CONTINUATION OF MY LIFE

I HAD QUITE A BIT WRITTEN WHEN I WENT TO POST IT AND IT WENT OFF TO NEVER NEVER LAND I GUESS. I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWAY.

AFTER WE MARRIED WE STAYED A FEW DAYS IN THAT HOTEL IN TACOMA VERELAN LEAVING EARLY FOR FORT LEWIS WITH THE OTHERS AND WE GIRLS SPENT THE DAYS ALONE WITH EACH OTHER. HELEN AND I HAD TWO WAY TICKETS SO WE LEFT TO RETURN HOME ME TO QUITE MY JOB AND HELEN WAS STAYING HOME WITH HER PARENTS. A NUMBER OF YEARS LATER SHE AND HAROLD DIVORCED I WONDER IF SHE'D HAVE GONE BACK IF THEIR MARRIAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER. ANYWAY I QUITE MY JOB HELPED MOM PAINT THE LIVING ROOM AND DINNING ROOM. THEN SHE HAD A BRIDAL SHOWER FOR ME. I LEFT MOST EVERY THING STORED AT HOME PACKED MY BAG AND RETURNED TO TACOMA AND VERELAN. HE HAD FOUND A SLEEPING ROOM THAT HE RENTED JUST BEFORE I GOT BACK. RULES "NO FOOD" IN THE ROOMS. THERE WAS A CAFE DOWN THE STREET AND AROUND THE BLOCK WHERE WE EAT MOST OF OUR MEALS. THEY SERVED SOUP WITH THE MAIN COURSE AND IT HAD PEARL BARLEY IN IT. VERELAN PUSHED HIS ASIDE SINCE HE COULDN'T STAND TO EAT LET ALONE EAT PEARL BARLEY. HE ATE THAT WITH WEAVIL IN FOR SO MANY DAYS AND MEALS WHILE IN NEW GUIENA WHEN THE AIR PLANES COULDN'T LAND ON THE SOGGY RUN WAY FOR OVER A WEEK AND THEY ONLY HAD PEARL BARLEY LEFT. HE SAID WHEN THAT PLANE LANDED EVERY ONE WHO WAS NOT CARING FOR THE SICK AND INJURED HELPED UNLOAD SO THE PLANE COULD LEAVE BEFORE THE NEXT BIG RAIN. THE COOKS MADE PANCAKES AND FILLED EVERY ONE UP. HE SAID IT WAS LIKE A BANQUET TO THOSE HUNGRY MEN.

AS COUPLES FOUND BIGGER PLACES TO MOVE TO THEY LEFT MRS. SMITHS AND MOVED ON. ONE OF THE COUPLES WHO LIVED ACROSS THE HALL FROM US BECAME FRIENDLY AND WE'D GO EAT TOGETHER. OF COURSE WE WERE ALL TIRED OF THE SAME ROUTINE AND ONE DAY SHE TALKED ME INTO GOING TO BUY THINGS WE COULD FIX FOR THAT EVENINGS MEAL. WHEN WE GOT BACK SHE TOOK OFF UP THE STAIRS AND I WAS HEADED UP THE STAIRS WHEN MRS. SMITH CONFRONTED ME ABOUT WHAT WE HAD IN OUR PACKAGES. WE'D STOPPED AT THE DRUG STORE SO I TOLD HER WE'D SHOPPED AT THE DRUG STORE FOR THINGS WE ALL NEEDED. I DON'T KNOW IF I HAD A GUILTY LOOK BUT WE THOUGHT WE GOT AWAY WITH IT. WE FIXED SANDWICHES AND SOME THINGS TO GO WITH IT AND IT WAS LIKE A FEAST.

