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

 

Christmas

 

 

Christ’s birth on this day.

Heaven’s love sent to earth.

Redeeming grace for all mankind.

In the form of a newborn babe.

Sealed man’s fate in eternal love.

Told in stories long, long ago.

Man’s existence saved by God.

A baby in a manger to behold.

Still gives us hope today.

SK VIRTUE 2024

Memories

Silent memories form in my eyes 

At this time of year.

To some this is the happiest time of their life 

With all the holiday cheer.

But to me it's just another day

To miss those who have gone away.

To me it's hard to smile and say.

Happy Holidays.

Being cheerful and bright is okay,

And it's perfectly fine to light up the night.

But it's also okay to remember and feel sad,

For memories, indeed, are not that bad.

Sometimes, memories become your light,

Guiding you through the darkest night.

They are gifts from loved ones no longer in sight,

Gifts that may brighten your holiday right.

SK Virtue

Does it rain in California?

 Does it Rain in California?

By

SK VIRTUE

I sit here on this rainy morning in Montana watching the droplets landing on the window and slowly soaking into the dry soil and I wonder does it ever rain in California? My daughter lives in California and right now I am missing her terribly. I know she would tell you it rains in California but not enough.

 

I think back to a conversation we had the other day about having the best of both worlds. What if we could have a California climate and a Montana sky. She tells me that is what she remembers the most about Montana. The sky goes on forever and it's so blue!

 

I can look out my kitchen window and see the rolling hills for miles. I know back there somewhere is the interstate but its way back there and I can't see it, so to me it’s not there. The cows are grazing contentedly, and one or two pronghorn antelope wander in and out of the picture. Once about every ten days a coyote lopes through stopping only to sniff the wind and then wander on. I hear birds singing in the breeze that floats by. Ahhhhhhh Montana with the wide-open spaces and rolling hills.

 

But I digress...... I suppose it rains in California. Just as it does here in Montana. And I know that interstate that I can't see would take me all the way to California to see my daughter who I am missing terribly. And then I could truly tell you that yes...... yes it does rain in California. Oh, to have the best of both worlds.......

Excerpt from:

Amazon.com: Travel Thoughts: Musings of a traveler on a road trip from Montana to California….and back. eBook : Virtue, SK, Virtue, SK: Kindle Store