Belated Anniversary Wishes

Mr. Irene's Parents yesterday celebrated their fifty-fifth wedding anniversary. I had other things swirling through my head, and I didn't even remember the date until Mr. Irene reported that he had congratulated his folks.

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, January 11, 1958. Martha, the older sister of Mr. Irene's Mom, is the bridesmaid on the left. Had I gotten married in 1958, I would have chosen those dresses for my attendants. Beige is my favorite color.

*     *     *     *     *

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, January 11, 1958. The couple's families stand on their respective sides of the newlyweds.

A Woof in Sheepy Clothing

A Yorkie sports a fair-isle dog coat.

Knit the matching "Sheep Heid" and blanket.

Lithuanians and Italians like Americans.

Pew survey of global opinions about Americans.

Some Old, Some New

Riva degli Schiavoni, Venice, April 1984. It's easy to distinguish between the locals and the tourists.

The Smallest Guests at the Hotel

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1966. Columbian Ground Squirrels inhabit the rock ledge at the entry to the Many Glacier Hotel.

Tatjana plays the piano.

Suburban Chicago, January 1972. Gigi has found her spot on the piano bench.

Dessert Service

Suburban Chicago, April 1962. The meal must be ending because I've slipped away from the children's table. My Mom looks tired. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, sits near the window with the older women. I earlier posted photos from this gathering here and here.

"An overlooked beer destination in the Baltics."

Lithuania, The New York Times's twenty-fourth "Place[ ] to Go in 2013."

It's a precious list of places (Bhutan: "A pristine Buddhist enclave opens, with care"). But there's no mention of Romuva.

I'm glad Lithuania gets recognition. Will I go? No. I no longer travel (and I don't drink beer).

They rose up.

Twenty-two years ago today, Lithuanian civilians revolted against the Soviet Union. The uprising led to the country's independence.

More here.

Scenic View

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1966. Mom is back to her task of filming home movies. This image shows why I found drives along the Going-to-the-Sun Road scary.

Dad always wore hats during the winter months.

Suburban Chicago, February 1961. By the time Dad was in his late thirties, he was balding.

Market Street, San Francisco ...

… "days before the 1906 quake."

"Will you knit that for me if I pay for the yarn?"

This is a question non-knitters often ask knitters. If you knit and someone asks you to knit something for him, then send him the link to the Knitting Time Calculator.

Years Later

Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, about 1962. My Dad's cousin, Henry, sits with his wife, Suzanne, as they visit with their daughter, Kaunas Nina.

Another Look at the Cultural Exhibit

Here are two more images from the Cultural Exhibit that my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, helped organize:

Schweinfurt, Germany, December 1946. The exhibitors used dolls to display folkdresses. There's also a grouping of dolls dressed in scouting uniforms.

*     *     *     *     *

Schweinfurt, Germany, December 1946. This table also highlights architecture, woodcarving, and embroidery. The peculiar paper objects on both sides of the house are depictions of birches—the favorite tree of Lithuanians.

Civic Literacy Exam

This isn't new, but I had funny taking it today.

UPDATE: "Fun," not "funny." Ha ha! On a "literacy" quiz.

Čipūlis

Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1964. Here, again, is the "Čipūlis" who made our cottage stoop his home one summer.

How's that introduction going?

Suburban Chicago, November 1960. Dad checks in as I get acquainted with the hamster.

Related by Marriage: Displaced, but reunited.

Germany, 1947. Mr. Irene's Dad and his brother Ignas—both standing—reunite with a cousin's family, their Aunt-by-marriage Danutė, and Danutė's husband, Uncle D.

Presidential Motorcade

Marquette Park, 1983 or 1984. Here's another image from President Ronald Reagan's visit to Marquette Park.

Possible Diagnostic Test for Ovarian Cancer?

"Ovarian cancer is the deadliest women’s cancer, killing 15,000 women a year in the United States – in part because it’s usually detected too late. Only 46 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer survive for five years or longer."

And, predictably: "But researchers warn that such tests, used for screening, can be a double-edged sword if they give false positive results that send patients down a rabbit hole of invasive tests and needless treatments."

Mistaken Identity

"Adorable labradoodle mistaken for lion."

More here.

Tracks, Again

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2013. It's easiest to see the deer tracks at dawn.

Another Walk in the Woods

Suburban Chicago, January 1963. Mom and I are dressed for a walk through Thatcher Woods.

Love your neighbor.

An historical study of Lithuanian-Polish relations.

See also here and here.

The Bilingualism Boost

"Neuroscientists have been accumulating strong evidence that knowing, and constantly using, a second language starting in childhood can significantly delay a decline in brain power."

Related by Marriage: Holy Communion (Part 10)

Bridgeport, Chicago, Illinois, 1939. Mr. Irene's Mom, like her older sister, celebrated her First Holy Communion at St. George's Roman Catholic Church. 

