Smorgasbord Continued.....

A new day and with fresh excitement as I enter the church. Linda introduces me to my new mentor Sharon and I go with her to the other side of the social hall and help her set up her station. We pass by others getting their grills preheated and bowls of flour ready. Sharon has a warm smile and kind demeanor about her as I share the details of my project. She starts rolling dough while I talk to her and works diligently while I tell her the ups and downs of my senior project thus far. Before I know it she already has the first lefse made and it is sitting warm, nestled in it’s own “lefse quilt” – just the right size.

Sharon who taught kindergarten for many years took me under her wing, first showing me the technique and proper use of flour, then how to flip the lefse without ripping it. She taps the griddle confidently with her “lefse stick” (a thin piece of wood used to transfer the lefse to each stage of the cooking process) deflating a bubble. The room is heating up and I look around to the different stations. There are 7 stations set up across the social hall at the Immanuel Lutheran Church. There are people of all ages helping get the lefse from dough to grill. Sharon has me try one, and though I am nervous her calming teacher voice puts me at ease as I sprinkle the board with flour and get rolling. Sharon herself didn’t learn until coming to Immanuel Lutheran Church, but remembers the holidays and the smells from the kitchen as her grandmother cooked. I flip the lefse and surprise myself with how natural it feels to be here, with these “strangers”, dusting the linoleum floors with flour and eating lefse scraps.

After churning out a couple I let Sharon take over so I can roam the room for stories. Dick Lindborg came to the art of lefse making from his wife. He is very focused as he pokes the uncooked lefse with a fork, preventing bubbles. This male is a nice addition to the atmosphere of mostly women in colorful aprons. Though quiet I can tell he truly enjoys the camaraderie and fellowship of the lefse tradition.

I also meet Marcy, who is louder than Dick and easily frustrated by burnt or uneven lefse. She adds laughter to the room and makes everyone else feel at home. She is grits her teeth but makes a light hearted comment about ironing out the wrinkles. Though her lefse isn’t perfect she is there helping, and that is all that matters. The service not only to the church but to the ancestors of years past who slaved over woodstoves to make lefse for the holidays.

I felt so at home with all my new Lutheran friends. Yes we were preparing for a church fundraiser but I found that the bonds created over the floury mess were much stronger than the money that this smorgasbord would raise. These traditions are too good to be forgotten, and with all the effort and volunteers at Immanuel Lutheran I think they have little to worry about as far as keeping the comradeship alive. Through my weekend spent with these amazing and gracious volunteers I found that lefse is a lot like life. It’s not easy. It takes time to learn and can be frustrating. Sometimes you burn it or rip it, but when you find you must “iron out the wrinkles” as Marcy put it, it’s best to be in the company of friends and laughter. Those are two important ingredients that one can’t measure.

~~~I decided to leave out the recipe for the smorgasbord lefse. The quantities are quite large. Come to the smorgasbord next year and see what all the hub-bub is about. You won’t be sorry.