Sentimental Reunion

"Tu Ateik į Pasimatymą" ("Come to the Date") was a 1976 folk hit in Soviet-occupied Lithuania. Here's the original, sung by Nelė Paltinienė ir Eugenijus Ivanauskas.

Recently, the Lithuanian pop duo, The Ball and Chain, recorded its cover of the song.

The two pairs later met on Lithuanian TV.

Related by Marriage: A Trip to Wisconsin

Carter, Wisconsin, Summer 1938. Mr. Irene's Mom visits her Godmother.

Anthropomorphism

Animal portraits.

We're heading in a westerly direction.

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1966. We're on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, driving from St. Mary to Lake MacDonald.

The Magnificent Mile

Chicago, Illinois, Summer 1967. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, and I pause for a snapshot as we walk on Michigan Avenue. Look at the clock: my Dad took this photo one minute after I had snapped a picture of him and Tatjana.

Wedding Sweaters

At last, there is a trend in which I regret that I won't participate.

This is what chilly, strapless dresses have prompted. The Aran jumper on the cover of New York Magazine is a keeper.

Camp Grub

Camp Aušra (later Camp Kretinga), Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada, Summer 1959. The women at the Lithuanian summer camp have been cooking because there are many mouths to feed.

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

Too few piggies? Blame Poland.

Lithuanian pork producers "cannot cope with domestic demand."

Let them eat potatoes, you say? We always eat potato dishes sprinkled with "spirgučiai"—bacon bits, swimming in their fat.

Backbreaking

We're at another picnic, and my friends and I pile onto my Godfather's back:

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There. Steady, everybody:

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Mom reacts when I take things a step further:

Tinley Park, Illinois, August 1962. It's okay to dance, but my Godfather is not a platform.

Tree Tango

Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, July 1962. A natural surprise is a delightful sight.

Bundling up.

Suburban Chicago, late Winter/early Spring 1970. I'm taking Gigi out for a walk. She'll stay warm because she's wearing her red coat.

Language Lesson

Can you pronounce "Jonas Valančiūnas?" He plays for the Toronto Raptors.

Related by Marriage: I'll behave if you let me wear a cowboy hat.

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, Spring 1964. Mr. Irene stands in Uncle D's backyard with his Parents and Uncle D's wife, Danutė. Chicagoans will recognize the familiar style of the apartment building in the background—featuring tan bricks and glass-block windows.

Formation

Schweinfurt, Germany, 1948. Lithuanian scouts from the Displaced Persons camp line up before a ceremony. Both land and sea scouts participate in the ritual.

Boom

Lithuanian authorities today launched a controlled explosion of the Panemunė Bridge in the city of Kaunas.* The bridge's demolition coincides with one of the city's reconstruction projects. There's more (in Lithuanian) about the story here.

The Panemunė Bridge is a Kaunas landmark at which friends often scheduled a meetup or a "rendezvous." It's also the spot for a good photo.

Today, the Panemunė Bridge is famous as a launch for bungee jumping, or what the Lithuanians call "rope jumping."

*At the end of the clip, one of the observers says, "Do it again."

Primping for Thanksgiving

Verona, Wisconsin, November 2011. Baci and Poppy have gotten holiday haircuts, and they're sporting festive bandanas.

Winter approaches.

Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, November 1957. My Mom's maternal Aunt, Dora, stand in front of Mom's childhood home.

Related by Marriage: Duty calls.

Brighton Park, Chicago, Illinois, August 1950. Ignas, the older brother of Mr. Irene's Dad, stands—on the right—with friends who've arrived to wish Ignas well as he joins the U.S. Army.

Here's some more snark to pepper the day.

Let's dissect a holiday catalog.

Don't miss the "Reclaimed Rustic Coop & Run" and the other items in the "Agrarian Collection."

These items bring this book back to my mind.

(Thanks to my friend JO for pointing out the deadspin post.)

A restaurant review ...

… forgets that sarcasm is a dish best served cold.

That's a clever cat.

Evanston, Illinois, October 1979. My apartment mate's cat pops into my room for a game of Go.

Adler Planetarium

Chicago, Illinois, January 1961. We've arrived at Adler Planetarium, and it looks like we're about to visit another space exhibit.

Tuned in.

Suburban Chicago, Spring 1972. Dad develops film in his "darkroom"—the Master Bathroom. The shortwave radio sits on the counter; Dad often used it to listen to "Voice of America."

