Oregon, Wisconsin, August 2015. This is zinnia "Green Envy." The bouquet nicely matched a bowl of guacamole.
August 17, 2015
Envious Reunion
Oregon, Wisconsin, August 2015. This is zinnia "Green Envy." The bouquet nicely matched a bowl of guacamole.
Dinner Stop
* * * * *
Central Illinois, June 1972. Our eighth-grade class had dinner at this buffet on our way home from Springfield.
August 16, 2015
Related by Marriage: Sunday Walk
Holland, Michigan, Spring 1958. Mr. Irene's Mom snaps some tourists.
August 15, 2015
Science-Fair Misery
Suburban Chicago, December 1971. My project for the science fair did well, but I was not very happy preparing it. Dad did his best to guide me.
I'm working here at the old kitchen table; I am in the basement. The freezer stands behind me.
August 14, 2015
Sweater Scape
Suburban Chicago, 1971. I photograph my "finished objects." The arrangement does not feature the first sweater I knitted; I must have given it away by the time I took this photo. The second sweater does appear here: it's the one with the hanger.
Gigi rests on a shawl I crocheted. I'll write more about that later.
Relaxing after Work
Suburban Chicago, about 1969. I am uncertain about this photo's date. Gigi's in the picture, so it's in 1969 or after. It's not much later than that, however, because it's before Mom starting wearing trousers. She used to return from work and change into a sensible skirt, blouse, and sweater.
It's likely before 1971 because I didn't keep goldfish once I reached the seventh grade.
Mom's fancy knitting bag rests on the floor.
Evening Nap
Suburban Chicago, June 1972. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, dozes in the chair that stood closest to the TV.
The plaque hanging above the telephone is a relief depicting a stork pair. Dad picked it up during our European vacation. The drapes featured an avocado and gold pattern.
August 13, 2015
Summer Joy
Ontario, Canada, 1959. My Toronto Cousin enjoys the last weeks of summer.
Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.
August 12, 2015
A Young Visitor
Verona, Wisconsin, August 11, 2015. He didn't stay; he just passed through the yard.
Babos Receptai (Part 13)
My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, prepared simple, daily meals. The food usually was somewhat bland because Lithuanians avoid assertively seasoned dishes. We rarely, for example, had garlic in the house, and my family shunned green bell peppers because the adults found them "spicy." Mr. Irene and I sometimes joke that Lithuanians season their food with bacon and dill.
Sicilian immigrants populated the suburb in which we lived, and I grew to love Italian food. My Best Friend's father, Dolfo, was from Genoa, and he taught me to appreciate northern Italian preparations like pesto and Genoese pizza (foccacia). I often ate dinner at my Best Friend's house and then went home to pick at the dull plate Tatjana had prepared.
Tatjana sought to please my adventurous palate by preparing Spaghetti and Meatballs. I don't think she made the dish more than once each year.
Here is the recipe Tatjana used; she likely adapted it from the 1956 edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook:
Here is how I translated the recipe:
To make the meatballs:
one pound mixed ground meats
a little bit of garlic
3 eggs
fine, dry breadcrumbs
parsley
Italian cheese
Fry the meatballs in a pan. When the meatballs brown, pour them into the sauce.
For the Sauce:
1 large can tomato puree
1 large can tomato paste
some bay leaves or a leaf of basil
parlsey
1/2 clove garlic
a pinch of allspice
1-1/2 cans water
Cook until the sauce thickens.
* * * * *
There! You can see how bold this recipe was for our household: Tatjana used garlic and even suggested adding a basil leaf.
Sicilian immigrants populated the suburb in which we lived, and I grew to love Italian food. My Best Friend's father, Dolfo, was from Genoa, and he taught me to appreciate northern Italian preparations like pesto and Genoese pizza (foccacia). I often ate dinner at my Best Friend's house and then went home to pick at the dull plate Tatjana had prepared.
Tatjana sought to please my adventurous palate by preparing Spaghetti and Meatballs. I don't think she made the dish more than once each year.
Here is the recipe Tatjana used; she likely adapted it from the 1956 edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook:
Here is how I translated the recipe:
Meatballs (Italian)
To make the meatballs:
one pound mixed ground meats
a little bit of garlic
3 eggs
fine, dry breadcrumbs
parsley
Italian cheese
Fry the meatballs in a pan. When the meatballs brown, pour them into the sauce.
For the Sauce:
1 large can tomato puree
1 large can tomato paste
some bay leaves or a leaf of basil
parlsey
1/2 clove garlic
a pinch of allspice
1-1/2 cans water
Cook until the sauce thickens.
* * * * *
There! You can see how bold this recipe was for our household: Tatjana used garlic and even suggested adding a basil leaf.
