From SanderS: It aint over till the Fat Sander sang...

 Hoi there,

Another Challenge has gone by and I am rather happy with my results even though I failed to reach my set target. This was the first year in which I only painted stuff I actually felt like painting rather than miniatures I needed done or off my table. This was absolutely more pleasing and I will keep that as my motivation for following Challenges. 

It was an absolute blast participating alongside such esteemed Challengers as you all are and as such I am keenly aware I have not replied to your posts as much as you all deserve, I hope to rectify that in the future. As for what I finished together with the obligatory mug-shot:

My favourite figures this Challenge were of course the Bretonnians and while I have but scratched the top of the pile I need to do to get the force table-ready I am pleased with them all the same. 

The Library Theme was great fun and books very prominent in my Challenge experiences this year. I did buy the Legend of the Green Knight (translated by J.R.R. Tolkien) in the end and it's now on my to read pile. As a teacher I have the privilege to go on field trips and help organise them. Last year we first went to Waterloo and we got to go there just a few weeks ago again. 

This is me at the Waterloo Panorama, an oldie but a treasure all the same. I brought along my copy of Mercer's Journal and took a picture at the last known site where his battery was located on the field of battle before pursuit of the French army started. 

As for my Challenge contribution: as Martijn has already stated Dutch (and Belgian Libraries) are state funded and do not accept donations but I have tried to alleviate my contribution in two different ways: first up our school has plans to renovate and build a new building soon. Our history department will be getting lots of bookshelves and I will donate part of my historical fiction library to it in order to have the pupils be able to read about history in a more fun way as opposed to from the regular text books.

Next my wife and I (be honest mostly my wife) arranged for the 4 of us to have an animal sponsored through myfahlo.com. It's a format that lets you donate money to a cause that helps safeguard endangered animals around the world and you get to track "your"animal by way of it's GPS transponder. Both our lads are heavily into conserving the planet and saving animals so I got an elephant and Arthur a Sea Turtle. I hope you find this okay Curt! 

Talking about the great Snowlord; no Challenge would be possible without the endless energy and ministrations of Curt, the Lady Sarah and the long suffering minions: thank you all heaps from both Arthur and myself. Specially Teemu and Sylvain of course who were tasked with herding the van Straeten boys this Challenge. Oh and Sylvain you are still going to tell us how we can obtain those excellent  Musée des Fossiles mugs!

So thank you all and see you next year,

Cheers Sander