celebrated in Norway with parades of dressed-up children and adults carrying flags and singing. Some predominantly Norwegian cities in America also choose to celebrate Syttende Mai. Folk dancing and music, ethnic clothing (festival dresses?), and arts and crafts are often apart of these American celebrations.

Please remember to fly your Norwegian flag on February 21st, King Harald’s birthday.

Beste Hilsen,
Karl

Red’s Opening Day Parade

We may have lost our ride! Bob and Diane Person are considering selling the “Viking Truck”, so we are looking for suggestions in how we might participate in the parade this year. Call Esther with any ideas.

Fund Raising

The Julefest was a fantastic event, in so many ways. It has proven to be an expensive investment in that we needed to buy “stuff” such as coffee urns, coffee makers, candle stick holders, and other party supplies. The $5.00 fee was probably too low considering the value, but when we started we wanted to get as many members there as possible to establish a tradition. Obviously that worked.

Now we need to replenish our funds, and ask for suggestions in that regard. Call Carol Luiso with your ideas.

We will have a White Elephant night at Glenn and Susie Mikaloff’s in April, I suggest you attend not only because it is so much fun, but also because we need your financial support. Last year it was the funniest event we had. Glenn does a fabulous job as auctioneer, and Susie is a great hostess, in a beautiful home. Bring some money.

Membership News

We have several new members to welcome into our lodge.

First, Carolyn Hahn, fiancé of our late beloved Leif Torkelsen, joined us in December. Carolyn is a familiar face as she came to many of our meetings with Leif. We look forward to her involvement in our lodge.

We welcome Roald Storetvedt into the lodge. He joined at our January lodge meeting. Roald is the son-in-law of Leif. We trust we will see Roald and his wife Aida at our lodge meetings. Roald was born in Norway we will look to him as a resource for our Norwegian cultural questions.

Our third new member is Carol Mostad. She was excited to find our website. Her connection with Norway is on her father’s side. She mentioned that she grew up with many Norwegian relatives. Her interest now is Starfield Belgians. Carol can tell us more about the that breed of dog when she attends a lodge meeting.

Remember that you can give the gift of membership in Sons of Norway, it is a simple process. If you have a family member that you think would enjoy membership in , call the 800 number.

Esther Charlton, Membership Secretary

Vacancies

As you can see below, there are two positions open for officers. Anyone interested in becoming more active in the lodge should consider this opportunity to serve and enjoy the benefits of working with a talented group of Norwegian-Americans. Contact Karl Flem if you wish to become more involved.

Call for cookies

Kaleb Flem is planning to make his annual expedition to Barnebirkie in Hayward Wisconsin
February 23d. For 20 years this 51 kilometer cross country ski event starts in Cable and ends in Hayward, where a special young person event takes place. About 9,000 skiers are expected to attend, so that means a lot of cookies are needed. Please put your cookies in a sealed plastic container with our lodge name on top.

Feedback

While it might seem early, it shouldn’t be surprising that the group that put together Julefest is already planning on the next one, scheduled for December 9th. They request any suggestions or criticisms that might make the next event even better. Please direct comments to: Cincy_Julefest@yahoo.co

Birthdays

February
Luke Sutphin{1}, Nancy Johnson{2}, Jan Garnaes-Johnson[6], Patsy Bannick[6],Ryan Soderberg[14], Sylvia Casas[15], Linda Burge[17], Jo Marie Karam[20], Mark Kodobud[20],Nicholas Karam[25], Carol Mostad[27].

March
Robert Charlton[11], Robert Hippert[13], Karl Flem[14], Larry Bannick[17], Bryan Fox[19], Alene Rice[23], Alex Crocker-Lakness[24].

April
Sonja Kinney[1], Katherine Sanders[2], Sarah Karam[17], Robert Price,Jr.[18],Gretta Hahn[22}, Donna Kent[25], Robert Price,Sr.[26], Walter Varland[27], Robert Kyvik[27].

Ibsen

Celebrating the genius of Henrik Ibsen, more than 500 events are scheduled in Norway, and abroad during 2006. In the January issue of Viking magazine there is a detailed description of some events, including a presentation of Hedda Gabler by The University of Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music, April 27-29th.

Viking magazine listed a telephone number: 513-556-6638.

Esther is organizing a group experience for Thursday, April 27.

While the tickets are free, they are limited so call or email Esther (923-3798) soon.

Nina Downs

Hello fellow Sons of Norway members!

It gives me great pleasure to have been given the opportunity to serve as your next Social Director. I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you about myself, my relations in Norway, my plans and/or ideas for future meetings and ask for your feedback.

