Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.07.2013, Side 7

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 15. júlí 2013 • 7
Of course, everyone
came with an appetite for the
traditional picnic food. Brothers
Christopher, Kevin Magnus and
Steven Steinolfson managed the
grilling and everyone brought a
dish to share.
The picnic brought together
two new ones of Icelandic
descent; Cora Rae Steinolfson
and Oaklie Sophia Anderson.
Both Oaklie and Cora have
strong Icelandic ties back to
the Mountain-Gardar area
of North Dakota and then
back to Iceland. Oaklie’s dad
is Christopher Anderson,
Christopher’s mother is Carol
Melsted Anderson; Carol’s
father is Bjorn B. Melsted and
her mother is Gudrun Ann
Isfeld Melsted. Cora’s mother
is Carrie Steinolfson and father
is Kevin Magnus Steinolfson,
Kevin’s dad is Steingrimur
Steinolfson and his dad is
Magnus Steinolfson.
Like so many others of
Icelandic descent, Cora’s an-
cestors go way back to Iceland,
her listing all the relationships
with individuals is thousands
of pages long. Genealogy is a
disease that you can never get
over. The more you know, the
more you don’t know.
Leif Erikson Hall in Ballard
was the site of Seattle’s June
17th Celebration …on June
23rd, but who’s counting
the days? Jón Palmason
coordinated a great program
and MC’d the day’s events,
a la the Convention Gala
Dinner, which included the
reborn Vestur Bræður male
Icelandic choir, currently a
quartet, closing the set with
“Skagafjorður.”
Honorary Icelandic Consul
Jón Marvin Jónsson escorted
Audrey Steinberg through the
gathered crowd of about 70
attendees as the 2013-2014
Seattle Fjallkona. Born in
Mountain, ND, Audrey spoke
about growing up in North
Dakota before reading the
traditional Icelandic poem.
Two $500 college schol-
arships were awarded. One
went to Kegan Munson, who
plans to attend Washington
State University to major in
Communications and the other
to former Seattle Miss Iceland
Stephanie Ghilarducci, who will
attend Shoreline Community
College to study Dental
Hygiene.
Jenny Bjarnson was pre-
sented as our new Miss Iceland
and Margrét Solvadóttir gave a
short talk about the Icelandic
struggle for independence and
some of her early memories of
Independence Day celebrations
in Iceland. Finally, a great
spread of food was laid
out, including an Icelandic
birthday cake.
It was what Icelanders
mean when they sing Jonas
Hallgrimsson’s “Visur Islen-
dinga: Whenever the sun breaks
through the clouds, good friend
should get together to celebrate
all the good things in life.” In
the intermission between a
morning downpour and the
threat of an afternoon thunder
shower, guided by red, white
and blue balloons on the trees
and Icelandic flags on the tables,
they came to Dufferin Grove
Park to celebrate the birthday
of Jón Sigurðsson, father of
Iceland’s independence.
Eleven year-old Freyja
brought her hula hoops, and
laughing young girls competed
with those. For some of the
boys it was soccer. At one table,
Soley and Sigrun Stella presided
over body painting, while at
another cupcakes, baked earlier
by picnic co-ordinator, Meredith
MacFarquhar and her three
granddaughters, were waiting
to be decorated. Snorri, a young
man resident in Canada for three
years, admitted that he came
upon the celebration by chance,
and was eagerly embraced by
the group.
Soon it was time for lunch,
and the park’s worn wooden
tables were transformed with
cheery red, white and blue
tablecloths, as family and
friends, old and new, shared
food and drink, and spirited talk,
usually in English, but often in
the language of the country
they were remembering and
celebrating.
Finally, from the West
Fjords, had come a very
special guest who would
bring to a close this afternoon
of fellowship and fun. The
gentle, humorous troubadour,
Svavar Knutur, was present
once again as he had been
on this occasion three years
ago. Now, as then, there were
stories, songs and singalongs,
sometimes in English, others
in Icelandic, to the delight
of his impromptu audience.
And when guitar and ukelele
were at last silent, Soley and
Sigrun Stella were still able to
coax forth an encore from the
gracious artist.
If Jón Sigurðsson happened
to be looking down on the
gathering to honour him in
a Toronto park on a Sunday
afternoon in June, surely he
couldn’t help but be pleased
with what he saw.
On Saturday June 15, the
members of the Icelandic
Association in DC, along with
friends and family, gathered at
the residence of the Icelandic
Ambassador to celebrate
Iceland’s Independence Day.
It was a gorgeous day,
sunny and mild, and unusually
for DC, not too humid. In all
about 100 people, young and
old, joined the celebration,
enjoying great company and
fabulous food. The festival
table was overflowing with
numerous Icelandic delicacies.
Plans are already underway
for next year when we will
celebrate the Republic of
Iceland’s 70th birthday.
At the outset of the
festivities and at the end,
all guests gathered to sing
traditional June 17th Icelandic
folksongs. What the group
lacked in musical prowess, it
more than made up for with its
enthusiasm and passion when
belting out “Hæ, hó, jibbíjæ
og jíbbí jei, það er kominn 17
júní…!”
Ambassador Guðmundur
Árni Stefánsson and his
wife, Jóna Dóra Karlsdóttir,
were gracious hosts, and the
Association would like to
use this opportunity to ex-
press its gratitude to them
both. The long-standing
collaboration between the
Association and the Embassy
for the June 17th celebration
is much appreciated by the
Icelandic community in the
greater DC region.
Toronto
Margaret Britnell Van Hamme
Toronto, ON
Washington
Friðrik Jónsson
Washington, DC
Festival HigHligHts:
MTS Prairie Vikings 10th anniversary
‘Big Games’ at the Pier
Sk8 Demonstration
Pancake breakfasts and Icelandic food
Wondershows Midway and Rides
Beach Volleyball & Sandcastle Contest
Archangel Fireworks on Saturday Night
The Monday Parade begins at 10:00 a.m.
Iceland’s Chart-topping Musician Snorri Helgason
AT THe 124TH IcelAndIc FeSTIVAl oF MAnIToBA
GIMlI | AuGuST lonG Weekend
Government offices
of iceland
www.icelandicfestival.com
august 2-5 2013
#IcelandicFestival
IcelandIc
festIval of
manItoba®
Seattle
David Johnson
Seattle, WA
Brauðtertur, rúgbrauð and pönnukökur,
an Icelandic feast in Washington
PHoto: KoLbrún KristJánsdóttir