SNIPPETS-APRIL FOOLS

 Today is All Fool's Day. I haven't fooled anyone today, but a memory comes back to me that makes me smile and cry at the same time. When we were living in Wyoming and planning on moving back to Montana, I decided to fool my mom. I called her on that April first, and we talked for a while about little things that moms and daughters talk about, and it eventually came around to our move. She asked if I was starting to pack. I was quiet for a moment wondering if I should do this or not. I sighed.

"Mom. . . Umm we aren't moving to Montana; we are moving to Maine." I spoke.

There was silence on the other end.

"Mom." I asked.

Click. Mom hung up on me. I didn't expect that. I called again. No answer. I called again. And this time she picked up.

"APRIL FOOL'S " I said before she could hang up again.

"Sandra Kay" she yelled.

She hung up again.

I called one more time. She answered.

"Sorry Mom!"

Mom laughed and laughed. I laughed. She didn't hang up on me again, but I sure learned my lesson. Don't April fool your mom.

SK VIRTUE

April 1,2025

A Life Well Loved - the Stories of my parents - 1948 Chevy

   ****Back story. My mom and dad were married in 1957 at the very young ages of 15 years old and 17 years old. Mom was pregnant at the time and Dad wanted to marry her. My dad is Hispanic, and my mom is Irish. Mom's sisters and brothers were very much against my parents getting married. But my grandparents weren't. Both my grandmothers went to the courthouse with my parents and signed the consent for them to get married.  My parents were married for 66 years and had seven children. Mom passed away on April 2, 2023, and Dad is still alive at the time of this article writing which is March 2025. These are the stories of their life according to them. ******

1948 Chevy - by Dad

My first car was a 1948 Chevy. My brother Stany bought it for me for $150.00 when he worked at Whittier Buick in Billings.  It was a nice car. And I had it for a long time. I had it when I first met your mom, and we had it when we were married. When your mom and I were dating we drove around a lot in it. One night we drove to Tom's Bar. I can't remember if we were looking for her folks or I was just going to get something to drink. Well, the brakes weren't working on the old 48 and I drove into the side of the bar.  It hit the side of the bar with a bang. Good thing those old buildings were sturdy then. No one saw us so I backed up and we sped off. We never told anyone. 

One night I was in Tom's Bar with my brother Lupe and Old Tom started telling this story about how something hit the side of his bar. He was dozing on his stool waiting for customers and there was a big bang, and the bottles rattled on the wall, and he fell off his stool.  He didn't know what it was but it sure scared the heck out of him. I didn't say a word. Even my brother Lupe didn't know. It was pretty much a secret between your mom and me until now. You know that old car never had any dents in it.

My brother Lupe and I drove around a lot in the car when your mom was in school. One day we picked up a hitchhiker. He wanted a ride as far as he could go.  While we were driving Lupe took his knife out and cleaned his fingernails and then laid it on the dash.  That hitchhiker couldn't get out of the car fast enough. We hadn't even driven a mile before he was ready to get out. We weren't going to hurt him, just scare him. 

Another time we decided to let all the air out of the tires of the old Chevy and drive down the railroad tracks. It was a pretty rough ride, but we did get to the other side of town faster. 

It was a good car.

SK Virtue as told by Gonsalo Morales Jr.

My mom sitting on the Chevy

A Life Well Loved - the Stories of my parents - Missing Cat

 

   ****Back story. My mom and dad were married in 1957 at the very young ages of 15 years old and 17 years old. Mom was pregnant at the time and Dad wanted to marry her. My dad is Hispanic, and my mom is Irish. Mom's sisters and brothers were very much against my parents getting married. But my grandparents weren't. Both my grandmothers went to the courthouse with my parents and signed the consent for them to get married.  My parents were married for 66 years and had seven children. Mom passed away on April 2, 2023, and Dad is still alive at the time of this article writing which is March 2025. These are the stories of their life according to them. ******

Missing Cat by Dad. (Some of the words may be offensive but I can't really tell the story without them)

I found a black kitten one day as I was out feeding cows. I took it to Dorie in the house. She decided to keep it and feed it. Later on, I asked her what she had decided to name it.

 Dorie said. "Asshole."

 I laughed and asked her why she named it asshole, and she said that is what he acted like. A little asshole.  Asshole hung around the place that summer. Dorie was right. He was an ornery cat. He followed me everywhere too. One day as I was out feeding the cows in the corral, I heard the strangest commotion and looked up and an eagle had somehow caught Asshole and was flying away with him. I watched as they faded into the distance and then walked into the house and told Dorie that she had just lost her asshole. I shouldn't have grinned. She gave me the strangest look and asked me what in hell I was talking about. I told her an eagle had just taken her cat, Asshole. 

She said, "That's not funny, Gons."

I tried not to laugh and told her, "Of course it's not funny when you lose your asshole."

She didn't talk to me the rest of the day.

SK VIRTUE as told by Gonsalo Morales Jr.

A Life Well Loved - the Stories of my parents - The First time We Met

 ****Back story. My mom and dad were married in 1957 at the very young ages of 15 years old and 17 years old. Mom was pregnant at the time and Dad wanted to marry her. My dad is Hispanic, and my mom is Irish/mix. Mom and Dad's sisters and brothers were very much against my parents getting married. But my grandparents weren't. My grandmothers went to the courthouse with my parents and signed the consent for them to get married.  My parents were married for 66 years and had seven children. Mom passed away on April 2, 2023, and Dad is still alive at the time of this article writing which is March 2025. These are the stories of their life according to them. ******

The First Time We Met by Dad

There used to be a gas station in Pompey's Pillar Montana called Witzel's Gas Station. It was owned by Earl Witzel.  All the kids would go there to hang out. We would play cards; drink sodas and listen to music. The first time I met your mom was playing cards there.  I kept winning at cards. She accused me of cheating and threw her cards at me and took off walking down the road. She was pretty darn quick. I jumped in my car and followed her. I caught up with her on the bridge on Fly Creek in Pompey's. I stopped the car and rolled down my window. She called me a cheater and tried to hit me and before she could say anything else I grabbed her and pulled her through the car window. You know those 1948 Chevys had big windows and she was pretty small. I held her close until she quit hitting me. And after that we drove around until she quit being mad at me. I took her back to the bar in Pompey's Pillar, where her parents spent their time. 