A COUPLE OF JEWISH COUPLES MOVED IN AND ONE WEEKEND THEY INVITED ALL OF US TO GO TO A JEWISH WEDDING. WHEN WE TOLD THEM WE DIDN'T KNOW THE COUPLE THE LADIES SAID THATS OK WE DON'T EITHER BUT THERE WILL BE MORE FOOD THAN THE WEDDING PARTY WILL EVER EAT AND IT WILL BE SO GOOD. WE DIDN'T GO AND THROUGH THE YEARS I'VE WONDERED IF WE SHOULD HAVE JUST FOR THE EXPERIENCE.

I WENT TO WORK AT THE LAUNDRY OUT AT FORT LEWIS AND IRONED KAKAI SHIRTS ALL DAY. THEY HAD SOME ITALIAN P.O.W.'S THAT WORKED THE NIGBT SHIFT. THEY WOULD STILL BE THERE WHEN WE GOT THERE AND IN THEIR BEST NOT TO GOOD ENGLISH THEY WOULD GREET US AND SMILE BIG. I THINK THEY WERE HAPPY JUST TO BE IN AMERICA. I THINK AS POW'S THEY HAD A BETTER LIFE HERE THAN BACK IN ITALY AS SUPPOSEDLY FREE MEN. AFTER THE WAR THEY WERE ALL SHIPPED BACK TO ITALY.

I FOUND A SMALL TRAILER HOUSE FOR RENT CLOSER TO FORT LEWIS AND WE MOVED AS SOON AS WE COULD. IT WAS A LOT LESS TIME RIDING TO WORK AND FOR VERELAN TO GET THERE. A FEW MORE ZZZZZ'S WE GOT EACH MORNING.

I GOT A FEW GROCERIES AND STARTED COOKING MEALS ON A TWO BURNER HOT PLATE. ONE DAY I GOT SOME FRESH BEANS AND COOKED TO GO WITH WHAT EVER ELSE WE HAD. VERELAN TOOK A BITE AND PUSHED HIS BACK ON HIS PLATE. HE TOLD ME THEY WAS TOO SALTY. I LEARNED SOON TO TRY NOT TO USE SO MUCH SALT IN THE COOKING. I COULD ADD AFTER IT WAS ON MY PLATE.

WHEN THE WAR WAS CALLED OFF IN EUROPE EVERY ONE WAS EXCITED AND MANY CELEBRATED.. I DON'T REMEMBER US DOING TOO MUCH. OUR TABLE IN THAT TRAILER HAD A PROP FOR A LEG UNDER IT AND WHEN THE WAR WAS ANNOUNCED TO BE OVER IN THE PACIFIC THAT WAS SOME DAY. VERELAN GRABBED THE BROOM SWINGING IT AROUND AND HIT THE PROP UNDER THE TABLE AND DOWN CAME THE TABLE AND FOOD FLYING ALL OVER. SOME DISHES BROKE BUT IT WAS WORTH IT FOR THE EXCITEMENT IT BROUGHT. WE WENT OUT INTO THE ROAD IN THE TRAILER PARK AND EVERY ONE WAS TALKING LAUGHING AND SOME CRYING FOR THE JOY IT BROUGHT SO MANY. BUT ALSO SADDNESS FOR THOSE WHO WOULDN'T BE COMING HOME.

VERELAN WAS UP FOR ROTATION OUT ARE STAY AND MOVE ON. HE OPTED TO LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND AND RETURN TO IDAHO. HE LACKED MAYBE THREE OR FOUR DAYS OF BEING IN THE SERVICE A FULL FIVE YEARS. THEY DISCHARGED HIM AT FORT LEWIS AND HE GOT SOME PAY FOR THE OVER SEAS TIME AND WE CASHED THE CHECK BOUGHT AN OLD USED COUPE CAR AND LOADED OUR THINGS AND HEADED HOME. THAT CAR TURNED OUT TO BE MUCH BETTER THAN WE MIGHT HAVE FOUND IN ANY OTHER CAR.

