Dr. Larry Olson - living on Beaver Creek

 

Dr. Larry Olson – living on Beaver Creek

For some reason Larry was always little, like dad, and I was always big like Uncle Olie (Minnesota Uncle).  Larry use to pick on me until I was about the 2^nd grade when I got bigger than him.  The doctor told my folks I would always be small because I was so sick as a little boy but by the time I was in the second grade I was taller than Mrs. Casselman, my teacher.  It was kind of embarrassing.  As soon as I was able, Larry stopped pestering me.  That means I retaliated. 

Larry and Dad but mostly Larry, taught me to hunt and fish.  Dad was especially good at teaching me to work.  Larry could milk a cow by hand faster than anyone I remember except Grandma Annie Lane.  Dad was pretty good too.  I was so glad we got rid of the dairy, but it left us with Jersey (our milk cow) and she had to be hand milked every day, twice a day.  I hated milking and I was not good at it.  She could handle two calves and still provide all the milk we needed.  I should mention that when the cow would slap Larry with its tail or the hobbles would get loose and she would kick-the-bucket (literally), Larry could rally cut one loose with words.  Many of you know what I mean and especially all those folks from Edisto or South Carolina who knew him. 

Ok, back to fishing and hunting.  Larry was the smart one and always talked me into acting like the bird dogs and walking down in the creek to jump the quail (we never had bird dogs).  That allowed him to get a better shot.  He hunted mostly with a 410 or Dad’s old 20-gauge bolt action and he was patient and accurate.  Billy Snyder would hunt with us on occasion (he is first cousin and Gladys’ son and Suzie’s brother).  They were the same age, and I still got the dirty work of crawling up and down the creek bed.  I actually loved it. 

I should also tell you that Larry and Bill were squirrel hunters, and me as well.  We had those big red squirrels and we never got skunked.  On occasion we would kill one and it would crawl into its nest.  NO problem, we always needed firewood as our house was mostly heated with firewood.  Dad would never let us leave a squirrel in a tree.  We had to cut it down and split the logs and of course carry it to the house.  One of those trees could supply a lot of wood.  To say the least Larry was great with a chain saw and so was dad.  I was the splitter (we did not have one of those fancy log splitters) and I did it the old-fashioned way with a sledge, steel wedges and an ax.  I would load the trailer.  Do you notice that Larry always got the easier part of the job?  Ask Becky Davis at Edisto, she would agree with this, or Bob Webb.  Bill and Larry always had really cool 22 rifles with scopes and I would have a Ruger 22 without a scope.  They were great shots.  Fishing, we will get to it.

I suppose I should go and get some work done.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• Some folks get handed the books when God made them and some get the looks, go figure
• God made some of us humble and some of us prideful, go figure
• Time spent with family is more important than who was best

Thanks for listening,

Gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

A Brother worth having, Dr. Larry Olson

 

Larry Olson

We were raised on Beaver Creek 1 mile north and 3 west of Grainola, OK.  On a few hundred acres plus leased ground of a few sections.  He was the oldest and I think he was perfect in every way.  As a younger brother by 3.5 years he was my teacher and boss when Dad was not around.  We were always work aholics (is that a word) in work and play.  If we were not working with the cattle, hogs or chickens we were fishing and hunting up and down Beaver creek and I should say for hours and hours at a time.  Mom never worried about us as she knew we would come back if we got hungry. 

We raised registered Herefords and commercial cross cattle and what seemed like thousands of hogs.  It was not.  We also raised row crops like maize and corn plus alfalfa and wheat.  Every year we raised and showed cattle and hogs for the Osage county livestock show.  I would say the highlight was when Larry won the grand champion steer and I won the reserve grand champion steer.  Of course, Larry was an excellent livestock judger and until he graduated high school and started judging at OSU, he was the best, but he taught me to be the best after he left.  One year while on the OSU livestock judging team, he was also one of the judges who took judging the orals at livestock shows.  He gave me the worst score I ever received only to find out it was the best score he gave.  I was mad as hell at him until I found out.  I won the judging contest.  He was a great teacher.

