DIVERSITY has always been a part of my life

Diversity photo from July 2019 Ensign

I guess I am very lucky that all my life I have lived with people of diversity.

From the day I was born I  lived with people of all colors, creeds and religions  and never once has it been a problem for me. Quite the contrary it has been an advantage.

I have two aboriginal children and my son married a Chinese woman.

DENMARK 1937-1966

Danes helping Jews escape to Sweden

I was born and raised in Denmark and never once did I hear any negative comments about people of other races, religions, creeds or colors. Everybody was just people.

Nor did my parents or anybody I know speak negative about people because their skin had a different color.

We lived through the war where the Danish people helped a lot of Jews escape to Sweden.  We learned to have compassion for the Jews.

Yes, it is true that at that time black people were called “Negros ”, but we never thought about that name as a derogatory name.  It was just a name.

LETHBRIDGE - CANADA – ALBERTA 1966

Linda with her friend Aurie - a native girl

There were “some diversity” in Alberta, Canada where we first lived when I immigrated, but not much except for aboriginal people. At that time, they were called "Indians and nobody thought it was a bad or negative name.

As a matter of fact, our main reason for immigrating to Canada was to adopt an aboriginal boy, which we did. My daughter Linda was so excited about her little brother and she made best friend with an aboriginal girl “Aurie”.

I am also proud to say that later another aboriginal gal came in to my life at the age of 11.  She is still hanging around now at the age of 54 with five children and eight grandchildren.

I love my two kids and my "aboriginal grandchildren".

CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA 1967-1974

Photo I took of my daughter Linda - bottom to the right - with her friend Charlotte, my little son Harly, with some Russian Douhkebors and two LDS missionaries.

After we adopted our boy, we moved to Castlegar, British Columbia. Castlegar at that time had a large population of Doukhobors- which were people who had fled Russia around 1910 – before the 2017 revolution.

There was an offshoot of the Doukhobors, called “The Sons of Freedom”. Except for being a little shocked when “The Son’s Of Freedom”’s wives were walking downtown in Castlegar naked to demonstrate against the Doukhobors, we enjoyed these Russian people.

As a matter of fact, when we moved to Blueberry Creek – a little subdivision – our next-door neighbor was Doukhobor.

TRAIL, BRITISH COLUMBIA

We had a 20 minute drive to Trail from Castlegar where we had a music store “Columbia Music” for seven years. Trail was also diverse.  It was built by Italians. Unfortunately, many of them died from working at Comingo.

VANCOUVER. RICHMOND and SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

I lived in Vancouver from 1992-1997 and at that time 50% of Vancouver and RICHMOND at that time were about 80 Chinese. 

Most of the populations of Surrey were East Indians. It is called "Little India".

I never though about it.  That was “just the way it was”.

I made very good friends with a young woman from Mexico when I lived in Vancouver.
We are still friends.  As a matter of fact I went to visit her in Mexico.

CALGARY, ALBERTA

I lived in Calgary many year and of course Calgary is known for their Cowboys with the biggest cowboy show in the world.  Nevertheless, Calgary by now also have people from all over the world.

When I lived in Huntington by Center street, I lived close to big Super store on  Center street. Most of the customers there were Chinese. As a matter of fact I enjoyed being able to purchase food from all different countries.

I believe that Canada enjoy the diversity of their population.  It is extremely seldom that you hear the world racism.  As a matter of fact the first Muslim mayor in the western world lived in Calgary.

LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA

Hutterite women selling their vegetables at the Farmers Market

Even though Lethbridge only have a population of 100.000, it is very versatile with people from many countries. We have a lot of Hutterites and Mennonites here.

There are different kinds of Mennonites. I have been lucky getting to know a young "low German" Mennonite girl in Stirling.

I have also been so lucky as to have a East Indian student staying with me.  She has taught me how to make Samosa and other East Indian dishes.

I believe people are all the same all over the world, no matter our color, religion or creed and it is very sad to see the hurt that a lot of people have to go through, just because of the color of their skin or difference in religion.

Vibeke Lindhardt

2 August 2019

WONDERS FROM HEAVEN. Ch.2

1985 when I Lived in Vernon, B.C., I was struggling financially, trying to support myself and my 18-year-old son Harly.

My husband of 28 years had left the family for “a younger size 9” and moved to Hawaii.

