Our Christmas Cards: Adaptable Edition

Verona, Wisconsin, December 2006. We used the holiday greeting to announce another move. Pupa and Baci brought their beds and suitcase to the new place.

(Rex and his owner—my Mom—joined us in this house a few months later.)

Our Christmas Cards: Forget-Us-Not Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 2005. This card featured Pupa and Baci enjoying a Door County flower field.

The Elves' Chorus

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, about 1966. The elves enter the stage.

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

Related by Marriage: Too Many Choices

Suburban Chicago, December 1959. Mr. Irene considers the choice as he stands in the living room of his boyhood home.

Our Christmas Cards: Lazy Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 2004. This card featured Pupa and Baci on "Bunny Patrol."

Room-for-a-snack Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, December 2011. Poppy rests in her "box;" there's a bowl of kibble within reach.

Our Chirstmas Cards: Photo-Sheet Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 2003. We introduced the "photo summary" to our Christmas mailings in 2003. That year, we sent out the summary only, and we did not prepare separate photo cards. Since then, we've mailed both cards and photo sheets.

The 2003 sheet featured our acquisition of Baci and Žulė's passing (the two events may not have been unrelated: Baci's exuberance likely overwhelmed Žulė). The sheet also highlighted some knitting: Mr. Irene models a sweater I knitted for my boss, and Mom wears one I did for the wife of a former colleague.

Our Christmas Cards: Shaggy Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 2002. We featured the Poodles in their most common state.

Sunday Duet

Brookfield Zoo, December 1965. Things look up when we're together.

Waiting for the pageant.

Melrose Park, Illinois, December 1963. I sit patiently with the other Lithuanian-school students while Father Stanley talks with the parents.

Our Christmas Cards: Solemn Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 2001. Was this really the best shot we could find for the year?

Nibbling Reunion

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1972. The Columbia Ground Squirrel would rather eat dinner than be dinner.

Christmas Manners: Don't ask questions.

Bulger Park, Veterans Park District, Melrose Park, Illinois, December 1966. It seems ridiculous to be dressed as a mouse (or a rabbit) for a Christmas play. But I'm reciting a delightful poem.

(Was this costume the inspiration for the moose outfit?)

Our Christmas Cards: Ornamental Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 2000. This is the image of the first "granddogs"—Žulė and Pupa—that Mom still carries in her wallet.

December-Thaw Reunion

Thatcher Woods, Suburban Chicago, December 1975. Dad selected this image from Thatcher Woods for one of his Christmas cards.

Party season again approaches.

Suburban Chicago, December 31, 1965. Are you ready for the festivities?

Our Christmas Cards: Dining-Room Edition

 

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1999. By 1999,  Žulė and Pupa were accustomed to posing for the card shot.

(I posted this photo earlier here.)

Gray-Wolf Reunion

Brookfield Zoo, December 1975. The Endangered Species Act protected gray wolves; then, the zoo was one of the few places to see them.

Christmas Manners: Be proud of your accomplishment.

Toronto, Ontario, December 1956. My Toronto Cousin is happy with her tree-trimming work.

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

Our Christmas Cards: Good-Intentions Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1998. We skipped another year of sending photo cards. Our reason in 1998: I was in my third year of law school, and I didn't get organized in time to prepare the mailings. We did, however, select an image we thought about using for the greetings.

Corte-Grimani Reunion

Venice, Italy, April 1984. Explore the places where people live.

Related by Marriage: Suited

Chicago, Illinois, October 1957. Mr. Irene's Dad stops at the Forest Preserve on his way to a party.

Our Christmas Cards: Decorated Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1997. We made an effort that year.

Snowier Reunion

Madison, Wisconsin, December 8, 2013. We had a lot more snow last year.

Waiting

Melrose Park, Illinois, December 1963. The parents wait for the Christmas pageant to begin.

Our Christmas Cards: Three-Sweater Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1996. The sweater I'm wearing was the first stranded ("fair isle") project I knitted.

Live-Art Reunion

San Diego, California, October 1990. These are not plastic flamingos.

Earning gifts.

Melrose Park, Illinois, December 1960. The Lithuanian-school Santa Fake distributes gifts, but only after the children recite poetry, sing, or write on the chalkboard. Although I still was (a nose picker and) too young to attend the Saturday school, I did receive two gifts: Santa brought me a stethoscope and a doctor's bag.

Our Christmas Cards: Settled-In Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1995. Pupa has grown up, and Žulė enjoys her company.

Nudge

Near New Glarus, Wisconsin, October 19, 2014. A Holstein edges in among the Swiss Browns.

Dressed for Rounds

Suburban Chicago, 1964. Dad took many photos of Mom as she prepared to depart for Sunday rounds.

Our Christmas Cards: New-Arrival Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1994. We acquired a second Poodle once we had settled into our new house. The card featured that puppy, Pupa, and Žulė. This shot, too, took a few takes.

Red-Sky Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, November 29, 2014. The sunset sky lingers in the backyard.

Christmas Manners: Listen patiently to the Santa Fake.

Melrose Park, Illinois, December 1963. Santa addresses the anxious children during our Lithuanian school's Christmas pageant.

Our Christmas Cards: We missed a year!

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1993. We didn't prepare photo cards in 1993 because we were too busy that season: Mr. Irene and I were moving from our first home, a townhouse, into a nearby, single-family home. This is the last photo I took of the townhouse's interior as we prepared to pack up the place.

Overcast Reunion

Glacier National Park, Montana, July 1972. It's still nice enough to spend time outdoors.

A Closer Look (Part 14)

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, June 1917. This is Mr. Irene's maternal Grandmother, Anna, on her wedding day. How young she was!

Here's the original post for this photo.

Our Christmas Cards: Haircut-Please Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1992. We persuaded Žulė again to wear Mr. Irene's bowtie.

Eucalyptus Reunion

San Diego, California, October 1990. I visit a real "Fuzzina" while Mr. Irene attends meetings.

Our Christmas Cards: Crazy-Kids Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1991. This was one of the few years when our card did not feature a Poodle. The necklace appeared earlier here, here, here, and here.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 30)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, December 1951. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, Mr. Irene's Dad poses with another, fellow tank instructor.

Passing-by Reunion

San Francisco, California, August 1993. There's a lot of traffic around Alcatraz.

Watching Television

Suburban Chicago, 1960. This must have been one of my paternal Granmother Tatjana's favorite images. She asked my Dad to print multiple copies so she could send it to her relatives.

Our Christmas Cards: First-Home Edition

Madison, Wisconsin, December 1990. Žulė dressed up for the photo session. You may recognize this snapshot because it serves as Mr. Irene's avatar.

Sunny-Skies Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, 2014. It's warmer than it looks.

Related by Marriage: Lively

Suburban Chicago, November 1990. The camera captures the typical expressions of Mr. Irene's Mom and Dad.

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.

"[S]he was seen knitting a hat and walking her dog in New York City."

Maybe she was knitting a dog sweater.

Pedicure

Brookfield Zoo, December 1972. Soak your little, young feet.

The Nativity display opens.

Melrose Park, Illinois, December 1960. The best part about a December visit to Amling's is the sheep. (I'm wearing those Mickey Mouse mittens.)

Did you visit a Santa Fake this weekend?

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, December 1959. If so, are you still a believer?

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

Craft Fair

Holiday ManCraft isn't just for hipsters.