First Day with Terri Stacy – August 17, 2025 - Hour 1

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Am I on, Oh no, I am started look at
it buttons like I knew I was going to push something.
I don't even know.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
The shields went dead. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Good morning everybody. How are you.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
We're glad you're here. Hope you're having a great weekend.
I'm Terry Stacy along with Denny Smith.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good morning, and don't forget our good friend Kyle and
may Tally.

Speaker 4 (00:24):
There are so many things happening in Indy and Indy
right India Day on the Circle, Indie Fringe Fest, the
last day of the State Fair, too.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Much, and the last day of live Golf. Everybody's having
such a great time in Westfield at live.

Speaker 4 (00:38):
Golf, especially after that rain.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
They're coming back too. They're coming back. Decided they liked it,
and they're coming back next year too. And you can
get those tickets right now already if you want to
come next year. Everybody really did have a great time.
Whatever you think are for against, they're having a great
time up there, those that are going for sure. Denny's
going to tell us about his adventures in the sky yesterday.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
It's a pretty cool story.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Wow, we're going to talk about that little bet Nellie Olsen, Everybody,
Nellie Olsen, Little House on the Prairie.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Girl You Love, author, The Girl You Love to Hate.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Author and actress Alison Angram is coming to Greenfield along
with Almonzo, Dean Butler and mau Karen Grassel. They're coming
for a two day fundraiser. We've got details on how
you can eat dinner with them and see Alison's show,
Confessions of a Prairie b Word. You can get autographs
and pictures and proceeds benefit Blue Angel Connect, a great organization,

(01:28):
nonprofit Blue angelconnect dot org for tickets if you just
want to get them right now, because we just have
maybe a few tickets left for the dinner. But you'll
hear that conversation with Nellie Olsen at eleven thirty five.
She's so funny. But first, it is the final day
of the Great Indiana State Fair. It's called the Last
Blast Day. And joining us now is today's Featured Farmer,

(01:49):
presented by Cortiva Agroscience from the Harker family Orchard in
Shelby County. We've got Joe and Debbie and Brian Harker. Joe,
We're going to start with you. If that's Okay, that's fine.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Hey Joe, how are you pretty good?

Speaker 5 (02:06):
Have you been?

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Have you been scoop and ice cream at the dairy bar?

Speaker 6 (02:10):
Yes, we had our ice cream and sandwich.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Hey, has you're ice cream and sandwich. That's a tradition. Uh.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
You know what you and your wife, Debbie, you started
this beautiful place. And tell us about the Harker family orchard.

Speaker 6 (02:25):
In two thousand and nine. We needed something to keep
us busy until we planted fruit trees. And we're up
close to two thousand fruit trees now. Apples, peaches, pears, plums, nectarines,
sweet and sour, cherries and sometimes apercups.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Oh, apricots. And Debbie you you you're you're a teacher.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
That's what your job it is. Or was a teacher.

Speaker 5 (02:52):
I was a speech therapist, but I retired from that.
I re speech therapis in the school. Now I'm retired
and work on the farm.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
We could sure use you in radio. Oh my goodness. Hey,
you guys are known for sweet corn. Tell me about
these varieties of sweet corn. And you're down in Waldron, Indiana,
which is the opposite end of the world for us,
But tell me about the sweet corn varieties.

Speaker 6 (03:17):
Let Brian tell you about that.

Speaker 7 (03:18):
All right, Well, we've tried several sweet corn varieties and
we've selected the one we use now because of its
sweetness and its easiness to eat. It just pops right
off the cob, right into your mouth. It's very little
east It's also it's also fairly handy to great to raise.

(03:44):
It's pretty drought resistant. And then I think what sets
ours apart is the high fertility soil we have it on,
and then the superior picking ability because he's a.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
Picker, Kylin.

Speaker 4 (04:02):
This is a family owned farm. Brian is one of
your four children. Brian, what was one of your favorite
things to do on the farm growing up?

Speaker 7 (04:11):
I always liked driving the tractors.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (04:14):
I started started on a lawnmower when I was probably
five or six years old and been driving all the
equipment ever since.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Started with two hundred hogs on the farm, Is that right, Debbie?

Speaker 8 (04:29):
I think so.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Two hundred hogs and then you transitioned. Was just was
that just you were just done with being a hog
farmer and transitioned to the orchard or did you have
both at the same time.

Speaker 5 (04:40):
We finished the hogs and sold out the hogs and
started the orchard.

Speaker 7 (04:45):
We didn't overlap very much there.

Speaker 9 (04:47):
No.

Speaker 5 (04:48):
Yeah, and it's weren't making any money. Pigs weren't making money,
and they were costing money because it costs more to
feed them than what they were worth.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
I have heard that so many times from farmer friends.
And so you got creative and you went, you know,
a different type of agriculture. I have a quick family question.
We had five generations go to Indiana University, and when
my son announced that he was going to Purdue, his
grandmother did not talk to him. Now, you guys are
all Purdue people. And I noticed that three in your

(05:18):
family when outside Purdue, and what's someplace else? Are they
out casts in the family?

Speaker 1 (05:25):
No, no, they.

Speaker 5 (05:26):
Didn't go to that other university to not Purdue, but.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
Not but not you. I'm sorry. I read about y'all
and I'm just so impressed with the family business.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Listen with us. So I should reintroduce everybody. This is
the Harker family. It's Joe and Debbie and Brian and
they have Harker Family Orchard and Waldron Indiana. They are
presented by Cortiva Agra Science. They're being celebrated today. Congratulations
for that.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
You know, it can't be.

