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Morgan
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Grandma Bernie
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Grandma Bernie
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Morgan
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Grandma Bernie
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Grandma Bernie
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Grandma Bernie
Take this personally with Morgan Huelsman.
Morgan
I can't believe I made this episode happen. My 87 year old grandma Bernie is joining the episode this week. She is such a spitfire and somebody that I spent so much time with growing up and she's also somebody that I look up to. She has wisdom and knowledge and so many stories to share. I cannot wait for you guys to hear this entire episode. So I'm not going to talk anymore. Let's just get into it. I'm excited because my Grandma Bernie is joining me for this week's episode. Grandma, how you feeling?
Grandma Bernie
I'm feeling a little nervous. Yeah.
Morgan
But you're an expert at all these things. You're once upon a time a teacher.
Grandma Bernie
And that makes you used to a microphone how?
Morgan
It makes you used to talking in front of people. You taught things all the time.
Grandma Bernie
I do. I talk a lot.
Morgan
And you're a good talker.
Grandma Bernie
I'm. I talk plenty.
Morgan
Yes.
Grandma Bernie
I don't know, there may be some good in it somewhere, sometimes. Just jabbering, I think.
Morgan
And your credentials here are going to be your age. Can you share with everybody how old you are?
Grandma Bernie
I'm 87.
Morgan
You're 87. And my grandma Barney has lived out here on this farm that we're at for how long?
Grandma Bernie
Right. Close to 40 years now.
Morgan
And you've been out here by yourself for how long?
Grandma Bernie
33, maybe like that.
Morgan
A long time. And you're really a very big expert at the independent world. You have been independent for as long as I can remember.
Grandma Bernie
I've always thought of myself as independent. However, I have never lived totally lived by myself before, especially not long term like this. And it was hard at first because I was so used to having somebody around you do this for me or you do that or. And to share. But anyway, I am glad. One of the things I'm really glad about is learning that I can be by myself and I like being by myself. I think it's something I had, I just hadn't done before.
Morgan
Before this period of your life, you had lived at home, I would imagine as a kid.
Grandma Bernie
Oh yeah.
Morgan
And then when you left home, were you married immediately?
Grandma Bernie
Pretty soon. Graduated in June of 56, 1956.
Morgan
From high school.
Grandma Bernie
From high school. And then I was. We were married with my first husband in September of that year. Wow.
Morgan
It was different back then, right?
Grandma Bernie
You were expected to become a housewife. And because it was expected and done so much, you just really didn't question it very much. It's just a way of life. But I thought about going to college. I was in love. So let's get married.
Morgan
And that you said that was your first marriage. How long were you married to him?
Grandma Bernie
For 12 years. Okay.
Morgan
And is that where my mom and my aunt came from?
Grandma Bernie
Yes.
Morgan
So there was that picture. Did. And then you did end up teaching at some point. So where was that in the story?
Grandma Bernie
Next marriage. Okay.
Morgan
Later on, did you end up going back to college after you guys got divorced?
Grandma Bernie
I worked at a. Was an insurance mortgage company in Newton, Kansas, which was about, I don't know, 25, 30 miles from Peabody, which is where I actually. I lived in Marion at that time. I moved there after my first husband and I were divorced. And my. Because my parents lived there and I had two girls being back around the community.
Morgan
And I remember great Grandma Fern.
Grandma Bernie
Oh, yes.
Morgan
Which was your mom.
Grandma Bernie
Yes, this is true.
Morgan
And she was a wild spit like she. Gosh. Everything I remember of her, she would dangle because she always weared bangles up into her elbows. And she had birds. She had birds. Were a lot of birds.
Grandma Bernie
What do you call the kind she had? Wasn't it?
Morgan
They weren't parakeets, were they parrots?
Grandma Bernie
No.
Morgan
I thought they talked. I remember one of them talking.
Grandma Bernie
They can't. Parakeets. Parakeets. I don't remember.
Morgan
Yeah, she had a lot of them.
Grandma Bernie
Had two.
Morgan
Okay.
Grandma Bernie
And they created a lot of mess. Maybe that's not you anymore.
Morgan
What I remember.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah, I know. I was never fond of birds because of that.
Morgan
Really? Because you grew up around him. Did you have them like when you were a kid?
Grandma Bernie
No, it was just when she lived. She and my dad lived there. My dad was still alive at that time and I don't think he like burned teeth.
Morgan
She really ruined the birds for everybody.
Grandma Bernie
Anyway. She had a green thumb. She could put a stick in water and it would grow into something pretty. She just was very good at it and just came natural to her. I never inherited that.
Morgan
I didn't either, you guys. That did not get passed down to the rest of us.
