I shot a beaver on Beaver Creek

Growing up on Beaver Creek was a blessing and a gift.  The tall cotton woods to the giant oaks and gravel beds then running water teaming with fish of all types and yes, some beavers.  I don't believe I ever walked the creek without seeing something God created and on rare occasion I would find an Indian arrowhead or and Indian artifact like the remains of a rock hammer or grinding bowl.  As for the animals, there were lots of raccoons and squirrels and in particular the very large red squirrels which were great for eating.  Countless birds of all types and opossums and skunks and coyotes and an occasional badger but not very many dear or turkey but lots of bobwhite quail.  Another of my favorites was the many types of turtles but that is for another story.

Back to the beavers on Beaver Creek.  About a half mile from the house was Soup's fishing hole as we called it because Soup Wade lived not too far from there before he and Letha moved to Shidler.  As a side note, Dad and I built an addition on Soup and Letha's house in Shidler while I was in the 8th grade.  Every day after school I would go help dad and Soup always bragged on me about how hard I worked.  Anyway, after a few months on the project when we were finished Soup decided to pay me for helping dad.  He paid me $5 and to say the least I was a little disappointed as I probably worked over 50 hours and probably over 100 hours as we worked on Saturdays as well on his house.  I loved Soup and in the end it did not matter cause (that is country for because) I enjoyed being around Soup and he was a special friend.  OK, back to the beaver.  Just past the fishing hole there was a beaver dam which is basically a pile of sticks and tree trunks with the majority under water. The pile sticking up was in the middle of the creek and that is where the beavers slept and hid out.  It was always exciting to me to find where and how the beavers got the material for building their houses.  Whenever you saw tree stumps that were sharpened like a pencil and a pile of wood chips, you knew there were beaver close by.

Well that day I was fishing and carrying a shotgun just in case I wanted to do a little hunting.  Suddenly I saw some movement in the water and about the same time that beaver slapped his tail which is very wide and flat and it made a loud sound warning the other beaver of danger.  He was right, I loaded my gun and was on the hunt.  I always wanted a beaver hat just like Danial Boone and now was the time.  What I can tell you is I never got that beaver hat.  And I can tell you I shot at that beaver around 20 times, each time he would dive under the water and escape my passion.  Either that beaver was one tough beaver and my shotgun was not powerful enough or I was a terrible shot but that beaver did not make it to beaver heaven on my terms.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• Beaver hats are in short supply
• Folks that talk too much need to learn to hunt and fish
• There are more rewards for hard work than just money
• Never forget to look for the best in folks just like my friend Soup

Thanks for listening,

gary@thepioneerman.com or golson21@hotmail.com

Go get my book on Amazon and support folks with special needs.  Home on the Range by Gary Olson  ---- all profits go to www.wingsok.org ----- or send a check to me made out to Wings for $25 or more and I will donate the book and give 100% to Wings as a donation from you.  I will also ship it to you free as long as you are in the US.  I have no idea how much it would cost to ship overseas.

The barn that floated out of the ground

One time Bud Frank (dad to Joy who is #6 of the Grainola Grubbers 5 and sometimes 6) asked my dad to help build a pole barn where he could store the hay used during the winter to feed the cattle.  I guess Bud was going to save some money by putting in the poles without Dad's help.  Dad told him how to put in the poles else the barn would float out of the ground.  Bud did not believe that was possible and did not take my Dad's advice.  You see Dad and I built about 20 of these pole barns for folks all over Grainola and Shidler and Foraker.  By the way, did I mention that I now have the Foraker school bell at my house and getting ready to install it in my garden?  OK, back to the barn.  Well, Bud went ahead with the project and Dad helped put the rafters and the roof on top of all those poles.  What you may not know is that water can lift a lot of weight.  Think about it, a battle ship made of heavy steel floats on water.  So if you put a pole barn in a low spot where the water table can get fairly shallow you will get a floating barn.  Sure enough, when the next rain came along Bud's barn floated up about 1 to 2 feet.  Luckily the poles were in the ground about 4 feet but it made for what dad called a cockeyed barn because the barn did not float out entirely level.