It's time to get ready for another semester.

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1940. Here's another photo of one of my Dad's favorite teachers at his high school, Aušros Gimnazija: composed, stern, and refined.

Rocky-Mountain Tam

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2013. The design of this tam is identical to two tams I knitted last year; see here and here. All I did was rework the color palette. This tam has reached its recipient, who tomorrow celebrates a birthday in Colorado.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 1)

Mr. Irene's Dad has a photo album that contains snapshots from the period during which he served in the U.S. Army. I've posted many of those photos, but today I noticed that a subset of the images consists of mementos Dad's Army buddies gave him as he was about to return to civilian life.

I'll do a little series devoted to those photographs.

Chapped Lips

Suburban Chicago, December 1965. My Toronto Cousin does remember one thing from her family's Christmas visits to our home: my chapped lips. I had chapped lips from autumn until spring (see here, for example). I don't know why my Parents didn't know about lip balm; they tried to help me by putting cold cream on my upper lip. It wasn't until we traveled to Glacier National Park the following summer that they learned about lip balm. My Godmother alerted them to it.

Winter Ready

Penza, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, February 1960. Natasha, one of the two younger sisters of my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, wrote, "To dear Tanechka. See how much snow we have. Snow has covered the entire veranda."

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

"Citizenship may be granted by exception to foreign citizens who have undisputable merits to the Lithuanian state, have integrated with the Lithuanian society and share constant factual connections with Lithuania."

Ice dancer denied Lithuanian citizenship.

Sunday Drive

Suburban Chicago, January 1965. Dad replaced his black, 1957 VW Beetle with a beige model.

*     *     *     *     *

Suburban Chicago, January 1965. Dad enjoyed driving VW Beetles, even if the destination was as close as the Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve.

Blogspiration

My Toronto Cousin didn't remember the many times she and her family drove down to see us during the Christmas holidays until I started posting photos from those visits here. The posts inspired her to launch another winter road trip. Last week, my Toronto Cousin, her husband Toronto Al, and two of their children came to see us. We are so grateful for their visits.

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2, 2013. Toronto Matas and Toronto Daina are always welcome here.

A Sunday Visit with the College Kid

I focus primarily on old photos on this blog, and photos from the 1970s don't seem old to me. When I ran across the two photos I post here, however, I digested a different sense of "old."

These images record a Sunday afternoon when my Parents visited me in my college dorm room. Both Mom and Dad were younger than I am now. The "digital" clock—a high school graduation gift from an old boyfriend—records the time and date. I'm wearing a kilt that I picked up at a second-hand store in Evanston, Illinois. The store stood on a street that ran between the Marshall Field's and the "L" tracks. 

I shared the room with two other women. The "dorm" was a converted apartment building that housed about thirty-six students. Our space was an old living room, and my area occupied the alcove overlooking the street. The alcove was a cold spot, but it felt as though I had my own room within the bigger room.

Evanston, Illinois, November 21, 1976. I can't make out which photos I tacked to the wall area between the windows.

*     *     *     *     *

Evanston, Illinois, November 21, 1976. Had Mom been looking at one of my textbooks? 

Connections

Probably Canada, about 1951 or 1952. Being Lithuanian is like living in a small town. Everyone seems to know everyone. Here, my Toronto Cousin's inlaws (Vladas and Lea) stand with a friend and her son, Ron. The friend eventually settled in the Chicago suburb in which we lived, and she and her family became close friends of ours. You may recall seeing her earlier here and here.

Saulėlydis Palangoje ("Palanga Sunset")

Palanga, Lithuania, August 2011. "'Seeing off' the sunset" on the bridge in the resort town of Palanga, Lithuania, is a nightly ritual that attracts both locals and tourists.

Thanks to Toronto Daina for making this photo available to us.

*Last Pair.*

Wisconsin, January 4, 2013. I'm not a fan of "awareness" campaigns—whatever their color.



Related by Marriage: A Wedding Party

Chicago, Illinois, early 1950s. Mr. Irene's Mom—third from right—serves as a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding.

A Capella

Lithuanian fans in Kaunas defy a Euroleague rule prohibiting the singing of national anthems before basketball games.

Kaunas fans sang the anthem before a game previously, too.

Knitting is part of our normal routine.

Suburban Chicago, December 1978. Mom and I are in the Rec Room, watching television. Mom has set the phone within her reach because it's likely to ring. Mom works from her gold, vinyl knitting bag. Two things are unusual here: (1) Mom and I both use straight needles. I don't recall knitting (after the age of 14 or so) on anything but circular needles; and (2) was I wearing those shoes in the house?

