Related by Marriage: Coffee Service

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1990. Mr. Irene is ready to pour a cup for his Dad.

Related by Marriage: Breakfast

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1990. Mr. Irene's Parents visit us in our new home.

Coffee Service

Suburban Chicago, June 1961. That coffee pot was a great toy.

Field Work

Colombia, about 1954. Workers at Casey's coffee plantation tend the field.

"And also, while Sangelica is adorable 95 percent of the time, it’s really pretty disturbing to see how the bear drinks through its forehead."

A giant teddy bear walks into a Tokyo Starbucks.

Presidential Memento

Kaunas, Lithuania, July 7, 1928. The American Consul to Lithuania wrote, "At five o'clock, Lily and I called on Mrs. Smetona and played dice as usual, after having coffee. Lily bought a photograph of President Smetona a few days ago and she asked Mrs. Smetona to request the President to sign it. The adjutant went to his office and brought the picture back signed."

Thanks to the Consul's Granddaughter for making this photo available to us.

Weekend Coffee

Suburban Chicago, 1979. Dad and Mom are guests for coffee. I see a box of slides on the coffee table. It could be a long afternoon.

Field Work

Columbia, about 1954. My Dad's friend Casey wrote, "The picked [coffee] beans are lined up, awaiting the machine."

Cake, in Three Takes

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Suburban Chicago, Spring 1973. My Toronto Cousin and I share a Pepperidge Farm walnut layer cake. There was a period when we used to pick up one of those frozen cakes. We recently looked for that cake, but it apparently has been discontinued.

This photo set shows how pink our kitchen was. Behind us is the dishwasher and the Roper wall oven. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, is washing dishes; the dish rack holds a plastic tumbler from the Jewel Food Store.

I'm wearing a turquoise ring my Parents bought when we first vacationed in Glacier. On my left hand is a minuscule ruby ring that belonged to my maternal Grandmother, Jadzė. I also wear the dainty watch I selected in Switzerland. There's instant coffee and a copy of "Draugas" on the table.

(Neither my Toronto Cousin [ever] nor I [in 1973] smoked; that looks like Dad's ashtray. Do you remember crafting ashtrays and trivets with those little tiles? Who supervised you when you spread the grout?)

Ah! The checkered dish towel is still in use.

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.

Bean Field

Colombia, about 1954. My Dad's friend Casey wrote, "We prepare the bean field. Soon it will be time to plant."

Rye Bread

Suburban Chicago, April 1974. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, enjoys breakfast while we share a joke.

She's eating a soft-boiled egg. We serve soft-boiled eggs in egg cups. It used to be difficult to find egg cups, but now, they are common.

A Small Dinner Party

Suburban Chicago, February 1965. We're hosting both sets of neighbors. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, seems especially happy.

Machine Sorting

Colombia, about 1954. My Dad's friend Casey wrote, "We are sorting the beans by machine."

Happy Anniversary!

Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, July 9, 2014. My Toronto Cousin and her husband, Toronto Al, today celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary.

"Sugar packets for use in coffee will still be available."

Mom will be happy to hear that.

"The next time you wake up and smell the coffee ...

... you can also look down and see a cat butt as you rest your mug on one of these inspired Cat Butt Coasters."

Roadside Lunch

Lakeview Park, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, July 1980. We used to stop at this rest area on our way to Door County. Interstate 43 hadn't been completed yet, and our drive hugged the Lake Michigan shore. This was the summer we took both Dad's VW Rabbit and the (new-to-me) Buick Skylark.

"The choice to leave academia does not have to mean life as a barista."

"So why are humanities Ph.D.s outside academia so invisible? One reason is that within academic departments there is a culture of stigmatizing doctoral candidates who take non-academic posts, making them less inclined to stick around and contribute to debates about the future of the field."

A professor told me if my dissertation were dull, then I would work at an insurance company.

Related by Marriage: Coffee Service

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, January 1958. Some guests at the wedding of Mr. Irene's Parents aren't waiting for the coffee.