Diary of Linnea Gord, Nineteen-Year-Old Piano Accompanist, July 3rd and 4th 1930

THURSDAY, JULY 3RD, 1930     The whole bunch of us went in to Vasa today to do some shopping. Auntie and I walked down to the steamship office to see about the fare to Goteborg.  We found out that it will cost around $35 to go there.

We had lunch at Stahls cafe--but we almost starved.  We ordered eggs and Olga said that they must have had to wait for the hens to lay them--it took so long before we got them.  She also remarked about the apple pie that she had--"that they must have had to pick the apples".  By the way "apple pie" there is not like our apple pie.  It is rather a cake with some sort of apple filling.

We visited some friends or relatives (whatever they were).  The woman we visited is great-grandmother's sister.  We had too much coffee, as usual.  We went back to town to collect all of our packages.  We had left some here and some there.  What were they?  Oh! eats for our Fourth of July picnic.

Gathered for the Picnic

 
The packages took up a whole seat in the bus.  At the torget, where we take the bus, we met Arnold, Fred Carlson and Eric Eklunc, all of whom were coming to the picnic.  (Hooray! Arnold had his faithful "dragspel" with.  That meant music!) Blanche was coming to the picnic also and our very kind-hearted Malax bus driver waited 25 minutes overtime until the Wora bus should come in.  Then we piled in, a happy bunch, with Eric and Fred following on their trust steeds--bicycles! 

Olga, Arnold and I went swimming when we reached home.  Afterwards, everybody congregated outside to watch several members of the younger generation pitch hay.  Arnold played, too, making the countryside ring with music and song.  The preacher even went by, and he didn't seem to mind it. 

We certainly had a good time that evening.  Arnold, Fred, Eric and Blanche all stayed at Malm's, and we all sat on the back porch and sang every song we could think of. 

FRIDAY, JULY 4TH, 1930 - MALAX AND NORRSKAR    HOORAY!  FOURTH OFJULY! 

at the picnic

It was a busy morning, with all of us girls buttering bun, running errands, etc.  At 10:30 we all piled in two cars and went to Amminneborg.  "Mamma and Pappa" Anderson had hired an old Ford touring car, and about six of us piled into it, with Arnold on the running board.  Arvid, Fred & Eric had volunteering to get the boat out, but it took them so long that we thought they had drowned or something.  We were very patriotic that day, seeing as it was a National holiday and all of us were from America.  We were all choir members and so we sang "America", "Star-Spangled Banner" and some Swedish songs while standing on the dock.  The boys by that time had come into sight with the boat--a sailing boat.  Several of the ladies got cold feet and said that we couldn't possibly all go in that boat.  By and by we decided to hire the boat "Malaks" which was at the dock.  The owner of it was there doing some repair work (imagine working on July Fourth But he wasn't an American, vass he!) He said that he would take us to Norr Skär for 150 marks, seeing as he could work while he was waiting for us, so we jumped at the offer. 

 

Our picnic was held at Horr Skär at Klockars' villa.  It was a beautiful place, except for flies and rocks.  It was filled with both. As soon as we arrived, swimming suits were donned and everybody made a rush for the water.  It was rather dangerous swimming, because the water was filled with sharp rocks, big ones.  Pictures - many of them - were taken of the beautiful mermaids and mer men.  Mr. Anderson was the center of attraction - his swimming suit being one of his wife's petticoats.  He wouldn't pose for a picture, though!

 

Soon came to call "DINNER" so everybody hurried for food, which was delicious.  We had Hot Dogs and buns (heta hundar och bullar) coffee, potato salad with real mayonnaise and skorpor.  (We bought the last jar of mayonnaise in Vasa and it cost 50¢ for a very little jar.) My! what a Fourth of July Picnic Lunch.

We all sat around among the rocks after dinner and sang and then Arnold gave a concert.  I'm sure if we had been listening we could have heard the rocks and trees singing too.  There was card-playing, pop-drinking and more swimming in the afternoon. 

For coffee-time we had coffee made with salt water, milk, pop, cookies, bullas and skorpor.  We had dancing afterwards, just like any Fourth of July picnic in America, except that instead of having a nice big dance hall we danced in the villa on about a 4 by 4 foot floor.  About that time the three Malm boys and VIctor Berts came out - making a Swedish addition to our otherwise American picnic.  We (about half of us) picked up and went home at about eight o'clock in the "Malaks".  The rest of the bunch stayed until midnight and went home in the sailing vessel. 

My! what a different and yet what a nice Fourth of July picnic.  Our Finland Fourth of July picnic cost us 52 1/2 ¢ apiece.  There were twenty-three of us - and with our musician - Arnold - to furnish us entertainmnent, no picnic could equal the one at Norr Skar on July 4th 1930.  Hooray for Finland!