April 30, 2014

Solo Reunion


Verona, Wisconsin, April 2014. Mourning Doves usually arrive in pairs.

Lithuanians—like most Eastern Europeans—like to go picking.


Door County, Wisconsin, August 1977. Gigi helps Mom pick the thimbleberries.

(Thimbleberries are quite invasive.)

"Tiny Hamsters Eating Tiny Burritos."

I can't resist a hamster:

Greeting the Bishop


Camp Aušra (later Camp Kretinga), Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada, Summer 1959. The Roman Catholic Bishop visits the Lithuanian summer camp. My Toronto Cousin remembers that everyone was very excited about the honor. My Dad's twin sister—and my Toronto Cousin's Mother—Jonė stand on the left, wearing the white dress.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

April 27, 2014

Vatican Visit, 1983


Vatican City, October 1983. Preparations are underway in St. Peter's Square for the beatification ceremony of three Roman Catholics.

(This photo is from my first trip to Vatican City.)

ADDED: Blogger tells me this post is number 4444!

Poodle Visit, Today

Our beloved dog breeders stopped by today to check in on their three "offspring." Here is how the doggies greeted our guests:


Verona, Wisconsin, April 27, 2014. Rex is the "designated barker."

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We also invited our friends because my Mom knitted sweaters for them:


Verona, Wisconsin, April 27, 2014. It takes about 160 hours to knit one sweater in this gauge.

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Verona, Wisconsin, April 27, 2014. The pattern is "Duxbury Point" from Simply Shetland 4.

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Verona, Wisconsin, April 27, 2014. The beige yarn is Debbie Bliss "Baby Cashmerino" (Shade 064, "Mink"), and the blue yarn is Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill "Mer-Made" Merino Fingering Weight (Shade "Denim").

Papal Visit, 1979

Today's canonization reminded us of Pope John Paul II's visit to Chicago in October, 1979. Mr. Irene and some of his college friends took the "El" down from Evanston to see the Pope celebrate Mass in Grant Park. Here are three images from that day:


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Chicago, Illinois, October 5, 1979. My Dad did not go downtown for the Mass, but he snapped a few photographs of the images on the television. (For two other occasions on which Dad photographed the television screen, see here and here.)

April 25, 2014

I visit the Uffizi


Florence, Italy, May 1984. This morning's Uffizi post reminded me of my visit to Florence. I didn't find the city charming. There were more tourists than in Venice. The historical sites stood in a tight area that made the city center seem like an amusement park. The place was claustrophobic. I also had some trouble understanding the Florentine dialect, which softens the "c" sounds: "Casa" becomes "hasa," for example.

Florence is the city in which I encountered my first "ugly American." As I sat sipping a macchiato, a woman exclaimed to her husband, "Why can't these Italians make a decent cup of coffee?!"

Another Protest


Chicago Loop, December 1970. Here's one of the last images I have of the Simas Kudirka protest.

A march against Russian aggression will take place this Sunday, April 27, 2014, in Chicago.

Depict the Mayor "as the star he really is."

"Emails show Emanuel aides, producers coordinated CNN 'Chicagoland' scenes."

At the Office


Florence, Italy, 1951. My Best Friend's Dad, Dolfo, visits the Uffizi.

Thanks to my Best Friend for making this photo available to us.

"Leave your name 'cause she don't wanna miss your call."

Steven Tyler on "The Tonight Show With Starring Jimmy Fallon:"


April 23, 2014

Hungry Reunion


Suburban Chicago, Spring 1966. A group of peeps have nested in our driveway evergreen.

A Big Coat


Suburban Chicago, April 1960. Dad shows me how to explore the backyard.

"By another account, a UW-Madison police officer recently noticed a fox crossing University Avenue, a chicken in its mouth."

Watch your coops! The campus foxes are adorable, but they're also hunters.

"Foxes among Badgers." Awww:



A fox meets a real badger: 

The menfolk appreciate the tulips, too.

 
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1949 or 1950. Kadis—the husband of my Dad's twin sister, Jonėand others join the women in the enjoyment of the tulips.

"A 'WTF' article that made me think of you!"

That's what a friend wrote when she sent me the link to a story about a woman who knit a boyfriend for herself.
 
Also in the news: knitting as a health ritual.

April 22, 2014

Canadian Dollscape


Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 1959. My Toronto Cousin also preserved a memory of her dolls. The chimp looks like one of those Soviet plastic-faced dolls; I wonder if someone sent it to my Toronto Cousin as a gift.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Eating our way through Austria.


Vienna, Austria, July 1971. Food was a highlight of our European vacation; we didn't skip a meal.

Mom and I wear two of the polyester dresses we sewed for the trip. That's Hofburg Palace in the background.

Related by Marriage: The Men in the Party


Chicago, Illinois, November 23, 1949. Mr. Irene's Dadon the leftagain stands up in a friend's wedding. The groom is the fellow wearing the white bow tie.

April 21, 2014

Trio


Verona, Wisconsin, April 2014. They're not looking for cover.

A damaged image is still a keepsake.


Kaunas, Lithuania, 1944. My Mom and her friend didn't know that this would be their last Spring in Lithuania.

Bring some toys to amuse the baby.


 Near Vilnius, Lithuania, about 1928. Suzanne—on the left—joins her Parents, Sister, and Nephew. (The wheeled cat toy reminds me of the wooden horse.)

Thanks to Suzanne's Granddaughter—my Kaunas Cousin—for making this photo available to us.

April 17, 2014

Stormy Reunion


Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1966. This was Dad's favorite Glacier photo.

General Manners: Be firm.


Suburban Chicago, November 1971. It's dinner time, and Gigi is mooching again.

Resizing Liechtenstein

The country is getting smaller. We visited the principality during our 1971 tour of Europe's German-speaking countries.

The two-day stop in Liechtenstein was memorable for one incident. We stayed at a 1960s-style motor inn. The one-story structure looked out onto a valley, and the room doors opened directly to the outside. My Dad awoke early one morning, and he stepped outside to take some photographs. As he returned to the room, he found it peculiar that a little dog followed him through the door. Once inside the bedroom, Dad realized that he'd stepped into other guests' quarters. The couple had let their dog out for its morning business, left the door unlocked, and were in the midst of enjoying their privacy when Dad walked in on them.


Vaduz Castle, Liechtenstein, July 1971. The castle is one of the few sites in Liechtenstein. It's not open for tours, however, because it still serves as the prince's residence.

"You don’t think Venice is so modern until you try to make it look like it was 700 years ago."

Filming Marco Polo.

ADDED: Here's Marco Polo's Venetian home:


Venice, Italy, April 1984. Okay, that looks 700 years old.

April 16, 2014

Daffodil Season


Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 1961. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, and her daughter—my Toronto Cousin—are at the park.

Occasional Hikers


Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1966. We're on another guided hike; the destination likely is Iceberg Lake.

April 15, 2014

Spring Scene


Suburban Chicago, May 1976. Keep an eye on your chicks.

We're missing a captain.


Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1964. I'm anxious to go fishing with my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, during her visit to the lake.

"Isn't he nice?"

My Best Friend's maternal Aunt, Mame, met her husband Gino while she traveled in Genoa, Italy. Mame thought Gino's brother, Dolfo, would be a match for one of her sisters, Louise. Mame sent this 1950 photo of herself and Dolfo to Louise. The two stand in front of the Piazza della Vittoria.
 

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Louise later married Dolfo. The couple sailed to the United States on the Andrea Doria. Louise and Dolfo settled in a home situated about three blocks from the house Mame and Gino bought.

Thanks to Louise and Dolfo's daughter—my Best Friend—for making this photo available to us.