VISITORS!

Visitors to Torquay
Mandy, Ashley, Kari, Aslak, Hallvard, Jon Erik

We had a very special weekend at the Johnson/Lutz home with a household of ten people for two days.  Clare and daughter Abbey joined us on Friday evening along with my sister Sandra from Frontier and her daughter Mandy Peakman from Lacombe, AB.  They arrived just ahead of guests from Oslo, Norway - Kari Eika, her husband Jon Erik Finnvold and sons Hallvard 14 and Aslak 7.  Our granddaughter Ashley had been here since July 4 after their family trip to the Black Hills.

We enjoyed a pizza supper and then Clare took the visitors on a farm tour to our land six miles east of here.  He also showed them the future site of the thermal energy plant that is planned for this area.  Here's a link http://www.miningandenergy.ca/rockstars/article/mining_for_heat_saskatchewans_geothermal_project/

Ten of us all found places to sleep and three bathrooms came in handy too!  It was fun to have a full house again.  Jon Erik said it was the best night of their trip.  They had been tenting in Yellow Stone and then in the Black Hills so I'm sure just being in a bed was good! They enjoy simple, healthy meals so oatmeal porridge with cinnamon, ground flaxseed and blueberries with whole wheat toast was our breakfast.

The Eikas are not family, they just feel like it!  Kari has roots in Torquay.  Her grandparents had a general store here in the twenties.  Kari's father Hallvard, an uncle and aunt were born in Torquay.  It isn't often that Norwegians come to Canada to trace their roots but this trip was partly to show her sons where their grandfather was born and spent the first years of his life.  The Eikas returned to Norway for a time, then came back. The thirties hit and it was not a good time to be in business here.  So once more the family returned to Norway and this time they stayed.  Kari had visited Torquay in 1975 but we didn't meet at that time.

Sandra and I met Kari when we took a trip to Norway in 2012, just two months after Howard passed away on May 17, Norway's Independence Day.  Kari met us at the Oslo airport, took us to their home and we toured Oslo with her and the boys for two days. 

Sandra and Kari sharing a treat

Vigeland Park, Oslo with Kari, Hallvard and Aslak

Mealtime with the family
Hallvard was 7, Aslak  almost 1

At the Eika reunion in 2012

 Then Kari took us to an Eika reunion where we were treated like family members.  Sandra and I spent two nights with her cousins in Skien. Kjetil took us to meet the train on Monday morning and we were on our way to meet Todd's in Bergen.

Now it was our turn to return the hospitality that she had once shown us, strangers but with Torquay connections!  Everyone helped out with food which I really appreciated.  Thanks Sandra, Mandy and Laurel for making it a great potluck weekend!  The rhubarb cream pie was a big hit with Jon Erik and he went home with Sandra's recipe.  I remember a quote of his when we visited them in Norway "Cooking is too important to be left to women."

Laurel arrived on Saturday and took six of them on a tour.  Some went swimming at Estevan's Leisure Centre.  Mandy and Laurel went shopping and found gifts for the boys - Blue Jay shirts and caps.  They were very pleased to have ball caps.

Norsk Blue Jay fans!

Sandra and I had a roast beef supper ready but spending time in Torquay was more important than supper! (We kept things warm!)  They walked the streets of Torquay and found the house where her grandparents had lived. It was once owned by Clinton and Muriel Pederson before they moved to the farm.

Getting ten of us ready for Trinity's morning service at nine on Sunday morning was a challenge but we made it!  Kari was thrilled when Ray and Verna Daae showed her the Red Cross quilt top in the auditorium.  It was made in the twenties as a project to raise funds for the Red Cross.  For ten cents a person could get their name on this top, red letters on a white background.  Kari was named after her grandmother whose name was on this special quilt. Her grandfather's name was right beside it.

Blair went to look for the Torquay History book in the office.  Instead of that, he came out with Trinity's record book with headings in Norwegian!  Kari was able to see records of her father's baptism as well as those of his brother and sister.  She was busy capturing this information on her camera, another thrill for her.  It was noted in the book that Kari's father was the last baby baptized by Pastor Voldal.  He met a tragic death on Dec. 26, 1920 when he was thrown out of the buggy on an icy corner on his way from Torquay service to Bromhead.

There were other special guests at this service as well.  Phil Risto's mother, Francis was there from Ontario.  Darlene (Cranna) Olson was there with her triplet girls!  Here's a picture taken after service with Darlene, her parents Bob and Carolyn Cranna with Arya, Brooklyn and Charlotte. They have ABC names in the order that they were born.  Three year old sister Zoe enjoyed dancing with Ashley during our coffee time in the auditorium. 

On Sunday afternoon it was picture time before Kari and family left to drive part way to Minneapolis.  They were visiting friends there on Monday evening and flying to Washington, DC on Tuesday, on to New York City on Thursday and home to Norway on Saturday.

Enjoying sister time together

Kari, Sandra and Elaine
first met in 2012 in Oslo, Norway

Elaine and Sandra with Kari and family

Laurel left after service on Sunday as Ashley was off to Bible Camp that afternoon.  She took a friend from Milestone with her and also enjoyed being with "cousin" Siri.  Actually, their grandpas were first cousins, Howard Johnson and Alvin Vinge.

 On Monday morning Sandra and Mandy left for Frontier so it was back to two again.  The bedding and towels got washed up and we enjoyed leftovers for a couple days.

  On Tuesday we went to Estevan to stock up on groceries and library books for Alan. On Thursday we went to Weyburn and enjoyed watching the Weyburn Beavers play the Moose Jaw Warriors Express. The Beavers won and it was a perfect evening, warm with no wind or mosquitoes. It was Ladies Night so I got in for half price and even won a prize. The brand name is RODAN + FIELDS, of which I had never heard.  I googled it and found out that this little tube of "Active Hydration Bright Eye Complex" retails at $70.00!  I didn't find the little cosmetic bag listed.

I have kept busy weeding and watering garden this week.  There are tomatoes on many of the plants.  The potatoes are flowering so  we'll soon have yummy new potatoes to enjoy.

Next week Alan and I will be in Toronto to take in four Blue Jay games.  You will hear about that adventure in the next blog.  We are flying from Regina and staying close to the Rogers Centre at an airbnb condo.  

ps  You may have read my Canada Day blog but it has updates as of today so check it out again!