Cleanliness is next to godliness, or so the saying goes; but for folks in the Nordic countries, it may be the other way around. They “vask” themselves and “vask” their homes with religious zeal. The Finns have gone so far as to create a temple to bathing. They have their own popular saying: “Two places… More Spring Cleaning in Scandinavia: Squeaky Clean and Squeaky Green
Yesterday, May 27th, was the seventh anniversary of the 10th birthday of our beloved leader. In other words, Julie Ingebretsen is celebrating her 70th birthday. Julie is the granddaughter of Ingebretsen’s founder, Charles Ingebretsen, Sr., and the daughter of Charles (aka Bud and aka Hoot) Ingebretsen, Jr. Julie is the oldest child of four. Her… More Happy Birthday Julie Ingebretsen
This is a folktale called “The Pancake” or “The Runaway Pancake.” The story is most likely Russian or Scandinavian in origin, and was first written down in Norway in the mid nineteenth century. In Russia, the pancake is a kind of doughy cake called Kolobok. There are versions recorded at around the same time in… More Scandinavian Folklore and Folktales #3: The Runaway Pancake