Experiencing Flowers and Family History at Epcot

Replica Stave Church at the Norway Pavilion 

Last month my mother and I drove my niece to Orlando, Florida. She was accepted to the Disney College Program and will be working in the Magic Kingdom until January 2014. One the drive down we stopped to visit a cousin and drove through East Tennessee where many of my ancestors lived.

When we were in Orlando, my mom and I spent a day at Epcot. I had never been to Orlando before, let alone Epcot. But my dad had been part of the crew that worked on the television special that aired when Epcot opened in 1982. My mom was able to go with him. So, I have heard many stories about this park while I was growing up.

I had a great time. The day we were there was the last day of the International Flower and Garden Festival which was a huge bonus. So many topiaries and flowers! We went on all the rides. Soarin' was great - a brief ride over my home state of California. We spent a fair amount of time at the Norway pavilion  I know its "fake" but it is as close as I will get to Norway (the origin of my great-grandmother, Linka Larsen) for some time. We also ate lunch - and bought t-shirts - in the UK pavilion  In addition to being the origin of many of my ancestors, the UK is kind of like my second home, so it was neat to visit there too.

Disney is all about magic and families, but I appreciated the fact that the World Showcase allows many families to experience (in a very, small, Disney way) the cultures of their ancestors. Come to think of it, Epcot needs a history pavilion with information on immigrants and genealogy....

Floral Teapots at the UK Pavilion

Dragon at the China Pavilion

Krumkake this Christmas

Two years ago I published this post about making krumkake (Norwegian waffle cookies) with my grandmother, Karin Nordstrom Hood. Last week, for the first time in probably five years, I actually made some. Here is everything all set up and ready to go: batter, spoons and the iron warming on the stove. I even remembered to place tinfoil under the burner
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The batter must be placed on the iron one spoonful at a time. By the end I had figured out how big the spoonful should be and that it needed to be spread around a bit.

This spoonful was a bit to big. The knife in the previous photo was used to scrape off the excess batter. This photo shows why the tinfoil is useful.

 Almost two hours later a plateful of krumkake and family history. Next year, I will buy an electric krumkake iron with automatic heat settings, cool to the touch handles, and a non-stick surface. Some models even make more than one at a time. My mother questions this plan. She asked, in the disapproving way that only a mother could, "Would using an electric iron be the same as using your great-great-aunt's?" Um... no, of course not, but that's not the point. The point is, more krumkake with less effort. Yum!

Resting in Norway

It seems that if when I plan a trip to visit the home of my Larsen ancestors in Norway, I shall have to make time for a drive along Norway's western coast. Not just to see the splendid views, but because the rest stops are architectural gems. You can read about the road trip in the January 2012 issue of Conde Nast Traveler or view a slide show of the seven rest stops at their website here. These small man made wonders create viewing platforms without detracting from the site. In fact, I think they add to the scenic experience.

As all my known Norwegian ancestors are from Lavrik and the surrounding area, on the southeast coast, this trip would be quite a detour for me. But, I think it would be worth it.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Today, Septebmer 5th, my grandmother, Karin Synnove Grace Nordstrom, would have been have been 96 years old. It's a whole lot of names for such a little girl, but there is a reason: Karin was her Swedish name, Synnove her Norwegian one; and Grace her American one.

She is probably about 2 or 3 years old in the photo above, one of a series of her taken in traditional Scandinavian costume. Grandma, though born in America, did not learn to speak English until her fifth summer, when her parents decided to stay in this country.

We miss you Grandma!