March 4, 2015 Do you have a guess as to what toy has been named Toy of the Century? Here are a few clues: They are small, colorful, and provide hours of fun for children (and adults!) all over the world. Each year 19 billion are made, and there are enough to give…
DetailsFebruary 26, 2015 “Jazz is about being in the moment” – Herbie Hancock Thinking about music festivals usually conjures up images of sunshine, short sleeves and much, much warmer weather – and just thinking about these things right about now brings a deep longing for those far-off sweltering days of summer! Click here for how…
DetailsFebruary 20, 2015 This Sunday the 87th Annual Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, will be airing on ABC from sunny Los Angeles. It is currently minus one degree outside. Even if I wasn’t a movie-watcher, I’d tune in if simply to get my mind off of this unreasonable weather! However,…
DetailsFebruary 12, 2015 We are in the thick of winter, and what could be better than imagining yourself sitting in a lovely park on a warm spring day; the sun shining brightly among the trees as you breath in that sweet, warm air? Not much, really. Especially these days, as the temperature hovers around…
DetailsFebruary 5, 2015 This past week Punxsutawney Phil made his annual appearance from Gobbler’s Knob, and it is no surprise to anyone that six more weeks of winter was his prediction. With historic snowfalls and the deluge of extraordinary winter storms happening all cross the country, hearing more bad news from the likes of a groundhog…
DetailsOne of the most popular ‘unofficial holidays’ in America takes place this weekend. Here in the football world in which you play with your hands, rather than your feet, it is the Sunday of them all – Super Bowl Sunday. Super Bowl XLIX is gearing up to be one of the most watched events…
DetailsJanuary 9, 2014 The Rebild Society: A Danish – American Friendship Association Last week I wrote about the New Year’s Eve journal entry made by Miss Mary, which I had found in the hope chest. In it she wrote about the anticipation she had for the New Year, and her life as she was embarking…
DetailsJanuary 5, 2015 Happy New Year! “I shall think of the start to this new year as a great ship embarking on its’ maiden voyage,” wrote a then eighteen-year-old Mary Thorsen on the eve of New Year’s Day, 1891. That year would prove to be a very significant one in her young life, as she…
DetailsDecember 25, 2014 The countdown to Christmas began weeks ago, and this week finally culminates in the events that many of us have been looking forward to all year: Lilli Juleaften (Little Christmas Eve) and Julen (Christmas)! All over the world families have their own special Christmas traditions. Some gather to eat, sing…
DetailsIt’s safe to say that Christmas was a more modest and tranquil affair back in Emma Thorsen, Anna Mikkelsen and Margrethe Olsen’s day. They all had a shared heritage, coming to Chicago from Denmark in the late 19th century, which is probably what drew them so close to one another, but each had forged their…
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