"Autoknipsas"

Suburban Chicago, April 1983. My Dad called the camera self-timer an "autoknipsas." This makes sense if you know that "knipsas" is the Lithuanian word (or made-up-Lithuanian word) for "click." Here, someone has caught Dad setting up the "autoknipsas."

Side Street

Gandria, Switzerland, July 1971. There's not much to do in this little town, so we pause at a shop.

It must have been warm because Dad didn't wear a hat.

Door County, Wisconsin, March 1978. Dad's about to engage in his favorite sport. The Lake Michigan shoreline appears in the background.

The little tree grows.

Suburban Chicago, December 1961 or January 1962. Mom and I stand next to the tree my Parents planted when I was born. Did we think that the chicken wire would keep the rabbits away?

Reflecting on the holidays.

The Feast of the Epiphany approaches, and soon it will be time to take down the decorations.

Suburban Chicago, January 1972. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, takes one last look at the tree before we dismantle it. Taking down the tree—what a drag! We spent hours untangling the lights and shoving the artificial branches into a box. When Mr. Irene and first married, we hated the task so much that every January, we removed only the ornaments. We covered the assembled tree—with the stringed lights still on it—with a king-sized, fitted bed sheet, and we carried the tree to the basement, where it stood, dust free, for eleven months.

Notice the Cyclamen on the coffee table. Our family always had a Cyclamen plant on display during Christmas. My Mom said that the flowers reminded her of her mother, Jadzė.

The mother of my Mom's friend, Donna, stitched the throw pillow in a typical Lithuanian design.

Grating potatoes.

Now that the holidays are over, do you yearn for a nice meal built around the humble potato? Do you have a taste for Kugelis? Perhaps you'd rather have Cepelinai or maybe a lot of Cepelinai?

An electric potato grating machine will make the preparation easier. Here's a slick model (see the recipe—for a double batch of—Kugelis there, too). This is the appliance that we use.

The Top of Europe

Jungfrau region, Switzerland, July 1971. This is a view of the Jungfrau from the Sphinx Observatory. It's the place at which I experienced altitude sickness.

One of the last hikes, during the last Glacier vacation.

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1973. We didn't know it then, but this was our last family vacation at the park.

Knitters will see that these sweaters are not exactly "matchy matchy."

Verona, Wisconsin, December 2007. A few days ago, I stumbled across an article focused on the resurgence of knitting in Norway. Here are similar Norwegian sweaters I knitted for Mr. Irene and me. The designs are adaptations of the "Albertville" sweater that Dale of Norway created for the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Related by Marriage: Wally

Germany, about 1946 or 1947. Here's Wally, who later married Mr. Irene's maternal Aunt, Martha.

We have some habits.

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1973. Mom often knitted or read while I fished.

Winter Stroll

Suburban Chicago, December 1959. Mom and Dad steer me around the corner. The stroller became a toy after I got older; my Best Friend and I used to pile our Barbies into it and walk up and down the sidewalk on summer afternoons. The wool blanket is still in use, and it remains scratchy.

Early 1960s Dad

Suburban Chicago, December 1961. Dad poses (for the self-timer) in the living room.

Related by Marriage: Holiday Birthday Season

Suburban Chicago, January 1961. I'm sticking  to my theory that children with holiday birthdays make out well. Here, Mr. Irene's maternal Grandparents, Stanley and Anna, celebrate with the birthday boy.

Solo sledding.

Suburban Chicago, late December 1961. It's more fun when there's someone to pull the sled for you.

Cleaning up.

Suburban Chicago, Spring 1972. This photo of Tatjana at the kitchen sink depicts an unusual scene because Tatjana rarely washed the dishes. My Mom was responsible for kitchen cleanup. One of the reasons Mom didn't like to entertain—recall we usually hosted parties on Sunday afternoons—was because after the guests left in the evening, Mom would be washing dishes and storing china late into the night. She'd then have to get up early to make her hospital rounds the next morning.

There's one more peculiar thing about this photo: that dishwasher stopped working in the mid-1960s, so I don't know why Tatjana planned to load it.

Make the right plays.

Madison, Wisconsin, October 15, 2011. The Badgers today will play their third consecutive Rose Bowl game. We're hoping the third time is the charm.

Last Gasps

Images from the Soviet Union, 1991.

Happy New Year.

Suburban Chicago, January 1, 1965. We're celebrating again with my friend Kris and her family. Kris and I stand in the front. In the back, from left to right: my Dad—holding "Kris's dog, "Ziggy;" my Mom; Kris's Dad, Vytenis; my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, and; Kris's Mom—and my Mom's best friend—Donna.

My Mom is wearing a black dress with a large bow positioned just above the waist. It has a matching bolero with three-quarter-length sleeves. The dress is very familiar because I still wear it occasionally to holiday parties. It's required some repair work over the years—probably because I stressed the seams—but it remains a charming number.