Getting back to my roots

I can't believe it is already midnight and my last day has begun. I really would like to spend a few more days here. Maybe make another trip in the fall???

I lazed a bit this morning. Got up at 8:30, left the hotel about 9:45. I needed to find a store with artificial flowers as it was cemetery day. Going to the Southwest side, I spied a Wal-Mart in Hodgkins, actually a new shopping center just down the street from where my aunt used to live. And their cemetery arrangements were half-price! So I got three flowered crosses and four bouquets of silk flowers. So I followed LaGrange Rd down to 79th Street and cut across to Lithuanian National Cemetery.

At Lithuanian National I stopped in the office to ask a few questions, namely, how much are graves? I like that cemetery and wouldn't mind being planted there. The guy said about $550-$700 each. Not too bad a price! I wound my way around the roads and stopped to see my Grandpa Wozgard and Grandma Sophie. Used a cross and bouquet. Cleaned the stone a bit and cleared some tufts of grass. Also stopped to see Pete, Sophie's son. He was killed in Korea in 1951. Drove to the other side of the cemetery to visit Aunt Priscilla and Eddie Moss, her son. Aunt Priscilla is my great-grandmother, Edna Taylor (Kriauciunas)'s, sister. She had plenty of flowers, so I pulled some more weedy grass and threw away the faded flowers. Eddie has some flowers too, and his plot was well taken care of.

Left National for St Casimir's at 111th and Cicero. Used the other two crosses and two bouquets for Grandma Wozgard, Grandpa Grigal, Uncle Mike and Aunt Dolores. The grass was starting to overtake the flat stones, so I did some more work. Also stopped to see my old dentist, Dr Kloris; Grandma's neighbor Mitchell (Mecislovas), my childhood friend Lenny's dad; and her friends Marie and Adam. Also stopped to see Grandpa Grigal's family. He came over from Lithuania in 1912. He had a brother John and three sisters, Anna, Petronele and Mary Ann already in the US. They are all buried at St Casimir's too within a hundred feet of each other. Had one more bouquet, so I gave it to Mariute (little Mary). I remember her so well from Grandpa's funeral...this little old lady so sweet and so sad. Gosh I was 10 years old and I still remember... Her family are all in Wisconsin now, so I know no one ever comes to see her and her husband Martin. So, in all, it was Lithuanian day at the cemeteries...Wozgard's, Grigal's, Vilutis', Zeimys', Liakes', Dybala's, Kloris', Kavalauskas', Grigalavicius', Gribauskas', Pranckus' and Waleski's.

Then I was off to my hometown of Midlothian. Stopped at the post office and then wanted a photo of my school St Christopher's. Went into church and prayed for everyone too. The church is still nice and they moved the tabernacle to the center behind the main altar....where it should be! Also drove to the old house and took a pic, as well as one of my first residence on 147th Street.

I then trekked all the way back into the city to go to Draugas, the Lithuanian Publishing House. I bought some books and a DVD on the Pazailis Monastery which has been re-done. I visited there when I was in Lithuania in 1993. Also got Staurday's and tomorrow copies of Draugas newspaper, the only US daily newspaper in Lithuanian.

Then I went to Mabenka Restaurant for dinner. I wanted to stop there on the way in last Tuesday, but traffic was really bad and the traffic lights were malfunctioning in that area and it was a parking lot. So today I got my Lithuanian Combo... good rye bread, raisin bread and coarse rye bread; pickle soup; Lithuanian sausage; sauerkraut; cepeliniai (large meat-filled potato dumpling); kugelis (my favorite grated potato pudding); salad; rice pudding and Pepsi! I'm still stuffed!

Headed on back to the hotel to beat the traffic and was nearly successful, but got stuck for the last few miles. I paid $2.98 a gallon for regular unleaded. Looks to be the average price. Some places are still $3.09 and higher!

Laid on the bed to read the paper and 45 minutes later, I woke up! I went up to the bar and got a few Pepsi's to wake up and see some people. And now, here I am! Did some genealogy looking and was partly successful. Also called my cousins and got the answering machine, and called and talked to my Aunt Slish. She is recuperating from surgery so I didn't get to see her. She said the next trip we'll catch up.

So now all I have left is food shopping and then the trip home. I really don't want to go yet. Really don't want to go...

You know, it would seem so easy to live back here again. I know all the streets, know all the places. But yet, it's so different than it was. I feel so good when I am here...like I am supposed to be here and nowhere else. When I am here, I am home. When I am in Nashville, I'm at my house, but not home. I have so many thoughts bumping into each other in my brain about this. I guess I have 7 more years to decide.

"Take me back, to Chicago, and lay my bones to rest...." "Things were so much simpler then, street corners and Tastee-Freez..." That old Chicago song keeps running through my brain.

Well, I need to get some sleep before melancholia totally overwhelms me!

Peace!

Mark