Sue's purchases and travels

researched these Smokehouse apples and found this information on http://www.bighorsecreekfarm.com/

(Gibbons Smokehouse, Mill Creek, Red Vandevere) - A wonderful and very flavorful apple that originated in the 1830's with William Gibbons of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The original tree grew up near the smokehouse of Mr. Gibbons and thus its name was derived. Besides its excellent eating qualities, Smokehouse is a fine cooking and baking apple. The apple has greenish-yellow skin covered with shades and stripes of red. Flesh is yellowish, crisp and firm with a pleasing spicy flavor. Ripens September or later depending on the locale

I found my photo on www.flickr.com

The title sounds provocative but...I'm referring to the employees of Hammond Pretzel Bakeries in Lancaster. This small company has been located in a neighborhood near my childhood home since 1931. The pretzels are still hand rolled and hand twisted. I used to take my son there in the summer time and hold him up to the windows so he could watch the bakers at work. I pop in whenever I am in Lancaster to buy a box of "brokers". This weekend Klaradal is having an Apple Festival and I'll be serving Hammond Pretzels along with Swedish Apple cake and Cider. If you live in the DC area please stop in to enjoy these treats and check out my Swedish Furniture, Antiques, and gifts.

So much to remember...That was the title of an article in the Washington Post today, September 11, that featured a piece about my sister-in-law's close friend ,who, along with her new husband, were killed September 11. They were aboard flight 77 heading for their honeymoon when the plane was hijacked and flown into the pentagon. Their story is one of thousands of tragedies that occurred 7 years ago. Remembering these lost lives and that terrible day should help us put things in perspective. Today when we think about lost jobs, shrinking savings, and rising debt we shouldn't get so wrapped up in these negatives that we forget to appreciate the positives. Yes, times are hard but we've been through hard times before. Let's focus on what we have...such as family, health, friends, & (perhaps) faith. Let's do all we can to promote better times tomorrow. If you have a favorite candidate work for his cause. If you see a problem in your neighborhood help find a solution. Remember to hug your kids, kiss your spouse, call your friends and be thankful that you are here and alive and living in America. All I need to do is see this photo of the firefighter heading up the stairs at the world trade center as others were filing down to know that we are not just the land of the free but also, indisputably, the home of the brave. God Bless America.

Did anyone else notice the gorgeous mix of Gustavian chairs in the people magazine photo coverage of the wedding of Ellen DeGeneres to Portia deRossi? If you don't have the magazine you should hop on the People web site and check out the photos. The chairs seem to be authentic or are great fakes. The chair shown fourth to the right of the bridal party is one I just sold this weekend at Klaradal. I loved the curlicues on the back and wanted to take it home to my own place but...I need to sell something! The chair that does not have an upholstered back is one I usually always have in stock at Klaradal. I liken it to America's classic 1940's dining table and chairs...it is a perennial favorite among Swedes. Right now we have a set with these chairs in the Classic Gustavian Gray as well as a gorgeous Mahogany. All are from Sweden and made in Sweden. Klaradal is your shop for affordable (the aforementioned single chair sold for just $225) authentic Swedish furniture. Our website is limited (as we attempt to learn HTML) so drop us an e-mail if you are looking for something specific. Wishing you sunny spirits on a rainy day in Maryland.-Sue

Labor Day Sunday was the 24th annual Scan Fest held in Budd Lake NJ at the Vasa Park. This is the 4th year Klaradal has participated and, as usual, it was a wonderful event and a chance to meet many of our web customers and patrons from previous years. The park setting with the continuous live music and the presence of so many people in national costume made all of us forget we were in New Jersey (A beautiful Garden state but...) and transported us to Scandinavia. I was busy selling but had a brief break to walk the grounds (to the ladies room!) and a chance to take it all in. It was, except for the lack of people dancing round a festooned pole, reminiscent of Midsummer in Dalarna. One of my more popular items was a Carl Larsson calendar. I think, if someone chose to do a realistic painting of this years Fest, it could be slipped into the 2010 calendar along with paintings from the 1800's! Mark this event on your calendars for next year. It's a rare chance to escape the harried 21st century life and enjoy a slice of Scandinavian life. Visit www.Scanfest.org for more information!

This weekend we loaded a truck with Swedish antiques, furniture, and gifts and headed to Budd Lake New Jersey for the 24th (and our 4th) annual Scan Fest. Every year there is a dinner the night before the event for all of the vendors. There is a Finnish cook who makes most of the food and participants bring some more dishes. This year I brought Estonian Cabbage Strudel. It's a dish my mother-in-law always made. It's made with butter, cream cheese, cabbage and eggs and is almost cake like...despite the cabbage! We always have this dish as an appetizer. When we were in Estonia adopting our son one of my mother-in-law's cousin's had us to dinner. He was an older gentleman who had spent 20 years in Siberia. He and his wife lived in a tiny apartment and served us in their combination living, dining room, and kids bedroom. We had a strudel like this but filled with carrots. It was delicious but I only took a little piece wanting to save room for dinner. Much to my chagrin I realized, when dessert came, that the strudel was dinner. I guess that is a hint to our weight problems here in the states!