How is cleaning erasers and investing similar?

I don't know why or how Beth Shumate (my 3,4 and 5th grade teacher) did it but she taught us how to clean the erasers and enjoy it.  In fact it felt like a victory to get chosen to clean the erasers.  For those of you who don't know, that meant getting the chalk dust out of the eraser and the way to do that was to pound them on the sidewalk outside the building.  Dust would fly everywhere and your clothes and hands and arms were covered with white dust when you were done.  It was particularly a high honor if you got to clean the extra long one with the bull hide on one side.  That eraser was about 12 inches long.  Another fun aspect of it was you could make designs in chalk all over the sidewalk and you could not get in trouble for enjoying the labor of it.  

So how is cleaning the erasers similar to investing?  There are actually a lot of similar characteristics.  Number one, you really need to enjoy it.  Second, you need to be focused and get it done.  Third, your investments are just like those erasers, they need cleaned and adjusted sometimes.  Right now the market is going down or I should say more down than up for the last week.  Again, kind of like cleaning the erasers, you have to go up and down to get the job done.  

From the market perspective when the market is down is the best time to buy.  This is the same as when there is a sale at Penny's, it is time to buy.  Have you ever heard of buy low and sell high?  That is the right formula.  What is strange to me and probably because I have been in the investment business for so many years, is that most folks seem to want to sell when the market is working its way down.  Personally, when I see a drop in the market I work really hard to be a buyer.  And yes, I have bought a lot of stocks all the way down.  Now I do not buy a company that is going down when everything else is going up or visa versa.  This is called "dollar cost averaging"  and you can look it up on the internet.  I also want you to know I am not recommending you do what I do but I do recommend you getting a good financial advisor and if you don't have one or don't know if yours is a good one, give me a call or email and I will give you some ideas on how to figure that out.  I can also recommend a few advisors to call.

Last but not least here is a testimonial I received today:  A young lady, defined as under 60 years old, sold a property and had a large amount of money to invest.  Her financial advisor (one of the ones I would recommend you to) suggested that she NOT dump all of her money into the market at one time but rather buy on the dips (like on sale at J. C. Penny's) and do it over several months.  What she and her advisor were doing is dollar cost averaging.  Also the advisor did NOT put her in individual stocks but an ETF (look it up, exchange traded fund).  

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

How to save a few bucks:  Do your end of life planning NOW!  You can literally save thousands by planning ahead.  Funerals can easily cost up to $10,000 and more but on average about $7000.  Plus your family can be relieved of all the stress if you plan ahead.  If you need help on this sign up at mylifelegacy.co and we will walk you through it, but if you email me I will save you money on that also.

Don't wait for an apology

I heard a person say "the desire for an apology can be bondage".  I think growing up in the Osage there was not time to hold a grudge or spend time figuring out what everyone was thinking.  At least I never did but I was never the smartest bowling ball in the closet.  I remember dad saying one time how aggravated he was when he helped a person in Grainola build a barn and they never even said thanks.  Dad actually helped the guy for free.  Not sure why.  Anyway what I loved and respected about dad was that he just went on.  He was never rude to the person and in fact they were pretty good friends but dad never volunteered to help that person again that I know of anyway.  Dad was never bitter or held a grudge although I never forgot about the matter to this very day.  But dad, Clifford Olson, taught me a lot those few days and he never brought it up again.  

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• A grudge is not worth the mental stress
• A simple thank you goes a long way 
• The real reward for helping someone even when they do not show appreciation is the satisfaction you helped someone who needed help
• Sometimes when folks don't reach our expectations we have to remember that they may have circumstances that are overpowering them at the time.  
• Forgive and get on with life, I think that is what Jesus did

Thanks for listening,

gary 

gary@mylifelegacy.co

 

Credit cards and Mom and Dad's first use of one plus a little advice

 

My life legacy article 02 30 2021

How to pick a credit card provider?

