August 31, 2015

Show Coat


Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, August 2012. "Dėl grožio reikia kentėti" is an expression heard often in our house. It means, "For beauty, one must suffer."

A Young Immigrant


Seligenstadt, Germany, about 1949. Here's the passport photo of my Mom's goddaughter. Her mother wrote, "This is the photo we had taken to include with her documents."

Nice, smocked sweater!

I'll wait in the car.


Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, July 1971. I found this trip exhausting. By the end of the month, I only wanted to focus on reading Arthur Hailey's Airport.

August 29, 2015

Rainy Reunion


Verona, Wisconsin, August 28, 2015. Dad was right.

"Amaryllis Hat"


Verona, Wisconsin, August 2015. Mary Ann Stephens designed this tam. I liked the pattern because it reminded me of Lithuanian motifs (in particular, the tulips).

Every time I say "amaryllis," I think of "The Music Man."

A Closer Look (Part 48)


Tambov, Russia, 1910 or 1911. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, was about 14 years old when she sat for this photo.

Here's the original post.

August 28, 2015

A Grackle Gathering, in Three Takes


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Verona, Wisconsin, August 27, 2015. Dad believed a gathering like this was a prediction of rain.

Birthday Boy


Madison, Wisconsin, November 2003. Baci turned twelve today.

Related by Marriage: Reconnected


Vilnius, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, July 1983. Mr. Irene's Dad visits with his younger brother, Stacey, and Stacey's family at an authorized hotel.

August 27, 2015

Spring, Reconsidered


Verona, Wisconsin, May 2015. Perhaps they will return next year.

A Brief Aspiration

 

Suburban Chicago, May 1960. I react upon Marshall Field's delivery of the mahogany piano.

(The sculpted rug was grey. It was not wall-to-wall carpeting.)

Summer Basket


Probably Penza, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, August 1969. Natasha, a younger sister of my paternal Grandmother Tatjana, wrote, "To Tanechka, my darling! Shura is convinced that I am not as thin as I look here, and he is probably right: I am average."

Thanks to my dear friend D for translating the text from Russian to English.

August 26, 2015

"Hippo Den"


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Circus World Museum, Baraboo, Wisconsin, July 9, 2014. That's a tight fit.

Related by Marriage: Movement


Suburban Chicago, August 1960. Mr. Irene's Mom called this photo "First Step." That's Mr. Irene's maternal Grandfather, Stanley, steadying Mr. Irene.

Class Notes (Part 17)


Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1934. A friend named Irene sketched this Class Notes entry.

August 25, 2015

Mule's Ear


Santorini, Greece, April 1976. I'm trying for a better shot.

Reach


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Brookfield Zoo, November 1968. Some animals are irresistible.

Caption


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Tauragė, Lithuania, about 1940. One of my Mom's younger cousins describes himself.

This fellow was part of the group that left Lithuania together.

August 21, 2015

Another View


Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1968. We continue to explore Grinnell Glacier.

Related by Marriage: Boyhood


Suburban Chicago, 1961. Mr. Irene inspects a new friend.

Translations

This is the Lithuanian-German dictionary my Dad used when he was a Displaced Person in Schweinfurt.


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It's in rough shape.

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Dad lived in the American-occupied zone of postwar Germany, and the U.S. Army authorized publication of this dictionary.

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The dictionary is pretty basic.

August 19, 2015

Close-up Reunion


Athens, Greece, April 16, 1976. We continue to explore the Parthenon.

Chilly


Kaunas, Lithuania, October 1968. My paternal Grandmother Tatjana's friend sent this photo to show the Dahlias still blooming.

Class Notes (Part 16)


Kaunas, Lithuania, October 1933. In this Class Notes entry, my Mom's friend recalls a conversation with a rabbit.

August 18, 2015

The Destination


Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1968. We've reached Grinnell Glacier.

Related by Marriage: College Boys


Evanston, Illinois, about 1978. Mr. Irene plays the guitar.

Goodbye, Pedestrian Bridge

Here's the time-lapse video.

Here's the bridge at a more active event:


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Madison, Wisconsin, September 2010. These photos are from President Obama's first visit to campus. Here are images from the second visit.

ADDED: Commenter usoniaboy notes I made a big mistake here. The bridge I photographed has not been demolished. That's the price of not being on campus any longer.