Verona, Wisconsin, October 2011. We greet an early autumn visitor.
September 30, 2012
Identify the ceremony.
Near Seligenstadt, Germany, about 1947 or 1948. The scouts from the Displaced Persons camp engage in a ritual. I was not a Lithuanian scout, so I cannot determine the significance of the ceremony. Can any of my scouting readers identify what activity transpires here?
September 29, 2012
Autumn in Wisconsin
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Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, October 1963. Dad captures autumn beauty during my Parents' getaway to Devil's Lake.
Read outside when the weather is nice.
Suburban Chicago, May 1961. Mom has her book, protected with its cover, and she and Dad will spend some time on the patio.
Related by Marriage: Maneuvers
Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951 or 1952. Mr. Irene's Dad oversees the exercises as he fulfills his military role of tank instructor.
September 28, 2012
Air Guitar
Suburban Chicago, January 1965. We have friends visiting from Indiana, and their daughter and I play in the Rec Room. She's got Barbie, and the Skipper doll is at my feet. One of our neighbors—Mikey's owner—made animal figurines, and he gave us the deer that's standing between Skipper's box and Barbie's wardrobe.
Memory triggers leap from this photo. I first focus on the tchotchkes in the bookshelf's center panel. On the top shelf, at the left, stands a wooden statuette of a woman, dressed in white, holding a baby. There's an inscription at its base, "Lady Doctor." A patient carved it for my Mom. The White-brand sewing machine stands at the window so that the seamstress can have a nice view out of the window. My play table is tucked under the formica counter because we are entertaining guests. I am again wearing tights. And moccasins. Even the wall-to-wall carpet looks bright gold (less its grape-juice stain) in a black-and-white photo.
And the title of this post tells you it's really about the Beatles.
It's cold on the Atlantic Ocean in June.
Atlantic Ocean, June 1949. Today I ran across another photo of my Parents aboard the "General W.M. Black." I am happy when I find something new in my Dad's outtakes box. Dad still wears his wedding ring on his right hand.
September 27, 2012
I was there, too.
Suburban Chicago, June 1964. Yesterday's post about the rabbit reminded me that we have a similar, close-up shot of the rabbit's companion, the hamster.
The Rec Room's cherry paneling is the background for this photo.
Related by Marriage: Enjoy the weather while it's still nice.
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Spring 1957. Mr. Irene's Mom enjoys the motel yard during a getaway with Mr. Irene's Dad.
Another View of the Leadership
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Schweinfurt, Germany, January 18, 1948. Here's another photo of a group that was dear to my Dad. These are the scout leaders at the Displaced Persons camp. The scouts were preparing for their trip to the third Scouting Jamboree.
You may recognize this fellow; he's standing near the center of the group.
September 26, 2012
The bunny turned into a rabbit.
Suburban Chicago, June 1964. This is how our "pet" rabbit looked when my Parents decided it could not be domesticated.
Come over to our house, and we'll bake cookies.
Suburban Chicago, November 1969. My Best Friend has arrived, and we are baking cookies. It looks like Lithuanian Honey Cookies are in the works. Mom generally did not like to roll cookie dough, but she made an exception for this traditional treat. My Best Friend has her hand in a bag of raisins; we'll use the raisins to create eyes on the animal-shaped cookies.
Does it seem ridiculously early to be thinking about Christmas cookies? No. Honey cookies should be made several months before one eats them because they soften as they age.
The kitchen had little counter space, so we usually worked at the kitchen table.
Related by Marriage: Civilian Driver
Kaiserslautern, Germany, June or July 1948. Mr. Irene's Dad—in the center—poses with other Lithuanian DPs recruited to assist the U.S. Army during the Berlin Blockade.
It's orthodox to pose for tourists.
Osios Lukas, Greece, April 15, 1976. A kind priest accommodates my request for a photo as we tour the monastery.
Mess Hall Duty
Seligenstadt, Germany, 1945. Mom doesn't recall what she was making during this round at the Displaced Persons camp's mess hall. She remembers peeling a lot of potatoes, though.
September 25, 2012
Ignore the Hoary Marmots
Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1970. It looks like I still haven't learned my lesson about keeping my food away from wildlife. Hoary Marmots are pesky scavengers.
"Remember, [marmots] can carry diseases like the plague and may become quite aggressive if they think you have food to offer."
Do you want to go for a ride?
Door County, Wisconsin, April 1977. Gigi looks ready to go for a spin in my Dad's 1972 Buick Skylark. After Dad bought another VW, I got the Skylark. It was my first car. It was a V8, and it got 12 miles to the gallon. I drove it many times between Urbana, Illinois and Chicago. In the early 1980s, I sold the Skylark to a vintage car collector. He paid $400.00 for the car.
Related by Marriage: More Apple Picking
Near Goodman, Wisconsin, autumn 1938 or 1939. The family of Mr. Irene's Mom finishes up another afternoon of apple picking. (The family often went apple picking.)
September 24, 2012
The leaves are changing earlier this year.
Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois, October 1963. The spectacular colors fade quickly.
Ready to Go
Suburban Chicago, April 1965. Dad and my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, appear ready to depart for church.
Radio Waves
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Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, about 1962. My Dad's cousin, Henry, and Henry's wife, Suzanne, tune the radio. This photo makes me melancholy. I wonder to what broadcast they had tuned.
Smaller Polka Dots
Seligenstadt, Germany, Spring 1947. Here's another photo of my Mom and her medical-school roommate. Mom once favored fabrics featuring polka dots.
September 23, 2012
Water falls from Salamander Glacier.
Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1968. Mom and I are on the trail, waving at Dad.
Related by Marriage: Brothers on a stroll.
Chicago, Illinois, August 1950. Mr. Irene's Dad, on the left, enjoys a Sunday walk with his brother, Ignas, shortly before Ignas reported to the U.S. Army.
Tatjana, in the woods.
Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1964. Here's another photo from the week when my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, visited us during our summer vacation. Ah! I remember that housecoat; it was avocado green and tan. I thought Tatjana was so old. But she was only in her mid-sixties.
Sunday Paper: Polka-Dot Edition
Suburban Chicago, August 1962. Have you spotted your favorite news story?
September 22, 2012
Scenes from a chipmunk hunt.
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Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, August 2012. Everyone had a great time, and the chipmunks survived.
It's the first day of autumn.
Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois, September 1964. Sweater weather is here at last.
Related by Marriage: Which car shall we take?
Los Angeles, California, January 1958. Mr. Irene's Parents, the honeymooners, get ready to step out with Ellie, the Sister-in-law of Mr. Irene's Dad.
September 21, 2012
Gemütlichkeit
Mayrhofen, Austria, July 1971. We're at the Gasthof Kramerwirt, where the Gemütlichkeit glows, and the rooms are clean.
A Visit to Augsburg
Augsburg, Germany, 1947. Here's another snapshot from my Dad's trip to the Augsburg Displaced Persons camp, where he visited his toddler Goddaughter. Dad's friend Casey stands on the far right.
Let's go for a walk.
Near Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, July 1957. My Mom, on the right, walks with friends. At this time, adults usually wore blue jeans only when they vacationed.
The best college football town is ...
... Madison.
(We already knew that.)
Madison, Wisconsin, October 15, 2011. Members of the UW Marching Band move into the stands.
(We already knew that.)
Madison, Wisconsin, October 15, 2011. Members of the UW Marching Band move into the stands.
September 20, 2012
Little Gunner
Melrose Park, Illinois, June 1964. When I visit Kiddieland, I sometimes like to fool around on the "boy rides."
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