Gathered

Suburban, Chicago, October 1967. There's a reception under way.

Sized

Bulger Park, Veterans Park District, Melrose Park, Illinois, February 1971. The girls perform at another Independence-Day celebration.

Patience

Suburban Chicago, June 1966. Our Lithuanian-School class waits for the speeches to end. We're in the school's basement again.

"Welcome to U.S.A.!"

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Atlantic Ocean, July 2, 1949. This is the last newletter the General Howze issued prior to docking in New York City. My friend Kris's Uncle Al did the artwork and hand lettering for the piece.

Thanks to Kris for making this document available to us.

A Side Excursion, in Three Takes

During one of the annual, Lithuanian-school picnics, my Dad escorted a few of us to the nearby Fabyan estate.

Near Geneva, Illinois, June 1967. I do not appear in this photograph because I am taking the picture (you can see the camera strap here).

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"While the Fabyans lived on the estate, they employed more than 60 people in positions and maids, gardeners, chauffuers, scientists and farmers. They even employed a sculptor to create numerous stone and concrete fountains, statues and furniture as well as cages for the various wild animals they brought to the [Fox] Riverbank."

General Manners: Feign Delight

Suburban Chicago, July 1962. There's a box from Madigan's, so it looks like someone brought a gift of clothing to my birthday party.

After-Dinner Conversation

Suburban Chicago, October 1972. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, chats with Vytenis. Tatjana dozes again; she had narcolepsy. She wears the watch we bought for her in Switzerland.

A New Year's Table

December 31, 1971. The New Year's parties got smaller over the years. We still shared a late meal before we headed to the Rec Room to watch Die Fledermaus.

Christmas Manners: Feign delight.

Suburban Chicago, December 1964. You know he's fake, but he did bring gifts.

Christmas Manners: Dance with Santa

Suburban Chicago, December 1964. The children from our Lithuanian school join in another round of "Jurgelis Meistrelis." I'm the girl with the eyeglasses; my friend Kris wears a plaid skirt and faces the camera.

Christmas Manners: Watch the teacher's cues.

Bulger Park, Veteran's Park District, Melrose Park, Illinois, December 1966. I am relieved my part in the play has ended.

ADDED: Typo in header corrected. Usage!

A Poor Listener

Suburban Chicago, February 1964. I'm not paying attention to the poetry recitation; I'm watching Dad.

Table Scraps

Suburban Chicago, December 31, 1966. Dad catches me feeding Ziggy.

Well Attended

Tinley Park, Illinois, June 1967. The girl in the blue pants is my friend Kris.

Babos Receptai (Part 9)

My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, never transcribed the recipe for her signature dish, "Babos Vinegretas," into her collection. She had memorized the ingredients, so it's likely she didn't think it necessary to write down the recipe. In the early 1970s, however, she jotted the recipe down for my friend Kris, and Kris later have me a copy of Baba's instructions.

Here is that recipe:

Here's how I wrote up the recipe:

Babos Vinegretas

Salad:

3 to 4 "boiling" potatoes (500 grams), unpeeled

3 hard-boiled eggs

7.5 ounces frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained on layers of paper towel

3 green onions (50 grams), sliced thin (or chives: Baba wrote, "arba 'chives'.")

2 fresh, pickled cucumbers* (not sour: Baba wrote, "ne labai rukšcius"), chopped very fine

1 to 3 tablespoons fresh dill weed, to taste

crabmeat**

Dressing:

1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. sour cream

1 teaspoon (no more) Dijon mustard (a little: Baba wrote, "truputi")

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar, to taste

salt and freshly-ground pepper

Cook the potatoes in boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt until done (about 20 minutes). Drain potatoes thoroughly and allow them to cool. When potatoes have cooled, peel them and dice neatly into small (1/3-inch), uniform cubes. Place the diced potatoes in a large bowl.

Dice the hard-boiled eggs and add to the bowl. Stir in the drained peas and carrots, green onions, cucumbers,* and dill weed. Mix well.

Prepare the dressing by mixing together 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard very thoroughly. Stir in the lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper and adjust, to taste. Stir the dressing into vegetables to coat evenly. If mixture seems dry, then add up to the additional 1/4 cup mayonnaise. (Salad may be prepared in advance. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours until serving time.)

*To make "Fresh Pickled Cucumbers:" Stir 3 tablespoons white vinegar and 1 teaspoons kosher salt in a small bowl until salt dissolves. Place one pound English hothouse cucumber, thinly sliced and 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add vinegar mixture; seal bag. Turn several times to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.

**Tatjana added crabmeat or shrimp to the salad on special occasions.

Spring Sunday

Suburban Chicago, April 1982. My friend Kris captures my Dad flirting with her Mom, Donna. Donna's brother, Uncle Al, and her Dad sit in the background. Dad holds his pipe.

Thanks to my friend Kris for making this photo available to us.

Dance Lesson

Suburban Chicago, December 31, 1964. Vytenis, the husband of my Mom's best friend Donna, takes me for a spin. Donna's and Vytenis's daughter, Kris, just sent this photo. It surprised me: although my Dad snapped this image, it does not appear in our albums. There's a different photo from that evening in the 1964, black-and-white, volume, but I prefer this snapshot because it captures Vytenis's personality.

Thanks to my friend Kris for making this photo available to us.

Happy Dance

Suburban Chicago, about 1982. That's my friend Kris dancing with Dad, and Mom takes a spin with Uncle Al. Kris reports the group danced to the piano playing of Sister Bernarda (back visible on the right), a family friend and a member of the Sisters of St. Casimir. Sister Bernarda was a music teacher at Maria High School—the high school from which Mr. Irene's Mom graduated.

Thanks to my friend Kris for making this photo available to us.

Exchanging Portraits (Part 42)

Chicago, Illinois, about 1950. This is Uncle Al, the younger brother of my Mom's best friend, Donna. Uncle Al sat for this photo shortly after he arrived in the United States.

Thanks to Uncle Al's niece—Donna's daughter, Kris—for making this photo available to us.

Independence Day

Bulger Park, Veterans Park District, Melrose Park, Illinois, February 1965. The older girls sing during an Independence-Day minejimas. (The younger children waited in the audience until it was our turn to take the stage.)

That's my friend Ron at the piano. My friend Kris stands second from left. The braided trim on Kris's folkdress and mine were identical because our Mom's worked together to sew the blouses and aprons.