Harly and I lived just from month to month. There was no money for extras like

clothes, fun and recreation. Life was pretty depressing.

So, I was therefore really surprised when I received an invitation from my girlfriend Gisela Fromm – who at that time lived in Prince Rupert, BC to take trip with her to Tokyo for a week. All paid for.

She phoned me one day and said: You only have to pay the trip to Vancouver! What are you talking about. I said ••• I am not going to Vancouver. I can't afford it."

"NO, she said, you are going to Japan!"

She kept talking in riddles. so I told her that if I could not afford Vancouver, how in the world would I be able to afford Japan.

Well, finally she told me that she won a trip to Japan, through Super Value, for two people and she was inviting me to go with her, because her husband Helmuth Fromm did not want to go with her.

I was in shock. It was only two months before we had to leave.

But as the time went on my excitement was mixed with worries because no matter how much I tried; I could not save up for spending money for the trip.

I finally phoned Gisela and told her I did not know if I would be able to go. She said she wanted me to go, and that she would pay for the food and the transportation, and since the ticket was including accommodations at Hotel Prince in Tokyo, she assured me that I would be o.k.

I did not feel good about taxing my friend, but since her husband refused to go with her and she kept pushing me, I decided not to spend any money and just enjoy the trip and the two free tours to the country via the bullet train, which were also included in the ticket, and we decided that we could always go to McDonald's to eat.

It was the day before. I was leaving from Vernon. I was packed and ready to go. My visa was in order. My $20.00 was in my wallet.

I went for a walk early in the morning. When I came back there was a small white envelope in my mail box. I thought it was rather early for the mailman to be there but did not pay much attention to that.

I opened the letter and out fell a small plastic card on the floor with a 'picture of Christ with his arms open in a welcome posture, " and a writing by  that said:

"How much do you love me?" I asked Jesus, and Jesus said I "This much •

Then he spread his arms and died for me."

Inside the envelope was $300.00, but not the name of the giver.

I was shocked, and astonished. I felt grateful, thankful, and totally startled.

I had a wonderful trip.

My friend Gisela Fromm in Tokyo, Japan

I still have my memory of someone who gave me gifts out of charity.

Both my wonderful friend Gisela and "The Mystery Person".

I never did find out who gave me the money, but I still remember with gratitude in my heart, that special moment when I received the mystery gift.

Vibeke Lindhardt

14 July 2019

Vibekesonja.blogspot.com

SEX CRIMES HARDER TO PROSECUTE THAN HOMICIDES

Kamela Harris – District Attorney from California – who at the moment is running for the Presidency said today on “The View” that it is harder to prosecute sex crimes than homicides.

When asked why, she said:

Sex offenders:

·       Choose their prey.

·       Chose the location.

·       They are no witnesses.

·       Their victims are vulnerable.

·       Their victims are usually afraid to tell.

Vibeke Lindhardt

12 July 2019

Vibekesonja.blogspot.com

EITHER YOU ARE President DONALD TRUMP’S FRIEND or FOE

If you want to be in American President Donald Trump’s “good book” then you have to be “loyal” – no matter what. If you are not loyal to him – then you are OUT.

James Comey -FBI Director

When James would not accommodate Donald Trump “to leave the Russian investigation alone” – He was fired.

Jeff Sessions Attorney General

Donald Trump wanted Jeff Sessions to take control of the Russia investigation.

Jeff Sessions would not. He was fired.

McGahn White House Counsel

Early 2018 President DT  directed McGahn McGahn was directed by Trump to tell Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that “Mueller has to go. McGahn would not, so he quit.

Michael Flynn – National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump

When Michael Flynn started to co-operate with the “Mueller group” – “The Presidents’ personal counsel said he would make sure that the President knew that Flynn’s actions reflected hostility towards the President.  He was fired.  Still waiting for legal results.

Paul Manafort Donald Trump campaign chairman from June to August 2016

During Manaforts prosecution – President Trump called Manafort “A brave man” for refusing to break and “that flipping almost ought to be outlawed. He left the campaign.

He got 7.5 years in jail.

Michael Cohen Donald Trump’s Lawyer for 10 years.

Before Michael Cohen decided to “come clean with the truth” President Donal Trumps personal counsel said that “he would stay on message” and “not flip” and told Cohen “stay strong”.