As you know I always like to relate a story to the subject.  When I was in dear old Shidler High School mom and dad (Cliff and Opal Olson) and I went visiting Southwestern State in Weatherford, OK as I was offered a few scholarships to go there.  I have to admit at the time I had a girlfriend who was planning on going there as well so I guess I had mixed emotions.  Do you know what mixed emotions are?  That is when your mother-in-law drives over a cliff in your new Cadillac, just kidding.  And just to make it clear, my mother-in-law is about as good as you could ever get.  Unlike my mom, she lets me taste the cookie dough before it is cooked.  Back to the trip.  For whatever reason mom decided to use a credit card to purchase gasoline.  This was totally new to me and I don’t believe mom or dad had ever used one.  The real surprise came a week later when the gas station tracked mom down and told her the card was no good.  You see Mom and Dad had never used it, so it had expired.  Man, was I embarrassed, well not really.  By the way, I dumped her, the girlfriend, and found a real keeper from El Reno, OK and we have been married 46 years.

Credit cards:  The good, the bad and the ugly – sounds like a movie.

1.     Not that I need to tell you, but the facts are when you use a credit card to shop you will spend 63% more than if you only have cash.

2.     You should almost never pay an annual fee for a credit card.  In fact if you are a decent client just call the company and they will reduce the fee or waive it.  They want your business as they make a lot of money on those transactions.  Sometimes up to 5% but generally around 2 to 3% depending on the type of card.

3.     If you use a credit card the merchant is building those costs into the product.  Generally, credit card companies prevent the merchant from charging extra for using a credit card.

4.     If you have a company and take credit cards you might want to call me as I use to have a company that processed credit cards and I know for a fact where you can get the lowest rate almost every time.  Just email me and I will give you the name and number, gary@mylifelegacy.co

5.     If you don’t pay them off every month, you are digging a hole that is not easy to get out of so cut them up and toss but don’t cancel unless there is an annual fee as it will hurt your credit score.

6.     Don’t ever be a guarantor on someone’s credit card as you could get stuck with their credit problems and debt.  I see it all the time.

7.     Don’t ever put someone else as a user on your card as you will be responsible for their actions.  I know there are exceptions like your spouse but be careful.

8.     If you are on a card with someone and they pass away, be careful about notifying the credit card companies as they will immediately freeze the account.  I had a friend that did this, and it took almost two weeks to get another card and she had to reapply.  She was in the middle of grief at the time and had no way to pay for gasoline or other things she had previously used credit cards.

 

Which card do you want?  Well, it is like farming, it depends on what you want to get out of it.

·       Discover – No annual fee and provides 5% cash back on up to $1,500 combined from Amazon.com, Target.com and Walmart.com or at least they did for the last part of 2020.  They paid 1% on all else and I am confident they are still paying the 1% but not so sure about the 5%.  They change bonus categories by quarter for the 5%.

·       Chase Saphire preferred - $95 annual fee but they give you a bonus of points based on spending $4,000 the first 3 months. 

·       Bank of America gives a $200 bonus for spending $1,000 the first 90 days.

·       Verizon visa has no annual fee and gives 4% on groceries 3% on gas and 1% on other but it may change and they credit it against your Verizon mobile if you want.  They also give you about $4.31 credit on your bill for charging to the credit card plus if you allow auto pay they give you another $10 discount.  It all adds up but it has to work for you.

·       Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard gives 5% on Walmart .com and 2% on Walmart stores but for the first 12 months you get 4% for in store as well.  In my mind that is pretty good since it seems that most of our dollars go to Walmart and keep in mind that after the 12 months you can find another card.  Be careful about closing a card before you get another as it can knock down your credit score.  Speaking of that we have 4 videos on how to manage your credit score and how to NOT use a credit repair company by being a member of My Life Legacy.

·       Amazon rewards Visa offers 3% cash back on Amazon purchases and 5% if you are a Prime member.  It seems that everyone is a Prime member these days.  And speaking of that you get a ton of movies included plus the free shipping.  We sure get our monies worth on this one each year.  I do hate annual fees for Prime.