Speaker 3 (05:55):
When I was a kid and had now apple trees
in our backyard and we grew these terrible sour, little
yellow apples, little green apples, and we coated them in salt,
and we thought it was the best thing ever. So
I thought, this is the life I need an orchard.
It's not quite as easy as just planting seeds and
letting the trees grow. And did you know about being

(06:16):
actually growing fruit and vegetables before you made that decision
to turn it into an orchard.

Speaker 6 (06:22):
Yeah, we had a small orchard in dr Hent or
fifteen trees before I started planning. First planning was only
going to be about five rows of one hundred trees.
And then two years later we started planning another one
hundred or two hundred, and it kept going until the
last two or three years ago. We're up to close

(06:43):
two thousand.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
Oh wow, tell me about the peaches. We don't think
of Indiana peaches. And on your website you've told me
how to finally peel a peach. God bless whoever put
that on that website. I've always wondered how to peel
a peach, and I didn't know you could put them
in hot water for a bit.

Speaker 5 (07:00):
Yeah, yeah, that works really well to scald them and
then they skin the slips right off.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
So what do you guys think of the peach truck?
And I think your peaches are better that once that
I've had, of course, but I think you guys have
got it figured out. The farm stands open seven days
a week, and who needs the peach truck?

Speaker 7 (07:19):
Right right?

Speaker 4 (07:22):
You guys opened. You guys begin farming in nineteen seventy
six and have been farming since, and you've faced a
lot of adversity through the years. Talk about that and
being able to go through the life's challenges, whether even
to continue on what you're doing today.

Speaker 6 (07:41):
Well, the main thing is I had to save. I
started with nothing, and so I wanted to keep it
until I saved, and on the bad years, then I
had something to fall back on, not like the people
go from paycheck to paycheck. And so when we did
have a bad year like a late frost and we'd

(08:01):
lose the whole peach crop. The next year, we couldn't
charge double for the peaches, and we still had to prune,
had to spray and take care of the orchard that
year that we didn't get any income.

Speaker 3 (08:13):
From Wow hardships, true hardships. Have you adopted any new
technologies or techniques recently since you from when you started
to now to today.

Speaker 5 (08:28):
And farming in general, Yeah, there's been a lot of
changes since we started in nineteen seventy six.

Speaker 6 (08:36):
But there needs to be more changes. We haven't found
anybody that will pick the peaches.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
That's hilarious.

Speaker 1 (08:45):
Oh my goodness. Is it hard to pick the peach?

Speaker 6 (08:49):
No, it isn't. But most people I hire, they have
trouble to distinguished between red and green.

Speaker 2 (08:57):
Those of the Indiana University people. I'll just.

Speaker 1 (09:01):
That's so funny.

Speaker 3 (09:03):
You know, how do you store what's the best way
to store your peaches? When we when we buy them
and then we take them home, what's the best way?

Speaker 9 (09:12):
A peach is.

Speaker 6 (09:13):
Only going to last about two weeks and then it
will dry out if you put it in the fridge,
so you need to eat it within two weeks. And
that's the trouble. So many of our peaches we get
in the grocery store are two weeks old when we
first find them, and that's why they take them home
and set them out, and they never ripen and they're

(09:35):
dry and have nothing. The best peach is to eat
is the one growing closest to the orchard, and Yorgia
has good peaches, but you have to go down there
and get it.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
To your kyler.

Speaker 4 (09:54):
Brian, I have a question for you. You grew up
on the farm, you still work on the farm, but
then you have have a farm of your own at
your house or just a little bit away from the orchard.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
Talk about doing your.

Speaker 4 (10:05):
Own thing while still maintaining this family owned orchard of yours.

Speaker 7 (10:11):
Well, my own thing isn't all that much. I'm pretty
much fully invested in the whole operation because we do
have some road crops and feed some cattle in addition
to the orchard. So there's I'm pretty much at the
farm all the time.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
How many acres there are in the Waldron farm? And
where do how did you come to go to Waldron?
Was it a family farm to begin with?

Speaker 1 (10:36):
It was my dad's farm.

Speaker 5 (10:38):
We bought it from my dad in nineteen seventy and seven. Yeah,
we bought it from my dad in nineteen seventy seven.
And that's where I grew up. Not in the house
we live in, but in the house Brian lives in.
Is where I grew up and it's about a quarter
of a mile away from the main house where we live.

Speaker 1 (10:58):
It's so great, it is so great.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
How many acres is it?

Speaker 5 (11:03):
There's one hundred and sixty sixty there.

Speaker 1 (11:07):
It's precious. It's precious land, you know it is.

Speaker 3 (11:09):
It's it's so valuable now, I mean, everybody wants everybody's land,
and it is.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
It's precious.

Speaker 3 (11:15):
Right. Do you have people coming to you and saying
developers or anybody in Waldron and saying, we would we
would love to give you, We'd like to buy this land.

Speaker 5 (11:24):
No, not a whole lot.

Speaker 9 (11:26):
Well you do it cool, We're not maybe located where
they want to build a warehouse, like along the interstate, close.

Speaker 5 (11:39):
Enough to the interstates for that, and well good, yeah,
we could sell. We could definitely sell the ground.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
Though, No, totally. Oh it's so precious.

Speaker 3 (11:47):
And listen for each of you before we let you go,
I just want to ask each of you all. Start
with you, Brian, what has what is the one thing
that has been so rewarding being a part of a
of an orchard or of a farm and a family
that is still continuing on.

Speaker 7 (12:04):
I think it's just the everyday lifestyle of farming in
the egg industry, that you get to do something somewhat
different every day, but yet it's the same thing and
you're just part of a tradition that you're trying to
carry on.

