When will you teach me to knit ("second-hand" edition)?

Suburban Chicago, 1962. It's an image from a different time.

Related by Marriage: A Getaway to the City

Los Angeles, California, 1952. Mr. Irene's Dad enjoys a leave from the Camp Irwin base.

Who's leaving now?

Suburban Chicago, March 1959. Dad heads to work in his VW Beetle.

The Overnight Route, in Three Takes

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Verona, Wisconsin, February 9, 2014. This morning's tracks make us glad we collared the trees.

Rock n' Roll in the Soviet Union

"… [A] Guide to Doing the Baltic Bop."

Thanks for the performance.

Toronto, Ontario, about 1966. The folk dancers applaud Toronto Al's Mom.

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

UPDATE: Toronto Al's Mom (in the dark blouse) worked on plays as a director and makeup artist. She was not a soloist, and I've edited this post to show the correction.

I meant that as a compliment.

Suburban Chicago, January 1970. My Mom and Lily chat with Jadzė D's husband. The fellow had "had a wicked sense of humor and was the master of the backhanded compliment." When he took me out for a dance at our wedding reception, he observed—in mid tango—how relieved everyone was that I was a pretty bride because I had been such a pathetically homely child.

 

The trio here sits in the Rec Room of my friend Kris's childhood home.

A Cheater's Napoleonas

Verona, Wisconsin, February 8, 2014. Yesterday, I made a Napoleonas torte. The job was easy because I used frozen puff pastry. It's a small portion—yielding about seven pieces.

(Omaha's LithuanianBakery ships Napoleonai. We ordered one for Christmas, and it was great!)

"So … one of the most significant works in the history of architecture is the prototype for America's architectural Anti-Christ?"

PrairieMod mocks a headline calling Frank Lloyd Wright's Winslow House the first "McMansion."

(Here's why I am interested.)

UPDATE: I've revised this entry to reflect the edits posted at PrairieMod.

It's-snowing-again Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, February 8, 2014. The morning started out with little flakes.

A Fellow with Few Visitors

Brookfield Zoo, February 1970. I found it odd that a zoo featured donkeys.

What will you make?

Suburban Chicago, November 1960. Mom and the Other Irene step away from our party to discuss some sewing and knitting ideas. The Other Irene pulls a skein out of an Eaton's bag, and that tells me Mom likely received the yarn as a gift from my Dad's twin sister, Jonė.

Bows

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 13, 1955. My Toronto Cousin and a friend explore the backyard.

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

Watch the curves.

Near Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1987. I return to Glacier during a visit with my Montana friends.

Is it what you expected?

Suburban Chicago, November 1963. Mom assesses the new furniture. That chair—and those drapes—were in use for a while.

The World Stage

That Russian police choir performs during the Olympic opening ceremonies.

Warm days are ahead.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, about 1950. Toronto Al's Mom cools off by drinking a carton of milk.

"Of course, real animals are more difficult to catch."

Target of a zoo's animal-escape drill is a guy wearing a gorilla suit.

Pink Crossing

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2014. It's not as slick as it appears.

A Quick Visit

 

Brooklyn, New York, March 28, 1948. My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, visits her cousins.

Off to Rounds

Suburban Chicago, May 1960. Mom drives to work in "The Swan." She's turning to the southeast, so it's likely she's going to one of three hospitals for rounds.

"22 Delicious Russian Foods for Your Sochi Olympics Party"

BuzzFeed makes another list.

 

There are many family favorites on the menu, including Salat Olivyeh; Borscht (see our cold version here); Cucumber and Radish Salad (a summer staple); Poppy Seed Strudel (I don't eat that; the poppy-seed filling has the texture of dirt); Golubtsy (Cabbage Rolls); Pelmeni (similar to our Koldūnai); and Apple Sharlotka.

Hey! Those rolls sitting next to the Rassolnik look like our Cabbage (or Bacon) Buns.

An Assessment of Olympic Team Uniforms

Lithuania ties for the fourth worst team uniforms. The reviewers admire the Polo U.S. outfits.

 

I rather like the Russian uniforms; the woven sashes remind me of folk costumes.

We didn't get much snow today.

