Who needs bird dog when you have a little brother?

 Larry, Dr. Larry Olson and my brother, loved to hunt and fish.  In fact, I would say we hunted at least once a week during quail season, and we hunted those giant red squirrels when we were not hunting quail.

Larry was always a great shot, and he used a 410 shotgun and then a 20-gauge bolt action as he got older.  I always had a pump 12-guage and Larry could shoot faster and get more birds every time.  Frustrating!  Now part of the reason he got more is probably the fact I was his birddog.  I was always the one crawling down the creek jumping the covey while he was on the ridge.  Now that I think about it, when he came home from South Carolina and we went fishing every time, he would guide the boat and he was always in front with the best position.  He also caught more fish, every time.  Something about jumping the covey of quail was great fun for me.  I truly enjoyed listening for the rustling of leaves and grass as the quail would try to run rather than fly.  It was also interesting to me that when you would stop, they would stop running and then if you walked really slow you could get close and then they would fly.  If you have never experienced it, it is hard to explain the thrill of hearing them pound their wings to get started then as they got going, and they were exceptionally fast, they would stop flapping their wings and just float between the trees and brush.  Incredible!  Another facet was you could hear them chirping, bobwhite-bobwhite.  It was as if they were talking like a human.  It was so clear and distinct.  

We hardly ever hunted with bird dogs like Larry Travis or Cam Lanier or Dr. Merrifield (from Ponca) but we had loads of fun.  One time we were over at the gambrel barn across the road from Don Conner's house and I heard a tremendous noise in the grass.  I promise it was the largest covey of quail I had ever seen.  I believe it was close to 200 quail.  Being a kid, it was probably closer to 50 or 100 but it was exciting.  I bet Larry and I hunted that group for over an hour with NO dogs.

What may surprise most folks is when I first remember hunting, I was about 7 and it was for squirrels.  Larry and I both used 22 rifles back then.  Mine was a bolt action single shot and Larry had one that carried about 10 shells maybe 16.  He and Billy Snyder (my first cousin) had fancy rifles.  The hardest part of that was cleaning the squirrel.  But mom could fry it and make gravy that was the best eating you can imagine.

Well, I better go, but what do you learn in the Osage?

• Bird dogs are for fancy hunters.
• Country life is the best life. 
• You cannot avoid the fact that only God could create something so great as the outdoors.

Thanks for listening,

Gary

gary.olson@finaciti.com

or finaciti.com

Don Conner and it just can't happen today

 When you grow up in the largest school district in the state of Oklahoma there are some interesting facts you have to understand.

• When it is the largest does not mean it has the number of human beings.  As I have said in the past, I had 5 sometimes 6 in my first 7 years of school and we never had pre-school or kindergarten or even a day care center.
• The bus ride to school can take 30 minutes to get to Grainola even though it is only 4 miles from home to school.  And if you are going to Shidler for the last 5 grades (56 in that class) the bus ride is about 1 hour 15 minutes and we only lived 14 miles from the school.
• The bus driver, Don Conner, smoked a cigar every morning and evening ON THE BUS.  Actually, it smelled pretty good, but he always kept the window partially open.  Now I have to tell you that Bob Scott drove the bus a few of those years for Grainola and Lizzi (his wife) was the cook for the school.  Bob was also the janitor and kept the coal burning heaters going.
• Another thing about Don, and I am not sure what all is true, is he was an excellent shooter and competed nationally in skeet and clay.  My understanding is that he shot 498 out of 500 and still placed second nationally.  At least it is a good story.  Don and his wife and two kids, Ida and Joe, lived about 1 mile west as the crow flies from our house and they had about a 10-acre pond behind the house and a very cool porch / house and a great big barn.  One time the barn got hit by lightning or at least it exploded into flames from fermented hay and everyone around Grainola ran over there to save the house.  Joe went on to own the Fairfax Chief (newspaper).