Bud was shocked to say the least and dad just chuckled, like always.  And after he chuckled he probably smoked a cigarette, like always.  Now thinking about that let me ask you, "why does the government give soldiers cigarettes and beer then turn around and file a lawsuit against the cigarette companies?"  Shouldn't the government take some of the responsibility for giving soldiers cigarettes?  and beer?  Now that I think about it, should parents who allow their children to smoke cigarettes and drink beer when under age be held liable?  Should parents who tell children not to smoke or drink but do the same in front of their children be held responsible for what happens to them?  Just an interesting question not that I have all the answers.  Now I am not trying to start a fight and I am for sure not perfect but I do like to ask aggravating questions.  Back to the barn.

Now, how do you fix the problem of a floating barn?  I don't know.  I think it is too late.  

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• sometimes you just can't fix things
• advice is not always perfect but we probably should take it into consideration 
• advice should be considered and when experience is involved it should not be ignored
• If you can float a battleship made of steel it is easy to float a barn out of a hole

Thanks for listening,

gary

golson21@hotmail.com

Fart Knocker - who would say something like that?

I know it is a little off color but my dad, Cliff Olson, was kind of ornery to say the least.  On occasion when least expected he would hold up his fist and say, "what is this?".  No matter what my answer was, it was wrong.  But one of the most endearing definitions he had was, "it is a fart knocker".  Upon his answer he would take his fist, turn it over and gently knock on my shoulder or chest and then say, " I am a fart knocker, knocking on farts" while of course tapping on me.  I hope you get the picture.  I don't think I knew of a kinder more loving person than my dad, everyone liked him especially the young guys like me.  He was always friendly and including of those who never got much attention from their dad and mom.

I would write another story about one of his other endearing comments but it is more off color so I will just include it right here.  Dad would hold up his index finger and pronounce, "this is a shit-hook" and then proceed to hook my shirt or place it under my chin indicating I was a piece of shit.  Sure, you can get your underwear in a wad about the off-color nature of my dad's jokes but the only person being hurt is you because you don't get a kind hearted joke.

Well I guess the nut does not fall too far from the tree as I find myself with some ornery type habits and here are a few of my own creations.  First off, I have a tendency to rough house with folks, meaning I will walk up and punch them in the chest, not too hard, or on the shoulder, again, not too hard.  Once I did this to my son-in-law, William Casallas (yes, he is from Columbia and a great soccer player or at least once was), and I punched him in the shoulder.  Bad idea!  He had a shoulder injury and it hurt pretty bad.  Now I don't take fault for this as he should not be playing soccer and getting hurt, his fault.  But again there is Mark Clifford (a dentist in Piedmont and in fact my dentist) who always hides or pulls his arms in close to cover his chest when he sees me.  He knows that I am going to gently hit him in the chest or shoulder every time.  Oh ya, I also have a bad habit of pulling girls ears, gently of course.  Always in fun and always to those folks I like, that is my motto.  Of course I do on occasion use my dad's favorites but only on those I know and like.

I don't know if there is a good point to all of this but it is the truth and as they say, "the truth will set you free".  Now that is a pretty good statement since today is Saturday, the day after Jesus died on the cross and the day before He was raised from the dead and the truth of that story will set you free!

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• a little orneriness is good for the soul
• never leave anyone out on a good liking, give them a punch (softly) or pull their ear (softly)
• on occasion things might back-fire on your intentions, so be prepared for some objection to your silly acts
• Jesus is the answer for bad behavior so invite Him into your life and it will set you free

Hey, thanks for listening,

gary

gary@thepioneerman.com or golson21@hotmail.com

And please buy my book, "Home on the Range by Gary Olson", it is on Amazon and all proceeds go to Wings a community for adults with special needs like down syndrome or autism.

Vicks VapoRub, oh how wonderful!

I was born with allergies and today I still have them.  In fact I spent the first year of my life, according to my mom, mostly in the hospital because they, Dr. Cecil Snyder of Winfield Kansas, could not figure out what was wrong with me.  I just could hardly breath.  In fact Dr. Snyder decided that I should have my tonsils out at the early age of one or there-abouts (that is Osage talk for around that time),  to see if that would help.  To no avail, but they did finally decide that I was allergic to milk, which is a travesty since I grew up on a dairy farm.  I should also note that I was blessed in that we got rid of the dairy cattle by the time I was about 7 or 8 years old.  If you don't understand it is because you never lived on a dairy farm.  The work is never done and you work from before daylight to after dark 7 days a week!  Anyway, back to the allergies and me being sickly.  The doctors and nurses told my folks I would never grow to a very large person because of all my problems.  Did I tell you that in the second grade I was as tall as my teacher, 5 foot 2 inches (Mrs. Casselman )?  They were wrong but they always marveled out how big I got and how fast it occurred.

