My Grandmothers

 Welcome month of June! Growing up I had my granny (my dad's mom) and my grandma and grandpa (my mom's parents) in my life. These three people impacted me deeply. My second name is June and I was named after both my grandmothers. They are on my heart and in my mind today.

   My granny, Thelma June Bennett, was this feisty small woman that I am the spitting image of in many ways. She was single mother for many years and raised eight children. I spent a lot of time with her growing up. I regret not going to see her in her last couple years on earth. She had dementia and lived in a 'home' and I think deep down I was scared of how I would feel when I was there? I don't even know what it was to this day. It was expensive to get to where she was and it was during a time where my husband and I were so poor. She was the first of my grandparents to go and her loss was great. She was so giving, so thoughtful and she was strong. I miss her. I can still hear her voice, I can picture her curlers in the bathroom, her head scarves. She drove a car that had a sticker in the window that said, 'Support Bingo, keep grandma off the street.' When she swore (which seemed to only happen while driving) she always said, 'excuse my French!' I was so sheltered I really thought she was speaking French. Later on when I knew she was swearing somehow if swearing could be cute ~ on her it was. She was known in her small town because she was involved in everything ~ Carpet Bowling (or was it lawn bowling?), Bingo, The Canadian Daughters and her church. She drove all her friends around to their various functions when they couldn't drive. She really loved her friends and children with all she had. She often talked about how she had dreamed of becoming a nurse. She was in the course but she got the call that her mother was sick so she quit school to go nurse her. It would seem that even though she was never given the official title ~ she WAS a faithful nurse ~ a caregiver and server of others throughout her entire life. When she had dementia and was in the 'home' she was always helping with anything she could. That was granny. She made me cakes, she bought what I needed, she faithfully sent me birthday cards. She cared about me so much.

 My grandma, June Doreen Green, and my grandpa, John Green, (random but my husband's second name is John and mine is June!) were also prominent constant figures in my life. They enriched my life in many ways. Without them I would not have gone hiking on and off forest trails. I would not have gone driving up into the mountains on old logging roads. I would not have experienced camping, sail boating, music from World War Two and other amazing music, art galleries, live music, sand sculptures, sewing, quilting, and the list goes on and on. I have so many memories of them. They always lived in the same house and going there felt safe to me. My grandma was someone who, if you stopped to really think about it, was amazingly creative. However she was not flashy and compared to my grandpa she was just June. She loved creating things. She did photography and drawing, she wrote poetry, she made scrapbooks, she had beautiful gardens and every part of her life had color and class and beauty. She just did things quietly and she let my grandpa do his thing. His life was filled with quality organic meals cooked to his liking by her and beautifully decorated rooms. She did not demand much. She dressed prettily and always looked elegant and classic. She did so much to make his life amazing. My grandpa owned a newspaper so she worked at the paper. He was a writer of books so she traveled with him to do his research. He was a Sasquatch searcher and a Scientist so she hosted everyone who came to interview him or search with him. He was loud and opinionated and he usually stole the show. My grandma was really good at letting him do that. I used to feel sorry for her. I felt like she was not appreciated like she should have been. My grandpa tended to yell and seem over powering. However I feel like my grandma appreciated herself. When I look back I see she spent money on fabrics to make herself dresses. She took piano lessons when she wanted to. She made beautiful pillows and curtains for her house. She wall papered and painted, she created stunning gardens and astonishing quilts. She allowed him to shine but her light was also bright.  I love that! I could see it then but I see it so much more clearly now and I admire that so much.

  I feel like both my grandmothers lived such strong beautiful lives. They both went through World War Two and they raised thirteen children between the two of them. They went through losing babies and through poverty and hard times. My grandma Green's transportation was a horse and buggy as a child. She had no electricity or running water growing up. My grandmothers were both faithful to their husbands and their children. They gave and gave and gave and they were the most beautiful women! As I sit here I am overwhelmed with the gifts I was given in having them in my life. I have little things from them that I surround myself with so I don't forget what they taught me. I want to keep them close. They were jewels ~ absolute treasures.

 To give of yourself in being caring, giving and compassionate, and to appreciate your gifts and talents and use them. To appreciate who you are ~ the gifts from my grandmothers.