This year – and I know you know this as well – the holiday season will be nothing like it used to be. A few weeks ago, I thought I’d throw together a Christmas meal of meatballs and lefse and that would be it as far as my efforts would go. But then I changed … More Smörgåsbord: Perfect for the 2020 Holiday Season
It’s early, and I apologize for the blatant plug for my newest book – Meatballs & Lefse: Memories and Recipes from a Scandinavian-American Farming Life. The thing is, the printer recently announced that they are already overwhelmed by the Christmas rush and orders for any books ordered after Thanksgiving just might not reach you in … More Yes, it’s Early, But …
Day 33, and I’m sitting here, listening to pounding and scraping on the roof above my office. Why? Torrential rains the other day revealed a large, most unwelcome hole, likely the route of the water I discovered on the floor a few days ago. A long period without rain meant that such a hole went … More Anywhere But Here: Flying Away, In a State of Siege: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Day 33
The sense of impending doom hanging heavy on my mind lifted, but only slightly, as I started scrolling through the gorgeous photos. By the time I finished, the sight of those deep-blue Norwegian fjords, flanked by high mountains, their peaks frosty with snow, opened up something in me. But what? Hope. That someday, hopefully someday, … More In a State of Siege: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Days 19 & 20
What to make of the lavish feasts that come after a funeral? When I attended my first funeral, at age 27, I cried a lot, even though I didn’t know the deceased, my sister-in-law’s father. My grandparents all died before I turned 20 and lived 1250 miles away. Living as my family did on a … More Foods for a Funeral and a Farewell
CYNTHIA D. BERTELSEN 