MAY DAYS

Clare, via a selfie!

May days are busy days on the farm.  Clare is busy seeding, spraying, fixing etc.  He has a great hired man, Gerry, to help him but many days there's work for Alan and me too.  Yesterday we made an early trip to Weyburn for an appointment at 8:00 am.  We also picked up some parts for Clare (actually machinery parts not parts for Clare!) and left the city by 8:15.  Later in the day Alan made a trip just west of Torquay for spray and we helped move a vehicle to the land east of here.  Clare ended up in the yard at supper time so no take-outs this time.

Tuesday, May 17th is a special day in Norway as it marks the day their constitution was signed.  Children's parades are common all across the country with everyone dressed in their finest, especially in bunads, their regional outfits for special days.  Nora marched with several others from the barnehage that she attends.  Here is a picture from their day.

Frontier always organizes a special afternoon for Syttende Mai and Sandra was in charge of the program again this year.  You won't find this much Norsk baking anywhere in Norway!  With parades the main even there, they will be eating hotdogs (polse) and ice cream from vendors on the streets, a far cry from all the lefse, rommegrot, flatbrød, søtsuppe, rosettes, sandbakkels, krumkake, bløtkake and so on, everything except lutefisk!  Here's a link to hear their Norsk music.  Just click below, then click on the "Go to link"and it should take you there.
https://www.facebook.com/sandra.sanford.754/videos/10153492272250966/

Alan and I are packing up and heading for Minneapolis to take in three Blue Jays versus Minnesota Twins ballgames.  We took this same bus trip a year ago and really enjoyed it so are set to do it again.  We don't know who will be on the bus with us but it's full this year and there's a second one going too. It picks us up in Estevan.

There are new blessings in the family!  No, not the immediate family but in the extended Johnson family.  These twins are Hartley and Louise Halvorson's grandchildren, born on May 16 to Lakin and Chris Cozman of Regina.  They each weighed 5 lb so are off to a good start. Their names are Greta Lia and Leo Halvor. So sweet!

Don Vinge is also a new Grandpa!  Here he is with little Maia, another little sweety, this one for Peder and his wife Nalelly, who is originally from Mexico.  She and Peder met in China while they were both teaching there.  They are now living with Grandpa Don in Edmonton while Peder works on his Masters degree.  How wonderful for Don to watch this precious little granddaughter grow and develop right in his own house!

We are anticipating the arrival of a new grandchild in July in Førde, Norway and are planning a trip to see Todd, Kristy, Nora and the new baby at the end of July.  We told Nora that we are coming to visit and she was excited with that news. So are we! It will be Alan's first trip overseas and my seventh but my first to the area where Todd's now live.  It's not that far from Sogn where the Stensons (my Grandma Sophia Erickson's dad) emigrated from in the 1850's.  We will have to visit that area, about an hour and a half drive from Førde.

Well, that will be it for this week and covers the highlights of the last while.  I'll update you on the ball trip next time!