Ok, back to Don and family.  I never knew if Don worked but he had some land which was leased to the Coopers and some of it was leased to mom and dad.  His wife did a lot of writing, particularly about the Osage Indians.  Joe and Ida were much older but Joe, who passed away in 2023, was my brother's age and became an Eagle Scout.  My mom was always proud of Joe as he was in the Boy Scout club that my mother led.  Don was always a little cranky at us kids on the bus but for some reason I liked him pretty good until one day he got mad at our dog for chasing the bus.  That always bothered me but he kept Bob and David Harris from picking on me so that made him pretty cool.

Well, what do you learn in the Osage?

• Smoking a cigar on the school bus was not going to kill us.
• Thinking Don was such a famous person gave me something to look up to.
• Sometimes not knowing the entire truth about someone is not all bad.
• We all need folks to look up to, that sets a good standard.  It might even make you want to smoke a cigar.

Thanks for listening,

Gary

gary.olson@finaciti.com

finaciti.com

Why can't you take a turkey to church?

 They use fowl language.  Get it?  Fowl not foul.

We all know some turkeys in our life and in fact at some point I suppose I have been one of those turkeys.  In fact, I can remember a few times when I stuck my size 13 foot in my mouth and wished to this day, I could take it back.  In fact, I grew up with a poem that is about the biggest lie ever told:

    Sticks and stones 

    will break my bones

    but words will never hurt me.

A couple of lessons on this one.  First, I have always been able to get over a hurt foot or arm or a physical ailment, but those words can stick with a person for a lifetime, good and bad.

As I have mentioned before, Aunt Gladys Snyder, dropped a few words on me that changed my trajectory in life.  Aunt Gladys made me think I was smart (that was lucky since I am not as smart as she thought).  Jack Gilbreth, my first football coach, gave just a few words of encouragement that helped me overcome my insecurity about my size.  I was always way too big for my age until about the 9th grade when a few folks caught up and even surpassed me like.  Mrs. Head (of Head Country fame and high school English teach fame) made a point how nice I dressed, and it made me think twice about how I looked each day.  David Goldenberg made the comment while working at EDS/Ross Perot's old company that I was a fast thinker.  it just made me feel good about myself (that is called a blessing).

But second, what about those discouraging remarks by someone?  Don't those hurt?  Don't they last?  Sure do!  I don't even like to give them the time of day.  Bitterness and resentment, in my mind, can kill a person.  At least it can make it where you/me just does not want to be around them.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• Words can hurt, be careful, thoughtful and caring
• A few kind words can make a person not have to get a nose ring (do I need to explain?)
• Give a lift up in life, not a lift out (give someone an encouraging word every day of your life and you will be more encouraged than you can ever dream)

Thanks for listening,

gary.olson@FINACITI.COM

A little Dab will do you

 Now most of you older folks remember what "a little dab will do you" comes from but the younger folks have no idea.  Well, here it is: When my brother, Larry, was ill, I stayed with him for about 3 months until he passed.  During that time I realized that he still used Brylcream on his hair.  So just to remind myself each day I now use Brylcream.  It actually works really well on my hair and scalp, so it was a good thing.   The point in telling you about this is I have always wanted to keep in touch with my past, both good and bad.  Of course, Larry was a good thing to always remember.  We had a lot of great times:  quail hunting on Beaver Creek to fishing in the local ponds and creeks to showing cattle, sheep and hogs in 4-H, to traveling to cattle sales to judging contest.  He was always a challenge to me in that he was a perfectionist.  Honestly, I think he even used Brylcream on our show cattle to make their hair shine.  Larry would spend hours combing and primping the hair on the show cattle.  

So, what is most important about "a little dab will do you".  It reminds me every day how I was blessed to have a good brother.  He never had a nose ring, a tattoo, or long hair.  He never drank that I know of, and he did not darken the doors of church as an adult, but he did use a few foul words.  In fact, all of his Clemson friends/Edisto Beef Cattle Research were entertained when Larry would get mad at cattle or technology because he could lay a streak of words that are unpublishable.  Funny thing was that he never got mad at folks, but cattle and objects could get him riled.  