The next day she called me from school. I worked at the elevator in Pompey's Pillar. It used to be by the train tracks. She called me at work and asked me if I wanted to go to the drive-in movie. That's when I knew she liked me. 

SK Virtue as told by Gonsalo Morales Jr.

side note: I always thought Dad was the one who asked mom on a date, but it seems it was the other way around. 😉

A Life Well Loved - The Stories of my parents.

****Back story. My mom and dad were married in 1957 at the very young ages of 15 years old and 17 years old. Mom was pregnant at the time and Dad wanted to marry her. My dad is Hispanic, and my mom is Irish/mix. Mom and Dad's sisters and brothers were very much against my parents getting married. But my grandparents weren't. My grandmothers went to the courthouse with my parents and signed the consent for them to get married.  My parents were married for 66 years and had seven children. Mom passed away on April 2, 2023, and Dad is still alive at the time of this article writing which is March 2025. These are the stories of their life according to them. ******

Rooster No More- by Dad

 The year was 1957. Dorie and I had been married for a few months. We weren't poor but we weren't rich either.   My dad gave me a rooster one day. I took it home and put it in the hen house with the rest of the chickens. He was a good-looking rooster so I thought he might be just what the hens needed. He immediately ruled the roost. He walked around crowing with his feathers all puffed up and sort of took over as boss of the flock. I thought it would go well.

 The next day I came home from work and to my surprise the old rooster was gone. I went in the house and saw Dorie at the stove frying something up and humming. It smelled good. 

I walked over and asked her. "What's for dinner Dorie?"

She looked me straight in the eye and spoke. "Your rooster."

Apparently, the rooster had attacked my lovely 4-foot 11-inch wife. And that was the straw that broke the rooster's back. Dorie wrung its neck, plucked and cooked it. All within the span of 6 hours.

 I laughed. "You know that was an old rooster." I grinned.

"Yep." she shook her head, and her curls bobbed up and down.

"You know it will be like eating rubber." I grinned again.

"Uh huh!"  She shrugged her shoulders. "Didn't want it to go to waste."

"Okay, I'll go wash up." 

We sat at the table looking at that skinny old rooster carcass. I grabbed a leg and bit into it. I was right. it was like chewing on a piece of rubber. Dorie grabbed the other leg and gnawed on it before throwing it down on the plate.

"I guess I'll go fry us some eggs." she said.

While she was frying eggs, I gathered up that old carcass and took it outside.

 At least the cats would eat good tonight.

 by SK Virtue as told by Gonsalo Morales Jr.

Life is Never Empty

 Three dogs and three cats.

Life is never empty and that's a fact.

I thought I was an empty nester

But that's a bunch of bull

When I sit to relax

My nest is always full.

Don't get me wrong

I'm not complaining

I am just stating the obvious.

The house is never empty now

It's full of life, I guess.

My chair is never cold 

Because they keep it warm.

I don't sleep in like empty nesters

Because it's potty time each morn.

We have mouths to feed

And poo to clean

Go outside to take a pee.

Clean the hair

Wash their beds.

Comb their fur and pat their heads.

Six little bodies follow me

Throughout the house each day.

I think I have them trained

But I think it's the other way.

Around......

I sit at my desk.

They are at my feet

Waiting, Staring

Do they want a treat?

Or outside for the fiftieth round

To check the weather or

maybe they heard a funny sound.

Beds and toys scattered on the floor

Paw marks on the windows and doors. 

Ball in mouth

It's time to play.

Throw it

For the umpteenth time

Today.

Purrs and rubs  

Up against my legs.

Cat naps  

And doggy eyes

that beg.

Muddy tracks across the floor

Barking at every single door.

And....

The postman, fed ex, ups

The neighbors and all their pets.

The wind blows wrong in the trees.

Something moved... a bird, a plane, a buzzing bee?

.

I have a nest that's full of

wagging tails and warm furry hugs

Sloppy kisses and lots of love.

No need to sit around and moan

Because my nest is empty, and I am all alone.

I have a nest that is overflowing

With a life so full it's never boring.

Ouch... I just stepped on a bone!

Oh well, that's part of what makes my house a home.

SK VIRTUE

FEBRUARY 2025

 

 

 

Little Onion

The onion cried a bucket of tears

As the marigolds stood staunchly by.

The sweet peas wondered delicately

What made little onion cry?

The broccoli heads weren't talking

But they said the corn could hear.

Those leggy stalks of corn couldn't wait 

To lend a gossipy ear.

Word in the garden was the little onion

 Had been turned down.

Not once, not twice, but three times.

It was the talk of garden town.

Rosy Radish had bolted.

And Little onion was jolted.

He didn't give up and tried again.

But the lima beans had shunned him.

Little onion was a tough strong one.

He figured third time was a charm.

Asparagus in her svelte green dress

Would surely, surely say Yes!

But asparagus pinched her pointy nose. 

And ran away and went to seed.

Little onion in the ground.

Was broken-hearted indeed.

Alas this isn't the end of the story.

Lettuce give it a good end row.

Garlic came to little onion's rescue.

And in the garden love did grow.

SK VIRTUE

2024