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2014. Sometimes it's not even necessary to clean the driveway.

Related by Marriage: Thanks for the Bear.

Suburban Chicago, October 28, 1962. Mr. Irene's Mom sends a photographic thank-you note to Mr. Irene's paternal Uncle, Ignas, and Ignas's wife, Ellie.

Thanks to the daughter of Ignas and Ellie—Mr. Irene's Los Angeles Cousin—for making this photo available to us.

The Life Box (Part 18)

I don't have many political buttons. My lunch sack filled with "Nixon's the One" buttons vanished during a move. I still have a "Think Ahead: Impeach Reagan Now" button that someone gave me.

Still unsettled.

Schweinfurt, Germany, about 1946. Dad was still in transition when he sat for this portrait. The image is another photo from about the time Dad started his studies at Hohenheim University.

Setting up the shot.

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1970. Dad prepares to photograph the falls.

"Please do not flush toilet paper down the toilet! Put it in the bin provided."

Have the visitors to Sochi never lived on a property serviced by a septic system?

Another Look

Chicago Loop, December, 1970. We still have a few more photos from the Simas Kudirka protest.

Here's a clip of Kudirka in Chicago, after the Soviets released him in 1974.

The Life Box (Part 17)

In the mid-1970s, I found a tree branch that resembled a perched squirrel. I don't know why I saved it for nearly forty years, but it's an object to which I developed an attachment. Nutty!

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Range Reunion

Near Medora, North Dakota, July 1973. Let's take another look at those bison.

Workday

 

Suburban Chicago, Spring 1965. Mom—hat in hand—heads to the office.

Exchanging Portraits (Part 17)

Near Vilnius, Lithuania, mid- to late-1920s. This is a sister (or possibly a cousin) of Suzanne—the wife of my Dad's older cousin, Henry.

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

Settled-in Reunion

Urbana, Illinois, September 1984. I moved to a different apartment when I returned from Venice. This one wasn't furnished, and I visited many garage sales before I felt settled. I was happy with the desk, but I did acquire a better chair later. I also bought a word processor that year.

Away from Home

 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, 1947. These are the Parents of my friend V. They were Displaced Persons in 1947; V's Mom wears a scouting uniform.

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

A Sunday at the Zoo

My Dad's twin sister, Jonė, watches me as our families visit the zoo:

Is today special?

Maybe. It's World Zep Day.

Here's how the United States Embassy in Vilnius commemorated the occasion.

ADDED: Hiroshima's Little Lithuania recognizes the day, too.

Snow Play

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2008. The view looked the same this morning.

Grab a Book: Magazine Edition

Suburban Chicago, June 1983. Puppy Meškė wants the attention.

The Cat's Tail

One Lithuanian proverb I often hear is, "Kas pakels katinui uodegą, jei ne jis pats." It means, "Who'll lift the cat's tail if not the cat himself." The proverb expresses the Lithuanian contempt for boastfulness.* My family, for example, enforced the idea that vanity is shameful. When someone told me that I was a "pretty little girl," Mom discouraged me from saying, "Thank you" because that response signaled agreement with the observation. Instead, she taught me to provide a deflective answer, like, "You must need glasses."

We most often use the "cat's tail" expression when one of us gives ourselves a compliment. For example, if Mom remarks on her exquisite knitting, she'll add the expression—as a coda—to acknowledge that she shouldn't admire her own work.

Suburban Chicago, Summer 1963. Some people substitute a dog for the proverb's cat, but at our house, it's always a cat. The feline in this photo is our neighbors' Siamese.

*There's also a cultural mistrust of self-confidence; that quality is almost indistinguishable from arrogance.

Golden

Suburban Chicago, January 1983. I carried this photo of Meškė with me when I moved to Venice.

Watch your step.

Suburban Chicago, January 1959. My Mom and my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, return from a shopping trip. Back then, people thought sixty-year-olds were "old," and stores sent you home with "brown paper packages tied up with string."

The Frozen Lake, in Three Takes

Ice today covers 62% of Lake Michigan. The lake experienced similar conditions in 1979.

Don't panic. Instead, relax and embrace the normal.

