, reminded me of….”Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you!”
Have a good Christmas (even if it’s not as good as the old ones!).
Cheers Roger.
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Thanks Roger. As for the films it wouldn’t do for us to all like the same. In fairness festive films tend to be very cheesy and are best watched having consumed large quantities of alcohol with a glass in hand during as well. Have a good one. 🙂
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Nice minis! 🙂 I particularly like the guy biting the top of the cartridge. You could probably have guessed that I’m not a Christmas films fan – for me, Die Hard just happens to be an action film that takes place near Christmas. But there’ll no doubt be enough repeats on the telly to keep me occupied while I’m scoffing my way through the holiday period! Hope you have a good one!
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I have a feeling you will cope and get through Christmas John. It may take a lot of drink to make that happen but my money is on you doing it! Have a good one and here’s hoping I get the right film choices and hit the right music notes for you in 2021. 😉
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🙂
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Merry Christmas hope you haveca good one. Also I must point out you missed the best Christmas film… Zulu! Why I consider this a Christmas film I don’t know, but I do and its great!
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Zulu is a classic and one of my all time favourite films. Not sure it is a Christmas film although I suspect it has been on the TV a few times like The Great Escape at that time of the year. Hope you and the family have a great time. 🙂
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Thanks, and yer I guess its just that as always watch it this time of year.
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“Run of the mill paint job” he says?! Pshaw! I’d take that run of the mill of paint job over my ‘painted by a 2 year old’s foot job’ anyday! (No offense meant to any 2 year olds who happen to read this and are angered by the poor painting comparison)
Ah, the Holidays. Sometimes such mixed feelings. For us, we’re keeping it close to home. Ordered a lot online, as seems to be the norm, but finding presents get’s trickier as they get older. Especially my age, as I’m very specific about which minis they should buy me, haha!
Movie wise, the young one, is still young, so the family will probably be watching some animated thing. Maybe I’ll try to find a Rankin Bass movie online.
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and looking forward to seeing what you tackle next!
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Nothing wrong with your painting that’s for sure! I think Christmas will be strange for us all this year and as for buying presents and what to get it does become harder and harder every year. I hope it all goes well for you and you enjoy the family time, precious moments and memories. 🙂
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Merry Christmas Dave to you and yours. We are blessed in having our 4 year old granddaughter around (we are involved with her daycare) and will see Mom, so that’s nice. Great to see the world as a 4 year old does, especially these days. Appreciate the shout out and yes, that’s exactly right – though I’m hoping more folks take a look at my blog and even enter the free contest as you have. 2021 will have you winning gold at Telford again (if it happens) but I was happy to just award you Thunderbolt Mountain lead (which I am glad you liked!). Cheers my friend!
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As always perfectly painted – models eyes, something great. Wish you Merry Christmas, healthy with hope of better tomorrow.
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Thank you and and all the best to you and your family. 🙂
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Merry Christmas, TIM! I know what you mean about Christmas not being the same this year. I had a nice holiday but it definitely wasn’t the same not seeing family. The Dixon minis came out well and I’m looking forward to a year full of Dio-bolical updates in 2021! 🙂
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Thank you. Role on 2021 for all of us.
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I’m a big fan of Edward Norton so I’ll have to check the movie out soon. The figures are really nice. I don’t think I’ve ever painted any Dixon minis. May have to look into that. Mark is a very generous chap. Ima. Big kid, as you know, so I’m always excited for Christmas but of course it’s all about watching the kids have fun more than what I get or so etc. One thing that I really love about Christmas is that everyone is happy. There’s a happy buzz in the air and Covid didn’t even effect it, although it tried.
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Yes Mark is an all round good guy isn’t he. Glad you had a good Christmas. First year without my son at home so ours was a bit weird to be honest but that’s all part of life moving on.
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