S c a n d i n e w s

Scandinavian Club of Columbus

P.O. Box 14296, Columbus, OH 43214-0296

Voice Mail 614-470-1503

www.netwalk.com/~scandiclub

Webmaster: Mark Nordstrom

Editor: Inger Gilbert

American Evening

Thanksgiving

When: Saturday, November 20, 2004

Where: Marriott North

6500 Doubletree Avenue

Columbus, Ohio 43229

(By the Continent Mall)

Time: 6 P.M. Social Hour

7 P.M. Dinner

8 P.M. Program

Cost: Adult Member $ 9.00

Adult Guest $ 13.00

Child Member $ 4.00

Child Guest $ 6.00

Program: Ladies of Longford, musical group

Calendar of Events 2004-2005

Nov. 6 & 7, 2004 International Festival

November 20, 2004 American Evening

December 11, 2004 Sankta Lucia Fest

January 15, 2005 Icelandic Evening

February 19, 2005 Club’s Birthday Party

March 19, 2005 Finnish Evening

April 16, 2005 Danish Evening

May 21, 2005 Norwegian Evening

June 18, 2005 Midommarfest

Officers of the Board 2004-2005
President	Terry Carlson	463-1756
Vice President	Ben Kaster	891-9263
Secretary	Marilyn Smith	875-4566
Treasurer	Sara Garnes	267-8167
Dinner Chm	Dianne Clark	939-0031
Membership	Risto Petman	854-0905
Property Chm	Åke Hellström	457-2984
Calling Chm	Päivi Rajala-Schultz	825-4498
Editor	Inger Gilbert	837-0971

International Festival

The Scandinavian Club has the largest booth at the Festival. It has won many first prizes over the 40 + years that it has participated. This year I hope we can make a spectacular show in the Parade of Nations. All of you who own a national costume, please, join us in the parade at 3:00 P.M. Saturday and/or Sunday. Take this opportunity to show it off and parade with pride in your heritage. Expand Your Horizon!

Upcoming Events

Chopping Party will meet Nov.4^th 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at the Liberty Presbyterian Church, Delaware. Call Paul Holmberg to volunteer your time. You are needed! 614-885-1904.

Skandi-Kaffe Group will meet the third Thursday because of the holidays in November (18^th) and December (16^th) at La Chatelaine 627 High Street, Worthington, from 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Come join us!

President’s Message

Terry Carlson

WOW, what a way to start the dinner season! Of course, I am referring to Swedish night. The evening started with an excellent hors d’oeuvres table, followed by a wonderful salmon dinner, and yummy dessert. Our program was like going to a short Broadway show with John Fleming (singing) and wife, Gloria (accompanying on piano). They lived for 23 years in Gothenburg and Stockholm and performed at the national operas and theaters in each city, as well as in Oslo. He “wowed” us with a collection of Swedish, Norwegian, American spirituals and show tunes, e.g. “Old Man River,” “O, Danny Boy,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” etc. Before dinner, he whetted our appetites by leading us in singing “Du Gamla, Du Fria.” He was powerful and truly professional! He was “WOW!”

The International Festival comes next (Nov. 6^th & 7^th) with a chopping PARTY on Thursday, Nov. 4^th at Liberty Methodist Church in Powell. Also consider helping with set-up on Friday night around 5:30 at Vet’s Memorial. Your baking skills are also needed for cookies or rolls to sell with our coffee in our food booth. In other words, we need your help and would like to see some new faces helping our Club be successful at the Festival.

As I mentioned at the dinner meeting, the November dinner is a pre-paid dinner reservation dinner! Please meet the deadline, so there are no late calls/requests to attend. Those late calls cause unneeded extra work for the Board to handle and often must be denied which no one likes. We hope to have another excellent dinner and “The Ladies of Longford” for entertainment. I will let your imagination think about what that means.

