Put that down and pay attention to me.

Suburban Chicago, November 1984. Meškė persuades Mom to stop knitting.

Meškė takes the lead.

Door County, Wisconsin, September 1983. Mom again wears Dad's London Fog windbreaker.

Sunday Helper

Suburban Chicago, June 1983. Meškė oversees the planting.

Coo

Suburban Chicago, December 1983. My Mom's best friend, Donna, appreciates Meškė.

A Quick Selfie

Suburban Chicago, December 1983. Neither Meškė nor Dad settled before the self-timer clicked.

Grab a Book: Pay-attention-to-me Edition

Suburban Chicago, December 1983. Meškė competes with the book.

Tuckered

Door County, Wisconsin, June 1983. Dad must have just returned from mowing; otherwise, he wouldn't be wearing bluejeans.

No-Harm-Done Reunion

Suburban Chicago, February 1983. Meškė tests the foot stool as a teething toy.

Sunday Paper: Read-It-Later Edition

Suburban Chicago, January 1989. During the two years Mr. Irene and I commuted, Mr. Irene usually visited with my Mom on Sunday afternoons.

Crafty Afternoon

Door County, Wisconsin, August 1983. Mom tackles another needlepoint project while her best friend, Donna, works on her knitting. Meškė spots the camera.

(You might recognize the lamp.)

Our Christmas Cards: First Editions

Two years ago I posted the photo cards my Dad had sent as holiday greetings. Mr. Irene and I maintained this tradition for nearly all the years we've been married. Unlike Dad's cards, our greetings usually featured an image of our pets. I'll be posting our cards, in reverse chronological order, in the next few weeks.

During our first holiday season, Mr. Irene and I had card-writing fatigue because we had just finished penning our wedding-gift-thank-you notes. We therefore chose templates that featured little space for lengthy notes. We were ambitious in one way, however: we ordered three cards and selected the images based on the recipient's relationship to us and tastes.

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1989. We chose this snapshot for our Lithuanian friends. This Vytis guards the entry to the Lithuanian chapel housed in St. Peter's basilica.

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 1989. Dog lovers and close family friends received this image of Meškė and Žulė. Yes, it took several takes to get the pose.

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Madison, Wisconsin, December 1989. Most recipients got this snapshot from Lodi, Wisconsin.

Grab a Book: Three-Dog Edition

Suburban Chicago, January 1989. Heidi the Daschund visits again; our Meškė (on the left) and Žulė are in the picture, too.

Grab a Book: "Downstate" Edition*

Urbana, Illinois, September 1984. Mom and Dad visit me again—this time, they're checking out the new apartment. They brought Meškė! (Meškė's leash sits on the edge of the desktop.)

Mom's reading my copy of Vogue Knitting, and she brought a project to work on during the three-hour ride from Suburban Chicago. That gold, vinyl knitting bag travels well.

*To Chicagoans, anything south of Joliet is "Downstate"—or "Southern" Illinois.

Grab a Book: Magazine Edition

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

Golden

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

A Familiar Space: The Rec Room

Suburban Chicago, Winter 1984. In the 1980s, my Dad photographed every room of our home. Although I remember the rooms clearly, it's nice to see the details preserved in some of the images.

Did you say "turkey?"

Suburban Chicago, December 1989. Meškė and Žulė try posing for the photo card. Mom covered the cushions with a sheet because the doggies used to scamper on the sofa with muddy paws after they returned from yard play.

Meškė follows her own lead.

Door County, Wisconsin, July 1983. Meškė has tired of watering the garden. I spent that summer studying for prelims; in the autumn—after the exams—I moved to Venice.

This dog used to smile.

Suburban Chicago, April 1985. It was easy to photograph Meškė because she wasn't a black dog.

An Adorable Puppy

Suburban Chicago, February 1983. Here's Meškė, a few days after she came to live with us.