Now on to Vicks:  I heard a native American last week talk about how his mom would take a glob of Vicks with her finger and put it in his mouth if he ever showed a sore in his mouth or had a cold.   Then she would rub it all over the inside of his mouth.  He read the instructions and told his mom that it was for external use only.   She said, "that is for white men".  I laughed hysterically but I also remember that Vicks was the cure for stuffy nose, allergies, colds and about anything you can think of back in those days.  In fact I loved it because I could breath better.  In fact I would put globs of it below my nose and all over my chest and neck.  Mom used it aggressively as well when she applied it to my body.  It felt a little sticky and greasy but man  it worked.  I really liked pushing a little or a lot of it up my nose.  Awwwwwww, relief!!!!  Great stuff!!!!  I can almost smell it right now!  What a great memory!

Now I will tell you about another great remedy using Udder Balm, but that will be another story.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• Vicks is for kids and adults
• Doctors always set the expectations low but God allows us to have hope and high expectations
• Snorting a little Vicks is good for what ails you

Thanks for listening,
gary
golson21@hotmail.com

go to Amazon and buy my book, "Home on the Range by Gary Olson" and the profits will go to Wings, a community for adults with special needs, like Autism and Down Syndrome etc.

Those two cedar trees

Growing up on Beaver Creek in the Osage (1 mile north and 3 west past Vea's house) our house had two giant cedar trees in front of the house about 30 feet apart.  I remember during one of those HOT summers Wayne Patterson (my cousin and mom's sister's oldest child and a veteran) and dad and Larry tied a rope between those two trees and put a giant military looking tarp over the rope then tied the sides down to make a tent.  That is right, no floor and no protection from the two ends being open and all the bugs that wanted to come in.  As I recall there were a few cots but mostly just bedding on the ground to sleep on.  One of the great things about being the youngest and the most naive is that I did not realize the potential for bugs and snakes and anything else that might wonder into our tent.  All I can remember is that it was an adventure with Dad, Larry, Big Wayne (we called him Big Wayne because Larry's middle name was Wayne) and I believe Billy Snyder (another cousin and he was the son of Gladys Snyder, mom's sister). 

What was really important about that adventure was not the tent, not the lack of a floor or protection from wildlife and bugs but being together as family and we were friends as well. 

Well what else was important about those cedar trees:  For one, that is where I got a little shade from the sun and heat and took a nap on rare occasion.  Second, it was where my  dad, Clifford Olson, set up a device he created so that I could learn to ride my bike when he was not around to help me.  They way it worked is that he nailed a few boards to the tree so that I could place the back tire of my bicycle between the tree and the boards allowing me to get on the bike without falling.  Then I would take off peddling my bike with the hopes I could stay balanced and ride.  FREEDOM!  Yes, I learned to ride the bike and of course ultimately I had to learn to get on the bike without falling.  It was truly a great invention.

Dad was an engineer without match.  He could always figure things out, just amazing.

Well, that is my story and I am sticking to it.

so what do you learn in the Osage?

• It is all about the good memories and not the hardships
• A little ingenuity can go a long way in helping a kid enjoy life
• God gave us trees for a lot of reasons and we need to make the best of it

Thanks for listening,

gary

golson21@hotmail.com

Please go buy my book!!!!!!!!  It is on Amazon, Home on The Range by gary olson and ALL proceeds go to Wings, www.wingsok.org

#2 yellow pencil

Did you ever see or even know what a #2 yellow pencil is?  I have not seen one in years but the other day someone gave me a #2 white pencil and it reminded me of growing up in the Osage.  So, here goes another.

Every year when school started I got a new #2 yellow pencil and a new Big Chief Tablet (bet they don't even make those anymore).  Hugh Allen Jones could make a pencil last longer than anyone.  I think it was a pride thing in that he would sharpen that pencil until it was so short I could not even hold it, much less write legibly which I still cannot do today.

