Any Swedes??

[Amulette]

My father's people come from Sweden, my mother's from Finnland. Both grew up in isolated Scandinavian communities near the Canadian border.

One of my favorite memories of my father came about while visiting family, near where he grew up. It was summertime and we were staying in a cabin by a lake. One afternoon a huge thunderstorm rolled in. People scurried around with a hint of fear, battening down belongings and ducking inside cabins for protection. Except for my father. He took off his shirt and went running through the woods. Rain falling, lightning striking, thunder rolling. He embraced the storm without fear. Giving himself to it as he ran through the woods.

When he came back he had this wild and free look in his eyes. As a child, I was so impressed with him at that moment. As I have aged I came to see it as part of our Viking blood. We come from fierce people.

I am quite intrigued with the rise of Viking culture in Europe. Anyone else?