Related by Marriage: A Young Recruit

Kaiserslautern, Germany, June or July 1948. Here's Mr. Irene's Dad when he began working with the U.S. Army's canine security unit. He had not yet celebrated his twentieth birthday.

Lakeside Sunset

Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1965. Things look calm, but the waters really are choppy.

Mon Dieu!

The EU contemplates banning the ingredients of Amber Reunion's favorite scent, Chanel No. 5.

Pee-EU.

A Traveling Poodle

Door County, Wisconsin, April, 1983. Mom and Dad have arrived in Door County for a Spring visit, and Dad craddles Meškė in the driveway. Dad again wears one of those tweed jackets.

Acqua Veramente Alta

"Acqua alta" is a normal occurrence in the Republic of St Mark every November. But this is a little extreme, even for Venice.

Thanks to my friend Kris for pointing this out to me.

UPDATE: Here are some on-the-scene observations from "I am not making this up."

It's gotten really cold!

Tsarist Russia, about 1913. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, is ready for winter.

Autumn-Does Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, November 2012. Are you ladies planning to nibble on the tree bark?

Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom

Ceremonies pay tribute to fallen British soldiers.

Related by Marriage: A Veteran on Duty

Chicago, Illinois, about 1954. After his service during the Korean War, Mr. Irene's Dad became active in the V.F.W. Mr. Irene's Dad met Mr. Irene's Mom at a V.F.W. event, and a V.F.W. Honor Guard greeted the newlyweds after their wedding ceremony.

Meet up at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania

Young professionals in Washington D.C.: here's your chance to dine at the Lithuanian Embassy.

Don't miss out on the pickled mushrooms.

Mushroom hunting is a sport.

"Mushroom hunting is probably Lithuania’s second most popular sport, after basketball."

Many Eastern European countries share a cultural affinity for mushroom picking. Mushroom recipes ripple through Lithuanian cuisine; Lithuanians even bake cookies that look like mushrooms. (There's a recipe in this book.)

I've always been nervous about eating wild mushrooms. I make an exception for morels because it's easy to identify them. Otherwise, I stay away. For example, Danutė—the wife of Mr. Irene's great uncle, Uncle D—used to harvest wild mushrooms in Indiana and Michigan. She then pickled and canned them. Everyone got several Mason jars—filled with the slimy preserving liquid and rubbery mushrooms—each time they visited her. I never tasted them: not even from the jars Danutė gave us on our wedding day. Or from the jars family found squirreled away in Danutė's basement after Danutė died.

I went mushroom picking one time, and I then was accompanying natives who'd been differentiating mushrooms for nearly a generation.

Choosing the wrong mushroom can be deadly.

Door County, Wisconsin, Spring 1978. Get some safety training before you go hunting.

Veterans' Day is Remembrance Day

Tsarist Russia, about 1914. My paternal Grandfather, Vytautas, approaches the end of his years as a cadet at the Russian Imperial Army's military college.

I think every year about the members of my family who served in the military.

Autumn-Bug Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, October 2012. This fellow isn't as big as the Luna Moth that landed on this same window in June, but he was large enough to startle me.

We're launching another fishing trip.

Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1965. I was always conscientious about safety, so I never minded wearing a life vest.

"Vilnius has not established itself as a bachelor party capital"

"We are positioning Lithuania as a country of high quality service for a good price. Bachelor parties and drinking sprees have not quite yet taken root here. Our capital is distinguished as a place where tourists are elegant and calm."

Okay. But please don't mess with the Cepelinai:

Related by Marriage: A Shared Purpose

Kaiserslautern, Germany, June or July 1948. Mr. Irene's Dad—in the center—stands with fellow Displaced Persons as the men work in the U.S. Army's canine security unit.

It's a special occasion when the children sit in the living room.

Suburban Chicago, April 1960. We're celebrating a birthday, and Mom has dressed me in a stylish, red ensemble.

When you're hiking, stop to admire the flowers.

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1966. The view is spectacular, but I'm intrigued by the purple blossoms.

Nativity BVM

I wrote earlier about the cultural ease with which Lithuanians approach funerals. Few funerals go unrecorded.

When Mr. Irene's Dad returned to Chicago from his service in the U.S. Army, a young friend of his died. The friend was crossing a street in Marquette Park, and a car hit him. He left behind a wife and several young children.