·       Mastercard with American Airlines - $125 annual fee and you get travel points.  I figure that if I don’t charge enough to get at least one airline ticket per year it is a waste and especially during COVID.  I did call them and they waived the annual fee.

·       Home Depot – no discount and no cost

·       Best Buy – 5% discount at Best Buy only

·       Lowes – my favorite place to shop – I get 5% off on everything and I auto pay so it is a no brainer for me.  It does not work anywhere else, only at Lowe’s.

·       American Express – I still don’t get it as I get basically nothing for it and it is not taken all places. 

·       Cabela’s Mastercard – well if you like the outdoors and buy lots of stuff there, you get special offers and discounts.  It is issued by Capital One. 

 

I have to admit I like my Cabela’s card but with all these offers I am pretty much sticking to Verizon Visa this year and my American Airlines Mastercard.  I like to see the discounts.   

WARNING:  credit cards can be the downfall of your credit score and that short term fix of purchasing something will not satisfy.  I cannot help myself but about the only thing that satisfies for the long term is knowing Christ in a personal way.  In fact, I just like stories like Hallmark where you can predict the ending and with Christ, I already know He wins in the end.

Well, I am about talked out but hope this helps.  Check out mylifelegacy.co and we have an OPEN MIC LIVE opportunity where we cover a short topic each week and then open up for questions. If we don’t have the answers, we will get you one or find someone to assist you.  And if you really want to join and send me an email, I will give you a special price just for the folks reading these articles in the Shidler paper.

I love the Osage and Thanks for listening,

Gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

405-410-2918

Website: mylifelegacy.co

Is life a goal or an objective or a passion or a journey?

Is life a goal or an objective or a passion or a journey? 

 Looking back to the Osage and where my first business venture took place, selling terrapins (you need to search the blog to know that story) will lead you to the story in this picture. 

 I should mention that every picture tells at least one story and this one tells a lot of stories. (2003 Shouna and Anne Beiler, Auntie Anne's Pretzels) For about 7 years we owned and operated the Auntie Anne's Pretzel stores in Oklahoma (8). The picture is of Shouna (my wife) and Anne Bieler, the founder of Auntie Anne's. It was a fun and trying experience and we learned a lot about business and ourselves. I learned to make a pretzel in mid-air and on a pretzel table. I learned that having 8 stores all over the state plus a full time job in the finance industry can put a little stress on the family and friends. The great thing is we traveled together, worked together expanded our relationships and our journey in life. Our children saw that we knew how to work and what it takes to be successful in business and most importantly in life and marriage. 

 What you don't see in this picture that I can see is a wife dedicated to her husband and his ideas and dreams and hopes. You do see the excitement in the faces of two ladies getting to know each other while on a mission to build a life. This is also a picture of a few of the threads of life that become part of the fabric which becomes in our case 46 years of marriage (December 21, 2021). So what I am saying is this is one picture that tells a piece of the story of our life.

Our journey is not complete but it has its twists and turns everyday and we embrace them in that we know God's plan is not our plan. I choose to believe this is a journey and I have passions of what I like and enjoy doing especially with my wife.

 

 So what do you learn in the Osage?

• Our experiences give our journey and our story color that we embrace, even if it is sometimes trying
• We can focus on the bad times or the good times but it is your/my choice
• If you are perfect then you do not have to forgive me for my faults
• My focus is not on what my feelings are but on the journey that Christ gives me

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

or take a look at mylifelegacy.co and see what we are up to

I need your help writing a book

 

I am writing a book on, “1000 ways to save a few bucks”, the title may change but you get the idea.

 If you choose to participate you may be quoted and I might ask you to participate in a video/blog.  Of course you don’t have to.  The only compensation you will get is “thanks for helping” although if you help I will give you a special discount on the book and a discounted membership to My Life Legacy, mylifelegacy.co

 So here you go:

 Tell me at least one way to save money:  i.e. you bought an antenna for your TV and cut off your cable and it saved you $85 per month but the downside was I did lose the ability to record.