Speaking of that subject Mrs. Shumate, my 4th, 5th and 6th grade teacher always gave me bad grades on penmanship. Yes, we had three classes together for a total of about 16, 5 in Debbie's class above me and 6 in Jay Olsen's class above her)  If you have read many of my stories you know she is about the sweetest and shortest lady ever (about 4 foot 10 inches).  She was an incredible influence in my life and I was invited to speak at the Grainola Methodist Church in her honor. I was pleased to point out that you DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE GREAT PENMANSHIP to be successful in life.  I know I love to poke fun at folks but she was a magnificent lady.  Back to the #2 pencil.

Those pencils were always a good thing and we used them for many purposes like:  when Mr. Lewis Morris (teacher) left the room we could take rubber bands and launch them toward the 14 foot high ceilings and penetrate the ceiling tiles.  So Cool!  The ceiling had many a hole and actually a lot of pencils just dangling.  We also could use them as projectiles across the room and it was never a safe thing.  In fact many a folk got injured but luckily not permanently and no eye injuries.  Another good use was defending your papers and desk as Jon Tanny Olsen attempted to grab something off my desk I jammed the #2 into his hand/finger.  The lead broke off in his finger and remained there for many years until surgery to remove it.  

Another fine use of those pencils was relief of stress or an outlet for those of us with ADD squared which included Jon Tanny, Hugh Allen and I really don't think Jimmy or Denise or Joy were in that category.  In fact I would say Joy probably was incredibly organized and would never have chewed on her pencil.  Did I mention that chewing on the pencil was the stress relief?


As I remember those pencils were 5 cents or maybe 2 cents, not sure.


So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• look up, you might find a hole in your ceiling if one of the Grainola 5 sometime 6 show up at your house
• don't take things from folks that don't belong to you, you might get lead poisoning
• it is better to chew on a #2 than chew on another person (great marital advice)

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@thepioneerman.com

I would love you to support Wings (a community for adults with special needs) by purchasing my book, "Home on the Range"  found on Amazon or send a check to me made out to Wings for $25 or more and I will donate the book and mail it to you (in the US as I am not sure what it would cost to ship overseas).

Toys, what were your favorites?

Now I don't know about you but my favorite things to play with as a child might surprise you and again they may not.   First off, there were not a lot of toys and in particular absolutely no electronic games, cell phones, play stations, etc..  In fact here is a list of my top 5:

1. my toy truck
2. rocks
3. dirt
4. nails and boards
5. bow and arrows

So let me tell you how this worked.  

The toy truck was used in the dirt and rocks where I made small tracks to run my truck on.  The best dirt was very fine and dry as you can make very smooth roads with.  Of course the rocks helped build up obstacles and small hills and just added to the adventures.

The nails and boards were probably the best and maybe the most often used.  When dad and I tore down old houses or barns for folks we would remove the old nails by putting them in Folgers Coffee cans.  Did I mention that my mom used to always get asked if she was the Folgers lady on TV?  If you are too young the story is Folgers used a Mrs. Olson to do all their advertising.  My mom would always answer their comment which I am sure was a joke by the person asking, "not me, but it is my sister".  She would never correct them.  Back to the nails and boards.  Any boards we could use for a later project, like when we built our new house on Beaver Creek, were saved and placed in the barn/Quonset.  I though you might not know what a Quonset was so here is a pic.  Anyway, any extra boards I would take and build something with my imagination.  One of my favorite projects was in the tree outside my window where I slept.  We had a huge elm tree and I built a tree house where I spent many hours playing and expanding.  The great thing about those boards and nails is I could build anything I could think up.  Like, airplanes, a club house, and I especially liked to take those boards and build tunnels in the hay barn.  Great times!

Bow and Arrows which I have previously written about was a Christmas present from my folks.  I believe it was opportunities to learn incredible skills.  One of the very first things I had to do was learn about leverage to bend the bow every time I used it so that I could get the string placed correctly on the bow.  You probably cannot imagine the problem but it was huge for a little guy (that is a relative term as I was always big).  Then I had to learn how to place the arrow on the bow and pull back the string to maximize the force and distance plus the accuracy of the arrow and of course I had to aim it as well.  The hard part or the painful part was when you let go of the arrow and string and the string would whip your arm if you did not hold the bow properly.  Man, it really hurt!

So what is the point?  or what do you learn in the Osage?