When Cohen started to co-operate with the Government, Trump called him “a rat”.

He got 3.5 years in jail for lying to congress

Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta – Previous lawyer for sex offender Jeffrey Epstein

At the moment Acosta is in Pres. Donald Trumps “good book”.  Will Acosta quit soon?

Epstein is a friend of Donald Trump.
He paid $350.000 to silence witnesses

Vibeke Lindhardt

11 July 2019

Vibekesonja.blogspot.com

Reference: page 267-269 of the Mueller report


12 July 2019 UPDATE

Alexander Acosta resigned today

Danish Rice Porridge with Cinnamon - Danish RISENGRØD

When we were kids, we loved when Mom made Cinnamon Rice Porridge for Dinner.  Danish Risengrød.

It was usually served with Dark – non- alcoholic Malt Beer.

Unfortunately, we did not get it very often. It was a traditional dish to eat on 23^rd December – the night before we celebrated Christmas.

My Mom would use milk and rice and cook it on the wooden stove, until it was hot. Then my Dad would take the big pot with the lid on and place a whole bunch of newspaper around it, and then a whole bunch of towels and place it in their bed with the heavy down on top. It would sit there for hours until it was done.

It would be served in nice brown ceramic bowl.  Sprinkled with cinnamon and a spoon full of butter in the middle.

She always placed a bowl outside for “the Christmas Elves”.

Danish  Ris’Alamanda Dessert

The next day – Christmas Eve – December 24^th

Mom would change the porridge to a Dessert called Ris’alamanda

Whip cream and a little sugar would be added to the porridge and served with a Cherry Sauce.

An almond would be place in the big bowl and the person who got the almond would win a homemade Marzipan Pig.   

Vibeke Lindhardt

Vibekesonja.blospot.com

10 July 2019

GOD DOES SPEAK TO US


We are so busy in our daily lives that most of us don't pay attention to when God is trying to communicate with us.

Nevertheless, the last eight months I have several big and small experiences that has proven to me that GOD DOES SPEAK TO US, but we don't always listen.

Last week, I that "little voice" told me to bring a cake for a new move-in person "Angie" here in Lethbridge.

It kept coming up, so I asked "what day do I have to bring a cake.

The answer was very clear: MONDAY.

Monday happened to be a good day for me, so when I met Angie in church I asked her if I could bring a cake for a family the next day MONDAY.

She looked at me in surprise and said: "That would be great, then we can put candles on, because it is my daughter's birthday".

Wow.

It was once again re-enforced in me that God does speak to us.

All we have to do is to "listen".

Vibeke Lindhardt

10 July 2019

vibekesonja.blospot.com

President Donald Trump was NOT exonerated

From the THE MULLER REPORT - Page 264:

If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state.

Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.

The evidence we obtained about the President’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred.

Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President (Donald Trump) committed a crime, IT DOES NOT EXONERATE HIM.

Who is MULLER: (A conservative lawyer)

(from Expedia)

Robert Swan Mueller III (/ˈmʌlər/; born August 7, 1944) is an American lawyer and government official who served as the sixth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2001 to 2013.

A graduate of Princeton University and New York University, Mueller served as a Marine Corps officer during the Vietnam War, receiving a Bronze Star for heroism and a Purple Heart. He subsequently attended the University of Virginia School of Law. Mueller is a registered Republican in Washington, D.C., and was appointed and reappointed to Senate-confirmed positions by presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.^[4][5]

Mueller has served both in government and private practice. He was an assistant United States attorney; a United States attorney; United States assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division; a homicide prosecutor in Washington, D.C.; acting United States deputy attorney general; and director of the FBI. Mueller was also a partner at the D.C. law firm WilmerHale before being appointed as special counsel.

On May 17, 2017, Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as special counsel overseeing an investigation into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and related matters.^[6] Mueller submitted his report to Attorney General William Barr on March 22, 2019.^[7] On April 18, 2019, the Department of Justice released the special counsel's final report.^[8][9] On May 29, 2019, Mueller officially resigned his post and the Office of the Special Counsel was closed.

Robert Muller has been subpoenaed to testify in Congress 17 July 2019

Vibeke Lindhardt

9 July 2019

Vibekesonja.blogspot.com

UPDATE:

The date has been changed to 24 July 2019

JUST ONE PORTRAIT PLEASE

We are very lucky these days that we through the media can see instant photos of our families, no matter how far away they are.

