# Life On the Lake (And With Reflections and Thoughts)



## Ruthanne (Jun 20, 2021)

Thought I'd post a new journal as sometimes I need to get a lot out and typing it out helps me I've found. 

Dear Diary,

Today I've gotten up but again not enough sleep so I'm sluggish.  Thinking of my dad today and feeling sort of sad and missing him.  He was a good father, the old school kind.  He was tough on my brothers when they were young but they turned out pretty good all getting college educated and finding the women of their dreams and having families.  My dad loved to go fishing and spent the 22 years he was retired many, many times driving the car my brother bought him--a big Chrysler, to the fishing holes all over Ohio.  He brought back many fish and prepared them and put them in the freezer to have many meals.  He also took the head s of the fish and used them for fertilizer for his garden composed of tomatoes (the best I've EVER had!), zucchinis, cucumbers, melons, green beans, carrots and more I can't recall atm. 

My dad called me his "little peanut" when I was a kid.  I was a very small child.  Dad was in the Army and was shot up badly--both of his legs, the back of them full of Bullitt wounds.  He was in the hospital in Europe and then given a discharge and a Purple Heart.   After the wars were over he watched every war movie about WW2--he was fascinated by it--I don't know why, never asked him.

Happy Father's Day to you Dad, wish you  were here for a nice home cooked meal by me!


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## MarciKS (Jun 20, 2021)

*hugs the little peanut*


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## Ruth n Jersey (Jun 20, 2021)

@Ruthanne what a nice story and such a nice photo.
Today was hard for me as well. My dad was wonderful and I miss him more and more as time goes by. He called me Punkin even after I was married and had kids.  What I wouldn't give to hear him call me that just one more time.


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## Ruthanne (Jun 20, 2021)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> @Ruthanne what a nice story and such a nice photo.
> Today was hard for me as well. My dad was wonderful and I miss him more and more as time goes by. He called me Punkin even after I was married and had kids.  What I wouldn't give to hear him call me that just one more time.


Ah yes, Ruth, and I bet you can hear him call you that in your head and I can hear my Dad call me His Little Peanut, too.  It does seem the longer they are gone the more we miss them and I'm feeling that now, too.  I have a heavy heart.


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## Kaila (Jun 20, 2021)

That's precious, those memories, and how you wrote about them.... @Ruthanne


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## Ruthanne (Jun 20, 2021)

Kaila said:


> That's precious, those memories, and how you wrote about them.... @Ruthanne


Thanks Kaila, I'm feeling it today--feelings that is.


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## Kaila (Jun 20, 2021)

Yes, that's very understandable....


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## Ruthanne (Jun 20, 2021)

MarciKS said:


> *hugs the little peanut*


Awww, shucks!


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## MarciKS (Jun 20, 2021)




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## Ruthanne (Jun 20, 2021)

Thoughts of where my father's parents came and also my mothers parents--Slovakia and Bohemia

The landscapes there are just gorgeous!  Never been there but my brother did our ancestry dating way back and he learned so much about our family.  Some of it good and some of it very sad.  I'm glad my grandfather and grandmother escaped from there to come here.  They came to Pennsylvania where my grandfather was a coal miner and also a farm hand.  They were very poor.  My father told me a story of how he got one potato for Christmas.  They eventually moved to Ohio and lived in a part of the city I am in now in the part named "Bird Town" and they bought a house and lived on the street named Robin.  They made bathtub gin and had to hide it in times of prohibition and the cops would come around and search for it but never found it.  

Here is the part of Europe my grandparents on my father's side came from-Slovakia:





Here is where my father was in WW2--Austria


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## Ruthanne (Jun 20, 2021)

Bump


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## Pecos (Jun 20, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> Thoughts of where my father's parents came and also my mothers parents--Slovakia and Bohemia
> 
> The landscapes there are just gorgeous!  Never been there but my brother did our ancestry dating way back and he learned so much about our family.  Some of it good and some of it very sad.  I'm glad my grandfather and grandmother escaped from there to come here.  They came to Pennsylvania where my grandfather was a coal miner and also a farm hand.  They were very poor.  My father told me a story of how he got one potato for Christmas.  They eventually moved to Ohio and lived in a part of the city I am in now in the part named "Bird Town" and they bought a house and lived on the street named Robin.  They made bathtub gin and had to hide it in times of prohibition and the cops would come around and search for it but never found it.
> 
> ...


Very beautiful.


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## Ruthanne (Jun 20, 2021)

Pecos said:


> Very beautiful.


Thank you!


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## Ruthanne (Sep 25, 2021)

I have been thinking about my mom an awful lot this month because this is the month she passed 18 years ago from breast cancer.  It was one of the hardest times our family went through.  

She was a wonderful caring mother and I can guarantee you she never even uttered one cuss word in her life.  She was a mother that helped us celebrate all our birthdays and holidays with so much joy, fun, and gifts.  

She had a very hard time as a child, I won't go into that, and still became a wonderful person.

Here is a photo of her in her early 20s with my oldest brother and oldest sister:


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## Kaila (Sep 25, 2021)

That's a really beautiful photo of her, and I love the _way_ that she is holding your siblings in it. I also loved all that you wrote in that post.


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## JustBonee (Sep 25, 2021)

One thing about those  wonderful memories @Ruthanne ,   no one can ever take them away from you.
Beautiful pictures.


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## Ruthanne (Sep 25, 2021)

Thanks @Kaila and @Bonnie So true!


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## katlupe (Oct 2, 2021)

My great grandparents came from Slovakia and lived in PA also. My great grandfather worked in the coal mines with his work horses, going into the mines to bring out coal. I could never find anything about them in my ancestry search. It has been my brick wall.

I love your story! Please keep writing.


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## drifter (Nov 11, 2021)

Precious memories. How wonderful they are.


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## bingo (Nov 11, 2021)

ruthanne ..this is interesting and  hope you  keep  it up...


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## Ruthanne (Nov 24, 2021)

Dear Diary,

Life on the Lake tonight is not so great.  I'm feeling sad.  

The last time I saw my sister was 35 years ago tomorrow.  Time passing doesn't make it all go away either.  

Here she is:



Missing her and other departed family.  

Despite the problems between my mom and I and my dad and I, I believe they were the ones on this earth who cared about me most.  It's not easy not having any other humans care about you anymore.  I have this underlying sadness much of the time because of that fact.  

So, the person who really cares about me now is my doggie, and she knows I care for and about her very much, too.  She is my reason for living.  I doubt I'd be alive today if it were not for having adopted her.  She is so happy to see me every morning, wagging her tail, jumping, and dancing.  She is the sweetest being I've ever encountered and I'd never leave her intentionally.  



I dread the late year holidays every year TBH.  I miss people so much and my heart is just sinking thinking of them tonight.  

But tomorrow I will make some turkey, sweet potatoes and green beans for me and my baby girl, Suzy.


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## katlupe (Nov 25, 2021)

I wonder if that is the reason God sent pets to us? No matter what they love us. When I don't feel like doing anything, I know I have a pet that depends on me to care for him. 

I hope you and Suzy have a lovely day and enjoy your dinner.


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## Ruthanne (Nov 28, 2021)

katlupe said:


> I wonder if that is the reason God sent pets to us? No matter what they love us. When I don't feel like doing anything, I know I have a pet that depends on me to care for him.
> 
> I hope you and Suzy have a lovely day and enjoy your dinner.


I think you are very right.  Pets love us unconditionally.  Thank you for your kind wishes.


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