Speaker 8 (12:20):
Yeah, Debbie, for you, I enjoy meeting the customers because
I do a lot of the selling and it's very
rewarding when people come back and say, we got your
peaches the other day.

Speaker 7 (12:32):
They were wonderful and we.

Speaker 5 (12:34):
Came back for more, or we tried your sweet corn
and it is the best, we want more And that
makes my day.

Speaker 10 (12:42):
And Joe, I just like to see God's creation and
what he does for us and working outside and never
did like an inside job of putting a nut on
a boat all day.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
WHOA, don't hold back hold you know.

Speaker 3 (13:05):
God bless our farmers and we're so grateful that you
would share some time with us. Today you're out at
the Indiana State Fair. I know you've got a big
day ahead. You'll be celebrated at the parade and you'll
be as you mentioned working. You've been working at the
dairy bar and people will see you just about everywhere
and you should be celebrated. Joe and Debbie and Brian there.
The Harkers, the Harker Family Orchard and again they're in Waldron, Indiana,

(13:28):
and you can find them on social media and also
at Harkerfamilyfarms dot Com to see how you can need
one of their delicious peaches or any of the.

Speaker 1 (13:35):
Thing that they're selling at that time. Thank you all.
We appreciate you so much. Thank you, thank you. All right,
all right, they're so great.

Speaker 3 (13:44):
All right, Coming up, Denny's going to tell about his
adventure in the sky and again final day of the
Great Indiana State Fair. It is eleven, twenty ninety three WIBC.
It's eleven twenty three, Terry Denny Kylin. It's the first
day on ninety three WIBC. Denny took to the sky yesterday,
and you know it's pretty cool. He did send us

(14:04):
pictures and I know we give him a lot of grief.
Thanks everybody who came out yesterday to fantastic. We had
an egg fest yesterday at Sullivan Hardware and Garden and
Denny was not there because he was flying his lawnmower
in the sky with a bunch of other people.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
And about the ad he's.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
Always made fun of that. I built my first shaocopter
in two thousand and six.

Speaker 1 (14:26):
In his garage.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
In my garage, Max Beaver came over and helped me
do a little bit installations when I needed fourhands. But anyway,
I've been flying them. And the problem is is that
all the fly ins and all the community events that
we do in the flying community are on Saturdays and Sundays,
well Saturdays. For the last twenty years, I haven't been
able to do that.

Speaker 1 (14:47):
You have what he just doesn't. He could, but he
just won't.

Speaker 2 (14:50):
I just won't. So anyway, my good friends, the Gaetros
family from Sarah Gorda in Central Illinois, which is just
a little bit back east of Decatur, invited me to
come out and it was a fly in of all
of our brand of gyro's. We most of us there.
I think I counted seven gyroplanes and they're all made
by Magni or the kit was made by Magni, and

(15:11):
then we all just flew out there. Well it's a kid,
I mean, you've got to build these things. Nobody manufacturers.
So anyway, I flew over there. It was fairly uneventful.
Got a chance to take a gyroplane on a journey
that most people will not do. The Last time I
took a journey like this, I flew up to northern
Ontario and it was a It was a five day journey,

(15:33):
and I swore I'd never fly over Canada again. Most
desolate place. But I got to see all the farms.
I got to see parties ago. I went to central
Central Illinois, Central Illinois essentially Decatur, Illinois, which is just
south and back this way, a little bit from Springfield
Spot because that's where Gatros lives. He has his own
he has his own flying strip. I mean, he's a farmer.

Speaker 1 (15:53):
Cornfield.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
It's a it was a cornfield. You saw the cornfield.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
That's right, we saw.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
We've sent us some great video. Was being up high
and uh and just really looking at it was beautiful.
It really was beautiful, and it was. It's fairly quiet.
It does sound like a lawnmower, but it's fairly quiet.

Speaker 2 (16:10):
Doesn't sound like a lawnmore.

Speaker 1 (16:12):
It's very lawn mower ish.

Speaker 4 (16:14):
Well, when you have the headphones on, you don't hear it.

Speaker 5 (16:16):
I forgot.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
Kylon's been with you flying but to Illinois.

Speaker 2 (16:19):
No, But I'll tell you what. Kylin's the only non
family member that I've flown with in this new aircraft. Yeah,
and only because I knew you were courageous and you
ride the motorcycle and I didn't want anybody up there
if something happened to wig out, and I knew I
could count on you not to be crazy.

Speaker 4 (16:35):
Terry even let me drive it.

Speaker 2 (16:38):
Fly. Okay, it's a driving, but you did a really
good job. You listen, See men don't listen. You take
all right, I'm going to give you the stick. And
the one thing you got to remember is you have
the aircraft. And then she says I have the aircraft.
And then I say you have the air You have
to hear it three times.

Speaker 1 (16:54):
Well I can't.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
I can remember selling somebody you have the aircraft, and
nothing comes back. And all of a sudden, we're the
stick's going left and right, we're up and down. Said
give me back the card stick, you know, because they're
going to But she was so calm and cool and calm.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
I remember the first time I even suggested. I didn't
think I was gonna fly it. I was just along
for the ride, just chugging along. And then he's like,
all right, you're ready to you're ready to fly it.
You have the aircraft, and I was like, I have
the aircraft and okay, okay.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
What I told you was to fly a straight line
and that's really hard to do, and she did it
right off the bat. I mean, can you do anything? Yeah,
and she can do anything. She really can careless. Anyway,
I got to see some old tractors and then they
had a Model A Ford Club come in, which my
one of my first cars was a Model A and
I got to work on that and drive that. But
this was just but I got to see my good

(17:42):
friend Julie. I watched Julie grow up because I would
fly over to Scotty's place we will work on our gyroplanes.
And he had this little teenage girl, you know, on
her birthday September fifteenth, so i'd always call and sing
to her. I got to see her. She's a mother. Now,
she's a preacher's wife and she has a cookie business.
I'm want to figure out what this cookie business is
because she makes cookies for like three counties and these

(18:04):
are gourmet cookies. But that's that's our business.