 If you are wondering why I am doing this there are a couple of reasons:

• I am retired but now I am spending a lot of time assisting folks who need help with budgeting and financial management.
• In particular I am working with single moms
• And I am a Preferred Dave Ramsey coach and I work with a lot of folks through that connection
• In My Life Legacy we help folks answer the question, “if something happens to you, will your spouse or family know what to do?”  and second, My Life Legacy assists folks in writing their legacy to reflect their life experiences so that it can be shared electronically or in a book for your family.

 So if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.  And above all else tell me how to save a few bucks!  I would really like to get this done quickly so please respond in the next few days or weeks and most of all respond.  Also you might let me know if I have your contact information is correct so that I may update your information.

 Feel free to share this and send your responses to gary@mylifelegacy.co  

Thanks,

Gary

 Gary L. Olson

Legacy Coach 

 

Cell: (405) 410-2918

gary@mylifelegacy.co

website – mylifelegacy.co

Hooligans - Momma told me not to grow up and become a hooligan

Now I don't know about you but when mom told me not to be a hooligan I knew it was something important and I did not even know what a hooligan was. Surely you were like me and you sensed that it was something bad the first time you heard the word. Isn't it funny how you knew you could know something was good or bad depending on mom or dad's tone of voice.  If I heard dad say "shit", I knew it was not the time to ask a question or disturb his thinking.  And back to hooligan, I never have looked it up but I assumed whatever it was had to be as bad as a bank robber or thief or other horrible person.  I wonder if I have ever met one?  

Thinking back I guess when David or Bob Harris or Eddie Harris or Jay Olsen or I turned over Raymond Dale's outhouse during the Halloween festivities we could have been called hooligans.  Or maybe it was the time that Eddie Harris and I shot up the signs on the McConaghy Ranch and got caught that we could have been hooligans.  Come to think of it there were a lot of times hooligans might have applied.  Maybe when Eddie Harris and I went fishing with dynamite or when we dipped all the tools in the barn in Alice Chalmers orange paint or when we killed Eddie's favorite cat (accidentally of course) or when we buried all of our trucks in the garden to see if we could grow more toy trucks.  Maybe it was when Jon Tanny Olsen and I were seeing how fast you could drive a pickup on ice?  Or was it when we shot all the insulators on the high line wire posts?  Or was it when we were hunting coyotes from the road at night?  Could it have been when Denise Logue's dress got ripped during a volley ball game?  Or Cathy Eaton getting a haircut at the 4-H livestock show in Pawhuska with sheep sheers?

You know for a pretty good boy I sure could have been called a hooligan at times I suppose.  Luckily I made it through.  HUMMMM?  Now what is a hooligan?  I don't think I want to look that up.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• You only live once, so pack in those good old days
• Hooligans are for city kids, cause us country kids were always good
• Thankfully His grace is sufficient and even a hooligan can get to heaven

Thanks for listening,

gary

what is your story? 

 https://www.facebook.com/mylifelegacyorganizedwrittenandknown

Join us at mylifelegacy.co and write your stories and your legacy for your family

The Leader Ship | Episode 19 | Gary Olson -- This is an interview in Dallas a few weeks back.. Hope you enjoy it

Chris Johnson made me look better than expected. So what do you learn in the Osage? A BUNCH!!!!! Thanks for listening, gary You might take a peak at mylifelegacy.co which is our new offering. And if you are interested we are doing OPEN MIC LIVE on Tuesdays right now on credit scores and why they are important and how to manage them. It is a four week course and we are into our second week. This is for Tuesday, January 2nd, 2021 at 6 P.M. Gary L. Olson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: My Life Legacy Open Mic Q&A Time: Feb 2, 2021 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Every week on Tue, until Dec 28, 2021, 48 occurrence(s) Feb 2, 2021 06:00 PM Feb 9, 2021 06:00 PM Feb 16, 2021 06:00 PM More to be announced: Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZYsde-hrj8tGdbnDBd3Br8eTuUxjSOCMbEh/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGqrzksE9SRtxqFRpwQBYjoM_PziClajadfkjvHB3NxcFvzAvd3KrhMP_v9 Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82126904732?pwd=aFhMRnBvWkNXOG1ES29HOWcvZXFxdz09 Meeting ID: 821 2690 4732 Passcode: 249998 One tap mobile +13462487799,,82126904732#,,,,*249998# US (Houston) +16699009128,,82126904732#,,,,*249998# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) Meeting ID: 821 2690 4732 Passcode: 249998 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbjCmMKIzi

12 03 2020 Shidler paper first article - this one is on credit scores and how to deal with them

Well, here is an article I wrote for the new Shidler paper and if you do not subscribe please do by contacting Megan Golay <projectshidler@gmail.com> .  She is excited about reviving our community and telling our stories.  These stories will focus on issues that effect many if not all of us.  It is a little different format and they will be mixed in with the format from other stories I write as the Pioneer Man, not to be confused with you know who The Pioneer Woman.  She gets 30 million hits per month and I get 30.  Go figure.  I guess I should start cooking. OK, here is my first.

My life legacy article 12 03 2020

I hope this is as fun for you as it is for me.  I am a Shidler High School graduate from 1971 and yes, I am retired but still kicking after 45 years.  I am excited to see that there is a Shidler Newspaper, and it would be my hope that Shidler and of course Grainola and the surrounding towns would thrive.  Well, as many of you know I have been blogging for years about growing up in the Osage due to my love for the tall grass and what I consider the greatest and prettiest place on God’s earth.  (my blog is thepioneerman.blogspot.com) So since this is my first article I want to give you an idea of what I hope to write about. 

My passion is assisting folks to be prepared and to prepare for those financial and personal obstacles in life.  Each article will cover one financial or personal topic that might help you to save money or be prepared for incapacitation or death of a loved one.  So here goes and as always, I have to remember Mrs. Helen Head and how tough she was on me in high school and how her toughness was precisely what I needed to succeed in life.  Of course, there are many others and over time I hope to acknowledge and give credit to those who were examples for me to live by.

•        Our first Topic:  Credit Scores – did you know that your credit score can cost you a lot if it is not protected.  Your home insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, mortgage interest rate, other loan interest rates and even your job or future job can be effected negatively.  What I am saying is you will pay more if you have a bad credit score and you may not get that job you applied for if your score is not at a certain level.  As Dr. Phil said, “ ..a great predictor of future behavior is your past behavior”.   A credit score is one of the elements that banks and insurance companies use to decide if you are a good or bad risk.  Here are a few things you can do to assist in getting a better score:  (1) Pay all bills on time (2) if you mess up contact the company and ask for them to remove the delinquency (3) challenge any bad credit scores – you can do that by going to the credit bureau used – there are 3 – Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union (4) get one free report per year www.annualcreditreport.com and make sure it is correct as there are lots of errors on credit scores.

There is a lot more you should know but this should get you started.  One warning I would give you is be careful of those companies that want to fix your credit scores.  It is my opinion you should not pay one of them and from what I have seen they are not looking out for your best interest but how they can make money.  I assisted a person they coached on how to negotiate with credit card companies and then to file bankruptcy if necessary and what he really needed was just some outside help from a knowledgeable person. 

Thanks for listening,

Gary (I am a Preferred Ramsey Coach and a retired investment advisor and I do not give investment advice, legal advice or CPA advice)

gary@mylifelegacy.co if you have a question

Since 2000, I've helped my clients break through obstacles that held them back from experiencing their best life. Our time is the only resource we cannot replenish.  Life's too short to be unhappy, unsure, or unfulfilled.  This is why we should make great efforts to live each day on purpose, with clear goals and a path to get there. This is my passion, to provide guidance to you by learning and developing plans and processes to navigate towards your life goals.  Get in touch with me today to see what I can do for you.  

Bob Cotham - what a coach

Everyone has a mentor and a hero and one of mine is Coach Bob Cotham of Shidler High School.  He was short but the broadest shoulders you could ever find.  A person grows up with stories and sometimes those stories are myths, meaning not so true, but here is my memory of Coach Cotham.  

