Hello Dolly, in Three Takes

After my Mom retired, she moved in 1991 from our Suburban Chicago home to Madison. Mom's former physician colleagues treated her to a "going-away dinner" at the swank restaurant at the top of the Hancock Tower. Mom found the dinner a bit pretentious—she ordered Quail and reported it felt like she was eating a toad. The highlight of the meal, however, was the location of the women's table: they sat behind a group hosting Dolly Parton.

Suburban Chicago, October 1991. Mom is ready to depart.

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Chicago, Illinois, October 1991. Mom didn't get a photo of herself with Dolly Parton, but you can see Ms. Parton sitting behind Mom's group.

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Chicago, Illinois, October 1991. Ms. Parton was most gracious when Mom took her photo. Mom—who is quite tiny—still remarks about how small Dolly Parton was.

Spring Blues

University of Wisconsin—Madison Arboretum, March 20, 2016. It was a nice day for a walk.

Departing for Spring Break

Evanston, Illinois, March 1977. Mr. Irene's freshman-year roommate travels in good company.

An old favorite celebrates an anniversary.

My high-school classmates and I used to go here for pizza.

Food Art

Mostly crocheted, not "knitted."

Castel dell'Ovo

Naples, Italy, May 1984. The hotel at which I stayed is across the street from the castle. It's the hotel where Enrico Caruso died.

Committee Meeting

Hanau, Germany, about 1946. My friend Nijole's Dad was leader of the Hanau Displaced Persons Camp. He stands on the right, and his wife stands next to him. Thanks to my friend Nijole for making this photo available to us.

An Assessment

Lithuania's President considers Putin.

Morning Sweep

Verona, Wisconsin, March 11, 2016. I'm usually not up that early.

A Closer Look (Part 64)

Kaunas, Lithuania, November 24, 1930. This is another image in which Mom already had her "adult face." Here's the original post.

A Gift for a Guardian Angel

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Madison and Verona, Wisconsin, March 2016. I knitted this for one of my "keepers." The design is Alice Starmore's "Luskentyre" (also available, in different shades, here as a kit).

Awaiting Instructions

Madison, Wisconsin, January 26, 1992. Mr. Irene and I await final dance instructions before we head to another performance.

Laundry Line

Venice, Italy, December 1983. There's room to hang things.

The Life Box (Part 29)

Sparks, Nevada, October 1979. A friend worked at a Reno, Nevada, casino as a stage lighting technician after he graduated from college. I was scheduled to visit him, and I bought tickets for the Liberace show. Circumstances later prohibited me from making the trip, but I saved this ad.

Volcanic Reunion

Naples, Italy, May 1984. It's Mount Vesuvius.

Dedication

Hanau, Germany, about 1946. My friend Nijole has brought a doll to the scouting ceremony.

Thanks to Nijole for making this photo available to us.

Local Flavor

Madison, Wisconsin, March 15, 2016. A Napoleonas is one of our favorite desserts. When I am too lazy to make it (even the cheater's version), then we order it from Omaha's Lithuanian Bakery.

Word recently spread on Facebook that a local grocery store now carries a version of Lithuanian Bakery's Napoleonas. I've never seen it with strawberry or cherry filling (apricot is the usual), but we look forward to trying it.

In-Flight Entertainment

Many-Species Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, May 3, 2015. Here's another image from one of last year's goose chases.

The ducks didn't mind the commotion.

We said "goodbye" today ...

... to a beloved friend of the Madison Lithuanian community, Al Senn.

Al was a member of the Madison-Vilnius Sister Cities, Inc. board; he also was an emeritus History professor.

Related by Marriage: Wedding Tiara

Chicago, Illinois, about 1956. Friends of Mr. Irene's Mom are "just married."

Reunion at Dawn

Verona, Wisconsin, March 11, 2016. This is a still from when I tried to capture the crane calls.

A Closer Look (Part 63)

Mariampolis, Lithuania, 1910. This is my maternal Grandmother Jadzė. Here's the original post.

Late-Winter Reunion

Madison, Wisconsin, March 7, 2016. We're walking away from campus.

Photo Shoot

When we arrived at the Hotel San Pietro, photographers from a magazine were staging a fashion shoot. It seemed so exciting.

Positano, Italy, May 1984. The hotel lobby was somewhat overwhelming.

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Positano, Italy, May 1984. The hotel overlooks the Amalfi Coast.

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Positano, Italy, May 1984. There was a lot of staging going on on the terrace.

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Positano, Italy, May 1984. After the photographers finished their work, one of them offered to take my picture.