1. expensive toys don't create the fun and innovation, it is the boy
2. little things and simple things teach great lessons in life like logic, innovation, confidence, endurance and ultimately character
3. give a child tools to create and imagination will be created
4. The greatest gift you can give a child is his imagination and creativity (not counting his knowledge of the goodness of God)

Well, thanks for listening,

gary 

gary@thepioneerman.com

If you would like a copy of my book it is available on Amazon and all profits go to Wings (www.wingsok.org) to support adults with special needs.  Get a copy and make me happy.

thanks,

gary

How about those good old days?

I thoroughly love growing up in the Osage and "the good old days" but I remember my mom saying the good old days were not as good as many said.  She did not like carrying water to the house, yes carrying water to the house because there was no water in the house.  In fact you had to walk outside in all kinds of weather and physically pump with your arms an old fashioned water pump to fill a bucket of water.  Typically you carried two buckets as it was about as easy to carry two verses one and it saved time.  Another thing which today sounds cool, she walked about 2 miles to school each day and if lucky someone would come by with a horse and offer a ride.  Interestingly enough just south of the old Grainola School there use to be a shed where students would park their horses for the day.  I guess you could say it was the first parking garage.

Another favorite thing of "the good old days" was that you took your baths in a galvanized tub much like the bucket but generally outdoors and if you wanted warm water (not hot unless you were really lucky) you heated a bucket of water on the wood or coal burning stove and added it to the tub.  I was blessed that I got to perform this bathing ritual at Grandma Annie's in her back yard on occasion, NOT FUN unless you just liked everyone getting to watch.

Another favorite was the outhouses.  That is a small building about 3 to 4 feet square in the back yard sitting over a deep hole in the ground.  Inside the house was a board that you sat on or stood at that had a hole in it where you relieved yourself.  There were a few challenges to this that I remember getting to participate in.  First, they/we did not have toilet paper so the common thing was a Sears (yes the one that is about to be closed forever) catalog hung on a wire where you would tear out a page and clean up your mess.  There was none of that stuff we have today to sanitize your hands or the seat.  I felt sorry for the girls having to sit all the time.  Later and actually when I was quit small we started getting toilet paper which was marvelous. Probably the worst was going to the bathroom/outhouse in the winter or during the rain or ice storm.

OH ya, how about doing the dishes?  Yep, you had to carry water into the house for that as well and if you wanted hot or warm water you had to heat it as well.  And what about soap?  I remember making soap a few times out of hog lard.  And yes, we had to kill and butcher the hog and of course we smoked the meat for bacon and ham.  All I really remember about making soap is that we cooked it in a large black steel pot outside and it stunk and you had to feed the wood pile a lot of keep it going plus you had to stir the pot for what seemed like hours.  My mom loved it when Dial soap came about and that lie soap was no longer needed.  I actually think that soap ate the hide off of a person and that is why they considered it cleaning with soap.  Kind of reminds me of the Beverly Hill Billies and Granny who used lie soap.  If you have never seen it, try it out on Netflix or Amazon. I am sure you can find it somewhere.  

Well I guess I had better go but those were "the good old days" and some of the things were not so good.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• good old days are what you make of them and they really are good old days because they make you remember what is really important 
• the future is yours to grab and run with, don't blame your circumstances, it is your choices 
• life will always have challenges because that is what Christ promises us but that is how we stay focused on Him and the future is ours to have, it is our/your choice to make it good

Thanks for listening,

gary

golson21@hotmail.com

If you would like a copy of our book, electronic is on Amazon Kindle under the name "Home on The Range, by Gary Olson", and if you want a paper back copy it will be out around the first of April or perhaps in March 2019.  All profits will go to Wings (www.wingsok.org) which is a non-profit for adults with special needs.  If you want a signed copy send a donation of $25 or more to Wings for a donation and I will send you a free signed copy.  If you would like, designate it for building a house for adults with special needs as we need about $500,000 for a house.  Well, that was a mouthful and thanks again for listening.