The Board is also cultivating our relationship with the OSU Scandinavian Club. Five of their members came to Swedish night and truly enjoyed the dinner and the program. Because of our abundant financial position, the Board has decided to help their Club with some financial assistance. (They receive very little assistance from the university.) They do perform a very traditional Lucia, will have some film nights, and will invite Club members to join them in their activities. Our Board believes that supporting their programs help spread the Scandinavian culture.

I really want to THANK all Club members who made the OSU students and John & Gloria Fleming feel so welcomed. The Flemings repeatedly commented to me about how friendly and gracious our Club members were. Franziska Schubert, the president of the OSU Club, also commented on how nice it was to talk with many of you. We all know of the stereotype of the “aloof Scandinavian, “ but we also know how warm our hearts can be towards others. Please keep it up!

So, I hope to see many of you at the International Festival and at our November meeting. Remember, “The Ladies of Longford” will be joining us.

Have a good month (Ha det så bra!) Hope all feel well (Hoppas alla må bra!)

Welcome New Members

DILUZIO, Kimberly (N)

5623 Westerville Crossing Drive

Westerville, OH 43081

614-865-9158

kdiluzio@wowway.com

HAUGLAND, Svein (N*)

5405 Coral Berry Drive

Columbus, OH 43235

614-538-0335

sveinhaugland@msn.com

HILDAHL, Barbara & George (N)

231 Highfield Drive

Columbus, OH 43214

614-888-2868

HOLLENBACH, Jeff & Merja (F*)

2320 Clark Shaw Road

Powell, OH 43065

740-362-4670

merjahollenbach@hotmail.com

HULTSCH, Christina & Frederick Entenman

Magnus

2031 Ridgeview Road

Columbus, OH 43221

614-486-5454

christinahultsch@web.de

Renewals

SKARSTEN, Ruth (N, S) & Trygve (N)

12402 Pintails Circle

Pickerington, OH 43147

614-755-4435

trygruth@copper.net

SKARSTEN, Caryn

7547 Bay Hill Drive

Pickerington, OH 43147

614-751-6563

Ben & Peggy Kaster

♫Getting to know you,

Getting to know all about you. . .♫

by Inger Gilbert

Many years ago (e.g. 50 +) Ben and Peggy, both from Youngstown, Ohio, attended Kent State University. In fact, they should have been attending the same high school as well, growing up within a few blocks of each other, but somehow didn’t, and had therefore never met before.

Still, Peggy met Ben’s laundry and his mother long before she set eyes upon Ben. Every weekend possible, she would ride home with a friend from Youngstown, a fraternity brother of Ben, who also was the deliveryman of Ben’s laundry.

After many of these trips delivering Ben’s laundry, the deliveryman/fraternity brother finally thought that maybe Ben would like to meet Peggy.

Young, Swedish/Finnish/Russian, Protestant Ben meets young, Irish, Catholic Peggy. Stormy romance develops, stormy reaction from both families follows. . .end result. . .Ben and Peggy elope and marry in North Carolina, July of 1955!

They settled down in Canton, Ohio, where Ben was employed by Nationwide Insurance, a career that spanned 30 years.

Two years later, Kimberly arrives in 1957, Kathleen in 1958, and Eric in 1961. Peggy now becomes a stay-at-home-mom until Eric is 16 years of age, and then she begins a long, successful career in retail.

Nationwide Insurance transfers Ben to Columbus in 1973. He takes an early retirement in 1987 to help Peggy in her now booming business.

In 1975 Peggy becomes manager of a bookstore, next she is working at an art gallery, and finally she buys a small gift shop, The Blue Goose, a tiny, little place occupying a double garage. This little shop profited in one month what they had estimated for one year! And it grew, and grew under the management of Peggy, until The Blue Goose finally had taken over ½ a block of street-front property!

At the height of The Blue Goose’s business, they sell the shop to enjoy a less hectic pace in retirement. Today they wonder about that less hectic pace. They are as busy now as ever.

Ben has always been very active politically. He has, as campaign manager, successfully helped several candidates win elections, and is still a member of the Rotary Club of Westerville.