The friend's funeral took place at the Lithuanian church in Marquette Park, Nativity BVM. That's the same church at which Mr. Irene's parents later married.

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, 1956. The funeral Mass gets underway at Nativity BVM.

Catch of the Day

Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1965. It's Friday. Are you ready for a Fish Fry?

Džiazas Lietuvojė ("Jazz in Lithuania")

The Jazz craze took off in Lithuania shortly after the end of World War II. Since then, it's been the subject of close attention.

Tomorrow, Lithuanian jazz trumpeter Dominykas Vyšniauskas will play two free concerts in Madison, Wisconsin.

In the meantime, check out this "Bigbendas:"

"It's complicated."

Presidential politics and diplomacy are the topics of opinion pieces in Lithuania, too.

Name the game.

Camp Aušra (later Camp Kretinga), Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada, Summer 1959. Kadis, the husband of my Dad's twin sister Jonė, oversees another game at the Lithuanian summer camp that I can't identify. Thoughts?

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

"Language of Lithuania"

"Of all the European languages the Lithuanian has the largest number of diminutives expressing tenderness, endearment and affection."

That's why my Mom still calls me "Irutytė" (Irene = Irena ® Irutė (diminutive of "Irena") ® Irutytė (diminutive of "Irutė").

(Via New York Times archive.)

Thanks to my friend GV for pointing out this archived piece to me.

Ledge Seating

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1970. A Mountain Goat settles on the ledge after maneuvering around that spot.

Playboy Style

Engaging photos from the Playboy Mansion and Playboy Club.

(Via The Daily Prep.)

Related by Marriage: Desert Drills

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951 or 1952. Mr. Irene's Dad again takes part in tank maneuvers on the U.S. Army Base.

Now you see how simple it is.

(Via Spinnen Stricken Sticken.)

The Sound of Music: Meet Maria von Trapp

Fellow fans: here's a look at the real Maria von Trapp.

(Via Retronaut.)

Manly Men

Schweinfurt, Germany, 1948. Fellow scouts pose with my Dad, in the center, shortly before Dad emigrated to the United States.

Lingering Ghosts

The KGB still walk among us.

Silhouette

Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, July 1962. Dad catches Mom collecting her thoughts as another summer vacation ends.

There was a Jell-o Mold on the menu.

Suburban Chicago, December 1964. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, and a friend had a toasting tradition. Tatjana here flashes a rare, natural smile.

Related by Marriage: A (Really) New Cousin

Bridgeport, Chicago, Illinois, 1925. The engaged baby is a cousin of Mr. Irene's Mom. The baby's Mom, I think, looks a lot like Aunt Petra.

Godparents

Seligenstadt, Germany, about 1948. My Mom and an acquaintance serve as Godparents for a friend's daughter. Mom did not know this fellow well, but he gave Mom a lovely, wood-inlay box for the occasion. She still has that box.

Fallen-Leaves Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, 2010. Look forward, to Spring.

If the waiting gets too tense, then focus on your knitting.

Suburban Chicago, 1961. Mom has the right idea: look down and concentrate.

Are you ready to watch the results?

Suburban Chicago, January 1962. Kadis—the husband of my Dad's twin sister, Jonė—and I settle in for an evening of television.

Let's hope we have a resolution tonight.

Election Day

Here are a few more photos of JFK's March 1963 visit to Chicago:

O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, March 1963. Mayor Daley, sixth from the left and with his hands crossed, appears to have a lot on his mind.

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O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, March 1963. We're heading back to the car, and I'm hanging onto that souvenir flag.

"The 'country cousins' of the textile world."

Madison knitters and crocheters seek recognition for their art.

On deck.

In 1964, a West German naval ship docked in Chicago for a few days. The authorities opened the vessel to tours, and my Dad took us to see it:

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Chicago, Illinois, 1964. The ship docked along the Chicago River. The line formed to the right.

Stage Ready?

Madison, Wisconsin, January 26, 1992. Mr. Irene and I prepare to take the stage with our local folk-dance group, Žaibas. My folkdress pieces together several historical family items, including a vest that my Grandmother, Tatjana, sewed shortly after she fled the Russian Revolution and settled in Lithuania in about 1918, and my Dad's scouting sash. The crown is a modern piece that I acquired in 1970.