I believe he grew up in the Shidler area and then played college football somewhere and as I recall (note my hesitancy as I have never been able to confirm) he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.  I know he had a giant scar on his knee from surgery and what I always understood was that the scar was what kept him from playing professional football.  Anyway, we were lucky and blessed to have him in Shidler.  

It was the start of my junior year and I had been hauling hay all summer for Paul Jones, Don Kelsey and the Mullendore Ranch (read the book about the Mullendore murder and yes we all knew E.C.).  In fact if anyone of you know Boog Williams or Kenny Kelsey you can get some good stories from them.  Anyway, back to the story.  It was at the end of the summer and Paul Jones wanted me to keep working until the last minute so he promised to fly me home for football practice (the Mullendore Ranch was near Copan, Ok).  There are a couple of things you should know about that trip.  First, Paul Jones was very ornery and he tried to scare the crap out of me while flying.  Second, it was my first airplane ride.  He made me carry a bucket in case I tossed my cookies up in his plane.  He actually would have deserved it but that is another story.  

Well he flew me home and I went straight to football practice.  I was in the best shape of my life.  The coach had been told that I was a lineman but when he saw me, he immediately moved me to fullback where I worked with Harold (Chuckles) Codding.  Harold had multiple knee surgeries and wore two knee braces and he was still faster than I was.  So I got to play fullback and defensive end for my junior and senior year.  What I loved about Coach was he would make us work exceptionally hard and he would just laugh at us, especially when Steve Chrisco tossed his chunks while running in the hot summer of Oklahoma.  It was funny that I was really not a fast runner but in the beginning of summer practice I was one of the fastest because I showed up in such good shape while most of the other guys needed to get in shape.  The sad thing was after a few weeks they could almost all out run me.  I honestly don't know why he let me play the position except that I would sacrifice my entire body to take out the opposing players for Harold.  I loved counting my bruises.  OK, back to Coach.  

He was tough as nails and pushed us hard everyday and he loved defense but he had a giant heart as well.  He never hesitated to punish us for the least little thing but you could depend on him to stand up for you.  You had to respect him but he was a great friend to all of us.  Once we went to an OSU football game and he told us where he would be before the game and during the game and that we should stay out of trouble and not go trying to drink beer.  Then he told us again where he would be and that he would not be looking for us.  We knew what that meant and I hope I don't get in trouble for this but we did get a hold of some beer and the fact is I did not like beer, but I enjoyed the mystery and risk of getting in a bar while being under age and drinking a few and then sneaking a few beers into the game.  I am not going to tell on AJ or Rick or Jim or Steve or any of the other guys but we had a good time until Monday rolled around.

ON Monday Coach said he smelled beer on us and decided that we deserved to run a lot to get it out of our systems.  I don't believe for a minute that he smelled beer but he, just like always, laughed and made us work harder than ever.  I think everyone truly loves discipline and structure so that you know what to expect and you have hope of what you might gain.  I personally loved it and loved Coach.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• What you lack in one area you can make up in another, like speed for sacrificing your body
• Someone that loves you cares enough to discipline you and sometimes they laugh at you
• Now that I think about it, isn't that what Jesus does,  He allows us to go through trials so that we might become more righteous

Well, thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

yes, I do have another email address..... 

Pneumonia and just how smart of a boy are you?

 Well as I recall I was in about the 5th grade and we had one of those spelling tests from Mrs. Beth Shumate in Grainola.  I don't know about you but a couple of things I just dreaded, one was a spelling test on paper and the other was a spelling test where you lined up in front of the class to be humiliated by my lack of spelling acumen.  Debbie Jones who was and still is one year older than me and Joy Frank which is number 6 of the Grainola 5 and sometimes 6 club (you have to go read the older stories to get it) both could spell everything correctly.  It was not a fair fight/contest.    Luckily we did not all get trophies for participation and I should mention that Jimmy Heath could spell everything as well.  But what really hacked me off was when I was asked to spell NEWMONIA or Pneumonia.  Sure I got it wrong and Jimmy got it right.  HOW?  It was not fair.  Who ever heard of having a P at the beginning of a word that has no sound?  The great thing about those spelling contests was learning about humility and how to lose with grace.  I do believe I can honestly say I never won a spelling contest.