I am a second generation Norwegian. My mother, Annichen Hassel Hauge Thomason, was born in March of 1945 in Oslo. My father, Thomas Thomason, was born in 1939 and raised in southern Kentucky. He had a career in the Army and was serving in Germany when my parents met and married in 1965.

Nina and Bob Downsat the Ullevaal Soccer Stadium 2004

I was born in Stuttgart, Germany, my brother was born in Brussels, Belgium and my sister was born in Tehran, Iran. Yes, we are an international family! My father retired from the service in 1980 and we moved to Louisville, Ky to be closer to his family. I graduated from high school in 1983 and then attended the University of Kentucky for 2 years, returning again in the late 1990's and finally graduating in 2001 with a BS in Dietetics.

In early 2003 I met my husband, Bob Downs, and moved to Cincinnati. He is a soccer coach/trainer. We were married in November 2003 in Jacksonville, Fl where Bob is from. Our son, William Benjamin, was born in August 2005, on the 100 year birthday of my grandfather, William Hauge! We love to travel and spend a lot of time visiting friends and family everywhere as well as traveling for soccer tournaments. I am currently a stay at home mom, a job which makes me greatly appreciate my mother, who passed away in 2002.

I grew up going to Norway every summer, generally for almost 3 months. We stayed some time in Oslo and did a little traveling around, but most of the time we spent at our summer cabin in the south of Norway by a town called Kragero. My family owns an island called Aero. It is not very big, there are only 4 cabins total on the island. Our cabin has no running water and no electricity. It is my favorite place in the world and pure heaven on

earth! We spend our days swimming, fishing, hiking, and sunbathing. I attended the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, and have been back to Norway almost every summer since 1998. My husband and I went for Christmas and New Years after our wedding for a honeymoon and, Benjamin and I went to Norway for 5 weeks last summer. I hope to keep going at least every other year until I can no longer travel.

I am very close to my family in Norway. I have 2 aunts and uncles and 6 cousins. They live everywhere from Gjovik, Raufoss and Oslo to Bergen. My grandparents were wonderful people and my biggest role models in life. My grandfather passed away in 1986 and my grandmother just passed away in 2005 at the age of 93. She has family trees for both sides of her family tracing back to the mid 1600's. Her uncle, Odd Hassel (born May 17, 1897-died 1981) was given the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1969. I joined the Sons of Norway because it is important to me that I keep in touch with my Norwegian heritage and that my son be influenced.

Nina and Benjamin visiting Kragero

As Social Director I would very much like to see more people attending our monthly meetings. I would like to have meetings where we learn more about each other and our connection to Norway.

Our March meeting will be a “Show and Tell” meeting. You bring an item, a picture, a letter, a memory, or an idea that you love about Norway and share it with everyone. Can’t wait to want to learn how to do rosemaling and wood carving. We are planning to start a sewing/knitting/craft circle and hope that many of you will join us.

Lastly, but most importantly, I would like to hear some feedback from you! What kind of meeting would you like to attend? Do you prefer to meet in restaurants or in someone’s home? Would you like to host a meeting or have a suggestion for a place to have one? What time and day is best for you to attend a meeting? Please e-mail, call or write me with your thoughts and ideas!

Easter
(From Sons of Norway)

Easter is April 16th this year. Easter is just as big as Christmas in Norway, celebrated all week with parties, family and mountain vacations.

Folk traditions abound:

If there is frost the night before Easter, and the following Sunday night, there will be a long frost to come (sounds like Ground Hogs day to me). If it rains on Easter (likely in Bergen I’m told) the summer will be bad. Other traditions tell that it is a good idea to set out a broom on your stoop on Maundy Thursday. People did this because they believed that witches flew to Bloksberg that night, and if they did not leave out the broom, the witch would take a horse, goat or cow instead.
Today, Norwegians like to go up the mountain to enjoy sun, and snow. This may be related to a tradition of looking at the sun (sunrise service) from a mountain top Easter morning. People believed that the sun danced with joy because Jesus was resurrected. Others like to get in the last bit of snow sports for the season.

February Meeting

This month's meeting will be at the Golden Corral on Saturday, February 18th at 4:00PM. The speaker will be Dorthe Helene Baardseth a Norwegian AuPair in this country for a year.

Dorthe has been to a few of our meetings and is a delight to hear regarding her insights of American versus Norwegian culture, and her slight accent. Those of us who grew up in homes listening to Norwegian accents will have fond flashbacks I’m sure.

The Golden Corral is at 5325 Ridge Road, off 71.

RSVP to Nina Downs @561-1759 or Esther @ 923-3798