Speaker 1 (18:07):
That's great.

Speaker 2 (18:08):
I just had the time of my life.

Speaker 3 (18:09):
Oh I'm so glad, and you were missed yesterday, and
we got from regular Jeff, Regular Jeff, who is a
fantastic listener of all the shows here at w IBC,
longtime listener.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
He and his.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
Beautiful daughter, they made you some strawberry jalapeno jam. All right, yeah,
and then these beautiful cucumbers that he makes lemonchello.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
I don't know if they're called a lemon cello. Is
that a limonchello?

Speaker 3 (18:31):
It's a it's a cucumber that he's done something with
it and makes it lemony.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
Well, it's not. It's not Jeff. It's his daughter or
his mother making them.

Speaker 3 (18:42):
These are beautiful and they are so good. They're cucumbers
and they just have this hint of lemon.

Speaker 2 (18:47):
He sent those to me? Or those are you know?

Speaker 8 (18:49):
To you?

Speaker 1 (18:49):
He said, he brought us off some jam and uh
and she did to.

Speaker 5 (18:54):
Well.

Speaker 2 (18:54):
Anyway, thanks for covering for me, to Matt Hibblin, who
graciously let me go. Saturdays are pretty precious here, but
to fly and see all those guys was pretty cool.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
You have a lot of vacation built up, you do
you really well?

Speaker 2 (19:05):
Thanks for asking.

Speaker 1 (19:07):
I'm glad.

Speaker 2 (19:07):
Where are you going to fly with me? Terry?

Speaker 1 (19:09):
Probably not ever? Coming up.

Speaker 4 (19:11):
She's saying crazy things, but that's not one of them.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
That's not one of them. That's your job.

Speaker 3 (19:14):
Coming up, guys, Nellie Olsen, al Mount, Zoe Wilder, and
ma Ingles. Carolyn Ingles coming to Greenfield for a fundraiser
for Blue Angel Connect. You'll hear my conversation with Alison,
Nellie Olsen and Gram when we return. NEOs is next
ninety three WIBC. Blue Angel Connect is a fantastic nonprofit

(19:35):
organization founded in twenty sixteen and they have done so
much good work in Hancock County. They're providing families in
need cross that County with back to school backpacks and
Christmas presents and support. Joining us now to talk about
one of the coolest fundraisers coming up in September is
Brent Burris with Blue Angel Connect.

Speaker 1 (19:54):
Hello Brent, Hello Terry, how are you? We're great now, folks.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
If you are a Little House on the Prairie fans
like I am, you cannot wait until you get to
hear this. Joining us now is actress and author Alison Argram,
who is probably best known as Nellie Olsen from Little
House on the Prairie.

Speaker 1 (20:10):
Alison.

Speaker 3 (20:11):
Hello, Hello, Allison is coming to see us for a
two day Blue Angel Connect fundraiser along with ma Ingles,
Karen Grassel, and Dean Butler, who you know is Almonzo.

Speaker 1 (20:23):
That's September fifth and six.

Speaker 3 (20:25):
Tickets are on sale now at Blueanngelconnect dot Orgon Allison,
have you been to Indiana before?

Speaker 11 (20:32):
I have, but not where we're going here. I have
not been over to Greenfield. So this is going to
be fun and this is my first time. I know,
the cast of Chips and a lot of people have
done stuff with Blue Angel Connect, but for our Prairie Gang,
this is our first time working with them, and we're
very excited.

Speaker 1 (20:49):
There is a Prairie Gang, isn't there?

Speaker 11 (20:52):
There is? There is? It's crazy, you know, most people
from TV shows, it's a miracle the even speak to
each other after the show stops filming. I mean, it's
like that those people from Friends, they had that to
get together in TV. I'm sure it was the only
time they ever saw each other. People from a panful
Ofi okay ready, from Mash. The people from Mash are
really summy. Everybody from Deligan's Island liked each other and

(21:13):
like us and the Waltons and I swear that is it.
We are the tightest cast going. We're all still I mean,
I've got everybody on speed dial. I was just on
the phone with Dean Butler like minutes ago. We are
all still hanging out with each other. I was talking
to Pam Marie Lance, to stan Iver. We are constantly
doing things together. And well, last year was the fiftieth

(21:34):
anniversary and everything just went crazy and we were at
events all over the country together and we decided to
just keep doing it because we like hanging out with
each other.

Speaker 3 (21:43):
I think that is so great because you were really
you were just a little kid.

Speaker 1 (21:47):
How old were you when you got the role of
Nelly Olsen?

Speaker 11 (21:49):
Oh gosh, I was twelve. I've already been working since
I was five.

Speaker 1 (21:53):
I was going to ask you, was that your first
professional job? And it was not.

Speaker 11 (21:57):
No. In fact, I've had a whole career and started
at five on TV shows and they'd done a movie
when I ta had a lot of commercials at that age.
And then my dad sat me down because after I
made the movie, we thought I'd get more work, and
he said, you're doing You're just not really booking, they say,
He said, you might not work again until after eighteen,
or you might And basically I was given me you

(22:18):
might be washed up speech at eleven. So I had
a midlife crisis at eleven. And people always say, are
you having a comeback? Little House on the Prairie was
the comeback. I've had an entire care Little House in
the Perries literally my comeback at twelve. Oh my gosh,
I'm on my forty seven comeback.

