Grandma's babysitting tonight!

Grandma's here!

 What do you have?

 If I get really, really close will I be able to see what you have?

 It's a camera!  ;-}  SMILE!  Show me your new teeth, please.  Thank you!

 Look at this new soft toy . . .

I can climb on it . . .

 Did you see me?  Shall I do it again?

You can't catch me with the camera, I'm too fast!

Leif Erikson monument

 Leif Erikson monument garden, Shilshole marina

Several weeks ago I took some pictures to send to my friend in France so he could see what it looks like here in Seattle.  One of the places I visited was Shilshole marina in Ballard.  At the marina is the Leif Erikson statute and “rock” garden monument.   Currently there are 13 runic like stones containing plaques with the names of Scandinavian immigrants.  A final stone, number 14, is being prepared and will have room for several hundred names.  There was a small display by the rock garden that included a brochure explaining the project and how to make a donation to submit a name for the last stone.  Our family has so many immigrants I thought it would be nice to have at least one name on a stone.  At that time there was room for approximately 200 more names on the 14th stone.  

Our family history really is one of immigration and not that many generations back either.  
1,2,3 & 4.  Henry and Catharina Lorig, Catharina's brother and sister, Adolph & Agnes Schloeder are the earliest immigrants arriving in 1854 but they came from the Rheinland-Pfalz area of Germany and cannot be considered for inclusion on the plaque.  Below is a chronological list of some of our Scandinavian immigrant ancestors.


5. 1880 – I. C. Lee, Telemark, Norway

6. 1892 – Mikkeline Oliva Landaas (“Maggie”), Bergen, Norway

7. 1893 – Petra Kathinka Landaas, Bergen, Norway

8. 1897 – Adolph Johan Landaas, Bergen, Norway

9.  1898 – Axel William Schrøder, Bornholm, Denmark

10. 1901 – Harald Christian Landaas, Bergen, Norway

11. 1901 – Cornelius Landaas, Bergen, Norway

12. 1901 – Peder Johan Mikkelsen Landaas, Bergen, Norway

13 & 14.  1901 – John Mikalsen Hornnes & Lydia Gabrielsdatter, Hornnes, Norway

15. 1902 – Karen Olsdatter Kalvetræ Landaas, Bergen, Norway

16. 1902 – Klara Kristofa Landaas, Bergen, Norway

17.  before 1903 – Samuel Hillevang, Bergen, Norway (married Klara Landaas)

18 & 19. 1902 – Nora Landaas, Bergen, Norway  [Nora’s husband, Johan “Johnny” Johansen was also an immigrant, no arrival date.]

20. 1902 – Sigrid Johanne Landaas, Bergen, Norway

21.  1902 – Trygve Landaas, Bergen, Norway

22. 1902 – Anna Mikalsdatter Hornnes, Hornnes, Norway

23.  1902 – Hansine Margrethe Kjøller Schrøder, Bornholm, Denmark

24 & 25. 1903 – Didrik Thompson (“Dick”), Bergen, Norway  [Dick’s 2nd wife Celia Skage was also a Norwegian immigrant but I do not have her immigration year.]

26 & 27.  1908 -- Anna & Sadie Stean, Hornnes, Norway  [I did not count Marie since she returned to Norway]
 
28.  1909  -- Wilhelmina Valle (married Harald Landaas), Bergen, Norway

29, 30, & 31.  1910 -- Berent Berentsen, Anna Berentsen, & Bergliot Berentsen, Bergen, Norway


32.  1910  --  Gunnie Osmund, Gåseflå, Norway (Gunnie's husband, L.R. Swanson was also an immigrant from Sweden.)

33 & 34.  1914 (?)  -- Anna & Oline Espetveit, Hornnes, Norway

35 & 36.  1925 – Henrik Valle & Ragnvald Valle (Wilhelmina’s brothers) Bergen, Norway

Since I do not have all the information for some of the extended family members, among those not counted are Magda, the niece of I.C. Lee, and her husband, Erling Hylland, from Skien, Telemark, Norway who returned to Norway; John Stean, brother of Anna, Sadie & Marie, from the Hornnes, Norway area who immigrated to Canada; Dick Thompson's sister, Alfhild Thompson Skage; and I.C. Lee's brother, A.C. Lee who arrived some time after 1880 from Telemark, Norway and eventually settled in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Birger Berentsen, the nephew of Karen Landaas, arrived in 1909/1910 and went almost immediately to Alaska.  Ingrid Hylland the daughter of Magda and Erling did come to the United States as a high school student I think in the 1950s and lived with the Jones family in Walla Walla, Washington.  She graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla and later married Jerry Jesseph.  They had two sons one of whom has returned to Norway.  The family lived for a short time in Seattle.  Ingrid died in Seattle at age 38.

