I was looking up the meaning of Tjugondag Knut and found my way to your blog. I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through your posts and will come back often. The paintings, photos and prose are lovely. Thank you. I was happy to find out about Knut's Day and another reason to keep my Christmas tree up a little longer. My great-grandparents came from Sweden. My family has kept some of the Swedish traditions at Christmas but, I never heard of Knut's Day.
Hello Cheryl, and welcome to my corner of cyberspace! Do you know which part of Sweden your great-grandparents came from? So many Swedes left this country hoping to do better in the States and not all succeeded. I think I have more relatives in the U.S. than here. Happy New Year! Margaretha
Hello Margaretha and Happy New Year! I have always been told that my family comes from the Orebro area. My great-grandparents were both born in Almby. There names were Alma Stolt and Axel Carlson (changed from Karlsson). They came to this country sometime in 1901 and my grandfather was born the next year. Quite a few Swedish people came and settled in this area to work in the furniture making business and some to farm. I believe that Alma worked as a house cleaner and Conrad as a factory worker. They worked hard and didn't have a lot money to show for it. But, I hope they would be pleased to see the 50 or so relatives that gather for the Carlson reunion every year. As a photographer you may find this interesting. Sam Lindskog (he changed his name at some point) was a brother of my great-grandfather. We have been told that he was a pretty well known photographer in his time. The photos that made their way here are really stunning and include some beautiful scenes from Orebro area. It's cold and snowy here, turning everything white. Just right for getting cozy by the woodstove on the first day of 2010! Cheryl
Cheryl, And a Happy New Year to you! It's still cold here, but not as cold as it has been - and I'm very grateful for that! Your great-grandparents emigrated around the same time as my grandparents did so (but my mother ended up in Sweden although born in Omaha, Nebraska). I think Swedes were known to be hard-working and cleanly people, and often got domestic jobs. I found an interesting article (as well as great photos) about Sam Lindskog - but it is in Swedish, which I don't know if you understand. You might already have found it, otherwise it is here: http://sites.google.com/site/prittsel/samuellindskog. Margaretha
Except for a few words and phrases like "God Jul", I don't understand any Swedish. But I was able to roughly translate it through Google. It is interesting and I am going to print it out to show some of my family. Tack sa mycket Cheryl
Cheryl, Yes, Google's translation usually is very rough! Sometimes you have to know both languages to understand the so called translation - and sometimes it is very amusing. Pär Rittsel, who wrote the article about Sam Lindskog, has a website (http://sites.google.com/site/prittsel/) in English. There you find his e-mail address if you want to contact him. Örebro Länsmuseum (http://www.orebrolansmuseum.se/) might also have more information. info@olm.se
Adolf Gottlieb Friedrich, Reading, 1802
I was looking up the meaning of Tjugondag Knut and found my way to your blog. I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through your posts and will come back often. The paintings, photos and prose are lovely. Thank you.
SvaraRaderaI was happy to find out about Knut's Day and another reason to keep my Christmas tree up a little longer. My great-grandparents came from Sweden. My family has kept some of the Swedish traditions at Christmas but, I never heard of Knut's Day.
Hello Cheryl,
SvaraRaderaand welcome to my corner of cyberspace!
Do you know which part of Sweden your great-grandparents came from? So many Swedes left this country hoping to do better in the States and not all succeeded. I think I have more relatives in the U.S. than here.
Happy New Year!
Margaretha
Hello Margaretha and Happy New Year!
SvaraRaderaI have always been told that my family comes from the Orebro area. My great-grandparents were both born in Almby. There names were Alma Stolt and Axel Carlson (changed from Karlsson). They came to this country sometime in 1901 and my grandfather was born the next year. Quite a few Swedish people came and settled in this area to work in the furniture making business and some to farm. I believe that Alma worked as a house cleaner and Conrad as a factory worker. They worked hard and didn't have a lot money to show for it. But, I hope they would be pleased to see the 50 or so relatives that gather for the Carlson reunion every year.
As a photographer you may find this interesting. Sam Lindskog (he changed his name at some point) was a brother of my great-grandfather. We have been told that he was a pretty well known photographer in his time. The photos that made their way here are really stunning and include some beautiful scenes from Orebro area.
It's cold and snowy here, turning everything white. Just right for getting cozy by the woodstove on the first day of 2010!
Cheryl
Cheryl,
SvaraRaderaAnd a Happy New Year to you!
It's still cold here, but not as cold as it has been - and I'm very grateful for that!
Your great-grandparents emigrated around the same time as my grandparents did so (but my mother ended up in Sweden although born in Omaha, Nebraska). I think Swedes were known to be hard-working and cleanly people, and often got domestic jobs.
I found an interesting article (as well as great photos) about Sam Lindskog - but it is in Swedish, which I don't know if you understand. You might already have found it, otherwise it is here: http://sites.google.com/site/prittsel/samuellindskog.
Margaretha
Except for a few words and phrases like "God Jul", I don't understand any Swedish. But I was able to roughly translate it through Google. It is interesting and I am going to print it out to show some of my family.
SvaraRaderaTack sa mycket
Cheryl
Cheryl,
SvaraRaderaYes, Google's translation usually is very rough! Sometimes you have to know both languages to understand the so called translation - and sometimes it is very amusing.
Pär Rittsel, who wrote the article about Sam Lindskog, has a website (http://sites.google.com/site/prittsel/) in English. There you find his e-mail address if you want to contact him.
Örebro Länsmuseum (http://www.orebrolansmuseum.se/) might also have more information.
info@olm.se
Margaretha