Peggy is an avid reader, easily devouring a book per day if time permits.

The Kasters joined the Scandinavian Club in 1995 after being introduced to some of our members on one of Carol Wickstrom’s Scandinavian Tours. Eight years later, Ben is on the Board of Directors now serving as vice president. The Kasters are also active and helpful with the International Festival. Peggy is very talented with a paintbrush, and last year helped paint ornaments for the ScandiClub’s gift booth.

Being retired, they have taken up the hobby of traveling. Peggy’s Irish background has in the past been the dominant influence. They have made 11 trips to Ireland, but Scandinavia is beginning to catch up, having visited all the Nordic countries by now, including Russia.

The Kaster’s household includes a cat, Bailey, and a dog, Bridget. Bridget had surgery October 21, and is doing well again.

A household with two pets has not put a halt on their travels at all. Bridget has found “aunts and uncles” to take care of her in her “parent’s” absence. Tante E.J. and Uncle Randy (Carlson), and Tante Carol and Uncle Harry (Wickstrom) eagerly doggy-sit when needed.

Ben, Bridget (she blinked), Peggy, and Bailey Kaster

Happiness is a warm puppy.

Did you forget to renew your membership?

This is then a friendly reminder to let you know that November’s Scandinews will be the last issue to arrive in your mailbox. I’ll be removing all non-renewals from my data after this issue.

October Dinner Report

An excellent dinner was served by the Swedish dinner committee: perfectly poached salmon, out of this world creamed spinach, nice potatoes, and a cabbage and orange salad for which many diners requested the recipe. Dessert was Sunday Cake.

Vitkåls-och apelsinsallad

(Cabbage-orange salad)

1 cup finely shredded white cabbage

2 navel oranges, sectioned

¼ cup raisins

1-tablespoon salad oil

1-tablespoon lemon juice

Combine cabbage, oranges, and raisins. Add oil and lemon juice; toss well.

Serve with meat and fish dishes.

Four servings.

American Evening Program

The ladies of Longford

Hilda Doyle, and her two daughters, Heather Doyle Fraser, and Stephanie Doyle Kephart are the framework of this fresh, contemporary Celtic band. The vocal harmonies of this mother-daughter trio will give you “chills.” Don’t miss this American Evening, a tribute to the Irish-American culture.

Did you know that there are more Irish descendants living in the US than there are of Irish living in Ireland?

Recreating Kon-Tiki

With High-Tech Style

Nearly 60 years after Thor Heyerdahl sailed his Kon-Tiki balsa raft across the Pacific to prove a theory abut ancient mariners, a team that includes his grandson, Olav Heyerdahl, 27, plans to recreate the 101-day epic voyage---although the craft will have solar panels, a satellite navigation system and a link to the Internet.

The Tangaroa, named for the Polynesian god of the ocean, will set sail April 28, 2005, to test new theories on ancient navigational techniques, and contribute to Norway’s centennial celebration of its 1905 independence from Sweden.

All you Norwegians and other Scandinavians with Internet access mark your calendar now, so you can follow this exciting and still dangerous voyage from the beginning.

Scandinavian Christmas Shopping

Via Internet

Now is the time to start thinking about the holidays. Scandinavians have always been challenged to find traditional “jule” stuff, but no more. It is so easy to place an order via the Internet.

Here are some websites sure to help you find just what you can’t get through the holidays without. The days when I had to ask a relative in Denmark to send me a “care” package is over.

Don’t forget, we also have many wonderful Scandinavian items at our International Festival Gift Booth.

This first site is without a doubt going to please the Dane (Udenlandsdansker), or not so Danish:

www.hjemve.dk

www.scandinavianmarket.com is a family owned business based in Denver, CO that sells items primarily from Sweden and Iceland.

www.nodiskimport.com a Danish store in Marietta GA selling Scandinavian products that are difficult or impossible to buy in the US. I have tried this one, and I recommend it.

S c a n d i n e w s