Today I heard a friend (a lady) speak that left home when she was 12 because her step-father was an alcoholic and abusive and then she lived in a laundromat for 6 months.  She shared that what she learned was what she did not want in life.   She also shared that her 3 siblings were all drug attics (for those of you who did not catch it, attics is in the ceiling and addicts is the other)  and in and out of jail.  She got her GED and became a nurse for 16 years, had 3 failed marriages, six children and contributes where she is today is because of God's protection and leading in her life.  Her story went on but it was one of the most inspiring stories.  I loved this item she shared:  There is a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven.  Another way to say it is, "you can go to hell in a hurry or take the challenging way and go to heaven".  How about the old poem:  yard by yard is hard and inch by inch is a cinch.

I find a lot of wisdom in all this.  When we make things to easy it is easy to be lazy and apathetic and in fact there becomes a reliance on others to take up the slack.  I guess folks around Shidler and Grainola never gave much thought to relying on the outside to take care of them.  They persevered and depended on themselves.  I am thankful for not getting a trophy.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• The best things come from overcoming
• Winners never quit and quitters never win
• God promises us only one thing in life, problems or should I say a stairway with the knowledge that we get to chose a highway to hell or a stairway to heaven

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

Madelon Hart Fisher letter on Carter Nine

 

I am always delighted to receive letters like the one from Madelon Hart Fisher who grew up in the Osage.  In fact I am going to ask anyone who reads my blog to please write me a letter including pictures that you are willing for me to include in my blog or book.  And Yes, I am planning on another book but this one is going to be your stories.  I would ask that you write as many stories as you like knowing that they may not get published or saved for later and that you are not going to get any compensation other than knowing you shared your story and it might get published on the blog or in a book.  I know all of you have great stories and I want to hear them, so please write:

send to 

    Gary Olson 

    12501 Dutch Forest Place

    Edmond, OK 73013

I know many of you personally and it would be an honor for me to have you participate.  Here are just a few things you might consider but the list is endless:

    what I remember about my grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, coaches, etc....

    who was the biggest impact on my life and why

    what unusual thing happened as an adult or child or while in college (all must be reasonably PG)

    what were my greatest fears and why

    what was it like being in the military and why I served 

    what was your biggest mistake in life, or biggest success or both

    what wisdom would you want to share

    the list goes on and on but you get the picture

Now back to Carter Nine and Madelon:  (you could write about your home town and what you remember about it just like Madelon and don't forget to tell a little about where you are now and just your life story.)  One more thing:  try to make each story one or two pages and feel free to give multiple stories and if you have to, make it long).

Carter Nine:

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• things change
• little things mean a lot and memories are what make relationships
• invest in others and they will invest in you

thanks for listening,

gary

gary@thepioneerman.com

you are welcome to send your story email to gary@mylifelegacy.co

Dick and June Johnson - Dee and the Twins and little sis (Jan) (and I can't remember the names but there is an older son? and Marvin?)

There are cornerstones of a building and there are cornerstones of a community and the Johnsons are certainly one of those.  I stopped by not too long ago (BEFORE COVID) and Mrs. Johnson came out and we talked for a long time about the kids and what everyone was doing.  Mr. Johnson was on his tractor mowing.  Now I know they are in their 90's and still gardening and keeping the place in shape.  I wish everyone had the pride they do.  That is probably what keeps them going, staying active.  But what was most amazing is their minds were clear as a bell ringing in your ear.  They still live in the house cattycorner from the old Dale's Feed Seed and Grain Storage commonly known as the grocery store, not to be confused with the grain elevator operations further south by the railroad tracks.   The same store we traded eggs for groceries at and the one with the outhouse we turned over every Halloween.