Speaker 6 (22:36):
I have no idea.

Speaker 1 (22:37):
I'm so happy for you.

Speaker 12 (22:39):
I'm very happy that you know the cast is coming.
We are so excited. It's got a lot of feedback
here from the people in the area that just can't
wait to meet these guys.

Speaker 11 (22:48):
So we're all excited. You're getting a whole bunch of
stuff because we're you know, we're doing the meeting great
thing on Saturday. You know, you come in. We you know,
we have autograph pictures and stuff and talk to people
and sellia. I got bonnets. I got bonnets for child.
Everybody likes the bonnets. I have all sich silly things.
But we're doing a little exture things. Is a dinner.
There's a show on Friday night because I'm coming in early.

(23:11):
I'm doing my show you know, I don't know if
I can say the whole time, you can have confessions
of a you know what, of a prairie b word,
and I just what can I tell you? It wasn't
my idea. People started calling me this to my face
when I started the show twelve years old, and that's
what I'm getting called, you know, in public. So I
have a whole show, whole stand up show talking about

(23:31):
what it's like to be Billie Olsen and lie awake
at night knowing you were literally hated all over the world,
and how this is a fact of life, and how
I've made a go of it, and so it's pretty fun.
We have a question and answer segment. It's like audience participation.
You'll love it.

Speaker 6 (23:48):
You know, when you.

Speaker 3 (23:48):
Read this script at twelve and you knew what the
character was like, did that concern you at all?

Speaker 1 (23:55):
Or were you pretty thick skin by then?

Speaker 11 (23:57):
Even at it was a shock because they did not
warn me. I know, it's terrible. Everybody I knows read
the books. I had not read the books, so I
got the show. I know, so I didn't know there
was an Ellie Olson, so I get this. I read
for Laura and I read for Mary, which is so raw.
And then they made the tena movie. The pilot I said,
of course it's Melissa Gilbert and Melissa' who am going?

(24:17):
Of course their learning And then they said you have
to come in and read again. I said, what on
earth for? And I get there and there's this other
character and I have han'd no idea, and I start
reading the script. That's when it turned to My father
said this is not a normal part. This girl is horrible,
and so he said, I read it for him. He said,
don't change the thing. You go and you read it
just like that, and I was hired on the spot.

(24:38):
Michael Landon and the other producer, they couldn't stop laughing
and they said, no, that was it. By the time
we got home, my agent was on the phone, so
I was, I don't know what that says about. It
Was that a compliment or an insult that I was
immediately hired, instantly nailed it, And I was like, wow, okay,
I'm the villain. And you know, I'd grown up around
show business and I liked the villain characters. I used

(25:00):
to watch horror movies as a kid. I liked Vincent Price,
I liked all the terrible people, and so I thought, wow,
I am the villain, I am the bad guy in this.
This could be very cold, this could be fun. But
people really, I mean, our shows so emotional. People really
took it to heart. I can't believe how hysterical people
have gotten over the years about it. But I did enjoy. Yes,

(25:21):
I did realize I was playing the villain, and that
I did not know that until I got to the audition.
That it was quite the shock.

Speaker 1 (25:27):
It's so funny.

Speaker 3 (25:28):
Did they really treat you differently because you were a villain?

Speaker 11 (25:32):
And still and still and still. I was quite young
when I was, I was just twelve. We just staw
the show and I went to an Easter fair and
it was with the lovely woman who played Missus Olsen,
Katherine McGregor, nice lady by of course she played missus Olsen,
and you all hate her, so no one would come
near us, No one would come nearest who couldn't no autographs,

(25:53):
And we said we just got to get out of here. Well,
we made the fatal mistake of going in costume, and
these two little girls came and kick me right behind
and knocked me down. I could hardly get up with
all the petticoats. It was nuts. I was sixteen. I
was in a parade and someone through McDonald's or and
so did my face.

Speaker 1 (26:09):
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 11 (26:10):
And I was a grown woman just a few years ago.
I was at an autograph show and this grown woman
walks in, looks at me. She doesn't say hello, she
doesn't say good morning, doesn't ask for a just looks
at me. Angriest person you've ever seen in your life.
Smoke come out of yours and says I forgive you
and walks out. She's been holding it in for like

(26:34):
forty years. This one. It was unbelievable. I cannot believe
how there are there's people who are still afraid of me.
My friends introduced me to their friends and they're like,
they're still terrified to me. My friends have a good no,
no really, she's not like it was a show.

Speaker 3 (26:47):
It's okay, Wow, this is Alison Aringram All. You have
to come and see her, truly, Nellie Olsen, you know
her best as Nellie Olsen blueanngelconnect dot org. If you
go there, you're going to see everything that you need
to know about when it comes to getting a ticket
being a part of her September fifth show that she's
going to be doing the Jay Rick Center.

Speaker 11 (27:07):
Look which I looked at an online. That looks really nice.

Speaker 3 (27:10):
It's very cool, it's very historic. It's a perfect place
for you and your bonnets.

Speaker 11 (27:13):
Well, it is fun because I said, it's me and
Dean and Karen together.

Speaker 1 (27:18):
You're going to have that.

Speaker 11 (27:19):
There's a dinner. I think our dinner with Almanso and
Ma and Nelly all.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
In the same room moment, how about that.

Speaker 11 (27:24):
I think it's going to be a hit. But we're
pleased to do it because I know when they called,
you know, we got online and looked at all the
stuff that lou Angelcanet was doing, and when yeah, this
is our kind of people.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
Yeah they're mighty, they're small and mighty, and they've done
some amazing things. But I don't want to let you
get out of here without talking about And you're also
very open about surviving abuse.