As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I have joined Facebook is to be able to see photos of my family who live so far away and most of them I don’t get to see for years. When you see a photo of somebody with a few words, it feels like you have contact with them.

It is very modern these days to pay a professional photographer to come and take photos at your wedding. Yesterday my granddaughter Sarah placed numerous photos of her wedding on Facebook. They were beautiful and I enjoyed them very much.

PHOTO OF ME, SARAH AND DAYLEN

It has made me contemplate about some translation of some old letter from around 1880-1882 – Danish to English – that I am doing for a lady in Sacramento, California.

It is a young Danish man – Christian Nelson - who immigrated at the age of 19 from the Nakskov area -on Fyn in the Maribo County - to Belton, Missouri, United States (at that time called North America).

He is renting two rooms from a relative – Jørgen.  One room to run a little “shoemaker business” and one room for sleeping.

He is an ambitious young man but is single and lonely and it takes a long time for letters – from his parents – and other relatives and friends to cross the Atlantic Ocean – on the ships.

One thing that strike me is that he writes in almost each letter is: “I am longing to have a portrait of you”. Christian writes in one letter: “I have been waiting so long time now for Father’s portrait, that I have given up.  I wrote to you that if you don’t have money to pay for it, then I would send it – and I will now if that is the problem.

Apparently, his parents must travel to Nakskov from Vesterskov to get a “Professional portrait” done. It is not just the travel with horse and buggy that is the problem but having a portrait done at that time was extremely expensive. Not everybody could afford to have a portrait done.

I must admit that it not only brought tears to my eyes but made me realize how we take so many things we for granted these days. I also live far away from my two living children and have not seen them for two years and some days I get extremely depressed from not seeing my children more often, but at least in today’s world we can communicate on phone, letters and the internet.  Email, Facebook, Instagram etc.

A professional PORTRAIT - with the photographer's name and place of my grandmother Kristine Rasmussen

Vibeke Lindhardt

July 10, 2019

vibekesonja.blotspt.com

WONDERS FROM HEAVEN Chapter 1.

My Mom – Else Margrethe Gunhild Emmely Madsen (nee Rasmussen

I believe that sometimes we have experiences that is “hard to explain” without admitting to ourselves that there is a higher power that is beyond our understanding. 

As many people express it:  There is more between Heaven and Earth.

Over the years I have had a few of those and have been encouraged by some of my family members to share them.

I have decided to call all of them Experiences from WONDERS FROM HEAVEN. 

They will not necessarily be in DATE order

This is my first story:

Keld and I immigrated from Copenhagen to Canada leaving November 25^th, first sailing with “Batory” to Quebec and then three days on train to Edmonton, Alberta where our friends Dick and Arvella picked us up.

After living in Lethbridge for 6 months we moved to Kinnaird (now amalgamated with Castlegar) July 1967.

We were extremely poor. We looked for bottles to sell for our food. We could not afford to buy real milk for our baby Harly.

Nevertheless, in 1968 we bought a music store “Columbia Music” in Trail, BC – on 100% credit – from an old Italien – Isadore Lazzari – who apparently trusted us, because we did not own a dime.

We managed, but it was really tough, but with Keld’s trade as aa piano tuner we were able to make a living but had to watch every penny.

After a couple of years, we moved the store to a more trafficked area on the same street. The store was bigger and with a full basement, so we had room for pianos and then we started to offer guitar lessons. Nevertheless, we were still struggling.

There was one month when we were short of $20 to pay our rent that month.  When the day came, we were worried that we would take in enough money to pay the rent by end of the day. Well, inexpiable to this day, there was $20 laying by our entrance door when we came to the store.

Can you explain that?

But that was not the only thing happening.  In early February 1970 I felt I needed to go and visit my Mom. I spoke to Keld about it and we both agreed that the money was just not there, especially since I would to bring our now three year old little Harly. 

Linda, who by then was 13 years old, would stay behind and help Keld in the store after work.  She was actually quite capable of taking care of the store for a couple of hours when Keld had to tune a piano.

So we tried to put it out of our minds about me going to Denmark, but it kept coming in to my brain so Keld and I tried to find out “how we could do it, and I went to the travel bureau to book a trip for Harly and I. We decided on June 10^th.

