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A vibrant and eventful year

Alfreda Erickson Duffy, Calgary, AB

On a warm Thursday afternoon on the 29th of May, the Leif Eiriksson Icelandic Club of Calgary held their annual seniors’ luncheon in the Valhalla Room at the Scandinavian Centre. As people arrived, they were served a starter of rúllupylsa on rúgbrauð (basically translated, it is rye bread). Both were delicious and were made by our very own president, Mark Petursson. The rúllupylsa was also served on some yummy Icelandic brown bread made by Terri Wintonyk, also a favourite for many. The main menu was a selection of mixed sandwiches, catered by the Calgary Coop, and accompanied by three different salads. It was finished with a fruit tray, a delicious rhubarb square made by Karen Gummo, vínarterta, as well as an Icelandic traditional dessert, pönnukökur stuffed with whipped cream and strawberries – both made by Alda Sigvaldason. A yearly highlight I might add. 

The enjoyment came not just from all the good food but with visiting and catching up with friends and relatives. Normally, that is all we have on the itinerary, but this year there was a special treat, thanks to one of our members, Nancy Tarr, who discovered a singer of Icelandic descent – Heather Jean Jordan. Rather than travelling with her keyboard, she travels with her own sound set up and a smaller instrument, a baritone ukulele. What a delight she turned out to be – strumming on her instrument, she quickly connected with everyone through her songs in both English and in Icelandic. Her own song about “The Nut” was so much fun everyone soon joined in with the chorus and hummed along with her.

The highlight was not only her skills as an entertainer; it was also about finding our own connection to her. We are so predictable when we attend club events. If someone is new, we have this need to find out how we are related. Our luncheon was no different. She turned out to be a “button-hole cousin.” I first heard that term used by Dorothy Koss, an LEIC member; we both have a Langruth connection. And funnily enough, Heather is also originally from there. Many years ago, Dorothy and I discovered that we were closely related to the same people, but not so close to each other. As we all know, we are all related somehow; it turned out that she is my 6th cousin twice removed. But being related so closely to the same people was an exception, a wonderful exception. In her eyes that made us “button-hole cousins.” I love this expression.

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon and enjoyed by everyone.