August 11, 2015
Musical Memory
My Mom has been a lifelong opera and operetta lover. She and Dad occasionally bought season tickets to Chicago's Lyric Opera, and we usually listened to Saturday opera radio broadcasts (but I always preferred ballet). We celebrated New Year's Eve by watching Die Fledermaus on television, and we caught a staging of The Merry Widow in Central City, Colorado.
When Mom was growing up, the three most popular sopranos where Jeanette MacDonald, Marta Eggerth, and Deanna Durbin. Mom collected cards with images of each singer, and she and her friends went to the cinema* to watch the dubbed movies in which the starlets appeared.
In about 1934 or 1935 Marta Eggerth arrived in Kaunas for a concert. The city officials prohibited Eggerth from singing in the opera house because Eggerth specialized in operettas, a musical form, according to authorities, beneath the dignity of the opera house. Eggerth therefore sang at an outdoor theater. My Mom's maternal Aunt Dora took Mom to that concert. Mom recalls Eggerth wore a white gown on stage. When we watched a few Eggerth clips on YouTube, Mom even got a bit misty.
Vienna, Austria, July 1971. This is the Vienna State Opera. It was natural for Dad to photograph this building when we visited Vienna.
*The same cinema at which Dora used to accompany the silent movies.
When Mom was growing up, the three most popular sopranos where Jeanette MacDonald, Marta Eggerth, and Deanna Durbin. Mom collected cards with images of each singer, and she and her friends went to the cinema* to watch the dubbed movies in which the starlets appeared.
In about 1934 or 1935 Marta Eggerth arrived in Kaunas for a concert. The city officials prohibited Eggerth from singing in the opera house because Eggerth specialized in operettas, a musical form, according to authorities, beneath the dignity of the opera house. Eggerth therefore sang at an outdoor theater. My Mom's maternal Aunt Dora took Mom to that concert. Mom recalls Eggerth wore a white gown on stage. When we watched a few Eggerth clips on YouTube, Mom even got a bit misty.
Vienna, Austria, July 1971. This is the Vienna State Opera. It was natural for Dad to photograph this building when we visited Vienna.
*The same cinema at which Dora used to accompany the silent movies.
Class Reunion
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Summer 1971. My Dad and a few of his classmates celebrate their thirtieth high-school reunion."KABC" stands for "Kauno Aušros Berniukų Gimnazija."
August 10, 2015
July Days
Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, July 1959. Mom reported last night that one of the house-search television shows featured an episode focused on the Parry Sound/Georgian Bay region. Mom fondly remembers the beauty of the area, but she can't imagine having a vacation home on a remote island (that led to a short discussion about medical emergencies). Mom noted that when she and Dad stayed in Parry Sound, the closest grocery store was about 10 miles away, and it was a lousy store.
She also fondly recalled the time spent blueberry picking. Mom reminded us that she lost interest in picking after the rattlesnake incident. ("There were snakes there!")
August 9, 2015
August 8, 2015
Saturday
Door County, Wisconsin, July 1977. Everybody's buzzing around. (Those are thimbleberry bushes behind Dad.)
A Closer Look (Part 46)
Russia, between about 1870 and 1874. Let's take another look at the oldest photo posted on the blog.
August 7, 2015
August 6, 2015
It's the fourth "Poppyversary."
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, August 2011. I had thought the anniversary of Poppy's arrival was August 7; I was wrong. It's today!
Here's Poppy reuniting with her family a few weeks after she came to live with us.
* * * * *
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, August 2011. Poppy always has been curious and fearless.
August 5, 2015
A Special Outing, in Three Takes
* * * * *
* * * * *
Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, July 1964. Our host at Samoset Lodge took us Gar fishing. We often caught many species of fish during the two summers we vacationed at Lake Nipissing. Catching a Gar, however, was a rarity. My Dad, who worked as a dental histologist, found these fish especially fascinating. This expedition thrilled Dad.
A Poor Listener
Suburban Chicago, February 1964. I'm not paying attention to the poetry recitation; I'm watching Dad.
August 4, 2015
Exploration
Probably Penza, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1965. Natasha, a younger sister of my paternal Grandmother Tatjana, wrote, "Like the narrow straits in front of El Dorado."
Thanks to my friend D for translating the text from Russian to English.
August 3, 2015
Clearing
Door County, Wisconsin, April 1974. Mom watches as work begins to make a spot for the cottage.
(Whenever I post a photo from the 1970s or later, I feel like I am using a "contemporary" image.)
August 2, 2015
Reward
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan, July 1961. Dad gives me a lift after the swimming lesson. (I don't remember having had saddle shoes.)
August 1, 2015
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