"[W]e must be in the middle of a migration."

That's what usoniaboy said when he noticed how many goldfinches we have this year.

*     *     *     *     *

*     *     *     *     *

*     *     *     *     *

Verona, Wisconsin, May 2014. The Redbud is starting to show some growth.

Related by Marriage: Brothers, Content

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, June 27, 1959. Wally, the husband of Mr. Irene's maternal Aunt Martha, and his brother celebrate Wally and Martha's wedding day.

Pose here.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1949 or 1950. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, and her husband, Kadis, set up another shot during the tulip outing.

End-to-End Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, May 2011. Some rainbows sit lower than others.

I never met a dog I didn't like (Summer 1962)

Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, July 1962. "Mom! There's a dog in the lake!"

A Sheep in Lamb's Clothing

"The 'ickle wams' tug at my heartstrings this time of year but, having previously had pet orphaned ones, I am not fooled.  I know what they will turn into."

Happy Travels

Atlantic Ocean, Summer 1955. My Best Friend's sister sets sail aboard the Andrea Doria.

Thanks to my Best Friend for making this photo available to us.

Waterfall Reunion

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1968. We have a ways to go.

A First Picnic

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Summer 1953. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, and her husband, Kadis, treat my Toronto Cousin to a picnic.

Backyard Picnic

Suburban Chicago, July 1969. My Mom's best friend, Donna, and Donna's husband, Vytenis, host a barbeque. Mom brought her knitting bag.

Reaching Back

Tambov, Russia, 1902. This is my Great-Grandmother, Nina K. Here's the original post.

This image shows Nina K. visiting her daughter, Tatjana, and Tatjana's twins. Here's Nina K. later in life. This post explains why Nina K. looked so rattled later in life.

Revisiting Another Image

Kaunas, Lithuania, 1927. Here's my Mom with her Mom, Jadzė. This photo appeared early in the blog's history.

You don't care for RVs?

Consider this.

It's election day in Lithuania.

Did you notice?

"Grybauskaite can afford sticking with a small campaign with hardly any posters or TV ads. As the current president, she has the stage whenever she wants. Critics used to accuse her of not mingling with the population enough. So, in the past year, she spent more time with everyday people. During the traditional Uzgavenes carnival in February, she toured the sausage and pancakes booths and posed with dressed-up partiers and teenagers."

More photos here.

Mother's Day

Suburban Chicago, April 1961. I posted this photo earlier, but it's the image that comes to mind on Mother's Day.

Morning-Mist Reunion

Door County, Wisconsin, July 1975. Gigi explores her new territory.

It's not warm enough to go swimming.

Wasaga Beach, Ontario, July 1960. My paternal Grandmother, my Mom, and my Dad's twin sister Jonė look on from the beach as Jonė's daughter—my Toronto Cousin—takes me for a swim.

Related by Marriage: Summer Steps

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, Summer 1958. Mr. Irene's maternal Aunt Martha must have taken this photo because she's not in the picture. On the left stand Mr. Irene's Dad and Martha's husband, Wally. On the right are Mr. Irene's maternal Grandfather, Stanley, Mr. Irene's Mom, and Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother, Anna.

Crowned Reunion

Brookfield Zoo, 1966. This is a Grey Crowned Crane. More photos here, if you need color.

"Daddy's Home!"

Verona, Wisconsin, May 2012. Rex is the "designated barker." (Sometimes, he's a "talker.")

Friday Afternoon, in Three Takes

*     *     *     *     *

*     *     *     *     *

Beardmore, Ontario, Canada, 1947 or 1948. Toronto Al's Dad, Vladas, relaxes at the lumber yard.

Thanks to Toronto Al for making these photos available to us.

"[T]he petition states if they can't walk they deserve to jump."

University of Wisconsin—Madison announces it will play "Jump Around" during graduation ceremonies at Camp Randall.