It is Julian's fault

It sure makes me nervous but we published my book today on Amazon kindle. I'm sure there are things that need to be fixed. If you would like a hard cover book they should be available in a couple of weeks. All profits from the book will be given to Wings which is a community for adults with special needs.  Some folks, amazing to me, want signed copies so if you write a check to Wings for $25 or more I will pay for the book and shipping and you can get a deduction for a donation to a 501c3.  Their website is wingsok.org and it should be a few weeks for us to get paper copies.  if you need my address send me an email to golson21@hotmail.com and I will respond and you can send me your address where to ship the book once I receive them.  I know of at least 4 people that want one, my 3 children and my mom.  If you want an electronic copy go to Amazon Kindle and it is $1.99 and if you want a paperback it will be available on Amazon in a few weeks for $19.95, I think and if you are an Amazon Prime member shipping is free.

Home on the Range: Life Lessons in the Osage

by Gary Olson, Julian Codding

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In the style of Will Rogers, Gary Olson shares the life lessons that have guided him, all learned growing up in Osage County Oklahoma. Wisdom, mistakes, how to live a good life.

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66 and climbing - Route 66

What happens when you turn 66?  I don't know yet!  I just got there yesterday, 12/9/2018.

So what happens now?

• Think about "do I go on Social Security"
• Start complaining about my aches and pains
• Say what I want and not worry about the consequences
• Plan a vacation
• Start painting again
• Take a hobby to the next level, like photography
• Play and enjoy my granddaughter

It is not like I just starting thinking about these things but I have arrived at what I like to call 

ROUTE 66

Yes, I am on that route now and the question is where is it taking me or am I taking it?

As you probably figured out I am going to plan something "even if it is wrong" as my dad use to say.

SO, what is meaningful that I can do the rest of my life becomes my overriding question.

• as of right now I am
• coaching / helping folks (free of charge) who have financial trouble get a plan together to get out of debt
• helping folks figure out if they need a financial advisor and how much they should pay
• playing with my grand-daughter
• helping my children/adults when they ask me to help with something
• attempting to say "yes" to my wife more when she needs help

Well, that is a short update and not much funny.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• look for the prize not the effort less you spend your time thinking about the pain
• the greatest years are always before you no matter the consequences
• life is like a glow stick, you have to break it to see the light

Thanks for listening,

gary@thepioneerman.com

I thought getting older would take longer than it did

Do you remember thinking 21 was over the hill?  I use to give Larry, Janie, Sally, Billy and Susie and Debbie a lot of crap about being over the hill or going over the hill.  I guess that is one of the pleasures of being the youngest and it is pay back time for all the crap they gave me.  Well, I passed 21 about 45 years ago this December and I never thought I would get old this fast.  How about you?

If you think I was the first one to think this up, check out Psalm 39:4-7 where it says we are to number our days …..that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  Now if you don't think you are getting older and you have decided you are now going to do all those things you wanted to do when you wanted to do them check these stories out.

 A friend of mine retired and he was kind of a big deal in a lot of ways (big deal meaning he was very successful) and he was going to do what he wanted when he wanted and how he wanted.  Well, one of the things that changes is that your spouse has more access to your time.  He was told he needed to find some sprinkles and not just any type, style or color.  Do you get it?  Honey-do list!

My story is tonight I was going to a bible study and my wife, Shouna, called and she needed something done asap.  Yep, I changed my plans.  Well, as it turned out she did it and I was off the hook.

Actually I am really enjoying slowing down and focusing on things I really enjoy and hopefully less stressful.  I am doing more of the things I enjoy like mentoring a few folks, helping folks create a budget, showing folks how to save money and one surprise for me is that I have helped several folks shop for a financial advisor.  It is really fun when I help folks save money, reduce car payments, shop for cheaper life, home and auto insurance and not having anything to sell as I don't even want to.  If you want someone independent from the decision meaning they don't get a commission for making a certain decision, call me and I will help.  I might charge you a fee but you are guaranteed to save more than I charge you, else it is free.

Have you noticed as you get older that faster your bones hurt and more friends are dying on you than you care to think?  Have you noticed that many friends are writing books and trying to document their life stories?  In fact Julian Codding is encouraging me to make a book of my blog.  I am thinking about it.  If anyone remembers or knows Joe Heath from Ponca, he wrote a book about his travels to Alaska with some friends (go look on Amazon) or Brian Phillips of Ponca wrote a book of essays (on Amazon) and then there is Harvey Payne's book of pictures of the Osage (Amazon).  Everyone is writing something.  I bought all three of these and in fact a few extras for Christmas presents (Don't tell Larry or Debbie).

What does all this say?
or
What do you learn in the Osage?

