Lodge Members Prepare for Secret handshake by placing pretzels in each others ears.

Walnut Grove, MN, February 28, 2002

Maybe it's because it had been such a mild winter in Minnesota this past year.  Or maybe people in Walnut Grove were just bored.  Whatever it was, sisters Ellen Thoma and Delores Syverson were sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee one day when an idea came to both of them at the same time: "Let's get the ladies of the area together and start a lodge... a place where we can get together and just have a good time".  After a few hours of caffeine and laughter, they agreed on the name:  "The Ladies of the Limp Lutefisk".  The Lodge would provide a place where they could celebrate the culture of their scandinavian roots.

So now, once a month all the ladies in the Walnut Grove area get together to drink coffee, gossip and do some silly rituals like their secret handshake (see the picture above).  At their first meeting, they decided to have a lutefisk eating contest.
 

Delores Tries to Encourage Ellen Before the Lutefisk Eating Contest.  Ellen responds: "Well this another fine mess you've gotten me into!  Yah!This really stinks! "

Another highlight of every meeting is a not so dramatic reading from "Lutefisk and Lefse for the Soul".  Rumor has it that next month Roy Syverson will be on hand for a Tuba Recital.
 

Lodge Members Seem Unable to Focus During the Readings from Lutefisk and Lefse for the Soul

Lodge members were asked about their reaction to the first meeting and all they could say was, "Well, Yah, it could be worse, Ya know.  At least it's a little more exciting than Aunt Ruth's circle over at the church."

Well, with that kind of ringing endrosement, I'd expect that "Ladies of the Limp Lutefisk" Lodges will be springing up all over the state of Minnesota before too long.

Yoder: The Amish Jedi