Here's a segment I filmed during the October 2011 Homecoming Game (it ends abruptly because my camera battery died):

Goldfinch, in Three Takes

*     *     *     *     *

*     *     *     *     *

Verona, Wisconsin, May 2014. Find your spot.

Visiting the Gardens

Salzburg, Austria, July 1971. We explore the Mirabell Palace and Gardens during the vacation built around The Sound of Music sites.

It's true for adults, too.

"Sometimes the best medicine isn’t a drug, it’s a dog — four paws and a furry tail — that can make a kid feel better."

Poppy says, "Relax."

Cruise Memento

I wrote earlier how my Best Friend's Parents sailed across the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Andrea Doria. Earlier, I had thought they made the trip during their honeymoon. I was wrong; they sailed aboard the liner in 1955, one year before the Andrea Doria sank.

Their voyage aboard the Andrea Doria stuck with me because the historical figure, Andrea Doria, was someone I later studied when I did research about Mediterranean piracy. Although my work focused on Venice, I also learned about how other maritime cities—namely Genoa and Pisa—took measures to protect their interests from naval pillage.

 
Atlantic Ocean, Summer 1955. Here's a postcard my Best Friend's Mom, Louise, saved from the trip.

Thanks to my Best Friend for making this photo available to us.

A Late Spring

Verona, Wisconsin, May 2014. It's a slow start to the season.

A Shared Summer

Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada, July 1956. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, shows her impish personality again.

Graduation season approaches.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1970. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, is delighted as her daughter—my Toronto Cousin—graduates from Lithuanian school. My Toronto Cousin wears the folkdress my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, sewed in 1939.

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

Shared Space

Verona, Wisconsin, May 2014. The Redbud is not blooming yet, but the visitors have returned.

Disinterested

Copper Falls State Park, Mellen, Wisconsin, July 1962. I didn't see the appeal of nature walks.

Picnic season approaches.

Niagara Falls, about 1950. Toronto Al's Parents, Vladas and Lea, lunch after visiting the falls.

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

Colorwork

A seventeenth-century, Dutch artist's compilation of watercolor hues.

Upward

Brookfield Zoo, 1966. A family explores Baboon Island.

Related by Marriage: Arrival

Nativity BVM Church, Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, January 11, 1958. The honor guard begins the procession at the wedding of Mr. Irene's Parents.

"Krokodilo Ašaros"

Crocodile tears:

The truth is that crocodiles do not cry because they do not have the lachrymal ducts. The lachrymal ducts are unnecessary for them because they spend most of their time in water. The crocodile’s lachrymal glands produce the secretion that only moisten the eyes when an animal is out of water.

When crocodiles swallow large chunks of meat, their eyes water and it seems that they are crying. Since ancient times, people used to say that crocodiles mourned for their victims in such a way. However, crocodiles are crying because they are swallowing bigger bite than it fits in his mouth from the greed. The crocodiles’ lachrymal glands are close to the throat. Since crocodiles tear off large chunks and swallow it whole, the large chunks push against the lachrymal glands, forcing tears to their eyes in great amount.

It is believed that Roman historian Pliny was the first to explain this idiom in his work Historia Naturalis. Since than, the idiom “crocodile tears” has become the symbol of the insincerity and the fake regret[.]

 (Here's the article in Lithuanian.)

Let's stage a scene in the kitchen.

Suburban Chicago, March 1959. We have a phone, and we keep a basket of wax fruit on the table.

What's new about language-immersion schools?

Today's edition of the Wisconsin State Journal features a story about language-immersion schools in Madison. I chuckled when I saw the heading, "The kids just love it," because there was little I liked about going to school on a Saturday.

I didn't see, at first, what was "new" about these schools; I had been familiar with them since the early 1960s. So: what's different about the Madisonian, language-immersion schools? They're not focused on keeping a threatened culture alive; they're "raising global citizens."

