Tempus Fugit

The making of an Icelandic Tradition

Back on December 8th we re-vitalized an Icelandic tradition that has been in our family for as long as I can remember. My Ama made it, then my Mom, made it and somewhere along the line I started making it. For a few years we sort of dropped the ball for one reason or another, mainly because we lost our connection to a good source of Lamb flanks. But this year, we’ve re-instituted the tradition with a little help from Thor’s Meats and Groceries in Selkirk, Manitoba, a great source for boned lamb flank. FYI, boned flank saves a ton of work. Anyway with the main ingredient secured, we began the 6-8 day process, prepping the meat as shown in the photo.  They turned out fabulously and we’ve enjoyed it several time this season with friends and family. We’ve even managed to share it around the country by sending some to my sister and brother-in-law in Victoria, and cousins in Toronto. If you’re thinking of giving it a try, here is the recipe, complete with brown bread. This recipe must be the real thing because it lines up with my Ama Einarson’s hand written recipe exactly!

Want to try some Pönnukökur (Icelandic Pancakes) or other delicacies? This web site seems to have some authentic stuff.

I was looking through some drawers the other night and I came across some pictures from my Mom & Dad. Two little 3 x 3 booklets of black and white pictures from 1950s. Is these pictures I’m 3 and Gail would be 7, and were standing in front of the first cottage in what would be several cottages I’d experience growing up.

The cottage was build by my Grampa and Dad, all by hand, no power tools. Quite an accomplishment and one that still impresses me today. Just spend some time with a hand saw cutting 6×6 posts to length and you’ll know what I mean. I have a couple of vivid memories about this cottage. One is about a salt lick we had on the lot and watching the deer that came quite close to us to get to the salt. The other involves a car. Just to the right of the boardwalk is the driveway and it’s a little steeper than it looks. At the end of a weekend when Mom & Dad were loading up the car to go home. Gail & I were put in the back seat and told to “sit there and don’t touch anything”.

Well, after a while a guy gets a little bored and a car is a fascinating place. I leaned over into the front seat and was playing around with the steering wheel and then the gear shift leaver, and suddenly we were in neutral and rolling backwards down the driveway. Just then Dad and Grampa came out the door, dropped whatever they were carrying and came running to grab the car.

This is the view down the driveway to the lake. I was always told that the car might have rolled down, across the road, and throught the lot in front of us, and into the lake. Looking at this, I think the trees would have stopped the car first. Anyway, they managed to stop the car and get in and put the parking brake on. I think there was a stern talking to and perhaps a spanking involved, but all I really remember was being rescued. A good cottage story with a happy ending.

I’ve been getting a little flack for not posting anything to the Blog for a long time so here is an update.

I’ve actually been thinking aboot a lot of things for a post but just not putting the thoughts down.

One of the recurring thoughts is around sentimentality and memories. For the last number of months I’ve looked at stuff around the lake or house and had some strong memories triggered about my parents. One example was a day at the lake when I needed to take some tools down to the dock for a project. I looked around for the orange plastic tool tray but then remembered that somehow I’d left both of them at home in Winnipeg.

I looked around under the work bench and there it was. A well worn galvanized sheet metal tool tray that I made in Grade 8 and given to my Dad. He had kept it all those years and as I loaded it up with tools I remembered many of the times we’d worked together on a project with that tool tray near by.

Mom and Dad have been gone for 10 years this month. I think of them every day and “tool tray” moments really keep the memories alive and meaningful. Memories triggered by things that might have been thrown out or replaced by something shiny and new.

At times these old treasures make me feel like my dad’s hands are on my hands. This summer I used a classy brass plumb bob with a string wound on a stick. It was my Grampa’s, then my Dad’s and now mine. The brass part is in perfect condition and I put some new string on the well worn stick a year or two ago. I’ve seen that tool off and on all my life and when I used it it was like they were there with me.

For me some of these old ordinary things that have been around my life for a long time are some of my fondest treasures. Treasures that trigger precious memories.