Now I do need to clarify one thing about his church history as if that were the important part.  A friend of Larry's, Kevin Yon, came visiting at the hospital when Larry was sick.  I shared with Kevin my concern for Larry's belief and trust in Jesus Christ.  Kevin did me a great favor.  First off, he said he was embarrassed that in all the years of their friendship (35 years, approximately) they had never discussed Larry's relationship with Christ.  Second, Kevin stood up and said, "I am going to take care of that right now".  He came back and shared with me that Larry for sure knew Christ as his personal savior.  

Well, now back to Brylcream and a little dab will do you.  I can't explain the pain of losing my brother or the hole it left, but I can be thankful in all things but not necessarily thankful for all things.  You might have to think about that last sentence to get the real meaning.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• Memories are important and a little dab will help you remember the good
• A good friend is hard to find but easy to remember.
• Try every day to remember your history, the good and the bad and be thankful for ALL of it.

Thanks for listening,

gary.olson@finaciti.com

I didn't know it but I was raised to save a few bucks

 I was looking through some old pics and found this one of my daughter and youngest son at the the ripe old ages of 7 and 1.  You will notice that they are on a swing which was built by my dad, Clifford Olson.  He was always pretty smart about these kind of things.  He took an old tire (without the wire reinforcements in them) and made a swing by cutting most of it away and then turning it inside out.  This is the perfect swing at the most perfect price, free from dad.  PRICELESS!

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• the best things are made by dad
• memories are made best by smiles of those you love
• Count your blessings, One by One

thanks for listening,

gary

gary.olson@finaciti.com

Watch what you are chewing!

 Now I don't know about you but growing up in the Osage most folks had chickens.  We had hundreds and it seemed like thousands.  A few things always amazed me about chickens.   

First, that chickens could sleep sitting on a very thin board or wire and not fall off.  Also chickens sleep in their nests and they poop a lot, even while they sleep.  The second thing is they sleep when it is dark, not a certain number of hours.  In fact, that is why egg laying farms keep a light on part time during the long winter nights so that the chickens will lay more eggs.  Yep, that is correct, they will lay more eggs if you just keep them awake.

OK, back to the story.  One time I was chewing some Wrigley's Spearmint gum (I was not a fan of most other types) and was gathering eggs at the time.  I accidentally lost my gum and when I looked down, I picked it up and started chewing.  To my surprise, it was not my gum.  If you ever saw chicken poop, you would know what the problem was.  Sure enough I was chewing chicken shit.  That might be why my dad always said I was a chicken shit.  Well, the lesson I learned is to be careful what you are chewing.

Just to add to that story, one time I tried some Redman tobacco after a track meet in Newkirk.  On the way back to Shidler on the bus I got so sick it was ridicules.  As soon as I got off that bus, I was tossing up chunks (do I need to explain?).  I never did have a desire to chew tobacco after that.

Now, one more short story about chewing RedMan tobacco.  Shouna and I were invited to a Western style party at Bill and Barbra Adams house in Oklahoma City.  We dressed up in western attire.  I even wore my old chaps from hauling hay and of course cowboy hat and the rest.  But I added a little flavor.  I had some RedMan sticking out of my back pocket to look very country.  I also had a big wad in my mouth/cheek.  I brought a pop bottle (for you dumb city folks, that is a soda bottle) with me to spit in just to look the part.  Everyone was grossed out as I would periodically spit in the bottle and finally after someone said something I shared that if you would swallow the wad, it would cure any worms and some other ailments.  I did just that right in front of everyone and they got really grossed out again.  The funny thing is what I had was the old black raisins in my mouth and that is what I swallowed.  The joke was on them.

Well, what do you learn in the Osage?

• watch what you chew.
• and don't believe everything you hear; I really did not drop my gum in the chicken house, but I loved the story.
• I did get sick the first and last time I tried chewing tobacco.
• A good joke can lead to a lot of laughter and is good for the soul.

