A Closer Look (Part 84)

Palanga, Lithuania, about 1920. I know little about this gentle man, expect that he is a relative on my paternal Grandfather's side.

Here's the original post.

Settled

Australia, 1956. Some of our relatives who emigrated to Australia have adjusted.

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

We share a laugh.

Suburban Chicago, November 1972. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, gets a kick out of one of the photos in her birthday album.

A Closer Look (Part 65)

Russia, between about 1870 and 1874. This is Nikolas, the maternal Grandfather of my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana.

Here's the original post. Here's his wife.

Related by Marriage: Flowers for the Guest

Vilnius, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, July 1983. Relatives greet Mr. Irene's Dad upon his arrival in Lithuania. Dad's brother, Stacey, stands on the left.

Kremlin Christmas

Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, December 1972. My Mom's maternal Aunt Dora sends a Christmas New Year's postcard. We're watching you!

All Saints Day

Kaunas, Lithuania, November 1, 1958. A relative sent this snapshot of my paternal Grandfather's grave. The family member noted she took the photo on All Saints Day.

The letters "A.A." stand for "Amžina Atsilsi," or "Eternal Rest." Lithuanians use the phrase to show respect for the deceased. A Lithuanian customarily says "Amžina Atsilsi" before uttering the name of a dead person. So, for example, were I to refer to my paternal Grandmother in conversation, I would say, "Amžina Atsilsi Tatjana."

The blog celebrates its fourth birthday today.

I've kept my promise to post photos daily. In the last year it was sometimes dicey to make that goal. In January and February, for example, I underwent four weeks of daily radiation that left me battered: radiation was more rattling than any of the chemotherapy treatments I'd had.* Things are better now, thanks to the great providers who oversee my care and a new drug the FDA approved late last year.

When I started blogging, I posted aggressively because I sought to ensure that the "core" family photos would be preserved on this site before I evaporated. As a result, most of the really interesting images have been posted. My supply of snapshots is finite. Although I will continue to blog daily, I likely will decrease the number of posts I publish each day.

Glacier National Park, July 1972. I've walked over to the Many Glacier Hotel, where I enjoy a cola in the lower-level café.

*It was during the drive home from one of those radiation treatments that I hit the deer!

Related by Marriage: Welcome

Vilnius, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, July 1983. Family members greet Mr. Irene's Dad upon his arrival in Lithuania. The man to the right of Mr. Irene's Dad is Stacey.

I wonder if the photographer intentionally included the lurkers on the right in his frame.

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.

A Closer Look (Part 46)

Russia, between about 1870 and 1874. Let's take another look at the oldest photo posted on the blog.

Another Mystery

Šiauliai, Lithuania, about 1930. These are relatives on my Dad's side. We have no clue about who they are.

A Chuckle at Dinner

Suburban Chicago, November 1972. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, shares a joke with Mr. John at the party celebrating Tatjana's seventy-fifth birthday.

Family Plot

Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1954. This is where my Dad's relatives are buried. The grave on the far right, marked "1894-1942," belongs to my paternal Grandfather, Vytautas.

A Closer Look (Part 38)

Schweinfurt, Germany, May 1948. Dad admires Mom.

Here's the original post.

A Different Place

Australia, January 14, 1964. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, saved this photo of a pair of her relatives who settled in Australia. Many Displaced Persons landed there after World War II.

My Parents initially thought they, too, would settle in Australia. My Mom was reluctant to move there because at the time, Australia did not grant licenses to graduates of foreign medical schools. Mom and Dad therefore waited until they could sail to the United States. Once in Brooklyn, Mom had to wait some time before her diploma arrived from Erlangen. She even hired a lawyer to coordinate the transfer of her medical-school documents.

Related by Marriage: Around the Table, in Color

Vilnius, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1978. Here's another image of Mr. Irene, the honored guest from America.

Thinking Ahead

Door County, Wisconsin, July 1981. My Mom and my Dad's twin sister, Jonė, enjoy the shoreline during Jonė's and Kadis's visit to the cottage.

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Related by Marriage: Bounty

Panevėžys, Lithuania, July 31, 1992. Stacey and his wife host Stacey's older brother, Ignas.

The salad on the right resembles "Babos Vinegretas." There's a plate of Košeliena (ew, ew, ew)—sometimes translated as "Jellied Pigs' Feet," "Chopped Meat in Aspic," or "Head Cheese"—near the bread. The fried pastry mound on the left looks like a "Skruzdėlynas," or "Ant Hill Cake."

We-made-it Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, October 2014. Even the tender, little ones are safe.