Larry was always the best and most organized and it showed when he was at the highest level in Boy Scouts, 4-H, baseball where he pitched a perfect game, hunting where he was the best and fastest shot in quail hunting and red squirrel hunting. Raising cattle, hauling and bailing hay, driving a tractor, giving speeches at the state speech contests, in his studies valedictorian and at OSU the Presidents honor roll, he even ironed his own shirts.  He was like a nut that does not fall far from the tree, he was just like mom in perfection and like Dad in working hard and long every day.  He was always a leader in 4-H, the Methodist Youth Fellowship, and Oklahoma Hereford Association where he was President at one time. 

Larry was amazing with all the nieces and nephews and my daughter Wynter was the first one.  He would do anything she asked including having a fake tea party or watching the Smurfs.  He was the same with every child in the family and in particular Ryan Crow who wrote the following and I read this to him not 10 minutes before he passed:

 

Uncle Larry,

You will never know how special you were to me. You're the reason I know how to fish and why I love it so much. You taught me everything I know. I remember the day you showed me how to put the pink bubble gum fluke on my hook. I caught a pretty big bass shortly after that. I also remember the day we were on the boat on Richard's pond and I accidentally hooked a bob wire fence that was in the water. I felt so bad but you helped me out of it. I can't tell you how many times I hooked trees, fences, or grass and you always talked me through it and got it out and I never lost the bait. You mean so much to me and always will. I can't wait to fish with you in heaven and catch the biggest fish we've ever caught. I love you Uncle Larry and always will. Thanks for everything you've taught me.

I guess I should mention a couple things he was not perfect in, at least in my mind.  Once when he was about 12, we were supposed to burn off some dead brush piles.  Well, we poured about a gallon of gas on the pile then Larry bent down on his knees with a match and it exploded.  It burnt his eye brows and the hair on the front and sides of his face.  Luckily his skin was ok.  Another area where he was not perfect was when he ran over me with the truck.  Basically he pinned me between the barn and the truck and I still have a crease in my leg to prove it.  It was the only time I ever saw him cry as he thought he had killed me.

Here is Larry‘s (Dr. Olson)  fishing lunch menu:  beanie weenies, Famous Amos cookies, Cheez-its and there might be some Baby Ruth’s.  Those are his standard meal while fishing. 

Thanks for listening,

A Life Well Lived, Dr. Larry W. Olson,

By Gary Olson (brother)

 

 

Dr. Larry W. Olson April 19, 1949 to December 29th 2021

 

Obituary

Dr. Larry W. Olson, PhD

April 19^th, 1949 to December 29, 2021

Larry Wayne Olson went to his eternal home on December 29th, 2021. He was born in Winfield, Kansas to Clifford and Opal Olson. Larry received his undergraduate at Oklahoma State University and his master’s and PhD at the University of Nebraska. 

Larry had a passion for detail. At an early age, he developed a love for cattle and fishing while working on his parents farm and ranch in Osage County outside of Grainola, Oklahoma.  Larry graduated from Shidler High School with many honors, especially in 4-H on a local and state level.  He never wavered about his dream of building a bull and cattle research facility once he received his doctorate.   At Clemson University he was:

 Professor and Founder of the Edisto Forage Bull Test

Throughout life he loved to fish. He could tell you how many fish he caught each day and every year, the weather on that day, location, and lure he caught them on.  His focus for detail was unmatched in his career and fishing.

He loved his nieces and nephews, grand-nieces, and nephews.   He purposed to do anything they wished including having tea parties. Ultimately, he taught everyone to fish, THE RIGHT WAY.  It was especially heart warming at Christmas to see the fun gifts he gave his great-nieces and nephews.  The most recent gift was Pink Bubble Gum Supper Flukes.  Even those who were too young to fish received the prized Bubble Gum Supper Flukes.