Thanks for listening,

Gary

gary.olson@finaciti.com

Glenn Jones and a call out

 Now you all probably remember Hugh Allen Jones, one of the Grainola 5 sometimes 6, but his older brother Glenn conjures up a memory or two.  I should not leave out the fact that in spite of the looks of the brothers (Bruce, Hugh Allen and Glenn) those sisters were pretty dog-gone good looking.  Oh well, back to Glenn.  

He was a little older than me and in fact he was Larry (my brother's age I believe) or maybe a year younger.  Either way, he was known to be an incredibly hard worker but not by me.  What I remember is he was ornery to beat the band.  I think he was worse than Hugh Allen, but that is another story.

Ok, here is my most memorable thing about Glenn.  First you have to know we did not have air conditioning in the school, so we had to keep the windows open, especially the bathrooms due to the smell and heat.  Well, for some reason Glenn decided that he was in a hunting mode and saw a skunk by the school.  In fact, it was right outside the boy's bathroom.  Now I will have to say I did not see the perpetrator, but it was widely known that Glenn shot that skunk.  I don't know how long that smell lasted but it had to be weeks.  You could not open those windows for a long, long time.  Once you smelled it, there was no way of getting that out of your nose.  The only thing I can remember being even close to that bad was when Pat Conwell took the shell off of a rotten egg and tossed it up in the air only to fall on my sister's head  (Debbie Schaefer of Perry, OK these days) when she stepped out of the hay barn.  

One last thing about Glenn, he was smarter that about anyone I knew except maybe, Jimmy Heath (another Grainola Grubber and one of the 5 sometimes 6).  He was also quick witted, and you could say a smart aleck, but I won't go there.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• memories get better with age
• stories are worth writing down
• living in the Osage is like no other

Thanks for listening and go to www.finaciti.com/consumer and start writing your story and your legacy.

Gary

gary.olson@finaciti.com

If you want to save a few bucks, let me know and I will send you a promocode for 50% off Finaciti.

sugar cubes and grandad olson (Olaf)

 

2022 12 01 Sugar Cubes and your finances

I remember and probably you as well, when your parents or grandparents added sugar to your coffee, and it was in a sugar cube.  Grandad Olson use to make his coffee by boiling water with the grounds just dumped in plus an egg, shell and all but cracked open.  Then when it was ready, he would pour it over a cheese cloth to strain all the coffee grounds and eggshells and egg out of it.  Then he would pour a cup of fresh coffee.  Of course, that cup set in a saucer where he would tip the cup and fill the saucer and then he drank from the saucer.  Does that resonate with everyone?   One last memory, I remember my grandad’s mustache would fly up as he blew on the coffee to cool it just before he took a drink from the saucer.  Great memories but what do we learn from all this?

We develop habits, some good and some bad, and we fail to evaluate them from time to time.  Here is the shocker:

·        63% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck as of September 2022.

·        60% of millennials who make over $100,000 a year live paycheck to paycheck.

·        40% of Americans have enough money in savings to cover a $1,000 emergency.

·        Nearly 75% of American workers are in debt, and 50% of those workers believe they’ll always be in debt.

So, what do you do?  Most of us make decisions because how it feels right now vs. what we need to plan for in the future.  In other words, we take that trip or purchase that bigger gift because it feels so right when we need to plan for the “down the road” issues that come up.  That could mean wanting or needing to purchase a new pickup or house or just repairs or retirement or medical and dental.  Don’t worry, we all struggle with something in life, and it might not be in our control.

So, what did we learn in the Osage?

·       How to make coffee the old-fashioned way

·       We all need to plan for those rough days because they are coming

·       If you want to be different, PLAN NOW FOR WHAT IS COMING

And yes, we can help you get those expenses down and plan for your future.  With a little luck (hard work in disguise) we will provide you with some tools to get that done.

Thanks for listening,

gary@mylifelegacy.co

or 405-410-2918