Publisher's Synopsis
Mary Elizabeth Ruzicka was born on the Yates' family farm in Toledo, Ontario, Canada on March 1st, 1925. The struggles on the farm through the Depression years ingrained in Mary Elizabeth a strong will and self-reliance bolstered by her unique strength in finding meaning and value even in the most difficult of circumstances. At fifteen, the stresses the times placed on the family induced Mary Elizabeth to leave home to work, to find her own way, and to discover what adventures life had in store. After the necessity of working at such a young age, she was determined to go back to school and saved until she was able to attend and graduate from business college. At 23, she was working as an administrative assistant to the manager of the Royal York in Toronto, one of the Canadian Pacific Railroad's palatial hotels, when she met the love of her life, Rene Latislav Ruzicka, who had recently arrived from war-torn Czechoslovakia. They were married and together they embarked on a whirlwind romance of many adventures and moves, immigrating to the United States, adding family members along they way until they eventually landed on the West coast with five children in tow. A rather Bohemian lifestyle, the frequent changes of address and new experiences gave a richness to her life that Mary Elizabeth would capture in writing. She has made a sort of biography of her life through the years in the poems presented here. Her wry wit, wisdom, kindness, and perspectives on everyday life, children, marriage, and life's musings sparkle with frankness and love. Mary Elizabeth presently lives in Carmel, California.
