WE MAY HAVE TO IMPORT MORE LUTEFISK

In the first three months of this year, the number of U.S. citizens visiting Norway increased by 37%!  Believe it or not, it wasn't the Ole and Lena jokes that got us interested in the old country.  It was the Disney movie, "Frozen" that did the trick.

 

The movie is based on Norway and has become the highest-earning animated movie of all time!.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY

This is, basically, true but you must remember that the cost of living is higher in Norway and you'll, probably, have to eat lutefisk once or twice a week.

 

Still, with tuition in the USA going through the ceiling, if you know a kid who really wants to learn, they might want to look into this possibility.

 

Remember, there are worse things than living with a bunch of Norwegians.  I can't think of any worse things, at the moment, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

 

SOUNDS LIKE A NORWEGIAN JOKE

A chicken walks into the library and walks up to the librarian and says, "Book."

The librarian says, "You want a book?"

"Book."

"Any book?"

"Book."

So the librarian gives the chicken a novel and off it goes.

But an hour later the chicken comes back and says, "Book-book."

The librarian says, "Now you want two books?"

"Book-book."

So she gives the chicken two more novels and it leaves but it comes back later.

"Book-book-book." "Three books?"

"Book-book-book."

So the librarian gives the chicken three books, but she decides she'll follow the chicken and find out what's going on.

The chicken goes down the alley, and out of town and towards the woods and into the woods and down to the river and down to the swamp and there is a bullfrog.

The chicken sets the books down by him and he looks at them and he says,

"Reddit, Reddit, Reddit."

HERE'S ONE I HADN'T HEARD BEFORE

Having shot a moose, Ole and Sven began dragging it by the tail to their pickup.  On the way they were stopped by the game warden.

"Let me see your hunting licenses", he said.  When he saw that all was in order he asked if he could give them a little advice.

"Ya, Sure, you betcha" the hunters said (have you noticed?  That's what Norwegians always say.)

"Well, guys, I think you would find it a lot easier to be draggin' the moose by the horns instead of the tail."

"Ya.  OK.  Tanks" they said.

After about five minutes Ole said to Sven, "Boy, it sure is a lot easier to be draggin' the moose by the horns and not the tail."

"Ya.  You're right.", says Sven, "but have you noticed dat vee are gettin' furder and furder away from the truck?"

IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE

A PHOTO A DAY FROM PLANET EARTH

A fun website is A PHOTO A DAY FROM PLANET EARTH.  There's a new photo, everyday, from somewhere on the planet.  Today it's from NORWAY.  Now, here's the thing.  It's a picture of a beach taken in the autumn of the year.  I suppose it's a nice picture but there's not a palm tree in sight and even the thought of sitting on a Norwegian beach, with winter approaching, gives me goose bumps and makes me shiver.

To make it worse, part of this beach is a NUDE BEACH.  Get the picture?  A naked Viking standing on a cold Norwegian beach.  That has got to be the supreme definition of the phrase, "Not a pretty picture".

CLICK HERE AND CHECK OUT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS OF NORWAY

I WORE MY PARKA FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON THIS MORNING!

Great joke in the Viking book I'm reading.
A man put lutefisk under the porch to get rid of the skunks who were living there.  It got rid of the skunks but now he can't figure out how to get rid of the Norwegians.

My book, "Vikings in the Attic" gets better by the page.  Reading , this morning, author Eric Dregni says the Norwegians used to lay the lutefisk, outside, on blocks of ice.  Dogs would occasionally come by and pee on it but they said that just added to the flavor.  According to historians it's not only a joke.  It's true!

Those silly Norskies are a funny bunch, aren't they??

I started reading "Vikings in the Attic" (In search of Nordic America) by Eric Dregni, this morning, and I can't put it down.

These are the Vikings of the 1800's who came from the Scandinavian countries and settled in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota.

From those awful first years, on the prairie, the hardships  sound like something beyond anything a human could endure.  Oh, how they wanted to go home.  And how angry some were when they found out the new country was not a paradise.  Instead, it was a living hell.  But with no money for a ticket back to Norway they were stuck...which is why WE'RE HERE and not THERE!!

I've gone through the huge Norwegian neighborhoods in Chicago and Minneapolis..in fact it was the Norwegians who built Minneapolis.

Now I've moved into the Norwegian food which I thought I knew all about.  I didn't.  I knew about the Norwegian meat balls but the Norwegian fish balls were a new taste treat that I quickly put on the same list I have the lutefisk on.  And, potato coffee was brand new to me.  Coffee made from dried potato skins that the early Norwegians said was very good.  I'm sure it was.  After eating a plate of lutefisk and fish balls, liquefied potato skins would taste like a fine wine!

Tell your Norwegian friends and relatives not to miss this book!  See more about the book:
RIGHT HERE

EVERY GOOD NORWEGIAN KNOWS ABOUT LEIF ERICKSON

So for you BAD Norwegians, Click here to learn about the man who really discovered America.

Here's more from Ole and Sven.

Two Minnesota mechanical engineers were standing at the base of a flagpole, looking up. A woman walks by and asks what they were doing.

"Ve're supposed to find da height of da flagpole," said Sven, "but ve don't haffa ladder."

Thewoman took a wrench from her purse, loosened a few bolts, and laid the pole down. Then she took a tape measure from her pocketbook, took a measurement,announced, " Eighteen feet, six inches," and walked away.

Ole shook his head and laughed. "Ain't dat just like a voman! Ve ask for da height and she gives us da length!"

Svenand Ole are currently serving in the United States Senate and they're two of the smartest ones there.

Where would you go if you wanted to take a Musk Ox safari?

You'd go to NORWAY, of course.  In fact, Norway is one of the few places in the world where you can still see the musk ox.  The safari's are conducted June through September.  The height of the summer and they tell you to bring warm clothes so it sounds like the perfect trip for those of you who hate the heat.  If you want to know more, go to http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Articles/Theme/What-to-do/Safari/Musk-ox-safaris/

This sounds, to me, like something Paul would like to do.

TONIGHT IS ST. JOHN'S EVE

It's the preparation for celebrating the birth of St. John the Baptist tomorrow.  This is a big time holiday in Norway and the other Scandinavian countries.

One of the more interesting traditions is that, at dusk, tomorrow, those silly Vikings will build bonfires and if they jump over the bonfire three times (without burning anything in the nether regions) they will be cleansed of sin and disease.  Sounds interesting but I think I'll take my chances with the sin and disease.