I'll have to write a book someday...
Concerts on the Square has turned into my own private networking event! I've met more interesting folks at this particular weekly summer event than any other. Many of these folks have become good friends over the years. Last night's event (Weds, July 25, 2007) was no exception.
Just before the start of the concert, a couple was standing by the Big Tree (our usual blanket spot) looking for a place to sit. I noticed they had no chairs or blankets and assumed this was their first Concert on the Square event. Turns out I was right! Erna & Arvid Myking were visiting from Bergen, Norway. Their trip took them first to St. Paul, and then through a couple other cities before coming to Madison (for 3 days). They are heading off today to Decorah, Iowa, for the annual Nordic Fest (www.nordicfest.com).
Arvid's father traveled from Norway to Rockford, IL, back in 1924 to find work. He worked there for 6 years before having to return to Norway (his mother became seriously ill). While back in Norway, his dad met a woman who eventually became Arvid's mother.. and never returned to the U.S. Arvid & Erna spent part of their time here in Madison researching what Arvid's father did while he was here.. where he lived and where he worked.
Since I usually have more than one blanket set out (and since some of our "regulars" didn't show up), I invited them to join us. They were thrilled.. and we hit it off immediately. They both knew some basic English, and we had fun trying to explain certain words to them (like Isthmus, for example!) We quickly became friends.. and have been invited to visit them in Bergen, Norway anytime!
By the end of the evening, they had a copy of Isthmus to take home with them as a souvenir (they even circled my name in the masthead) and we exchanged emails to keep in touch.
Here is a picture of them just after they joined our blanket:
And, here is a picture at the end of the evening: Erna, Barney, Goldy & Arvid:
Another fun addition to our concert crowd was Liz's daughter, Carrie, who was here visiting from Austin, TX. I've heard about Carrie over the years from her (proud) mom, and it was a delight to finally meet her in person this past week. They are truly two peas from the same pod! Here's a picture of them from concert:
And, here's a more TYPICAL pose of these two:
What a delightful night it turned out to be!
For more pics of the evening, go to www.Flickr.com/photos/DrStarbuck
Labels: Concerts on the Square
posted by DrStarbuck @ 12:16 PM
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