Larry was a humble person. He loved Oklahoma, Osage County, and the country life, but he loved South Carolina, as well. He lived in Barnwell, South Carolina for 41 years and built a life there with many committed and kind friends.  In retirement he fished, literally, every day weather permitting.  His last recorded fishing date was late October and he documented 1350 bass in the boat for 2021.  I am certain he is fishing in heaven and talking to all the cowboys who went before him.

He is survived by his mother, Opal Olson (93) of Hennessey, Ok., sister Debbie and husband Butch Schaefer of Perry, brother Gary and wife Shouna Olson of Edmond, nephew Preston Olson and niece Wynter and husband William Casallas and their children Brecklyn and Brookston of Oklahoma City, nephew Chase his wife Kathryn and three children, Grace, Kelli and Cara of Edmond, nephew Cliff and wife Suzanne Crow of Kingfisher, and three children, Jayden (husband Jace) Flewellen, Zac and Ryan, Richard and wife Nancy Crow of Perry ,and three children, Alex, wife Kyleigh and daughter Ellie Opal, Megan and Clifton. 

In lieu of flowers make a donation to:

The South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association.  PO Box 207, Saluda, SC 29138.
Please make checks payable to the South Carolina Junior Beef Round-Up Larry Olson Scholarship Fund.

We would love to hear from you, especially your memories and stories of Larry.  Please send them to:

Gary Olson

12501 Dutch Forest Pl.

Edmond, Ok 73013

Or email to gary@mylifelegacy.co

 

 

2021 12 29 Larry-the nut does not fall too far from the tree

 In about 1958 Dad and Mom built a new house on Beaver Creek, one mile north and 3 west or 1 mile east of Vea and Eddy Harris.  I was 6 years old and big for my age (always was until folks caught up with me at about 13 or 14 years old).  Larry and Debbie were in the Grainola Grade School, and I was home helping dad build that house.  I should tell you that after we built the new house, which was about 2 feet from the old house, Mrs. Heath (postmaster) purchased the house and moved it to Grainola and the front porch was finished out to be the new post office.  Mrs. Heath (Jimmy's grandmother) lived in the house and worked in the new refurbished porch.  Anyway, I was in charge of doing anything dad needed, like getting nails or a board, just whatever.  I did not know it at the time, but dad was teaching me a set of skills that would last a lifetime.  I learned what a 16-penny nail and every variation of that plus the difference in hammers and crow bars or nail bars, different types of saws, etc.  But here is where Larry comes into the picture.

Larry and I had a room we shared in the new house on the Northwest corner with a giant elm tree right outside the window where we built a huge tree house (Larry and I built it, not dad).  Dad built a desk in 1958 for our room and if you look in the attached picture, lower left, you will see that same desk.  Larry has taken it to OSU, U of Nebraska where he received his masters and doctorate, U of Wisconsin where he did his thesis and then to Clemson University/Edisto by Barnwell, SC where he basically built a bull and cattle research operation 41 years ago.  That makes this desk 63 years old and still being used.  He has added a few more screws and nails to keep it working.  The drawers still work like a charm.  You might notice that his fishing tackle is extremely well organized.  Well, I have to tell you that when we were little, he was extremely well organized.  In fact, I would suggest that is why he was so successful at keeping records on cattle and working with a team of folks at Edisto to build a well-known bovine research facility.  I guess I am just proud of him and the life he has lived.  One of the funny and interesting things about Larry is he can tell you precisely how many bass he has caught each year going back to at least 1983.  This year he has 1029 bass, and he records each one and what they were caught on and what the weather was plus of course the location.  When I say location, I mean down to where at on the pond or lake.

Forgot one thing, Mom was an extremely well-organized person as well and very thrifty.  Therefore, Larry did not fall far from the tree.

So, what do you learn about Larry and the Osage?

• If you build it right, it will last a lifetime
• The value is not in the desk, but the memories made 
• Organization can make you successful in a career and life and of course fishing

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

• 
  

 2021 12 20 -- Larry worked with Becky Davis and Mac (her husband the singer, just fyi) for over 30 years.  Becky laughs and tells about Larry’s idiosyncrasies.  For example:  Larry liked to talk in third person, “Larry does not do oil and gas powered”.  That means he got rid of his boat with a gas and oil engine and he does not mow lawns.  On the other hand when getting ready for a production sale (that is when they sell bulls and cows at Edisto) and things needed “neated” (not really a word but you get it), he would get out the weed eater and mower and get after it.  Mac or Bob I think told him he could ask for help but Larry just was about getting things done.  In fact his allergies were terrible but he would do the work anyway.  Another thing Becky shared was Larry did not spend time telling folks good morning or the likes but rather would have a list of things to go over and get done each day.  In fact each year they would wean the calves on labor day (that means take the babies away from their mommas) and it made for a very long day.  Becky enlightened Larry that most folks either take labor day off or at least take it a little easier.  She suggested that they could do it over a couple days and not make it so miserable of a day.  Larry, in his normal way, responded with a shrug and “OK” and things were changed permanently.  You see Larry believed in doing things the same way every time so there are no mistakes and everyone knows what to expect, especially him.

Larry was funny in this way but if you take a peek at his boat (or boats, but that is another story) you would understand things get done very systematically.  Now that I think about it when he was a kid and we roomed together (yes, small house with 3 bedrooms and Debbie got hers and Larry and I shared one) he was the same way.  I remember when he decided to practice being a pitcher for baseball.  He literally wore out his shoe dragging it during pitches.  So, he got a metal toe protector for his shoe.  I do not believe anyone ever practiced or worked as hard as Larry to get perfection.  In fact, I watched the only baseball game (another story) he every got to pitch and it was a NO HITTER.  Pretty good, huh?

So what do you learn from your brother, in the Osage?

·       Perfection can sometimes blind us from a better process

·       Humility is wonderful when it is sincere

·       Practice makes perfect

·       Larry is a ‘life worth living’ and I love him for it

Thanks for listening,

gary@mylifelegacy.co

please email me any stories you have about my brother and I may/might use them on the blog or in a book.

 

 

Mac and Becky Davis, Bob Webb, me, John Mueller

With a little memory help I am going to write stories on my brother, Dr. Larry Olson, not just from memory but his friends and other family memories.  So one of the things I want to ask of YOU is to please send me stories you remember about my brother.  They only have to be your perspective and at least 80% true.  Send those to gary@mylifelegacy.co and I may or may not add them to the blog and hopefully a book.  So here goes.

Dr. John Mueller of Edisto (don’t say Adesto or Bob Webb will know you are not from around here) use to fish with Larry and of course they worked at Edisto Research and Education Center near Barnwell, SC.  He said when Larry was shopping for fishing equipment and in particular lures, when Larry found what he wanted he would reach all the way to the back of the display and take ALL of those available.  In fact I can tell you from personal experience that if there is a supply chain problem (2020 and 2021) Bass Pro Shops only needs to call Larry to resupply their inventory.  He has thousands of lures and plastic worms and Bubblegum SuperFlukes all displayed in one of his rooms.  I also should say he has thousands more in well organized and labeled clear plastic boxes.  As a side note every Christmas, he gave all the nieces and nephews and especially the girls fishing lures.  In fact he gave the bright pink Bubblegum SuperFlukes  to the girls.  Now in case you don’t know it each packet contains at least 10 or up to 20.  I don’t know about you but why would a 6 month old, 1, 2, and 3 year old need all those Bubblegum SuperFluckes?  Strangely enough, the girls loved them and played with them.  We found them everywhere, but apparently they are good for bass fishing.  Did I mention that Larry has 6 bass mounted on his dining room wall that are between 11.5 Lbs. and 12.5 Lbs.?

Well, as you know I like to end with a little wisdom and have added a money saving tip so:

What do you learn in the Osage?

·       Bubblegum Supperflukes are not just for fishing

·       A gift from the heart is more important than what it cost

·       It is the memories that we create that are the real value in life

Thanks for listening,

gary@mylifelegacy.co

What is your story?

Save a few bucks: Get married because two can live cheaper than one as long as one does not eat and one goes naked.  Sorry, that was just too much fun.  Here goes a real one: Instead of having expensive letterhead, get a good quality printer (I use an HP Office Jet 6300, about $150), nice quality paper (be careful when ordering but I ordered online from Office Depot and saved a bunch by purchasing a case, Note:  some companies don’t include the same number of sheets in a case or order), then develop what you want your stationary to look like.   It is easier and dramatically cheaper.

A Wet Wooly and save a few bucks

Larry Olson and Kenny Kelsey                  Sally and Beth Shumate

Now you may not know what I am talking about when I say I first learned about a wet wooly, but I am going to tell you.  At our house in Grainola there were many times that the Snyders (Gladys, Billy and Suzie) and/or the Shumates (Mrs., Janie, and Sally) would visit us, 1 mile North and 3 West down on Beaver Creek.  That of course is from downtown Grainola.  

One evening the Shumate family was at our house and Larry and Sally and myself were sitting on our very old brown couch (it never wore out).  I think Larry and Sally were both in college at the time and they had learned some new antics.  Anyway, Sally was sitting between the two of us and Sally (at least I think it was her) stuck her finger in her mouth and got it nice and wet, then she stuck it in my ear.  I thought it was Larry, so I put my hand behind Sally and pushed her forward.  Then I took my fist and let Larry have it on his shoulder.  I forgot to mention that the wet finer being put in my ear is a WET WOOLY.  Well, I hit him so hard he rolled over the arm of the couch and fell on the floor yelling.  I did not feel bad one bit for that and even if Sally did it, they were both guilty as they were laughing and a little too proud for their trickery.

Next week, December 21st, 2021, Shouna and I will be married 25 happy years.  Not bad 25 out of 47, that was a joke.  Anyway, I tried a wet wooly on my wife early on in our marriage and it just did not go over too well.  I thought it was pretty funny, but not her.

So, what do you learn from your big brother or what do you learn in the Osage?

• A wet wooly is not a good idea in making your wife happy
• Orneriness behavior has its roots in the Osage
• Older brothers can be a pain in the ear
• Memories are good for the heart

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

How to save a few bucks:  call your friends and learn to play cards, like 10-point pitch or spades.  It can save you a lot of money rather than going out to eat and you will create better friends and memories.

You don't know what you think you know

Well, I am here in South Carolina with my brother Larry who is in the hospital.  You might not be like me, but I bet you are.  

I think of Larry, my brother, as a recluse and not particularly well-known or has any close friends but a great fisherman and OCD about fishing and cattle.  Larry has been in the hospital or rehab hospital since November 1st, 2021, and today is December 14th, 2021.  What I have learned is that he is not a recluse, has a huge list of close friends that love and admire him and that he has been very successful on a national basis in the cattle business.  WOW!  To me, he was just my big brother, and I was proud of the fact he had a PHD and was called Doctor Olson.  I was also pleased to find out he believes in God and knows Jesus.  I am blessed by the time I have been spending with him and what I have learned.

What I remember about him was he loved to quail hunt and he and I would hunt for hours and hours without a dog and of course he was a great shooter.  He also was a great fisherman, and we would fish for hours and hours when we could get away from farm and ranch work.  We would seine for minnows or dig worms or get some liver out of the freezer (for catfishing) and head for the creek behind the house (Beaver Creek).  I should comment that since dad did not like liver it was free game to use it for fish bait.  Mom liked it but no one else did at our house, but that is another story.

What is interesting to me is that all that OCD stuff and love of fishing and cattle has not stopped.  Just in case you don't know what OCD is:  it is a passion for being orderly and very detailed.  His house is the most organized place in America.  Every cabinet and every room and every file are well documented and labeled and organized.  Even his shirts are not just organized but evenly spaced and placed on hangers that are color coded for how they are washed and ironed.  Yes, he does iron his own clothes.  When he was in college he would not let mom iron his shirts as he was very picky then as well.  His socks and underwear are folded and organized in the drawers.  There is no clutter, not even under the bathroom sinks.

OK, back to his friends and South Carolina.  The outpouring of love and admiration for Larry was shocking as I had no idea.  Kevin Yon shared that Larry has done more for ranches across America than about anyone he knows.  Becky Davis worked with Larry for 30+ years at Edisto/Clemson and she talks fondly of Larry and what a good boss he was.  She shared how he always had a list of things to do even when she and her husband Mac ran into him in a Cincinatti airport.  They called out to him and instead of saying hello, Larry talked about what they needed to do when they got back to home.  Very focused!  Phil Perry and David Gasda and Melissa McCleod all shared what a good friend he was and how helpful he was to them and their family.  They may have been blessed, but I was enormously blessed.

So, what does this teach me?  What do you learn in the Osage?

• Write down the stories of your family, NOW
• What you think you know is not the real story
• Remember the best of a person, forget the bad, it only hurts you

If you are mad or upset with someone, you might want to find out what they are thinking because it is probably only half the story, your half.

Thanks for listening, 

gary@mylifelegacy.co

if you need to talk:  405-410-2918 or text

Stealing Apples, Who done it?

 I could say that this is a way to save money or that boys will be boys or you can just call it stealing.  Anyway, Hugh Allen Jones (commonly known as Heard or Herd or one of the Grainola 5 sometimes 6) use to chase the apple truck that stopped by the school each year and grab an apple or two.  I was too slow to ever catch anything much less the apple truck so don't think I was a good boy because I wanted to chase that truck or more importantly steal me an apple.  Honestly I don't know that the apple man ever knew what was happening or just ignored it but it sure got my adrenalin going as Hugh would generally share his take with us.  

Now I would call this the good old days because if you got caught, most likely you would just get a whoopin (that is country code for spanking) and probably have to pay for the apple.  As I remember it was 5 cents for the apple if you bought one.  The good thing about Hugh Allen is he always had the guts to challenge the standard.  Basically I was a chicken about those kind of things.  

Now I know I told about the time I stole one of those pressure valves to air up a basketball from the local Otasco store.  I sure did feel guilty about that.  Joe Curnutt owned the store and he raised two kids who turned out pretty good, Buddy and Shirley.  Knowing Joe, he probably would have given it to me as I did not have the money and I think it was a dime.  

What this reminds me of is over the years I have not stolen anything I remember but I sure know I have some regrets.  I don't regret my failures as much as I do regret some of those stupid things I have said.  If you don't know it, when you say something you cannot ever take it back.  I remember one time I made a comment about an SUV to someone who had just bought one.  I told them I would never buy one and that they (the suv) were very ugly.  I have since lost count but I have purchased several.  My worst "stuck my foot in my mouth" event came (and still comes out on occasion) was when I said something bad about a person.  Man, I wish I could take those words back.

Well, I guess I should wrap this up.  So what do you learn in the Osage?

• that sticks and stones poem is one of the biggest lies ever told
• no matter what you think, we need to keep a filter on our mouths 
• don't say something you will regret
• If you are going to steel an apple, don't get one with a worm in it

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

Does everyone get to have an accident in a vehicle?

 I don't know about you but I almost don't want to talk about an accident as that might be admitting that one is coming.  That reminds me of the story about motorcycle riders, either you have been in a wreck or are going to be in one.  Are there any exceptions out there?  Let me know.

Ok, so here is my first accident:  My red Chevy was sitting in front of the Dixie Dog in Shidler, Oklahoma and someone crushed my door.  Luckily I was not in the car and because I lived where folks are honest and have integrity, someone came and admitted they had run into my car.  What would you do?  My second wreck was in Kentucky where I was selling books door to door, thanks to Harold Codding.  You see I heard that Harold made over $6000 in one summer selling books and I knew that if Harold could do it, I could.  So I called him up and said I wanted to try it.  Now I should also tell you about Harold and how he took home a check for over $6000 from that summer job.  Harold is and always was the All American Boy whom every mother wanted their daughter to marry.  He was kind, thoughtful and good looking and very athletic.  So during that summer he went to a local church and asked if there was anyone who would like to rent a room for the summer.  This sweet old lady charged him $10 per week and fixed him breakfast and dinner.  She fell for his sweet personality like every girl in school.  Lucky guy!!!  No wonder he came home with so much money.

Back to the story:  I was driving in my Pontiac Lemans (big mistake in that I sold that 1963 red Chevy for $300 and bought the 1968 Pontiac, can you imagine what that Chevy would be worth today?) and this county truck was moving very slow and no blinkers were used.  So I passed him and just as I did he turned left and caught my back bumper sending me sailing into the ditch which was more than a ditch because I was on the side of one of those smokie mountains and the ditch was very deep.  Luckily it was about the end of the summer and I was delivering books to those who ordered them.  Did I mention I was in Corbin, Kentucky and Colonel Sanders lived there and I got to meet him right by where I was living?  My car was totaled and I was not hurt except for my feelings and pride.  The car was laying on its side in the ditch and I crawled out and there were lots of folks trying to help me out.  It was a huge crowd.  I cannot tell you how many times that day I heard, "it's the bible salesman, is he OK?".  God had a plan for me that day.  One of the folks that saw my problem told me to come by their house and they would loan me a car to finish out the summer (about 2 weeks).  Well, I went to their house and sitting in their driveway was an old late model Chevy.  I assumed that was the one but you will not believe what happened.  They let me borrow a brand new red Chevy Impala with less than 300 miles on it.  On top of that they bought another $80 worth of books and many of their family members purchased as well.  There are great people out there, you just need to get to know them.

There is a lot more to this story but it was one of those wonderful experiences that taught me a lot.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• There are good people everywhere
• Do unto others as you want to be treated?
• Give and give until you can give no more, then gives some more and you will be blessed more than you can every imagine.

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

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Out house or in house - save money and save the environment

 I was just sitting here thinking about how to save a few bucks and remembered when many folks had out-houses.  It seems to me that we could lower green houses gases and save the earth if we went back to out-houses.  You see if we stopped flushing those toilets so many times each day and stopped using the sewage system in the big cities we would save water and electricity and time.  Plus if we stopped using toilet paper and started using old catalogue's (it use to be the Sear's and Roebuck) or newspapers and junk mail we could save a lot of energy.  And don't forget all those fans we have in the bathrooms which we would not need.  In fact if we stopped having all those light fixtures which cost a lot to make and just had a single light bulb, even an inefficient one, hanging from the ceiling we would save a lot of electricity.  Let's don't forget the toilet which you have to flush multiple times now because the government wanted more efficient toilets, NOT!

Now this brings me to a few more money saving tips.  You know all those LED bulbs the government makes us buy which are supposed to last 7 to 25 years and in real life last only one or two years if you are lucky,  if we count all the manufacturing cost plus the land fill costs they probably don't save us a dime.  Now don't get me wrong, I kind of like the LED bulbs but I am tired of replacing bulbs that do not meet the 7 year warranty.  And besides, who has the time and energy to save the sales receipts for those bulbs and then spend the time and money chasing getting the warranty coverage.  

Now this brings me to another money saving thought.  I just read that each time that battery driven vehicle needs charged it actually costs around $12.  No one seems to be talking about that aspect plus what about wear and tare on the roads and the fact no taxes are recovered to pay for their share of the road repair.  One big problem I see is what happens if we have a giant infrastructure shut down due to ice and cold.  I guess that could never happen, ha ha.  Visualize this, all cars and trucks and cell phones and computers and houses are shut down because there is no electricity.  I was just talking to my brother in law who works on wind turbines and he was telling me how they were damaged and shut down due to the ice and snow.  So I have one question, wouldn't it be better to have a hybrid vehicle like the Prius which generates electricity and runs on gas making over 50 miles to a gallon?  I am just a country boy but that makes a lot of common sense to me.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• One man's trash is another man's treasure - think about it
• Common sense goes a long way
• Finally, I figured out what to do with all that junk mail.  Does anyone need a wipe?

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

 

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