Certificate

 In addition to having a name engraved on the plaque for the stone a very nice certificate is sent to the donor.  I was not expecting the certificate; therefore, it was a lovely surprise.  The letter that arrived with the certificate said that additional copies were available for a fee of $4.00 each.  I thought this might be information readers would like to know since if families went in together to make the donation they could all get certificates for a nominal extra fee. 

 Why did I choose Axel Schrøder?  Because he was in his young years a sailor and he arrived prior to 1900.  Where the monument is located is a marina and the annual blessing of fishing fleet occurs here so it seemed fitting that if I could only choose one it should be a sailor.  Now that I know there are more spaces it might be possible to add another name.  The Leif Erikson Foundation hopes to have the last stone installed in 2013 so I am guessing not too many spaces are remaining at the time of this writing.  If any readers wish to have a name inscribed on the stone it would be prudent to contact the foundation soon.

 Part of the Shilshole marina

Below is a scanned copy of a portion of the brochure. Should any readers want to consider making a donation and adding a name to the stone, application forms are available on line at www.leiferikson.org.  

 

Leif Erikson Foundation brochure

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 69

                                      “Juleglide” by Lars Jorde, 1895-1896

Else Marie Roland sent me this postcard many years ago.  I had no idea how famous this image called “Juleglide” was until I started looking for information about the artist.  The Norwegian artist and illustrator, Lars Jorde, painted the picture shown on this postcard above in 1895/1896.  It measures 108 x 143 cm or 42” x 56” and is oil on canvas.  The original painting is to be found at the Norwegian National Gallery in Oslo.   As the title suggests it is a Christmas sledding/sliding scene with the sled tracks evident on the snowy hillside.   

There are four or five sleighs or sleds and several figures though they are somewhat difficult to see.  People are in the open lit doorway, one person by the pony with the lantern on the snowy ground and another figure kneeling in the snow by a sled.  At first I thought the tree branches were reflections in the lit windows but upon a more careful examination it proved to be trees in front of the house.  The artist’s choice of colors emphasizes the cold outdoors and the warmth inside.  It is easy to imagine laughing children sliding down that hill in the sleds and the ponies pulling the sleds back up the hill for another ride.

Lars Jorde was born in Vang, Norway in 1865 and later settled in Lillehammer, Oppland, Norway.   He died in 1939.  Several of his works are displayed in the Norwegian National Gallery in Oslo. 

He illustrated the non-fiction account of the polar expedition of 1893-1896 written by Fridtjof Nansen and Otto Neumann Sverdrup titled “Fram over polhavet” written in 1897.  He also illustrated the novel “I cancelliraadens dage” by Trygve Andersen published in 1907.  This book is a series of ten short stories based on Norwegian legends that are linked together through the people and villages in such a way to make one complete story or book. 

A check of Google Images under the name Lars Jorde will show many of his works.  He painted in several different styles so it is interesting to look at the images. 

O Christmas Tree

 

Today with the help of the Gimlets I got a Christmas tree.  In past years we have always had a large tree, sometimes so large it needed to be cut off a bit to fit without poking a hole in the ceiling.  These big trees required that the heavy living room furniture be moved and now that Bopa is not here to help it seemed wiser to get a small tree and put it on top of an end table.   So this little tree came to the house today.  The cat is not the only one confused.

It only took one string of 35 lights and a fraction of my vast collection of ornaments but here is the finished product.  And, yes, I do realize that the top ornament is crooked.  It always is.  That has become a tradition of sorts so I don’t even try to straighten it any more.  

The cookies are in the tins.  The presents will soon be wrapped and under this little tree.  It is time to sing carols and wish all of you Merry Christmas!

'Tis the season, cookies, 9

 

Gingersnaps—a crisp cookie with a burst of molasses, ginger, cinnamon and clove flavors.   These cookies are easy to make and are one of the few cookies where I use shortening instead of butter and the mixer instead of a wooden spoon or my hands.  The shortening makes the cookies crisp and the “snap” in Gingersnap, I think, is supposed to mean super crisp.  Makes 5 to 6 dozen small to medium sized cookies that keep well. 

Gingersnaps

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
¾ cup shortening
¼ cup molasses  [the original recipe called for light molasses but I use dark molasses for more flavor]
1 egg

Use an electric mixer to cream 1 cup of the sugar and the shortening until light and fluffy.  Add molasses and egg.  When well blended slowly add the flour, flavorings, baking soda and salt.  If the dough is too sticky to handle put it in the refrigerator for about one hour.  When ready to bake, pinch off small amounts and form into 1 to 1 ½ inch balls.  Roll the balls of dough in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and place on greased cookie sheets.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.  