Speaker 11 (27:44):
I was very lucky my friends knew. I talked to
my friends. I certainly had been in therapy and done
all the right things.

Speaker 7 (27:51):
You know.

Speaker 11 (27:52):
I always tell people you see a professional, talk to
someone if you were a survivor of abuse, of sexual abuse,
child abuse. Don't don't try to sit on this, keep
this to yourself, please, you know, get someone. It was
because this wonderful group protect dot Org was talking about
going and changing the laws to make things better for
victims and for law enforcement trying to apprehend these people,

(28:12):
the wonderful ICC teams, and I said I got to
do this. And I said, well, you know it's going
to come up. And said, well, I guess we're going
to do it then, and I went public and then
they wound up doing the book and so many people,
just so many people called an email to say this
happened to me, and people a lot of older women saying,
you know, in my day, nobody talked about it. Yeah,

(28:33):
no one said anything. And I've been sitting on this
for years and now I feel like I can talk
about it with someone. So I think that's very valuable.

Speaker 3 (28:40):
But well, I know that I wanted to speak to
let people know because that may be something they don't
know about.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
You.

Speaker 11 (28:46):
Now you were able to change laws in about seven states.

Speaker 1 (28:49):
It's amazing.

Speaker 11 (28:50):
Still they're doing all kinds of education programs and we've
really helped like the Internet Crimes against Children's task forces
each major city has an ICC team in their police department.
But at least we're doing something you are.

Speaker 3 (29:02):
We appreciate it, We really do, all right, So you've
really embraced the Nelly character in your stand up and
your memoir.

Speaker 11 (29:10):
As the years went by, you know, right after the show,
everyone on the show, like all actors, we said, well,
that was a nice show. But people won't still be
watching that, will say, I mean, they'll move on and
forget Haha. You all go on to other things and
people get out there. Well it didn't go away, as
we've seen fifty years later, it's still with the streaming,

(29:32):
it's still one of the most popular things going. It's
in one hundred and forty countries. It's streaming on Amazon,
a Roku. There's a channel week and watch a Little
House in the Prairie twenty four hours a day.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
That's me. I'm watching that every day and you're the
one to watch.

Speaker 11 (29:45):
And so this is not ending and kind of can't
beat enjoyable. And I thought, you know, I could try.
I could spend the rest of my life saying you
stop talking about the show, But like, how much time
is that going to take it? It's not worth And
I thought this is a show that really spoke to
be But this is a show that people really loved,
grew up with, and it really touched their lives. It's
a very emotional show. People are acting emotionally, not all actually,

(30:08):
and people's memories of our show often are like I
watched it with my mom or my grandmom. I watched
it with me, and it's like, this is an important show.
This did something for people. Yeah, and my character resonated
with people. So to try to dismiss it as well,
it was just a TV show, it's just not true.
We can't And so at some point I said, no,

(30:29):
this is the way it is, and you can't beat them,
join them. Let's go with us. And people want to
talk about it, and I thought, well, but I'm proud
of it. I had a good time making the show.
I had a very good time making the show, and
all of a sudden, the show are very proud of
our work. So I thought, well, have nothing to be
ashamed of. I guess I'll talk about Little House in
the Brarie.

Speaker 1 (30:48):
Yeah, I'm glad.

Speaker 3 (30:49):
I'm so glad, and I still am so glad that
it is still as popular today as it was.

Speaker 1 (30:54):
I know that there are those.

Speaker 3 (30:55):
We've got guys who are really tough, guys that used
to work for Rock and Roll Station Center Yep. Better
now during COVID they found a bond with their younger
son and then they were just I mean, everybody I
mentioned that you were coming, people were excited, and I
know they are and we cannot wait to see you again.
September fifth. Doors are going to open at seven pm.

(31:16):
Show starts at eight o'clock and again this is going
to be a two day affair. A Little House on
the Prairie Dinner. That's September sixth at Bradley Hall and Greenfield.
We've got Allison Cumming, Dean Butler, Karen grasshol Ma god lover.
Ma's what ninety something?

Speaker 11 (31:32):
Oh no, she's a mere slip of a thing in
her eighties eighties.

Speaker 3 (31:36):
She's eighty, she's eighty something. I saw something the other day, Allison.
It was so cool and it was you and Sarah
Gilbert and somebody else. It was with Melissa Gilbert. Melissa
Gilbert and who else was with you?

Speaker 9 (31:48):
Ma?

Speaker 3 (31:49):
You Ma and the three of you and you went
to a set and I don't know if that was the.

Speaker 11 (31:54):
Original was sixteenth anniversary party. Need ally, where were showing
the show back in March last year? Like I said, okay, anniversary,
it's just a part time and we recreated the set
of Little House in the Prairie and the set of
a mercantile and the church, and we had fans visiting
it and it was just to end. There we all
were and I'll just these are some of the incredible

(32:16):
things we get to do because of this show.

Speaker 1 (32:19):
Oh it's great.

Speaker 3 (32:20):
Oh it's so great. Okay, uh, let's see, let's see. Oh, Brent,
I forgot you were there, brent Is.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
Brent you were, Brent. What do you want to say
now to anything?

Speaker 12 (32:32):
No, I just just reiterate and what you were saying
about the three day event, like she said, there's a dinner,
there's a meet and greet, and there's a Allison's show
on Friday night, and we have the ticket that you
can purchase on our website. There's one ticket for each event,
so there's not one ticket that you can buy to
a ten dollar three. So if you want to come

(32:52):
to all three, then you have to purchase a ticket
for all three events. But okay, no matter which one
you come to or if you only want to come
to one of them. I think you're going to have
an awesome time meeting these guys. It's gonna be great
and we are so looking forward to this.

