Open the door to the magic of Christmas…

Open the door to the magic of Christmas this weekend at the Country Christmas celebration in Stockholm.  Bring your family and friends.  Saturday, take a horse-drawn wagon ride.  Enjoy the carolers.  Pick up homemade goodies at bake sales.  Meet guest artists in a couple of stores.  Talk with Santa.  Partake in feasting, frivolity and fun at a Medieval Feast and Wassailing.  Attend a “Hot Flash” concert at Widespot in the evening or listen to Generation.

Sunday, meet Papa Smurf for bunch.  Relax at a holiday matinee concert, "Have Yourself a Halfway Decent Christmas," with Prairie Home Companions, Butch Thompson and Stephanie Ann Stephens.  

Both days find extraordinary gifts in the shops.  Discover tantalizing holiday foods and wines.  Immerse yourself in the spirit of the season through the decorations, the aromas, and the excitement of the holidays. 

We’d love to see you again,
Stockholm Merchants    

Have a cup of glögg on us.

God Jul! Ingebretsen's welcomes you to Country Christmas weekend Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, with a cup of glögg.  We'll be serving a delicious, non-alcoholic version of this warm, spiced mulled wine.  We are also welcoming two talented guests, illustrator June Nyberg and textile artist Diane Hoven.

June Nyberg is the illustrator of the newly released Eilert the Gnome Loses Home children’s book.  From Superior, Wisconsin, June is a longtime teacher and lover of folk art.  While reading words, she envisions shapes and colors. The author’s telling of Eilert so clearly depicted the characters in the book that the words easily became pictures for June.  Meet June and have her sign a book for you between 11 and 3 on Saturday, December 1.  Click here to see pictures from the book.  

Diane is an expert needleworker and her lace has won many awards. She makes both the very traditional white-thread-on-white-fabric lace and more modern colored thread and fabric versions. The size of Diane's lace projects vary from delicate Christmas tree ornaments to table clothes for enormous feed-all-of-the-family dining tables. She is also a patient teacher who loves to demonstrate making Hardanger lace. She happily explains what she is doing and tells you more about this beautiful art form. Diane will be at Ingebretsen's on Saturday, December 1, from 1 to 5 and Sunday, December 2, from 1 to 4.

And what about the glögg?  No Yuletide is complete without cups of this warm, spicy beverage. Almost all northern cultures have some versions of this warming drink, but we think that the Swedes developed the best.  The important ingredients of raisins, almonds, and pepparkakor (ginger cookies) certainly make it the most substantial.  Since mixing the requisite spices for a cup of glögg can be time consuming, we offer a glögg concentrate which makes it easy to make a cup or a pot.  We invite you to spend some time with us.  Enjoy watching and talking to our talented guests.

We’d love to see you again,

Diane and staff

Ingebretsen’s

PS  If you notice a For Sale sign on our building, it is for the building only.  Ingebretsen’s will continue in this location; we are not leaving.

Learn from the artists.

Have you ever wondered why an artist uses a particular technique, how he accomplishes the technique, or where he gets inspiration for his works?  You are not alone.  Everyday customers look at artists’ pieces in the store and ask me those questions.  That prompted me to think that many customers would like to hear the artists answer these questions and tell their own story.  Starting December 1, Abode Gallery is hosting Saturday artists’ talks.

For one hour, the featured artist will share his craft and answer your questions.  We’ll start at 2:30 and have complimentary hot beverages.  Mark your calendar and attend the talks of your favorite artists.

Saturday, December 1          Sandra Shaughnessy Contemporary Pottery
Saturday, December 8          Tim Brudnicki Fine Woodworking
Saturday, December 15        Matt and Amy Palmer One of a Kind Found Object Jewelry
Saturday, January 5              Maria Dudley Kowalski Landscape Painter
Saturday, January 12            Gib Krohn Creative Ceramics
Saturday, January 19            J. R. Lince-Hopkins Landscape Painter
Saturday, January 26            S.C. Rolf Contemporary Pottery

Your admission to these talks is free.  Take advantage of this rare opportunity to learn from the artists.

We’d love to see you again,
Alan Nugent
Abode Gallery

We’ve spotted the first migrating Tundra Swans…

We’ve recently spotted the first migrating Tundra Swans on the lake and overhead.  They are coming from their summer nesting grounds in the sheltered marshes on the Alaskan and Canadian coast near the Arctic Circle.  The swans migrate through our area on their way to the shallow lakes, ponds, and estuaries along the east coast near the Chesapeake Bay and the marshes of Virginia and North Carolina.  Thankfully, they are not further along in their migration or they would be caught up in the nor’easter hitting the east coast.

Just like Canadian geese, Tundra Swans fly in a V formation.  With a tail wind, they often achieve speeds up to 100 miles per hour.  Flocks have been seen at 6,000 to 8,000 feet.  When you see them, you may notice swans taking a running start to fly.  In order to become airborne, swans face the wind, run along the surface of the water for fifteen to twenty feet, flap their wings, and beat the water with their feet alternately until they achieve sufficient headway.  Then they launch from the water into the air.

Swans feed on vegetation which is why you will find them in shallow lakes and ponds such as Rieck‘s Lake off the Great River Road north of Alma.  In our area that vegetation is mostly wild celery and arrowhead tubers.  They use their feet to uproot the tubers and then reach down into the water with their long necks to retrieve them.  Sometimes they eat farm crops.  As the flock feeds, one swan stands guard to warn of approaching danger. 

The tundra swans will be in our area from now until the water freezes.  Take a drive down the Great River Road and watch the beauty and grace of Tundra Swans as they migrate.  Remember to bring your camera, too.  Make a stop in Stockholm to see what’s new in the stores and savor a tasty fall dish or refreshing beverage at our eateries.

We’d love to see you again,
Stockholm Merchants