In this scorching Summit summer heat and a dozen plus wildfires raging – unfortunately – across Colorado, a refreshing interlude of Scandinavian traditional treats may fit the bill of other things to think about.

First off we have Keystone resident Susan Swenson Juergensmeier, who is quite proud of her Norwegian heritage.

This spring, Susan traveled back to Ohio for the 75th anniversary of the Scandinavian Club of Columbus.

Along with 140 others, Susan dined and danced.

“The Scandinavian Club was founded in 1937 to promote Scandinavian traditions through fellowship, educational, and entertaining activities. Plus great home-cooked food. The home-cooked food was my husband’s favorite part of the meetings,” says Susan.

The club is still very active and has monthly cultural events to further the Scandinavian heritage – representing Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.

Susan is pictured with friend Grete Davidsen Kidwell of Harstad, Norway, wearing her Nordland bunad.

Susan’s dress is from Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, where her great grandparents were from.

“I hand-embroidered the entire dress, hat and purse,” she says, adding, “yes, after 30 years, my bunad still fit.”

Susan wore her bunad to the 2000 Ski Ball.

“While living in Columbus in the ’80s, I was a member of the club and also a member of the Scandinavian Dance Group of Columbus,” Susan recalls.

Their group of 25 people performed dances from all five Scandinavian countries at festivals throughout the Midwest.

Graduating from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with a degree in biology and Ohio State with a master’s in education, Susan has worked at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, the St. Louis Science Center, and the Keystone Science School. For 12 years, she’s been at the Nordic Center at Keystone.

“My husband and I moved to Keystone in 1998,” she says.

While Susan’s Norge life of traditions, food, costumes and dance make for an idyllic tale, a dark scene occurred when cancer claimed husband Bill a few years ago.

Susan’s Nordic positiveness keeps her moving forward.

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Now for a little bit of Danish culture, we tell of Jason Brewer and fiancee’ Mary Anne Avery’s plan to open Skiveers on Old Main Street Frisco, on Dick Boylan’s vacant lot next to the Moosejaw.

“You are one of the few people that knows what an aebleskiver is, so at least there is less explaining to do; we have been doing a lot of explaining lately,” Jason tells me.

With Spike’s wife Mary’s Danish background, we have two aebleskiver pans in our house and probably 10 in the family.

Ja, ja.

So, what the heck is an aebleskiver?

It’s a round pancake, about the size of a golf ball, usually covered with butter, sugar, syrup, and can be filled with a variety of tasty morsels.

“Details are all in the works and nothing is finalized yet, but we will have various fruit fillings, extra powder on powder days (confectionary sugar),” says Jason.

“And, we are working on a gluten-free version, an eggy version, like an omelet (possible called the Eggselerator lift). There are pizza skiveers and cornbread skiveers in the works as well,” the local Home Buyers Marketing II broker adds.

All this goodness will come out of a modern 9×20-foot trailer like the Crepes a la Cart idea in Breckenridge, with outdoor seating, where customers can enjoy French-press coffee and flavored hot chocolates.

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We ran into RE/MAX broker Kouri Wolf and son Todd Ulmer and granddaughter Evie at Foote’s Rest in Frisco, the hottest sweetspot for ice cream, yogurt, and candies, the other night.

Todd lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and owns USExport Direct, which exports environmentally friendly building materials to South America, Caribbean, Bahamas and other resort locations.

Kouri’s other son Chad lives on Kauai, Hawaii, with wife, Anna Schutz, Peter Schutz’ daughter. They own an art gallery in Poipu.

Both Ulmer boys and Anna graduated from Summit High.

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In a sad note we report the passing of “Uncle” Phil LaCasse, who succumbed in his sleep to a long fight against cancer at home in Scottsdale.

Phil worked at the ODI, Charity’s, Golden Annie’s, Tuscato, and the Fifth Avenue Grill.

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In a happier ending, we mark the birthdays of four cherished folks close to Spike: Mother-in-law Martha Staby, 95; Peer Bjornstad, 80; Jim “Jimbo” Deines, 65; and Rob Hughey, 60.

Miles F. Porter IV, nicknamed “Spike,” a Coloradan since 1949, is an Army veteran, former Climax miner, graduate of Adams State College, and a local since 1982. An award-winning investigative reporter, he and wife Mary E. Staby owned newspapers here for 20 years.

Email your social info to milesfporteriv@aol.com