Speaker 1 (33:07):
Yeah, me too. Again, this is please go ahead, Allison
was just in.

Speaker 11 (33:10):
The websites Leida really well, you'll see you want a
ticket for this. It's this thing. You want a ticket
for this? It's right there.

Speaker 3 (33:15):
Boom click Blue Angel connect dot org. Again, this is
coming up right around the corner. Get your tickets right
now because I'm sure after this conversation everything's gonna go
very fast, so make sure that you get those tickets
Blue Angel connect dot org. Allison, we can't wait to
see you. We really can't thank you for agreeing to

(33:36):
do this fundraiser for us. As I mentioned, it is
a small but mighty organization, and to get the three
of you to come to Greenfield to see us, it's
just it's just we're blessed. We truly feel blessed that
you're coming. This is a huge event and people will
be coming from everywhere to see you. Thank you, Thank
you so so much. We appreciate it. Oh, now, late,

(33:56):
before we let you go, where can we get the book?
Where can we find out more about you or where
you're going to be anything?

Speaker 11 (34:02):
Absolutely say. My website is Bonnettheads dot com, bonnetheads dot com.
I know you're all bonehead And you can get the
Nelly newsletter. You can email Loose Gravel Prod at aol
dot com and ask for the Nelly newsletter, and you
can sign up at the website. There's a spot and
you can see all the stuff that I'm doing.

Speaker 1 (34:22):
Yeah, okay, And you're gonna bring some merchandise with.

Speaker 11 (34:24):
You, I will, I'll bring stuff.

Speaker 1 (34:28):
Can't wait to see you. Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (34:30):
It is just so much fun to have you appreciate
all the time you were able to give us before we.

Speaker 1 (34:35):
Let you go.

Speaker 3 (34:35):
Is there anything that tells something maybe for the fans
that are listening right now? Is there something fans would
be shocked to know about you?

Speaker 12 (34:45):
Well?

Speaker 11 (34:46):
Probably, Oh the fact that you know, Melissa Gilbert and
I actually like each other and I can cook. I
still have people when they come to dinner sare are
we ordering in because they saw the show? And they
think I can't even boil water? And it's I've been
cooking my whole life. I'm actually a great cook.

Speaker 1 (35:03):
It's great. Oh my gosh, I love it. Yes, that
would shock us because that was in my brain too.
She can't cook if.

Speaker 11 (35:10):
She can't one great.

Speaker 1 (35:13):
All right, hey, thank you so much, Allison. We'll see
you when you get here all right soon. Thank you.

Speaker 3 (35:19):
Hey, Brent, before we let you go anything else, you
want listeners to know about the Little House on the
Prairie event that's coming up September fifth and sixth in Greenfield.

Speaker 12 (35:29):
Yeah, I just want to let you know that tickets
are going really really fast. I wasn't surprised they were
going to but they really are. So if you're interested
in coming to these events again Friday and Saturday, the
fifth and the sixth, there's one ticket for each event,
so you don't have to go to every one of them.
You can go to one or all of them if
you want to. It's going to be a fantastic night

(35:51):
both days. And you just go to Blue Angel connect
dot org. All the information is there. You can get
your tickets right there. And we can't wait to see
you all, guys. And I want to say thank you
to WBC and Terry Stacey. You guys have been wonderful
to us and helping promote our stuff. So we can't
thank you enough for having us on again today to
talk about the Little House in the Prairie event.

Speaker 1 (36:14):
I think she is an amazing guest.

Speaker 3 (36:16):
That was my conversation with Nellie Olsen, if you will,
And she is coming along with as I said, Almonzo
will be here. Dean Butler and then Carolyn ingles Ma
will also be coming and she they're doing autographs, they're
doing the dinner. I can't imagine there's many tickets left
for the dinner. Those were going quick. This will all
be in Greenfield and they're all raising money for our

(36:37):
friends at Blue Angel Connect. So if you'd like to go,
go right now to their to their web page, which
is Blue Angel connect connect dot org Blue Angel connect
dot org. All right, when we come back, Denny Smith,
what are you doing.

Speaker 2 (36:52):
Well, we're talking about the big beautiful bill and what
it means to tax is. It's some good news. I mean,
maybe the federal government doesn't need as much tax money
as they said they did and they're gonna give us
a break.

Speaker 1 (37:03):
Matt Bear is here. Does that sound interesting at all?
I'm gonna learn a lot today. Then we'll do that
just for that we'll take a break. You're listening to
the First Aid ninety three w IBC.

Speaker 3 (37:14):
Okay, if you're all listening, we're gonna go to fifty
six forty and then we're gonna shut up. That's how
much time you have, Denny, we can go to fifty
six forty.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
Hey, everybody a friend and Denny. Matt saying, you got
a friend and Denny another piece of my heart.

Speaker 4 (37:32):
Okay, all right, Matt, tell us how you feel.

Speaker 2 (37:36):
So put any pressure on my kids?

Speaker 12 (37:37):
Awful on this.

Speaker 4 (37:39):
You just remember Jenny said, oh, you've got a friend
in Denny.

Speaker 1 (37:45):
Oh yeah, You've got a friend and Denny Smith.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
You know, I used to be a payroll master. When
I first joined the plumbing company I have, I was
going to college at night and the family accountant died.

Speaker 1 (37:59):
Wait, hold on, time out.

Speaker 3 (38:00):
Can everybody see Denny's shirt show everybody on YouTube?

Speaker 1 (38:04):
Thanks for watching Way Back to School Edition's.

Speaker 2 (38:07):
Color back to My Story.