In just under a week I’ll be heading off to ride the MDH trail in North Dakota with the boys. For many years we made an annual trip to ride this outstanding single track trail, but this will be the first time since 2005.

I’ve been taking with some of the guys and everybody is getting pretty excited about the trip. Its quite the action packed weekend with a 9 hour drive thru the night, breakfast at 4am, a brief nap in the vehicles until the sun comes up and then all day riding!
I think we’ll be riding the northern section and taking in some near by trails on Saturday. Sunday we’ll ride for half a day in the Buffalo Gap area. As some would say, it should be GTs. I’m looking forward to it.

Thanks to Bill over at kinnon.tv and his post on two shirts I end up reading…

A Life of Gifts | Pastoralia

I remember exactly when I first realized our fun little experiment had swerved completely out of my control: it was the day I learned someone had given away a grandmother.

which leads to reading….

About | TwoShirts.org

Our Vision

Twoshirts is a community of gift-giving where people freely give and receive all kinds of different things in our items listings, from appliances, to clothing, to help and services.

Twoshirts members have given away over 1000 items to each other since we started in January, 2008. We simply think generosity is a better way to live.

In fact, our vision is to connect the world in relationships of generosity.

which has me thinking about stuff, all the stuff we’ve accumulated and really don’t need and really can’t even figure out where to put the stuff half the time. I remember a time when Acts 2:44-45 had a big impact on me. Perhaps it’s time to do more and “give to each other”.

Fireworks-9
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

Happy New Years to one and all.

Last night we spent the evening with good friends over dinner and conversation with a little outing to the Forks to take in the fireworks. Even though it was not all that cold at -15° the walk back to the car was a little brutal in the light wind. We’d planned to play some games but after reviewing each other’s vacation pictures and watching the New Year festivities for a few minutes at midnight, it was suddenly 1:30am and we called it a night. Perhaps another evening for games.

This morning we’re easing into the day with a few coffees and brushing up on our Canasta skills for a card game tonight. Brushing up might be an over statement. The last time I played was at the lake as a kid and it will be a first for Shirley. Thanks to canasta.net and a little online playing we won’t be total rookies (I hope).

Time to dust off a few inches of snow from the truck and head out for a little breakfast adventure.

Shirley and I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

With Shirley at home this year we seem to be more prepared than ever and by “we” I mean Shirley, she’s amazing! We have so much baking that it’s going to take some extra special restraint on my part not to gain 10lbs. Some traditions continue and some new ones are being built. Tonight we’re at church and volunteering. Afterwards it’s a traditional evening with good long time friends.

Christmas morning will just be Shirley and I for exchanging our gifts with each other over a leisurely cup of coffee followed by Eggs Benedict for breakfast. Eric, Dez, Scott & Mandi will join us later in the afternoon for Christmas Part 2 and a family dinner.
Enjoy the day with loved ones.

Here is a picture that brings back some memories.

It’s at the lake with the whole family, at least the whole family as back on August 5, 1993, things have changed over the years. My dad is taking the picture and my mom is on the left at the back. Gail & Gord with Ian and Craig and Shirley and I with Eric And Scott around the table. To me this picture symbolizes what the lake was all about for my parents, especially my dad. A place where the family could gather all together and share in the lake experience. I remember working with him as we built the cottage from plans that were slightly more that the back of a napkin, actually two fairly simple drawings. The design goal was always about having enough space so that everyone could be there at the same time.

Today, it’s rare that everyone is there at the same time. Distance, scheules, relationships and life seems a little more complicated than back in the day. Perhaps I was just more oblivious back them. Today, As I sit in the livingroom looking out at the snow and Christmas is approaching I can feel a whistful longing for the lake and the way things were. But, life moves forward, things change, and I need to adapt to the new realities. The lake will alway hold a very special place in my heart for the memories that were forged in that place with loved ones in my life. Change can never take that away.

Makes you wonder why we can’t learn some of these earlier in life. A good read, and worth re-reading from time to time (note to self).