Ruth Kellogg Is Happy and Busy at 64 in Florida - 1971

If you think this doesn't look like Clearwater FL, you're right.  The picture of Pellettiere grandchildren Lynn, Cindy and little Katie was taken on a windy day in Palatine IL in the same year - 1971.  Our house behind them on Skylark Drive was brand-new, as you can see from the lack of bushes, flowers, trees.

I loved reading this page of my mother's diary because she sounded so happy.  This diary entry is not in Pieces of a Life.

Sat., February 27, 1971 - "As I write this (Sun. 1:15 P.M.), it us a beautiful, sunny 80 degree day.  Boats are out in the Intracoastal waterway, which our apartment faces.  A girl is sunning on the lawn below us.  Also workmen are placing new seawalls on the west side of our parking lot.

Now for Saturday!   I wore my orange pant suit to Jennings tonite - surprised them, I guess.  Claire served bread-cheese souffle & cake with ice cream layer.  We played bridge and Merle won.  Nice time all told.

In afternoon I was unusually busy at the gift shop from 2 to 5.  A lady patient spent $15.42 on several items - two of which I gift wrapped.  She wrote a check."

Until I read this entry, I didn't recall that Mom worked in the hospital's gift shop.  I would guess it was the Morton Plant Hospital, which is the only one I heard about in their years in Florida.  The Jennings were long-time friends of Ruth and John's in Oak Park at the First Baptist Church.  Several couples moved to that area and others vacationed there for a few months in the winter.  Ruth and John joined the Methodist Church when they moved to Florida because it seemed more like First Baptist.
John had started out as a Methodist from boyhood until he married Ruth in 1929.

Ruth's Diary and Diane's - Hello to Kate, April 22, 1960

The photo is 4 months after the diary entries on April 22.  Diane (33) holding a smiley K - Katherine.  Two perspectives on Kate's day of birth follow. From my viewpoint now, it seems almost like a dream...

The 4 of us - Dan, Diane, Lynn (3) and Cindy (2) Pellettiere - had lived in Mt. Prospect IL in our first house since moving back from New York City in 1966.  Grandma Ruth Kellogg (62) flew up from Clearwater FL to lend a hand

Ruth's Dairy - April 22, 1970
"RED LETTER DAY!  Diane gave birth to 3rd girl.  Name is Katherine Diane - 6# 9 oz.  Dan took Diane to hospital at 8 and the baby was all day on the way until 5:18 P.M.  At 8:30 tonite Diane phoned here & we talked 20 mins.  Dan out to friends' celebrating.  I phoned Ken and Mom. Dan phoned John.  Both baby and Diane in fine shape.

I kept busy all day with Lynn & Cindy and food preparation, dishes, wash, changing clothes, shoes, boots (after a spring downpour).  Tired now.  Dan put girls to bed but I had them bathed and ready before he got here.  Girls & I made batch of peanut butter cookies and I froze some."

Diane's Diary - April 22, 1970 
"I awoke at 3 AM with labor pains - irregular and mild.  By 5 they began to settle down to every 10 min.  At 6 called Dr. Levan.  At 8:15 Dan drove me to the hospital.  Contractions were irregular until 10 AM.  Went into hard labor in afternoon, but didn't dilate to 5 cc until 3 or 3:30, so I was on a muscle relaxant and in great pain.  Then I got a shot, which helped lots. 

 At 4:15 or 4:30 the nurse checked me & found me fully dilated.  She flew me into the delivery room & called the Dr.  Baby was born as soon as I started pushing down - 5:18 - beautiful ruddy, brown-haired pudgy little thing - Katherine Diane - 18 3/4" long and 6 lbs. 9 1/2 oz.  Dan went home at 6 PM.  Called home & talked to Mom.  Dan at Farrell's.   

Lutheran General (Hosp.) O.B. very crowded.  A record 292 babies delivered last month.  May come close this month."