{"id":9501,"date":"2026-02-28T12:07:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T11:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/?p=9501"},"modified":"2026-02-17T11:12:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T10:12:05","slug":"soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

Big snowfall overnight, and the neighborhood is out in full force. Snowblowers roar, shovels clash, and snowbanks rise like fortresses. Join me for this week\u2019s Soothing Saturday<\/em> \u2014 The Great Snow Showdown.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Soothing Saturday<\/em> \u2014 is my little corner for slowing down and stepping away from my usual genealogy deep dives. Think of it as a gentle exhale at the end of the week \u2014 a space for reflections, small joys, and simple stories written just for the pleasure of it.<\/p>\n<\/div>We woke up this morning to silence \u2014 that soft, heavy kind that only follows a proper snowfall.
Overnight, our little street had vanished under a thick white duvet, the kind that makes even the rubbish bins look romantic.<\/p>\n

It was beautiful\u2026 for about three minutes.<\/p>\n

Then it began \u2014 the unmistakable whirring, scraping, grunting symphony<\/em> of a Norwegian neighborhood under siege.
By 8 a.m., everyone was out, armed and ready, facing the great white enemy together (and yet somehow, competitively).<\/p>\n

From our window, I could see the entire drama unfold.
It looked less like a quiet residential street and more like Wimbledon in white.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n

🎙️ \u201cAnd there\u2019s Knut from Number 12, starting strong on the forecourt with his brand-new snowblower \u2014 the 2025 model with dual augers and LED headlights. Across the street, Olav\u2019s returning serve with the classic shovel, steady swing, questionable technique, and probable chiropractor appointment!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Inger Lise joined me at the window, coffee in hand.
\u201cNew machine?\u201d she asked, nodding toward Knut\u2019s driveway.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d I said. \u201cHe couldn\u2019t possibly go another winter with last year\u2019s model. The old one probably only had five forward speeds.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked at me over her mug. \u201cYou\u2019re not going out there, are you? You\u2019ll wreck your back again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take it easy,\u201d I said.
She raised an eyebrow \u2014 the kind that says \u201cThat\u2019s what you said last time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Out on the street, snow was flying in every direction. Nobody really knew where to put it anymore \u2014 the lawns were buried, the hedges gone, and I swear someone had sculpted a small glacier around their mailbox.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

🎙️ \u201cOh, and we\u2019ve got a rally on center court \u2014 the boundary line dispute! Knut\u2019s snow seems to have drifted onto Kari\u2019s driveway, and Kari\u2019s not happy. The referee\u2019s pretending not to notice, folks, but tempers are rising!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

The real entertainment, though, came a few minutes later.
Knut fired up his snowblower again and, with one graceful sweep, sent a fine arc of snow neatly over onto Kari\u2019s side.
Kari, not one to back down, responded with a perfectly executed shovel flick \u2014 a clean backhand<\/strong> right over the hedge and onto Knut\u2019s newly cleared path.<\/p>\n

\n

🎙️ \u201cAnd there it is \u2014 a stunning backhand return from Kari! Beautiful technique, full follow-through. Knut\u2019s on the defensive now, folks \u2014 he\u2019ll need to dig deep if he wants to stay in this match!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Soon, half the street was engaged in what looked suspiciously like a snow-based version of mixed doubles, the snow flying back and forth across invisible boundary lines. No points were scored, but plenty of pride was at stake.<\/p>\n

\n

I stood there for a while, coffee mug warming my hands, feeling smugly superior to those poor souls out there battling the elements.
That lasted right up until Inger Lise said, without looking at me:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to do it, at least stretch first.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And that was that.
I sighed, pulled on my coat, and stepped into the arena.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

🎙️ \u201cAnd here comes Martin \u2014 entering the match late! He\u2019s chosen the vintage aluminum shovel, manual transmission, one careful owner. No lights, no batteries, just pure human suffering!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

I took my place in our driveway and got to work.
The snow was heavy, the kind that sticks to the shovel and to your soul.
Around me, engines roared and men shouted across driveways about horsepower, torque, and fuel efficiency.
It was less about clearing snow and more about establishing dominance.<\/p>\n

Inger Lise peeked out the door again.
\u201cPlease don\u2019t overdo it, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d I puffed, pretending not to notice Knut effortlessly clearing his entire property in the time it took me to do one square meter.<\/p>\n