During the baking the cookies will flatten out and get cracks or crinkles on the surface.  This is supposed to happen!  I was worried the first time I made them as they looked so different when they came out of the oven.  One problem when using the dark molasses is that it is hard to tell when the cookies are done because they are dark colored to begin with so you will have to test one out after it has cooled to see if it is crisp enough.  My oven is “slow” so I often have to add a minute to two to the suggested baking times.  



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From:  McCall's Cook Book, page 186

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 68

 Champs-Élysées, Paris, France, ca 1900-1915

Reverse

This charming postcard dating from about 1900 to WWI shows “la plus belle avenue du monde” or the most beautiful avenue in the world--Champs-Élysées in Paris, France.  The photo on the card was taken from the Place de la Concorde looking toward the Arc de Triomphe that is just barely visible in the center background.  The card has the number 20 at the top and in the lower right corner is J.M.T. Paris.  Probably the photographer or the publisher as there is no publishing information on the reverse side.  Many of these old cards that I collect are unused and therefore do not have messages from 100 years ago, however, this one is a used card.  My friend in France sent the card to me and kindly translated the message as from:  "Moreau warrant officer on leave" with a greeting "I shake your hand, dear old fellow."  

 It is fun to notice the way the people are dressed, the ladies walking with parasols and pedestrians crossing the street.  There are a few automobiles but also several horse drawn carriages and buggies.  The roadway is paved today but in the postcard it looks more like cobblestones or bricks. 

Paris is divided into Arrondissements that “coil” clockwise out from the center of the city like the spirals on a shell.  The Champs-Élysées is located in the 8th Arrondissement northwest of the city center.  The avenue is lined with clipped chestnut trees and contains luxury specialty shops, cafés, cinemas, and is considered one of the most expensive strips of real estate in the world. 
 
From the top of the Arc de Triomphe* the avenue seems to stretch out almost to infinity but is in actuality about 1.18 miles.   Today the traffic on the avenue is more or less constant day and night and much different than the modes of transportation shown on the card.   Wide sidewalks or footpaths have been created on either side and there are crosswalks but pedestrians no longer can walk in the street as shown on the card nor are horse drawn buggies and carriages the norm. 

View from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

Before 1616 the avenue was fields and market gardens.  It was Marie de Medici who extended the Tuileries Garden with an avenue of trees.   Louis XIV had the avenue transformed by the landscape architect André Le Nôtre and it was then called “Grand Cours” or the Great Course in 1670.  It was not until 1709 that it took its current name of Champs Élysées.  It was several more years before the avenue became what is now familiar.  Because of the size and proximity to famous landmarks the avenue has been the site of notable parades.  Every year on Bastille Day the largest military parade in Europe is held on this avenue.  The famous Tour de France bicycle race has finished here since 1975.  Huge gatherings take place on New Year’s Eve and spontaneous political gatherings occur here and at the Place de la Concorde to the east also. 

Try and imagine this avenue at Christmastide when there are special lights all along it, sometimes making it look like snow is falling from the trees.  So beautiful.   And that is why I posted this card on this first Thursday in December. 




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Notes:
For more information about the avenue, more pictures and an almost identical postcard from 1890 see this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paris.champs.elysee1890.jpg

*When we got to the top of the Arc de Triomphe we were all directionally confused at first, so I hope this is facing east toward Place de la Concorde and apologize if it is not. 

As always, thank you to my friend for the card and for the translation.  Both are much appreciated.

'Tis the season, cookies, 8

These cookies are for my European cousins and friends who have asked for a typical American cookie.  I make chocolate chip cookies at other times of the year but not necessarily at Christmas, however, they are about American as apple pie so here it is.  The recipe comes conveniently printed right on the bag of Nestle’s chips.

Chocolate Chip Cookies  (Toll House Cookies)

2 ¼ cups of flour
1-teaspoon baking soda
1-teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12 oz. package) chocolate chips

Since many people have nut allergies I omit the nuts but if you like them and can eat nuts feel free to add:

1 cup chopped nuts (optional—recommended nuts are walnuts or pecans)

Cream the butter, sugars and vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time mixing well.  Next add the flour, salt, and soda (sifting together before adding to the butter mixture is also optional).   The final thing to add is the bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (& nuts).  Stir together.  The dough should be fairly stiff.

Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 9 to 12 minutes or until crispy and brown.  This cookie is good as a soft cookie (bake less time) or a crisp cookie (bake longer).  I prefer the crispy cookie but some people really like them soft and the chocolate gooey (the chips melt a little during the baking).  Makes between 5 and 6 dozen medium sized cookies.


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Last minute tip from a friend--try dusting the chips and/or nuts with flour before adding the flour to the wet mixture.  This is supposed to help keep the chips and nuts more evenly distributed in the dough.