Grandma Mary Irel

With this week's election, my daughter reminded me that my mom Lois was 8 when women 'got the vote.' My grandpa Mel drove the buggy to town, so grandma Mary could regsiter; in the opposite party - & she voted as she pleased! My daughter recalled Lois saying "not all men allowed their wives to do that!"

Mel & Mary had a farm/ranch outside Sisters, & Lois said her mother enjoyed her garden more than she did cleaning - a trait I have shared! She knew herbs, growing valerian, among others, & spoke 'Chinook Jargon,' the trade language used by the NW Native Americans.
My mom recalled going with her mother in the evening, to visit the NA camped on their land ('of course you can camp where you always have, we have cattle, so please close the gates') . . . did she trade tales & herbs? She told Lois 'not to bother them in the daytime, they have their chores, too' but she could play with the kids while her mom visited.

Now, as I work on clearing clutter & tidying my space, I think of my grandmothers, & invite their assistance. May I unearth treasures, & pass on what I no longer need. As I play my harp, I wonder if my grandmothers enjoyed music as much as I do? I know they both quilted, & had a good sense of form & pattern.