SYTTENDE MAI

17th of May in Oslo, Norway

May 17th is one of those bitter/sweet days.  Last year I drove out to Frontier with my granddaughter Ashley and we took in the celebrations at the Senior Citizen's Centre in town. We had such a fun time.  Ashley enjoyed playing with her second cousins.  Here she is with my sister Sandra and her grandchildren - Rhett, Katie, and Blaine.  Little did we know that Blaine would not be with us for another 17th of May and Rhett would be recovering in hospital in Saskatoon after a tragic accident on April 24th this year.

Blaine, Katie and Ashley 2014

Ten years ago Howard and I took our first trip to Norway with Brekke Tours.  We landed in Oslo on May 16, 2005 and enjoyed watching the children's parade go past us on their way to the palace.  May 17th is Norway's constitution day and a national holiday.  I took mostly videos of the parade but will add a couple taken that year on the first of our four trips to Norway. I have made two trips since, with Sandra in 2012 and Laurel in 2013.  Alan and I are looking forward to a visit when it works out for Todd's and for us.

Seated beside the klipp fisk lady in
the harbour at Kristiansund

Enjoying this view of the bridge on the Atlantic highway

Roads had just been opened on Trollstigen

Enjoying lunch after negotiating the above road!

Sandra's daughter, Mareena, in Kristiansund's 17th of May, 2005
She and Gavin went to Norway for a delayed honeymoon.

Today also marks the third anniversary of Howard's passing in 2012 so our thoughts go back to that day too.  God's timing was perfect as all the Erickson and Johnson siblings as well as all our nieces and nephews were able to be with us for the funeral service.  The weather was beautiful and allowed many of the family to camp in trailers right in our yard.  That wouldn't have worked today with an inch of rain overnight and a very muddy yard.  We needed the rain!  There are frost warnings for tonight so we hope it isn't cold enough to damage crops, trees and other plants.

Eleven Erickson cousins

Clare, Laurel, Elaine, Todd, Kirk

Erickson siblings - Alan, Merv, Elaine, Sandra

Howard's sister Ardis, Kris, Stacy, Ava and Samuel

Little did I know that three years later I would no longer be living alone at the farm but now married to my first boyfriend from high school days in Frontier!  Alan (Lutz) is glad to be living on a farm again as he grew up on a farm just seven miles west of Frontier. We are so happy and thankful to be together. I am enjoying getting to know my new family.  I kept my Johnson name after having it for close to 49 years now.

On Friday Alan booked a bus trip to take in three Blue Jay games in Minneapolis.  We leave from Estevan on May 28 so are looking forward to that trip with Stagecoach Tours from Weyburn.  Alan is an avid baseball fan and it's a game that I enjoy too, much more than hockey!

Today we have pictures from the Johnsons in Førde, Norway to share with you as they celebrated their first 17th of May in that city.

Nora in her new bunad

Enjoying an ice cream treat after the parade

Nora, Todd and Kristy on May 17, 2015

We didn't have a feast of Norsk goodies today but I did get a batch of lefse made so that was our treat today.  Have a great week.  Now we need some warmer weather after the COLD days this weekend. Not very nice camping weather for this long weekend.