Hotties

There is a Facebook page for the school that I went to.  This photo popped up on it this week.  Even though the picture was tiny on my Kindle, I knew it was my Mom.  So I got on my computer and enlarged it.  She is the one on the top left sitting down.  We aren't sure but her sister may be the second from the right behind the steering wheel.  My Mom could only see a tiny picture on her phone but was going to try to enlarge it.  She will know if it is my aunt and will know others.  I know a couple of them. 
These girls worked at Beatley's On The Lake.  That's a hotel in the back of the jeep.  They worked as waitresses in the restaurant during World War 2.  I think she was 19 or 20.   My Mom will be 88 in April. They could only serve sandwiches as there was a shortage of meat  You always hear the sad poor stories of wartime.  These ladies were making the best of the situation.  This hotel was at Indian Lake in Ohio.  It's a teeny town.  The hotel was demolished and the property sold for trailer lots.  It was almost surrounded by water.  There were even boat docks  That looked like little houses.  I can't begin to tell you what a great hotel this was.  Beautiful.  When I was about 14,  I would stay with a family that came down for vacations .  I can't even tell you how I met them.  If you can believe this, I don't ever remember my parents meeting them.   The father was a dentist.  He and his wife had one daughter about 10 years older than me and a son a few years older.  I literally spent the whole week with them when they came down.  Even overnight.  I kept in touch with the daughter for many years.  She lived in Hawaii the last I knew.  They were wonderful people.   I was just a part of their family when they came to the resort.   The owners of the hotel knew my parents well and they knew who I was.  I don't know why these kind people took me in like that.  It was an amazing experience. 
Across the street was a swimming area at the lake.  Huge, with a big sandy beach.  Lots of playing areas, and so much fun.  That's not there either.  There is another place down the road called Fox Island.  My husband and I lived across the street from that one for a few years.  It hasn't changed much over the years but the ducks have taken over in a really bad way.
Two of my cousins and a good friend now live on that island.  They didn't grow up there but their mother did.  There was also a small amusement park.  One of those that used to have all the Big Bands.  There were some amazing things going on in this tiny little town.  I think it's sad that it is mostly just gone.  The lake is still nice but nothing much to do unless you live there.

On a closing note......why did I wait til their was a whiteout going on and frigid temps outside to get a ton of groceries.  It is supposed to be freezing for the next couple of weeks.  We are talking a minus 30 wind chill on Sunday.  I know we are so much better off than Boston.  But the groceries are in but not put away.  We have to walk clear across our length of our house and up steps to the kitchen. 
I think I will stay under my COZY BLANKET for awhile.