I suppose we all lose track of old friends and neighbors but my memory of the Johnsons is anchored in Dee and the Twins and Marvin.  Why?  Well let me tell you why.  I think everyone in the family were extraordinarily smart and especially those twins and I hear Jan was too.  But what stands out is that I was at their house one time and the boys (Dee and the twins) were eating white bread with the old fashioned mustard spread all over it and made into a two sliced sandwich!  You gotta be kidding me!  Yea!  Who would have thought of that?  Something seemed really wrong with that.  But once you tried it, it was not so bad especially when you are young and growing and hungry.  

The other thing I remember is how they always knew all the answers no matter the topic.  I bet none of them ever missed a question on a test.  I never knew but I bet they had perfect scores on the ACT and SAT tests.  

It is funny but I really never knew what Mr. Johnson did for a living other than farming and I really don't remember them having any farm land although Dee stuck around and bought some land including our old homestead on Beaver Creek and farmed and raised cattle.  

Well, what I have to say about the Johnsons is that they were very kind hearted folks and easy to talk to and always willing to share a little bread and mustard.  People were important to them.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• don't get grossed out about something you have not tried, like mustard sandwiches
• hard work and good folks go together
• Pride in keeping things looking good is good pride and the Johnsons should be proud

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

Olaf Olson and what I found

 

My grandfather Olaf came to America in 1887 at the ripe old age of 16!  yep, 16.... What I did not know is that he was 94 years old when he passed in 1964 when I was 12 years old and he was married in 1903 to Mary Katherine Fustrum at Dwight, Kansas then to Anoka, Minnesota in 1905 where he had a dairy and grew sweet potatoes.  My Dad was born in Anoka and here is the most unusual thing ever:  dad's birth certificate and his legal name his entire life was "the 6th son of Olaf and Mary Olson".  Dad found out his real legal name when he was 84 years old.  Dad went to school during the winter on a sleigh pulled by a horse with sleigh bells from Sweden.  We still have those bells today or I should say, my nephew Richard Crow has them in his office (Ground Zero Storm Shelters)  in Perry, Oklahoma.  When he did not ride the sleigh in winter he skied to school on skis he and Uncle Olie (Rollien) made by hand.  They boiled the wood in water and shaped the wood into skis.  One pair of those skis is located in Minnesota with my cousin David.  Another strange thing I learned was when there was a giant party at Don Conner's house with a giant bond fire and everyone came from all around to ICE SKATE!  For the first time I learned that my dad had a pair of strap on ice skates and could skate.  Don had a large lake behind his house where we had the party.  I think my dad was about 16 when they moved to Wamego, Kansas where he ultimately graduated high school.

Grandad moved to America because his father told him if he stayed in Sweden he would raise potatoes and become an alcoholic because taxes were too high and you would never be able to get ahead.  America was the land of opportunity.  Grandpa didn't know anyone here and none of his relatives were here but as he made some money he paid for the trans-Atlantic voyage of most of his brothers and sisters.  Now I don't know about you but I cannot imagine letting one of my kids leave me for ever at the age of 16, no matter what the circumstances were.  That is correct, grandad never saw his father or mother again.  Two sisters moved to the Seattle area and the only brother I knew moved to Kansas near Cedar Vale and lived with the Johnson family who were relatives.  He was an expert stone mason.  Actually I think there were two brothers but just not sure.

Grandad was my buddy and I tried to spend every Saturday with him.  We would sit by his pot bellied stove and play checkers and eat cinnamon rolls and drink Nehi pop (strawberry and grape).  Of course Granddad would drink coffee which he drank from a saucer and he smoked a pipe which I loved the smell of.  I loved the way he would smoke his pipe and blow his mustache when he released the smoke.  Sweet memories.

Well, thanks for listening and What do you learn in the Osage?

• Family is more important than any money
• Time given to a child pays back for a life time
• Cinnamon rolls are still my favorite food group

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@thepioneerman.com