From where I stand, spring should soon be on the way. But given that I stand in the beautiful Twin Cities of Minnesota, spring might not actually come for another month or more. That’s because, obviously, we live in the Upper Midwest, with an emphasis on “upper.” But when I remember that there are whole countries further north of me – Canada immediately, Norway, Finland, and vast portions of Russia further away, I both keep my delayed-spring complaints in check and, frankly, give thanks I’m not living even further north. 🙂 Of course, if I did live further north, I might from time to time have a chance to...

I am a huge fan of George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, of which A Game of Thrones is the first book. But that’s not what this is about. No, this is about Norway. Or, rather, Norwegian culture. Though I have no Scandinavian blood that I know of, I have developed over my years of living in the Upper Midwest a tremendous admiration for Scandinavian culture. So when I saw these two different articles that capture the resilience and creativity of this Nordic culture that I appreciate so much, I thought I’d share. The first comes from Open Culture, one of my favorite websites, and describes the work of Terje Isungset, a...