We heard them, but we did not see them.

Turn up the volume:

 

Verona, Wisconsin, March 11, 2016. Sandhill Cranes woke me up this morning. Their calls continued for several minutes. So we still wait.

(Rex heard them, too.)

Restoration Day

Madison, Wisconsin, March 2016. Lithuania today celebrates the anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union. This poster, from the Lithuanian Parliament ("Sajudis") addresses the April 14, 1990 referendum.

Waiting

Verona, Wisconsin, March 2015. Last year, the crane pair started nesting in our backyard on March 19. We're waiting to see if they return. I still wonder if something bad didn't happen to the family last year.

Spring Thing

Madison, Wisconsin, Spring 1992. The Madison folk dance group, Žaibas, poses for the shot to be included in the Ninth Lithuanian Folk Dance Festival program.

Vintage Village

Amalfi Coast, May 1984. Hamlets like this one dot the Amalfi Coast. Many of them were pirate lairs.

Puzzled

Suburban Chicago, 1965. The sister on the left is Sister Margo, my beloved second-grade teacher.

Feeder Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, March 8, 2016. Our visitor is ready for Spring.

Bridesmaids

St. George's Parish, Bridgeport, Chicago, Illinois, May 1953. Lithuanians commonly used folkdresses as wedding garb.

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

Yoo Hoo!

Verona, Wisconsin, September 2013. She's just blending in.

It's Lithuania Week ...

... all week at the University Club in Madison. We enjoyed our meals there last year, and we'll be there tonight for a Madison Vilnius Sister Cities, Inc. dinner.

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Madison, Wisconsin, March 2015. Don't miss the Cepelinai (the star of the show).

Romanticism

Between Naples and Rome, May 1984. People have visions of what European train travel looks like. This is how I remember it.

Backstage Rehearsal

Madison, Wisconsin, November 17, 1991. The women of Žaibas practice Belzdinėlė one more time before we perform at the Madison International Festival.

Life with a Dog

A giant idea.

We miss you, "Miss."

Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, February 2012. We headed to Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill today so I could pick up more of my favorite worsted-weight yarn. It's a lovely drive, and the mill is about 20 minutes from the house.

We were sad to learn "Miss," the Anatolian Shepherd Dog, recently passed away from Melanoma. Miss was 14. She was a sweet mascot, and she made every trip to the mill truly enjoyable.

Route 66

Part, by rail.

"And also, while Sangelica is adorable 95 percent of the time, it’s really pretty disturbing to see how the bear drinks through its forehead."

A giant teddy bear walks into a Tokyo Starbucks.

Red-Poodle Reunion

Verona, Wisconsin, September 2013. Rex waits for Mr. Irene.

St. Kazimieras's Day

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1926. Lithuanians celebrate name days, and today is one of the biggies: St. Kazimieras's day.

This is Kazimieras, my Dad's paternal Uncle. Here's the original post.

Remember when 17 politicians ran in the primaries?

That was in 1976. One of the candidates was Terry Sanford, a former North-Carolina Governor and President of Duke University. He later served in the United States Senate.

Sanford also served as chair of the ITT International Fellowship Committee. Sanford and his wife, Margaret, toured southern Italy with the American recipients of the 1983-1984 fellowship.

When I met Governor Sanford, I did not know who he was. During the trip, I learned he was a true gentleman. He was kind in spirit, thoughtful, and buoyant.

Positano, Italy, May 1984. This was a memorable meal: spaghetti with cuttlefish and squid.

"Let's just acknowledge its a different dog and move on."

Has an imposter replaced the Milwaukee Brewers' adorable Mascot Hank?

Spring Furs

Bologna, Italy, April 1984. Just a moderate chill compelled Italians to wear furs.

Interview with a Knitter

On Wisconsin Public Radio.

"The report recommends that all women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have genetic testing to help map treatment decisions. Close relatives of women with the disease also should be tested."

A new report by the Institute of Medicine.

Sea Blue

Amalfi Coast, Italy, May 1984. It's deeper than it looks.

"Irish songs, jokes & Lithuanian Dancers"

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St. Joseph Catholic Parish School, Baraboo, Wisconsin, March 15, 1992. There are several ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

"How yarn bombing grew into a worldwide movement."

A TED Talk.

March Snow

Verona, Wisconsin, March 4, 2015. There's a path to the feeder.

CoyoteVest ...

... Pet Body Armor.

Bruised

Suburban Chicago, June 1962. Here's another view of my face after I took the fall on the driveway.