WE HEADED HOME AND HAD OUR HONEY MOON AT LAST. WE WENT BY TO SEE COULEE DAM IN WASHINGTON THEN OVER TO SEE ONE OF HIS ARMY BUDDIES WHO HAD GOTTEN BACK AND DISCHARGED TO HELP HIS DAD FARM. THEY WERE SO KIND TO US AND TOOK US IN FOR THAT NIGHT.. WE LEFT THE NEXT DAY HEADED HOME.
WE GOT TO ROUNDUP, MONT. IT WAS LABOR DAY WEEK END AND THERE WAS A RODEO BEING HELD SO NO ROOMS IN THE INN THAT NGHT. VERELAN WAS EXHAUSTED FROM NO RELIEF DRIVER AND I SAT UP AND HE SORTA SCRUNCHED UP WITH HIS HEAD IN MY LAP TO GET A FEW WINKS. AFTER HE WOKE UP RATHER EARLY WE HEADED HOME VIA BUTTE AND THE OLD BUTTE HIGHWAY ARRIVING IN ST. ANTHONY AT THE FOLKS OUT BY THE OLD VENICE DANCE HALL. MOM HAD COOKED A POT OF BEANS AND RICE AND EVERYONE WAS EITHER EATING ARE JUST FINISHED SO WE GOT FED. VERELAN HAD NEVER EATEN RICE WITH BEANS OVER THE TOP AND HE WONDERED WHERE THE CREAM AND SUGAR WAS FOR HIS RICE. HE TRIED THE MIXTURE EAT AND MOM GOT THE MILK AND SUGAR FOR HIM TO HAVE RICE THAT WAY. HE QUITE LIKED OUR BEANS AND RICE COMBINATION AND AS WE GOT ESTABLISHED HE EAT THEM FAIRLY OFTEN.

DEWARD HAD ASK VERELAN TO COME TO PLANO AND JOIN HIM AND THEIR DAD IN A SHOP VENTURE DEWARD HAD GOING AS WELL AS THE MILK ROUTE. THEY HAULED MILK THEN WHEN THEY GOT THRU ALL THE EMPTY CANS WERE UNLOADED AND THEY HAULED SPUDS FOR SOME OF THE FARMERS THAT FALL ONLY TO HAVE TO RELOAD THE EMPTY CANS FOR THE NEXT DAYS ROUTE. ONE NIGHT VERELAN BOOTED ME OUT OF BED. THEN HAD THE NERVE TO ASK ME TO GET HIM A DRINK WHILE I WAS UP. HE HAD BEEN DREAMING HE WAS HAULING SPUDS AND LOADING THEM WHEN I WENT FLYING OUT OF BED. WE OFTEN LAUGHED OVER THAT [AFTER I GOT OVER BEING ANGRY]. WE STAYED WITH DEWARD AND VELDA FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS THEN JACK AND VERLA BROWN LET US MOVE INTO THEIR HOUSE ON THE FARM AND WE FED THE HORSES ALL WINTER AND PAID THE LIGHT BILL AROUND FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH. CHEAP RENT EVEN THEN AND THE HORSES SURVIVED.

VERELAN DECIDED HE WASN'T CUT OUT TO BE A MECHANIC AND WAS IN ST. ANTHONY LOOKING FOR SOME THING WHEN HE STOPPED IN THE HOTEL TO SEE EMMITT ROBBINS HIS DADS OLD EMPLOYER. WHILE THERE THE GREYHOUND BUS ARRIVED AND THE DRIVER VISITED WITH HIM AND TOLD HIM TO GO TO IDAHO FALLS AS THERE WAS AN OPENING FOR A TICKET SALESMAN. HE APPLIED AND WAS HIRED AND WE STAYED IN THE IDAHO HOTEL A FEW DAYS TILL WE FOUND A SMALL TRAILER HOUSE FOR SALE THAT WE BOUGHT. WE PARKED IT OUT IN A SMALL PARK OUT WHERE WENDY'S AND ALL THOSE THINGS ARE NOW OFF YELLOWSTONE HIGHWAY.