I would not have to pay for Harly, but she asked me if he was traveling on my passport?

Well, I had never thought about that at that time. I still had a Danish passport but Harly was born in Calgary and needed a Canadian passport.

The lady at the travel bureau told me it normally would take 3-6 months to get a passport.  At that time, you would have to apply for a passport through the travel agency.

I asked her if she could “speed it up”.  She said she would try, and we did get the passport for Harly, after three weeks, so I asked her if she then could change my flight time so I could travel to Copenhagen earlier than the 10^th of June. She tried really hard, but was not able to get any seats for us before 7^th of June.  I thought that was useless to pay extra for having the flight moved three days ahead, but Keld and I decided to do it anyway. So Harly and I flew to Copenhagen on Friday June 7^th.

I thought I would surprise my Mom and did not tell her we were coming, before I arrived in Copenhagen. I phoned her from Kastrup airport and she was so surprised – and happy - when I told her that Harly and I would be at her place in Hillerød within a couple of hours.

My Mom lived in a very small -one room – apartment (no bedroom), but my Mom’s motto – which I adopted later in life – was always “If there is room in your heart, then there is room in your house”.  We never thought about “if we had room” when people announced that they would be coming to visit you. We “made room”, even if it meant that guests were sleeping – happily – on the floor.

Nevertheless, my Mom gave me and Harly her bed to sleep in and she slept on her little couch where the “arm-seats” could be pulled down to a bed. It worked out.

I asked my Mom, if my very good friends Lizzie and Pall Nolsø could come for dinner Sunday afternoon and she was more than delighted to make a dinner for us, so they arrived, and we had a wonderful dinner.  (My Mom was an awesome cook – who by the way inspired me to love cooking).

Our best friends when we lived in Denmark.   Lizzie and Pall Nolsø. - We lived just above them in Husum.  Linda’s best friend was their son Christian Nolsø

After the dinner I wanted to walk Lizzie and Pall (we called him Pot) down to the road.  My Mom lived on 2^nd floor (which was called 1^st floor in Denmark) and the first floor was called “Stuen”. Lizzie, Pall and I were standing on the street and waved to my Mom, who had opened the window to wave to us.

I said goodbye to Lizzie and Pall and went upstairs. As I opened the door I kept talking to my Mom – who had already made her bed – on the couch and was laying there. I am sure she was worn out from the day.  Us Danes we visit for hours when we get together.

I could not understand why she did not answer me when I spoke to her and I asked her “Mom, why are you not answering”?

Still no answer, so I walked over to her couch and noticed that her eyes were rolling in her head.

I totally freaked out.

Harly was sitting on the bed in his Pajama.

I ran in to the neighbor. (It was an apartment building where there were three apartments on each floor) Well, I was lucky that the young couple were home. They called the ambulance and took Harly, while my Mom was rushed to the hospital.

I totally freaked out.

They rushed her into emergency and closed the door on me and told me to wait in the waiting room.

I waited 10 minutes when the doctor came and told me “that my Mom had passed away from a stroke”.

I totally broke down.  She was only 62 years old.  Why?

Then I started to feel guilt.  I asked the Doctor if it was my fault by surprising her with me coming from Canada.  He reassured me that it was not, but unfortunately, I blamed myself – for years – for my Mom’s death, and even today 2019 I am still wondering if I caused my Mom’s death, but…….

If I have to look at it from a different perspective - was it then “A Wonder From Heaven”?

Why did I suddenly in February feel that strong of “Urgency” and that I needed to go home?  I had not been home in Denmark since Keld and I left 1966.

Why did I feel I had to move my trip three days ahead from June 10^th to the 7^th?

At that time my oldest sister Inge Lise lived in same town as my Mom, and Birgit lived in Copenhagen and still I came 6000 miles away and was the last person with my Mom? Why?

Inge Lise was shocked when I phoned her from the hospital and told her that Mom had passed away, and so was Birgit. We were all wondering “Why would I be the last one to be with Mom”?

As I look back now, I believe it was one of those “WONDERS FROM HEAVEN” and one of the experiences that has strengthened my testimony “that there is God” who looks after us.

All we have to do is to leave our lives in his hands.

Vibeke Lindhardt

26 June 2019