"Latvia Casts Wary Eye on Russia"

"A chief concern of the government—which is facing parliamentary elections in October—is the rise of what some officials call 'provocateurs,' people in the country believed to be spreading antigovernment sentiment on behalf of the Kremlin."

(See also here.)

I almost said the same thing twice.

Chicago, Illinois, April 2007. Namely, that the city never looked this nice.

Rounds, Again.

Suburban Chicago, 1967. Mom heads out to three hospitals for Sunday rounds. It must be spring because she's carrying white gloves. The lilac still life has moved to the upstairs hallway.

Happy Birthday, "New" Cousin

Kaunas, Lithuania, 1929. Here's an edited version of a photo I posted earlier. Zigmas was the father of my "New" Cousin.

Bummeris*

Mr. Irene and I had planned last night to attend the annual banquet of the Madison Vilnius Sister Cities, Inc. organization. We couldn't go because I got the flu! I haven't had a cold or other viral illness since 2007, so I was shocked when I developed feverish symptoms and spent three days in bed. It was a big disappointment.

Mr. Irene did, however, stop off at the venue to deliver the items he and I donated to the banquet's loterija. He snapped a few photos while he was there.

Madison, Wisconsin, May 3, 2014. Our gracious greeter checked in guests.

*     *     *     *     *

Madison, Wisconsin, May 3, 2014. The raffle prizes included Lithuanian beer, some woven sashes, a woven tablecloth, two baumkuchenai, and a bottle of Polish vodka (our fault).

*     *     *     *     *

Madison, Wisconsin, May 3, 2014. How nice!

*     *     *     *     *

Madison, Wisconsin, May 3, 2014. Super bummeris: look what we missed. The chef again adapted some Lithuanian dishes for the service. This time, he added Cepelinai to the menu.

*     *     *     *     *

Madison, Wisconsin, May 3, 2014. The guest of honor was His Excellency Žygimantas Pavilionis, the Lithuanian Ambassador to the United States.

Ambassador Pavilionis also spoke to WISC-TV. You can watch the clip here.

*     *     *     *     *

*Lithuanians adopt English nouns into their vocabulary by adding declentive endings to the words. "Bummer" becomes "bummeris;" "basement" is "basementas;" and "blog" is "blogas."

The View in the Evening, Thirty Years Ago

Venice, Italy, May 1984. I visited the same spot later, here.

Mid-Sentence

-

Rockford, Illinois, Summer 1955. The family visits our Rockford friends. Dad favored the V-neck, slip-over, wool vests Mom knitted for him.

Exchanging Portraits (Part 24)

Near Vilnius, Lithuania, about 1936. This is the mother of Suzanne. Suzanne was the wife of my Dad's older cousin, Henry.

Thanks to Suzanne's Granddaughter—my Kaunas Cousin—for making this photo available to us.

He's weak in the ankles.

Michelangelo's "David" statue "risks collapsing under its own weight because of strain on the sculpture's 'weak ankles'."

The "David" has stood in Florence's Accademia Gallery since 1873. The statue in the Piazzia della Signoria is a replica:

Florence, Italy, May 1984. Some tourists assume the "David" guarding the Palazzo Vecchio's entry is the original statue.

Ziggy is in the picture.

Suburban Chicago, December 31, 1966. My friend Kris and her Parents—my Mom's Best Friend, Donna, and Vytenis—pose with Ziggy.

Yes, he's very nice.

Genoa, Italy, October 1951. My Best Friend's Parents marry.

Thanks to my Best Friend for making this photo available to us.

Blending-In Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, April 2014. It's best to stay with the group.

Another Apple, Tree

Madison, Wisconsin, April 2005. For a while, Mom and I wore identical eye-glass frames.

That's Pupa on the left and Baci on the right. They like to sit at the dining-room table. Unlike cats, however, the doggies never sit on the table.

A family grows.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, 1948. Standing are the Parents of my friend V. The little one in the stroller is their Son.

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