On one of my visits to Chetek to spend time with my grandparents, Grandma told me about the Kitchen Band she and other Women of the Moose were in. She opened a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a matching pair of tea balls and told me they were part of her costume — her earrings. She then told me about the different instruments — washboards, tubs, jugs and even butter churns. I thought she told me she played a washboard, but in the photo below she’s playing what looks like a butter churn.

Googling Women of the Moose + Kitchen Band brings up an article about a Washington State Women of the Moose Kitchen Band written by none other than Sherwood Anderson. (Okay, not THE Sherwood Anderson.). So maybe that was something that Women of the Moose did back then.

As always, I wish I’d paid better attention when Grandma told me about this. I also wish I had one of the tea balls she wore for earrings. I’m lucky that I have this photograph.