\n

🎙️ \u201cMartin\u2019s playing the long game here, folks. Classic endurance strategy \u2014 slow but steady. Meanwhile, Knut\u2019s showboating with the dual auger! Oh! And Olav\u2019s shovel just snapped \u2014 that\u2019s a forced error if I\u2019ve ever seen one!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

By midmorning, the battle was over.
The driveways were clean, the street narrowed by towering snowbanks, and the neighborhood stood victorious.<\/p>\n

One by one, everyone leaned on their shovels or switched off their snowblowers, pretending they weren\u2019t completely exhausted.
Steam rose from hats and collars like tired athletes after a hard-fought match.<\/p>\n

I trudged back inside, leaving perfect footprints on the clean path.
Inger Lise handed me a mug of coffee and said softly, \u201cWell done \u2014 and no heroics next time.\u201d<\/p>\n

I raised my mug in mock salute.
\u201cNeighbors 1, Winter 0.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled. \u201cAnd you \u2014 still walking upright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Snow out of bounds \u2014 please clear the line!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Until next time \u2014 may your coffee be warm, your records be legible, and your heart find a reason to smile. Have a great weekend!<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Big snowfall overnight, and the neighborhood is out in full force. Snowblowers roar, shovels clash, and snowbanks rise like fortresses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[150],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soothing-saturday"],"yoast_head":"\nSoothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown - Norwegian Genealogy and then some<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Big snowfall overnight, and the neighborhood is out in full force. Snowblowers roar, shovels clash, and snowbanks rise like fortresses.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Norwegian Genealogy and then some\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MartinRoeEidhammer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MartinRoeEidhammer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-28T11:07:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"457\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"382\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Martin Roe Eidhammer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/MEidhammer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@MEidhammer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Martin Roe Eidhammer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Martin Roe Eidhammer\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c88ba0bf75121593e21bc58cfda26790\"},\"headline\":\"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-28T11:07:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":907,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c88ba0bf75121593e21bc58cfda26790\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"Soothing Saturday\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/\",\"name\":\"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown - Norwegian Genealogy and then some\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-28T11:07:23+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1\",\"width\":457,\"height\":382},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Norwegian Genealogy and then some\",\"description\":\"Norwegian genealogy guidance for English-speaking descendants\u2014sources, methods, and real case work.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c88ba0bf75121593e21bc58cfda26790\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c88ba0bf75121593e21bc58cfda26790\",\"name\":\"Martin Roe Eidhammer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/Intro-to-the-blog.jpg?fit=861%2C589&ssl=1\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/Intro-to-the-blog.jpg?fit=861%2C589&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/Intro-to-the-blog.jpg?fit=861%2C589&ssl=1\",\"width\":861,\"height\":589,\"caption\":\"Martin Roe Eidhammer\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/Intro-to-the-blog.jpg?fit=861%2C589&ssl=1\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MartinRoeEidhammer\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/martin_roe_eidhammer\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/MEidhammer\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC95EzpOVGkMmJIgiI99ZTtA\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/martinroe.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/martin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown - Norwegian Genealogy and then some","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown","og_description":"Big snowfall overnight, and the neighborhood is out in full force. Snowblowers roar, shovels clash, and snowbanks rise like fortresses.","og_url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/","og_site_name":"Norwegian Genealogy and then some","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MartinRoeEidhammer","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MartinRoeEidhammer","article_published_time":"2026-02-28T11:07:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":457,"height":382,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/MEidhammer","twitter_site":"@MEidhammer","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/"},"author":{"name":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c88ba0bf75121593e21bc58cfda26790"},"headline":"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown","datePublished":"2026-02-28T11:07:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/"},"wordCount":907,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c88ba0bf75121593e21bc58cfda26790"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1","articleSection":["Soothing Saturday"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/","url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/","name":"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown - Norwegian Genealogy and then some","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-02-28T11:07:23+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1","width":457,"height":382},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-snow-showdown\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Soothing Saturday: The Great Snow Showdown"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/","name":"Norwegian Genealogy and then some","description":"Norwegian genealogy guidance for English-speaking descendants\u2014sources, methods, and real case work.