• write your story, if for no other reason than for your kids
• everyday you are writing your story / Legacy to your family in memories so don't blow it
• A life worth living is a life worth passing on, if you want to pass on your values and principals to future and current family, write it down.

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@thepioneerman.com

What do you do when you are 40 years old and have cancer?

Ya, that really sucks but I ran across someone in this situation and he is married with two children.  This reminded me of growing up in the Osage where we prepared for tomorrow way early!  I recall how we would put up vegetables in Ball jars and peaches and other fruit so that we would have food all winter and beyond.  We had a cellar (underground storage place to store food during the hot summer and cold winters) where we put potatoes (huge piles of them on the floor) and even a pumpkin or two plus all the hundreds and I do mean hundreds of jars of food.  

My favorite was the sweet pickles my mom would make.  We would pick cucumbers (those are pre-pickles and specifically I tell you this for my friend from NY City who 40 years ago thought pickles grew on trees).  I hope he still likes me after telling that on him.  Then those cucumbers were placed in 5 gallon crocks (clay pots) where mom added spices and vinegar and they fermented for days or weeks.  Our back porch was in a pickle.  I know, bad humor.  Anyway, we then put them in Ball jars and then into a pressure cooker to seal the jars for storage.  They would last for years in those jars in the cellar.  

My least favorite was pickled watermelon rind.  I never could figure that one out.  I am really glad we never put celery in those jars.  Celery is sinful.

Back to the young man with cancer:  We are working on figuring things out and pray for a good outcome.  Here are a few items you should check on or call me and I will tell you what to do.

• do you have adequate disability insurance
• do you have life insurance and how often do you check prices
• do you have too much or too little insurance
• have you prepared a will or trust, do you know what you should pay 

I don't sell insurance but I help folks answer these questions, so if you need help call 405-410-2918.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• It is pretty obvious, get prepared for the unknown or unexpected
• You know something is coming that you may not like but a little faith and action can mitigate your anxiety and especially your family's mental well being
• As it says in the book, Think and Grow Rich, tithe and save 

Well, thanks for listening,

gary

gary@thepioneerman.com

Meaningful work

I suppose everyone wants to always do meaningful work but I am finding myself 65 years old and basically retiring but wanting to do meaningful work the rest of my life.  SOOOOOOOO, thanks to my wife helping me come up with the right words "meaningful work" I found my retirement calling.  Now don't get too worked up because I really don't want to work 40, 50 or 60 hours a week, maybe 20.  The rest I want to spend with grand-kids (Grace), gardening, drinking coffee with friends and ministry projects like my sunday school newsletter or blogging.  Sure hope someone reads this stuff.

So here goes: Basically I am doing 3 things,

1. helping folks select a financial advisor which I have already done several times in 3 or 4 weeks.  One person I saved over $8,000 per year and they have same investments.  Long story but call me if you want help in this area.  405-410-2918.
2. showing folks how to organize their financial matters so when something happens to one person there is a plan document on what to do.  I  would like to think this was my idea but my wife asked me over 35 years ago what should she do if something happened to me so I organized and developed a book on precisely what to do.  She loved me for it.
3. coaching young and old on how to build a budget, manage debt (get it paid off) and how to get ready for retirement.  

Actually there is a lot more to it but this is a pretty good idea of what I am doing and yes I charge for the help but so far I have helped every and I do mean every person save more than it cost them.

Back to retirement: 

    I watched my mom and dad retire and it looks about the same for me as it did for them.  They always were busy doing something and what I loved most was their hearts for helping others.  Dad left a legacy of hard work and helping others and Mom is still kicking at 90 but she does not get out too much these days.  I will say she walked 5 miles a day up until about 2 years ago and she was always a work horse until the dementia grabbed hold of her mind.  She is still beautiful as ever but just missing a link in her mental chain here and there.  I guess I should mention this is at least the second retirement I formally took.   The first one was about 14 years ago and that is a long story.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• Build a legacy for your kids and grand-kids and in my case it was an excellent work ethic and you can see it all the way up and down the family tree.  I am very proud of my kids and nephews and nieces who are all hard workers and productive citizens.  We are blessed.
• Love others and forgive often, just like Jesus would do.
• Find something "meaningful" to do or another way to say it, "retire to something not from something"

Thanks for listening,

gary@thepioneerman.com

or 

golson21@hotmail.com