The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 18

Dec. 24, 1978 It's a Swedish Christmas for high desert family (Rlolto) "ir ft'-; um 1 7 mm yM? iy and Rebecca Johnson talked about the things that make the family's Christmas celebration really special. Although somewhat new to the ways of the Swedes (the Johnsons were married 10 years ago), Rebecca talks know ledgeably about the holiday customs of the country. Traditional Swedish decorations straw stars and animals, glockenspiels, angel chimes and julgransljus, small, white stearin candles, added to the cozy atmosphere of the Johnson home. Dale Johnson, a first lieutenant in Marine Corps, and Rphprra a thirrt-Prarfp tearher at Victor Vallev Chris By PRISCILLA NORDYKE Sun Start Writer PINON HILLS Tradition is strong in the family of the late Grandpa Levin stronger than inflation or fear of the "pomp and circumstance" associated with a Swedish Christmas.

While American families are still preparing food Christmas Eve for the traditional Yule day feast, Levin's children and grandchildren already are relishing Swedish foods in grand array. Seated around a fire in their Pinon Hills home, Dale Officer writes (Continued from B-l) Our lad said with voice so bold That now he was only six and a half But soon he'd be six and a whole. tian School, decided to move their children, Jessica, 7, and Aaron, 8, to Pinon Hills to "escape tne diock wans of Huntington Beach. The decision meant a long trip to El Toro Marine Corps Base in Orange County several days a week for Johnson, a transport helicopter pilot. It also has meant a more casual and tranquil lifestyle, they say.

Snow added to that tranquility the week before Christmas and as the Johnsons talked, icicles sparkled "My wife and my kids are the most important things like diamonds outside the living room window. to me," Powell said. "Our oldest boy is on the junior Preparations for the Swedish yuletide actually start soccer team (in Hesperia), our daughter is a jn late summer when the Johnsons and their relatives cheerleader for the team and our youngest is in Blue begin gathering supplies, often hard to find in South-Jays with Camp Fire." em California. Powell, who said he was both proud and embar- They send to Sweden for bondost, a cheese, and by rassed about publishing the book thinks people fall are involved in preparing the traditional variety of will think he's a sissy," his wife said), said he likes butter cookies. writing about his children and his wife.

The women of the home then begin their search for Some of the poems Connie Powell selected when she special ingredients of recipes, such as pig's head for started compiling the book as a Christmas present for prass sylta (head cheese), sylta (a veal loaf) and family members were written after arguments. potatiskorf and grynkorf, potato and barley sausages. Several of them were written before her husband The sting of inflation has been felt in the years since decided to leave the sheriff's office in Lucerne Valley Johnson's grandfather migrated from Sweden to Chi- and the family tried "country living," unsuccessfully, cag0 1921. in Oklahoma and Texas. "I got really frustrated with "This year, two small herring cost $5, but the law enforcement in general," Powell recalled.

"I was tradition is stronger than inflation and the custom WY ri Yvv 1 '4i- til- 1 IYy 1 Hv- i C-ju iv "Y-Y vr the resident deputy and 1 was working hours a continues," said Rebecca, who has begun teaching her week. The job got in between Connie and daughter to prepare the Swedish delicacies. While the preparation of Swedish foods may De Staff photo by Karon Eichort complicated and tiring, the Christmas Eve meal is relaxed, although structured. It might last for hours with a combination of buffet and sit-down courses, separated between the third and fourth by opening of gifts. It opens with the first-course buffet of limpa bread and butter, hardtack, pickled beets, bruna bonor (brown beans), bond ost (cheese) and lingon berries.

Sylta and prass sylta are served with pickled herring, Swedish meat balls, potatiskorf and grynkorf. The family is gathered around the table for the second course, lutefisk (cod with white sauce) and boiled potatoes. A third course of qrut-rice pudding is served with cinnamon sugar or syrup or milk. It has been nearly two hours since the meal began, but it still is not over. While the women clear the table and wash the dishes, the men and children gather in the living room where the youngsters sometimes nap, while Father Christmas (Santa Claus) delivers the gifts.

After the gifts are opened in the Swedish tradition Christmas Eve, the family returns to the table for coffee and an assortment of spritz cookies, pep-perkakor, saffron bread and coffee. The meal and gift opening has lasted nearly five hours, and has been as rich in tradition as food. The Johnson family plans a traditional Swedish Christmas senior menus 3 WEDNESDAY Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, vegetables, bread, dessert and beverage. FRIDAY Macaroni and cheese, vegetables, salad bar, bran muffin, dessert and beverage. Meals will be served from 11:30 a.m.

to 1:30 tist Church, 170 Pine Colton; Community Center, 2nd and Palm avenues, Rialto; American Legion Hall, 9988 Cedar Bloomington; and Magnolia Center, 651 W. 15th Upland. MONDAY Sliced ham, yams, vegetables, salad, rolls, dessert and beverage. TUESDAY Liver and onions, oven-browned potatoes, vegetables, salad, bread, dessert, and beverage. To stand To walk To run, then stumble A man follows these steps through life.

Till one day he awakes and then He stands He walks He runs, then stumbles Not alone but with the woman he's chosen to be his wife. "1 usually sit down and cry for an hour after I read one (poem)," Mrs. Powell said. "I'm an emotional person anyway." Powell said writing helps him see both sides of an argument with his wife, his "high school sweetheart." "He's very old fashioned," she said, laughing. "The wife's place is in the home.

The old barefoot and pregnant thing. But I think I've changed him." "We got into a typical marriage stereotype where they only thing we had to talk about was the kids and bills," Powell said. "We had to work on our marriage." Powell said there was "no real purpose" when he started writing poetry seven years ago, but said he found it was a "pressure release thing." He has had no formal education in writing and is working on an A.A. degree in police science at Chaf fey College. "Eventually I'd like to get a B.A., maybe in administration," he said.

"The chances of a cop making 20 years aren't too good. You need something else to fall back on." Writing poetry is not a career possibility, he said, although his wife said she hopes he will publish another book. Nearly one-third of the 104 copies Powell published have been sold to other police officers, Powell said, adding that they have been received with compliments and the "usual jokes." Everyday there seems to be A crisis on the ridge And to meet the crisis of their life Man and wife must build a bridge. The bridge is often very weak Made of dreams and hopes and fears And about the time the trouble's spanned The bridge will fall in tears. Then once again they start to build The bridge to a brighter day And call upon each other's love As they pray the bridge will stay.

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San Bernardino PH. 884-35 10 8983 SIERRA AVE. FONTANA PH. 823-4515.