* * * * *
* * * * *
Verona, Wisconsin, July 2015. She's found a better spot.
July 14, 2015
Related by Marriage: Desert Jacket
Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, February 24, 1952. Mr. Irene's Dad chose this photo as a memento for his brother, Ignas.
Class Notes (Part 13)
Kaunas, Lithuania, 1934. On this Class Notes page, my Mom's friend wrote:
For Memories
I have one rose
I give it to you
I have one friend
To her I give everything
From your friend N.
July 13, 2015
Expectations
Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, July 1963. When we visited the area near the Kennedy Compound, I assumed we would see some famous people. Mom consoled me.
Exchanging Portraits (Part 49)
Wiesbaden, Germany, September 9, 1946. A cousin of Mr. Irene's Dad wrote, "Keep me also in mind as you sail across the sea."
July 12, 2015
Summer Weekend
Probably near Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada, July 1957. My Toronto Cousin and her Dad, Kadis, enjoy a favorite spot.
Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.
July 11, 2015
Translated
Schweinfurt, Germany, 1946. Organizers of the cultural exhibit included English-language headings for their American visitors.
July 10, 2015
A Calm Campo
Venice, Italy, June 1989. We're approaching the Campo San Pietro di Castello. The campo is in a neighborhood tourists rarely visit.
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.
Family Plot
Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1954. This is where my Dad's relatives are buried. The grave on the far right, marked "1894-1942," belongs to my paternal Grandfather, Vytautas.
July 9, 2015
July 8, 2015
Related by Marriage: Club Soda
Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, January 1958. Guests linger after dinner at the wedding reception of Mr. Irene's Parents. The fellow blowing smoke is Wally, the future husband of Mr. Irene's maternal Aunt Martha.
The Full View
Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1936. I earlier posted a cropped version of this photo of my paternal Grandfather, Vytautas, and his daughter, Jonė.
Thanks to my Kaunas Cousin for making this original available to us.
July 7, 2015
A Custom Arrangement
* * * * *
Verona, Wisconsin, July 2015. Great friends know how to humor me. Check out the poodle's tail.
The Same Spot
Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada, July 1957. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, and her daughter Jonė pose on that piece of driftwood.
Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.
The Doll Table
Schweinfurt, Germany, 1946. This is one of the women with whom my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, collaborated for the Displaced Persons camp's cultural exhibit.
July 6, 2015
The Grand Duke
Vilnius, Lithuania, August 2011. This is Grand Duke Gediminas. Lithuanians today celebrate Statehood Day. On July 6, 1253, Lithuania crowned its only king, King Mindaugas. At about the same time, Pope Innocent IV recognized the Lithuanian state.
Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.
We're still counting.
Suburban Chicago, July 1965. That's a sad little cake, but happily it's not coconut!
(Jewel shoppers will recognize those tumblers and plastic dishes.)
A Visit from Tatjana
Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1964. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, visits us during our vacation. We take a ride in the dinghy and stop to pick blueberries.
July 5, 2015
Related by Marriage: The Summer Class
Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Summer 1981. Mr. Irene, students, and faculty gather for the physiology class picture. Mr. Irene, wearing the shades, sits fifth from right in the front row. You might recognize the instructor sitting next to Mr. Irene, on his right.
July 4, 2015
Holiday Walk
Door County, Wisconsin, July 4, 2005. When Baci (left) was young, he and Pupa vacationed by enjoying at least two ninety-minute, daily walks in the woods.
A Closer Look (Part 41)
Happy Independence Day
Madison, Wisconsin, July 2, 2015. We hope the fireworks didn't rattle your doggies.
July 3, 2015
Related by Marriage: Sheep Shed
Dearborn, Michigan, Spring 1958. Mr. Irene's Mom captures an image of the farm exhibit during her visit to the Henry Ford Museum.
July 2, 2015
The Upgraded "Play Table"
Suburban Chicago, February 1969. I have little memory of this play table. The one I remember is the painted table on which I learned to draw.
July 1, 2015
Solitude
Lake Nipissing, Ontario, July 1965. Dad submitted this image of me to a photography competition; I don't know how it ranked.
Plaid Jacket
Suburban Chicago, April 1965. Mom and Dad pose in that familiar spot. Dad's wearing his beloved Omega watch.
"The Dancing Diplomat"
John Boehner's account of his visit to Lithuania.
More here.
(Today, US tanks arrived in the Baltics, as promised.)