Speaker 1 (38:11):
I was a payroll master.

Speaker 2 (38:13):
And for the payroll masters across Indiana. Your life is
about to change in a big, big way. By the way,
do you know what my nickname was When I was
first came to work for the plumbing.

Speaker 3 (38:22):
Payroll Master, Denny, the crooked Bookie, the crooked Bookie.

Speaker 4 (38:27):
I wish you were Brookie.

Speaker 2 (38:28):
That was my handle when I was a CB promoter there.
All right, So here's what's going on, then, the big
beautiful bill. We do not pay taxes now on tips. Okay,
so if you and this has started, this has started.
And that's why I'm saying that if you're a payroll master,
you've got to keep track of all this because you

(38:49):
are no longer charging with holding tax, social Security tax,
anything on this because it's an above the board deduction.
So the pressure is on all these payroll mans, including
right here. I mean, if you guys were Kylin, if
you work overtime, you do not pay on the half part.
Now can you imagine what these payroll people are thinking.

(39:10):
How in the world am I going to calculate the
half part? So companies like ADP or payroll are us
or all these people? This is a really crazy thing.
So I thought it'd be important for you all to
know that if you make time and a half, if
you're an overtime worker, either in construction or whatever business
you're in, keep track of how many overtime hours you

(39:30):
are and you will only be paying tax on two
thirds of that. The half part is going to be
a deduction. I know, it's crazy, it's crazy and confusing.
What's happened. Yeah, So here's the thing. You have to
all of it has to be reported. So for those
who have received tips, no more stuff in them in

(39:52):
your apron. They're not taxable anyway, don't hide them. You
have to declare your tips. Now. You declare that to
your payroll master or to your employer, and then they
will not charge you tax on that, or they won't
withhold tax on that, because the way they set this
up in the Big Beautiful Bill is that it is
an above the line deduction. And it's the same thing
for those people who are on Social Security. If you're

(40:15):
Social Security and you're below one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars in gross income, then you get a six thousand
dollars deduction from income off of your taxes. And if
there's two of you, you know, if both of you
are over sixty five and drawing.

Speaker 1 (40:30):
It doesn't sound like you'll ever be able to do
your own taxes.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
Again, I haven't been able to do my own taxes forever,
and I was an accountantary. I mean, with all the.

Speaker 1 (40:38):
Crazy st I know what you're saying now is right,
because I studied.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
I mean, I don't do my own because I need
somebody to check me. I don't Janie to kill me
if I screwed up.

Speaker 3 (40:46):
Yeah, well of course, yeah, and so anyway, yeah, I
don't believe I remember when I was first starting out
and doing this type of work, you know, in which
I loved fast food or whatever it was. In any
kind of place where you might make a temper too.
You can still do it on your own.

Speaker 2 (41:01):
Taxes, right, and you stuffed in your pocket, and you.

Speaker 1 (41:03):
Stuffed in your pocket, that's right then. Now, I don't
think you'll ever be able to do that again.

Speaker 2 (41:06):
Well, the in most restaurants, they've already figured it out.
Most people put their tip on their credit card. There
are very very few people that pay tips and cash in, right,
unless it's a family diner and you always pay with cash.
Whatever that is. But the point is is that there's
this catch. You have this limit. Let's say you make
over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year, and

(41:28):
you say, well that that that leaves me out. You'd
be surprised how many people who are in construction, who
are in food service who do make over one hundred
and fifty. So there's this phase out period where can
we get how are you ready to go?

Speaker 1 (41:40):
Is that Olive Garden? About that? I mean, always still
be fun to work at Olive Garden, all right.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
So I'm going to get the finger from Kyle in
here in just this sad You're good? You still good?

Speaker 1 (41:53):
All right?

Speaker 2 (41:54):
So one of the things you have to pay attention
to is that your payroll master is picking this up.
So I think it would be logical that if you're
in food service, or if you're an overtime construction worker,
or if you get overtime in any way, to just
ask your payroll department are you going to be able
to take care of this? Are you going to be
able to You know, they're payroll people. They're always saying, well,

(42:15):
the week starts on Thursday and it ends on Wednesday. Well,
there's a lot of other things now that these payroll
people are going to have to pay attention to. Uh, seniors.
I think that the senior thing is is that they're
going to they're going to have to figure out what
their accountant is, their earned income and their Social Security
income and there you know what I'm going to call
investment income. Is that going to be over one hundred

(42:38):
and fifty grand? And if it is, start talking now,
because this is going to be really confusing next year
for everybody.

Speaker 8 (42:43):
So maybe this is complicated enough that we should start
taxing them again, Socking.

Speaker 1 (42:50):
It's a good point. It's a very good point. Don't tip.

Speaker 2 (42:54):
No, wait a minute that uncle Sam step back. So
we're not going to tax on this type of stuff.
They made it a camp pain issue, and I think
that's really important. Now. The thing is that it might
not be a lot of money, but it's enough money
to take a round trip to you know, trip to Florida,
five dinners if you're beach, and if you're a Social
Security recipient, you could buy a gallon of meta musial.

(43:15):
I'm with this money, this saving You know.

Speaker 3 (43:17):
Denny's always so helpful. You have to stop talking now, Denny. Okay,
no dollars and cents.

Speaker 2 (43:22):
With Denny's something nice for godless, very helpful. It's not
a tax revolution. It's just a mildly pleasant let's.

Speaker 1 (43:30):
Just stick around for the next hour.

Speaker 3 (43:32):
Yay, Okay, then, dude, I'm glad you're here. Yeah, maybe,
but news is next. Thanks for being here. It's the
first day ninety three w ib C