A Wargaming Christmas!

Without snow on the ground, I spent a couple of hours on Christmas day outdoors on the bicycle.  With temperatures hovering around 32F, it was a cold ride even in the sun.  Decked out in cold-weather cycling gear and insulated shoes, riding in the sun was tolerable but in the shade the roads were frosty and the air, damn cold.  Still, it was enjoyable to get out on the bike and break the monotony of indoor cycling.  Having put 30 miles into my legs, I returned home to thaw.

Christmas 2014 was full of pleasant surprises on the wargaming front.  Starting early, a package from my Secret Santa brought forth SYW Prussian figures from Eureka Miniatures.

Eureka SYW Prussians

As a most welcome bonus, my Secret Santa provided this loot in proportions exactly matching my project specifications.  That is, six figures per cavalry squadron and 22 musketeers and one mounted officer per infantry battalion.  I really appreciate the attention to detail of my benefactor. 

Next up, two generous Gift Certificates to Eureka Miniatures.  One certificate was from Phil of Toy Soldiers Studio and the other from my wife.  I have some enjoyable planning ahead of me.  Will I restock the SYW or the Napoleonics?  More FRW figures are needed for the 1799 project.  Perhaps, a bit of all three!

Jeff, of Saxe-Bearstein, Project ECW, and perhaps a few other blogs (!), sent a gift of Haythornthwaite's Colonial Wars Sourcebook.  Inside was a note stating that colonial gaming was somehow being overlooked on my blog and that I should consider NWF!  With friends like this...

Curiously and without fanfare, a package from Finland arrived.  Inside was a large chocolate bar with gingerbread.  Never heard of such a delicacy before.  No idea from whence it originates but I look forward to a taste.

Before the group's Commands & Colors Christmas game, a gift exchange included a couple of books from Kevin,

and The Great Courses lectures on CD from Scott.

My wife also delivered three volumes of the excellent Wargaming in History series.  Wow!  How about that!

Finally, from daughter #2, came Hartwig's To Antietam Creek and a few monster-sized Charleston Chews (a weakness of mine).  She cleverly plucked the Hartwig tome from my Amazon Wish List.

A tremendous amount of reading awaits as well as a few sessions of project planning to arrive at a solution to the Eureka Gift Card puzzle.

Thank you all very much for your thoughtfulness and generosity!