This Haus is a Huset

Modern Viking dwelling

Growing up, after a good meal my dad would often say: "Tak for mad, tusind tak, jeg elsker dig"- a Norwegian phrase that translates to "Thanks for food, a thousand thanks, I love you". I knew that my Grandma Maxine had some Norwegian in her, and I guess I also knew that my mom's mom, Grandma Bev was also part Norwegian, making me a just a little bit Norwegian myself. I've remembered the phrase and repeated it occasionally over the years, as you do with nostalgic childhood things. I'm thinking of it now, because I got some funny news the other day that completely turned my genealogical identity on it's head. Background: I was raised in a family where our story was that we are Swiss-German on my Dad's side. Both of my parent's lineage is solidly Germanic, with a little English, a little Irish, and a little Scandinavian making up the rest. This is the identity I grew up with. My maiden name is decidedly German: Buhler. I had an Oktoberfest for my 30th birthday, and I named my blog Poppy "Haus", because I am have always identified as an American fräulein.  As it turns out, I am not German, not much or not at all.

My sister recently sprang for one of those ethnicity tests that you can order through Ancestry.com. She revealed the results to my brother and I this weekend and we were both a little flabbergasted.  We are close to 50% Scandinavian.  We are only 4% western European.  The rest of the mix was English, Irish, and 15% Italian?(this apparently explains the Swiss-German ancestry, as they border each other). As it turns out, Ich bin ein Skandinavisches. I am actually Viking. Awesome.

Typical Modern Viking Man

This explains everything...my face for starters, my lofty blonde relatives on both sides, my preternatural ability to navigate IKEA, my political leanings, my love of pickled herring and boiled potatoes(not true), my fondness for Eric Northman, and my obsession with birch wood, teak lounge chairs, and houses that look like the one pictured above. I always get a Norway pine for Christmas. Truly, I think I've always known. Have you ever found out what you are really made of? It's crazy. After expressing a bit of what seemed like displeasure with the DNA results, my dad did note that his father's mother was half-Danish. This is starting to add up. So what do you think, do I need to change my blog name to Poppy Huset?  Doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?