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c88ba0bf75121593e21bc58cfda26790"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c88ba0bf75121593e21bc58cfda26790","name":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Intro-to-the-blog.jpg?fit=861%2C589&ssl=1","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Intro-to-the-blog.jpg?fit=861%2C589&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Intro-to-the-blog.jpg?fit=861%2C589&ssl=1","width":861,"height":589,"caption":"Martin Roe Eidhammer"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Intro-to-the-blog.jpg?fit=861%2C589&ssl=1"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MartinRoeEidhammer","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/martin_roe_eidhammer\/","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/MEidhammer","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC95EzpOVGkMmJIgiI99ZTtA"],"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/author\/martin\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Heavy-snowfall-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C382&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p79KEH-2tf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10112,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-day-the-fish-turned-to-jelly\/","url_meta":{"origin":9501,"position":0},"title":"Soothing Saturday: The Day the Fish Turned to Jelly","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"December 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2074Every time I think about lutefisk, I don\u2019t picture a cosy Christmas table with candlelight and rosy cheeks. I\u2019m right back in a childhood kitchen, eyes watering, wondering if someone had boiled a fish and a cleaning product in the same pot. And yet, I\u2019m Norwegian. I love tradition. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Soothing Saturday"","block_context":{"text":"Soothing Saturday","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/soothing-saturday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Martin-Lutefisk.jpg?fit=457%2C685&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9674,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-a-gentle-prelude-to-december\/","url_meta":{"origin":9501,"position":1},"title":"Soothing Saturday \u2013 A Gentle Prelude to December","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"November 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Tomorrow is the early Christmas concert for our little community band, and already the house carries that familiar hum \u2014 instrument cases leaning by the door, sheet music tucked in folders, and the quiet, steady promise of tradition. It happens every year, this gathering of neighbours and friends, yet it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Soothing Saturday"","block_context":{"text":"Soothing Saturday","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/soothing-saturday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Soothing-Saturday.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Soothing-Saturday.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Soothing-Saturday.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9475,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-the-great-christmas-movie-takeover\/","url_meta":{"origin":9501,"position":2},"title":"Soothing Saturday: The Great Christmas Movie Takeover","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"November 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"You know that feeling when the rain is hammering the windows, the wind\u2019s howling like a pack of wolves that missed their dinner, and you think, \u201cPerfect day to stay in and relax\u201d? Yeah, that was me this morning. Mug of coffee in hand, slippers on, ready to spend a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Soothing Saturday"","block_context":{"text":"Soothing Saturday","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/soothing-saturday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Soothing-Saturday-Christmas-movie-kopi.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Soothing-Saturday-Christmas-movie-kopi.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Soothing-Saturday-Christmas-movie-kopi.jpg?fit=685%2C457&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9489,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-live-from-the-christmas-shopping-derby\/","url_meta":{"origin":9501,"position":3},"title":"Soothing Saturday: Live from the Christmas Shopping Derby","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"December 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s that time of year again \u2014 when the festive spirit meets parking rage, and the Christmas shopping centre turns into a full-contact sport.Join me for this week\u2019s Soothing Saturday, live from the front lines of the Christmas Shopping Derby. Saturday mornings are meant for peace. Coffee. Maybe a lazy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Soothing Saturday"","block_context":{"text":"Soothing Saturday","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/soothing-saturday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Referee-in-mall-kopi.jpg?fit=616%2C588&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Referee-in-mall-kopi.jpg?fit=616%2C588&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Referee-in-mall-kopi.jpg?fit=616%2C588&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9465,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/soothing-saturday-finding-my-roots-and-my-core\/","url_meta":{"origin":9501,"position":4},"title":"Soothing Saturday: Finding My Roots\u2026 and My Core","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"November 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Ah, Saturday \u2014 that glorious day when my alarm clock gets ignored, my coffee tastes like peace, and I can pretend I have my life together for at least the first two hours. Ah, Saturday \u2014 that beautiful pause button in the week when the alarm clock gets to sleep\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Soothing Saturday"","block_context":{"text":"Soothing Saturday","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/soothing-saturday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Soothing-Saturday-4-kopi.jpg?fit=457%2C457&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10759,"url":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/the-blog-you-see-and-the-blog-gremlins-you-dont\/","url_meta":{"origin":9501,"position":5},"title":"Soothing Saturday: The Blog You See\u2026 and the Blog Gremlins You Don\u2019t","author":"Martin Roe Eidhammer","date":"January 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Soothing Saturday is usually where I slow things down a bit\u2014coffee in hand, shoulders unclenched, and a gentle reminder that not every problem needs solving today. And yet\u2026 Today\u2019s soothing thought is this: running a blog is like inviting guests into a tidy living room while a marching band practices\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Soothing Saturday"","block_context":{"text":"Soothing Saturday","link":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/category\/life-in-general\/soothing-saturday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Troll-pa-bloggen.jpg?fit=457%2C685&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9501"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10936,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9501\/revisions\/10936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/martinroe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}