More here.
(Today, US tanks arrived in the Baltics, as promised.)
Related by Marriage: We visit.
Los Angeles, California, October 1990. After Mr. Irene and I finished our San Diego obligations, we drove up to visit the family of Mr. Irene's paternal Uncle Ignas.
June 30, 2015
A Summer Storm, in Three Takes
* * * * *
* * * * *
Verona, Wisconsin, June 29, 2015. Things pass through pretty quick at this time of year.
Maybe I should rethink my boycott* of air travel.
Pierre the French Poodle calms jittery travelers at the Dane County Regional Airport.
*I have flown once in the last twenty-four years. Low carbon footprint, baby.
*I have flown once in the last twenty-four years. Low carbon footprint, baby.
June 29, 2015
Babos Receptai (Part 12)
Whoa,
you say! This is not the handwriting of my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana! How
can it be one of "Babos Receptai?"
This
recipe was written for me by Tatjana's daughter, Jonė. It's a recipe for
Lithuanian Crumb Cake. Although that treat is ubiquitous in Lithuanian cuisine (the
crumb cake appears at weddings, teas, and fashion shows), my paternal
Grandmother rarely baked it. Tatjana thought her cake, "Babos Pyragas," was much better.
I disagreed, and I was disappointed we had no "family recipe" for the
Crumb Cake. Fortunately, my Dad's twin sister had one.
Here
is how I wrote up the recipe:
Trupininis Pyragas
3-1/2
cups all-purpose flour
3
teaspoons baking powder
1
cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1
cup granulated sugar
1
egg
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
about
1-1/2 cups lingonberry preserves, or other tart jam
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees and adjust rack to the center position. Preheat a
baking stone for thirty minutes. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and dust
it all over with fine, dry breadcrumbs. Shake out excess crumbs. Set the
prepared baking pan in the freezer while you prepare the ingredients.
Sift
together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
In
the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly
until very light in color. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and continue
beating until very smooth. On lowest speed, or using a rubber spatula, gently
fold in the sifted dry ingredients, combining only until the flour disappears.
Reserve
about half (approximately 3 cups) of the dough in a small bowl and set aside.
Press the remainder of the dough into the prepared pan. Spread lingonberry
preserves evenly over the dough. Carefully crumble the remaining reserved dough
over the preserves.
Bake
about 30 to 34 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven, transfer to
a wire rack, and allow to cool completely on the rack. Store in airtight
container at room temperature.
* * * * *
BONUS!
A
few years after I tweeked this recipe, I started baking it with a
cottage-cheese filling. The cheese version is my favorite; here is
the recipe:
Trupininis
Pyragas su Varškė
Crust:
3-1/2
cups all-purpose flour
3
teaspoons baking powder
1
cup granulated sugar
1
cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1
egg
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
1/2
cup granulated sugar
finely
grated rind of one-half lemon
2
egg yolks
2
tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
scant
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
scant
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2
cups (12 ounces) cottage cheese, drained (measure before draining)
3
tablespoons instant-blending ("Wondra") flour
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees and adjust rack to the center position. Preheat a
baking stone for thirty minutes. Generously butter and flour a 13 x 9 x 2-inch
baking pan.
For
crust:
Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
In
the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly
until very light in color. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and sour cream;
continue beating until very smooth. On lowest speed, or using a rubber spatula,
gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients, combining only until the flour
disappears. The mixture will (and should) be crumbly.
Reserve
about half (approximately 3 cups) of the dough in a small bowl and set aside.
Press the remainder of the dough into the prepared pan. Place pan in the
freezer while you prepare the filling.
For
filling:
In the workbowl of a food processor, mix together the sugar with the lemon rind
until the rind is finely chopped. Add the egg yolks and beat for about one
minute, until the mixture becomes thick and pale in color. Add the butter,
vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Process until smooth. Add the cottage
cheese and process until the mixture is entirely free of lumps. Add the flour
and process with 2 or 3 on/off pulses.
Spread
the filling over prepared crust. Crumble the reserved half of the dough over
the filling.
Bake
for 30 to 36 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly. Remove from
oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool completely on the rack. Store
in airtight container at room temperature.
June 28, 2015
Big Jim
Marquette Park, Chicago, 1983 or 1984. The governor of Illinois participates in the parade welcoming President Reagan to Marquette Park, the Lithuanian neighborhood.
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