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Door County, Wisconsin, February 1979. Mom skis the Lake-Michigan shoreline along Sand Bay.

Vladas

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, about 1950. Thanks to Vladas's son—Toronto Al—for making this photo available to us.

Tastes change.

When I finished my first year of grad school, I left Sherman Hall and moved into an apartment. The apartment was a few miles from campus, and I most often biked or walked to classes. I chose the unit primarily because it was furnished. Back then, I didn't think the furniture was nice.

 

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Urbana, Illinois, June 1981. Now, I wouldn't mind having that dinette set.

Another Round

Suburban Chicago, December 1980. Mom usually did the shoveling. I must not have been home when Dad took this snapshot.

"Rather than wash her hair down the plughole, retired teacher Xiang Renxian collected all the strands of her 'wonderful long hair' and knitted it into a coat and cap."

Crocheted?

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 21)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951 or 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, Mr. Irene's Dad (left) shares a laugh with a fellow tank instructor.

Do you own sweaters knitted in delicate fibers like cashmere or alpaca?

Do you find that the garments wear out quickly? If so, then check out these tips.

How much snow must fall before school districts cancel classes?

A regional map.

Chicago is an exceptional pocket. Maybe it's because the city is accustomed to lake-effect snow. Or maybe it's the school district. Or maybe Chicagoans are "flinty."

UPDATE: Updated links and edits added.

Back-Outside Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2014. By late afternoon, even the horses came outside.

Imitations

Suburban Chicago, July 1960. Mom gives me a footwork lesson.

ADDED: Notice at 0:22 how Mom catches me pushing my feet against the coffee table. She likely thought I'd slide the marble top off its base.

Casa Loma

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 1960. My Toronto Cousin visits Casa Loma.

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

UPDATE: I originally thought this building was Toronto's Old City Hall. My Toronto Cousin notified me that it's Casa Loma, and I've edited this post to reflect the correct location.

"The potatoes are wrung dry."

The key to good Cepelinai is the potato processing.

The Life Box (Part 16)

After I'd watched Dad whittle wood, I asked him to craft something for me. He made a little boat that floated in the bathtub. He named the boat "Irene," and I assigned the number "165" to it (I don't remember why I chose "165"). The boat had a peg on which I placed a sail.

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Dad made the dinghy in 1963 or 1964. I stood with him in the bathroom waiting for the paint to dry so I could see how it did in the tub.

It's colder than it looks.

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2014. We ran a few errands today, and it wasn't too bad.

Related by Marriage: A Warmer Day

Carter, Wisconsin, 1938. The family of Mr. Irene's Mom visits his Mom's Godmother. Seated, left to right, are Mr. Irene's Mom, Aunt Petra, and his maternal Aunt Martha. Standing, left to right, are the Godmother, Cousin O's daughter, and Mr. Irene's maternal Grandfather Stanley.

"Ah, so not everything that comes from Russia is bad then."

A commenter reacts to a "Get Lucky" cover.

A Conversation about "First Wavers"

Chicago's WBEZ interviews Lithuanian Americans about Upton Sinclair's The Jungle.

"He who would catch fish must not mind getting wet."

Yesterday's post about a Russian proverb sparked a search about other expressions (there's a particular, family favorite, I want to find, but it's not appearing yet). The saying about the fish is one of the proverbs illustrated here.

There's also a drawing there depicting Pushkin's Fisherman and the Fish.

Start the day.

Suburban Chicago, January 1960. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, serves breakfast before we head outside.

"The name of the film will be changed in order to avoid confusion with the upcoming adaptation of EL James' Fifty Shades of Gray."

A movie based on Ruta Sepetys's novel, Between Shades of Gray, will be filmed this year.

A Destination

Verona, Wisconsin, January 2014. The deer know where to go.

The 1967 Blizzard

I almost missed the anniversary of Chicago's 1967 blizzard. I later linked in that post to footage of my neighborhood after the storm.

The father of a grade-school classmate, Bob, shot the film. Bob writes, "The first street was 13th and Division in front of my parents' house. then my dad went over to North Ave. I think the only thing that hasn't changed on North Ave is the race track."

Thanks, Bob, for sharing it: