The other day a co-worker of mine at my day job was fixing a computer issue I had with my iPad.
    As we visited, he said, “You remember the time you stopped in my office and said, ‘have a great day.’”
     “I’ll never forget that,” he told me.
    He really appreciated that I took the time to tell him that. You never know when a kind word or deed can make someone’s day.
    I’m often telling people to have a good day or saying something about them being the best around. In fact, I have been doing it all my life.
    There is no reason to go around being sour. Folks these days have enough on their plates to also be carrying around an old sour attitude. That’s like climbing a mountain with a sack of weights strapped to your back.
    Folks might feel better if they’d get rid of the bad attitude, stop complaining and give it their best.
   I remind myself of that often. I have tough days on occasion and more than once, I’ve complained about a situation or been upset about whatever it was going on in life.
    Overall, I try to have a good attitude and face life’s challenges head on while working through it all. When people ask me how I am doing? I always tell them, “It’s the best day ever,” which often gets looks of surprise.
    It’s a lot better than telling them I’m having a rotten day or some other sour comment. Words make a big difference in our lives.
    I enjoy being in Facebook. Most days I share a funny joke and it often brings comments, shares and hopefully a few smiles. On the other hand, there are a lot of Facebook users who need to lighten up a bit. They need to have a cup of coffee or a Mountain Dew and take a break and a deep breath. Maybe a nap will help!
    Some folks get crazy belligerent, telling people off and getting into political name calling and blaming one party and the other. After making a post some time back about gas prices, I had a fellow call people stupid because they believed a different way. That is uncalled for and doesn’t solve one problem or provide a solution.
   This is my Facebook advice, no one is going to change another person’s political view or opinion based on a Facebook post or comment. Let’s get back to using the social medial outlet to share photos, milestones, birthday, anniversaries, awards and honors and be kind and lift each other to do great things in life.
    Like my co-worker, I too enjoy hearing a kind word.
    A few years ago I was enjoying lunch at a Grinnell eatery, when a young girl and her mother stopped at my table to visit. The young girl was smiling as she shared about the ribbons she had won with her 4-H photography. I had taught a course in photography and this young girls had been in attendance. They stopped to thank me for my advice and help. And they’ve come to me in the years since for advice on photos. That’s nice and is much appreciated.
    And a couple years ago, I had a 4-H’er, now a young married adult, tell me that she got into photography because of me. I’m honored and thankful that I made a difference in her life.
   I leave you with this advice. My momma was a good woman and she and dad took me to church and taught me the importance of doing unto others as I would want them to do unto me. I’ve based my life on that principal and it’s made a difference.
   Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

     Like many big towns, my hometown of Tulsa had a variety of shopping options from mom and pop stores to five and dime stores, large department stores the lined the downtown streets and huge shopping malls in the suburbs.
     One that comes to mind is TG&Y Five & Dime variety store. Tulsa had a number of them back in the day.
The chain, which was based in Oklahoma City, was founded in 1935 by Rawdon E. Tomlinson, Enoch L. “Les” Gosselin and Raymond A. Young, thus the name, TG&Y. At the chain’s height there were 900 stores in 29 states from California to Florida. They were similar in nature to a Ben Franklin store.
     My favorite part was the plastic model car section with everything a youngster needed to put together and paint a model car. I bought a few model kits through the years. 
     My mom made her own wreaths for decorating graves on Memorial Day. She got much of her supplies at a local TG&Y store. She also purchased items for her wreaths from Rathbone’s Flair Flowers in Tulsa, a company that is still in business to this day. She also bought material there for making a dress or blouse.
    Looboyle’s Outdoor store was another Tulsa favorite of mine. They had two locations in town and were popular spots for sports and outdoor enthusiasts. They sold everything from fishing gear to lawn mowers, outdoor and sports equipment and more. I bought a lot fishing lures, many of which I still have, camping gear, bicycle tubes, a Lawn Boy lawnmower one year and much more through the years.
    Tulsa’s Joe Krieger, who worked at the Looboyle’s sports department, hosted a popular fishing show on local channel 2 in Tulsa each week, which I enjoyed watching.
The Tulsa stores closed in 1982.
     OTASCO (Oklahoma Tire and Supply Company), a company that specialized in auto parts and appliances was first established in 1918 by three Jewish Lithuanian immigrant brothers, Sam, Maurice and Herman Sanditen. In 1968, the company had 455 stores in 12 states. Outside of a few remaining OTASCO stores that have 99-year leases in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana, the company has been gone since 1988.
     I’d fill up a book with all the record and tape stores in Tulsa I spent money at back in the day. Peaches, Sound Warehouse, Starship Record and Tapes and Honest John’s Records were favorite stops of mine. 
When I was throwing the Tulsa World newspaper in the 1970s with my mom, the owner of Honest John’s lived on my paper route and subscribed to the Sunday paper. I would trade him a paper for a couple of months for a new cassette tape or record album. It was a great way to build my music library for basically free.
      Another favorite was Harrington’s Men and Boys Clothing store in downtown Tulsa. Harrington’s was the go-to place for Boy Scout uniform apparel and accessories.
I have lots of great memories from shopping at these stores.
      Shopping has changed a lot with the introduction of Amazon, eBay and many other on-line outlets offering everything you will ever need. Even though buying on-line is easier and often more convenient, I miss the good old days of going shopping with my family for Christmas gifts and going to the five and dime store with my mom to buy material for a new dress or items to make her homemade wreathes.
        Like vinyl records that are making a comeback these days, I would like to see local businesses, mom and pop stores and five & dime variety stores make a comeback. It would be good for our economy and help with the creation of jobs, too!
        Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

       It was a beautiful fall day to spend time together reflecting on the life we are building together, and also look forward to the good things the future holds.
       Debbie and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on Sept. 25.
    We started the day with our oldest nephew who stopped by and took us garage sale hunting in the Lynnville and Sully areas.
      I hit the jackpot at a tag sale south of Sully where I found several albums of postcards. I sent Debbie and our nephew on to look at other garage sales while I looked through all the postcard albums. I purchased some nice postcards to add to my collection.
     We probably stopped at 15 garage sales before wrapping up the day just before noon. I found an Iowa salt and pepper shaker set, some three-ring binders for my postcards and an old yard fertilizer spreader. It is a steel one, not the cheap plastic model.
    Our nephew found some Christmas wrapping paper and a stop at the Lynnville Public Library netted Debbie a sack full of books and DVDs. While there, I promoted Debbie’s two romantic suspense novels to the librarian for the library collection.
    Many times I am at work on our anniversary and my birthday, which was Sept. 26, so it was nice to enjoy the weekend together celebrating.
   We didn’t go dancing or eat at a fancy restaurant. We opted instead to enjoy pizza and salad. I did buy Debbie 17 happy anniversary cookies at Hy-Vee for our anniversary.
   Life has a way of keeping people busy and on the go. The one thing I’ve learned in having a successful marriage is spending time together and doing things together.
   I think a lot of relationships would be better off if couples and families spent more time with each other doing simple things.
    I remember years ago with my family. Every Friday night my dad or I would stop at the Wagon Wheel drive in on north Sheridan in Tulsa for cheeseburgers and fries. We’d carry them home and eat as a family while watching the Dukes of Hazard and Dallas.
    That had a big impact on my life. So did going to church together and taking family vacations each year.
I’m by far not an expert in the art of marriage, but I know when you pay attention to each other and listen, a skill I’m still working on, it makes for a peaceful household.
    Here are few marriage tips from the J.O. files: 
    Stay home at least one evening each week and cook a meal and sit down as family or couple and enjoy it.
    Pray for each other every day.
    When you mess up or miss it, fess up, apologize and ask for forgiveness. We all fall short in life.
    Send texts to each other throughout the day to check in and see if they need anything. I always text Debbie when I get to work and call on my break and lunch period when possible.
   Once a month or so, do something the other person wants. It can be anything from an everyday task, helping around the house or taking a road trip to go antiquing, shopping or eating out.
    Pool your money and do something nice for a neighbor or friend. Giving a $50 gift card to someone in need will go a long ways to help someone who needs gas money or food. Plus, it’s to help others with no strings attached.
    Most importantly, support and encourage each other to follow their dreams.
    Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.