Grandma Bernie
I wish. I don't have any plants.
Morgan
I've killed same. My now fiance brought all of his plants when he moved in and I have killed all but one. Yeah, I'm not good at that.
Grandma Bernie
Never lived there in Marion before.
Morgan
Okay.
Grandma Bernie
We moved when I was in like grade school. Maybe fifth grade. Fifth or sixth grade. We moved from McPherson. That's where I grew up. And we moved to the farm. While we were there. We lived on the farm. But anyway we moved from there to Peabody on another farm. And there were. I was the oldest. I had a brother About a year. A little more than a year old or younger than I am. I am the oldest, younger than I am. And that I had about. My dad went to the service when I was probably in kindergarten and he was drafted. Never war going on. And so he was. He went in the Navy. And during that time we. My mom and my brother and I moved back to. My mother's mother lives in Atwood, Kansas, which is clear across the state. Yeah.
Morgan
You've lived everywhere in Kansas, Grandma.
Grandma Bernie
I have. Even after. Even when dad got back and he had a lot of different jobs and we moved around a lot and mostly they were on farms. He had been injured in the war. His back. He had been on a ship and it got bombed over by Okinawa. He was thrown up in the air several feet, I don't know how many, and landed back there and hurt his back. So he had. He had back injuries and problems most of his life after that. But anyway.
Morgan
Wow. He was in. He served in World War II. Is that correct? Wow. Was it. What was that like for you? Do you remember being a kid when your dad was gone?
Grandma Bernie
Just that he was gone is about all it really meant to me at that time. I remember taking pictures of him and his sailor outfit and mom dressed up and my brother and I dressed up. And I remember looking at that just to see what dad still looked like. I really don't remember thinking about him that much. I probably did at the time, but I don't remember. And I was really into going to kindergarten.
Morgan
You're young. Really young.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. And I loved school and of course it was something to do. I don't know. Playing with your brother is not the most cool thing.
Morgan
Not as fun then. Was that for where your love of what you think like teaching came from?
Grandma Bernie
No, no, no. Actually that came from the fact that I majored in English. And what else do you do with a.
Morgan
An English degree? You did always correct my English, so there was that.
Grandma Bernie
I loved English. I remember that my 8th grade English teacher was the most influential and I loved her because she taught us all these neat things, these phrases, names for everything and how it all went together. And I never got over that. I always just really loved English and that turned into literature. I also took a lot of literature classes, so I did a lot of writing. And as you, of course, go to college, that's what you do as you write.
Morgan
So you had went to college after your first marriage, you went back to school?
Grandma Bernie
Yes, but I was into my second marriage. Then we moved back to Marion and I Can't remember if. I don't think we. I don't think we moved. We didn't move until we found a house to rent because I didn't want to live with my folks.
Morgan
That's a fair. I don't think anybody typically wants to at that point in their life.
Grandma Bernie
And. But I moved there because they were there too.
Morgan
So you needed the help, but you also needed space. All fair.
Grandma Bernie
And. Yeah, I'm sure I was thinking to myself, not of them. If I needed to, I would have moved in with them and they would let me. We rented this house. My future husband owned the house and so he helped. When we moved in. There were some electric. Electrical stuff. I don't remember. Sure right now what it was I had to do with the ceiling light. I know one of them. But anyway, I asked him if you can fix that or have it fixed. And he did. And of course I met him when I rented the property. And so I saw him occasionally in town. I was at the time working part time in the same place in El Dorado. The kids stayed over, my mom's and dad's.
Morgan
So you were a mom, you were working and you were going to school all at the same time, is that right?
Grandma Bernie
They were going to school there at Marion, but I wasn't going to school yet.
Morgan
You hadn't started going to college yet. Okay.
Grandma Bernie
And I eventually quit working over at El Dorado. There was lots of reasons, but the drive was most of it. And my new husband preferred that I would stay home. Stay and not have to drive out of town. So I did that. And we had friends that we played cards with. And mostly that. Or went places with real close friends. And one time we were out on a pontoon boat out in Lake Marion Lake. We had brought stuff along to fix a little barbecue and stuff on the pontoon. Had a little party.
Morgan
I love that.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah, it was fun. And we swam there. I don't know if I would do that again because as you get older, you get a little more careful. Yeah, I've never been real careful.
Morgan
Have you ever traveled? Was there ever traveling as part of your life?
Grandma Bernie
Yeah.
Morgan
Besides Kansas? Cause I know you've lived in multiple counties within Kansas.
Grandma Bernie
Exactly. I've only. The only other place I've ever lived is in Oklahoma. When my dad got out of the service. He was injured and he went. He had to go down there for. At a veterans hospital for his back. And I do remember just a. I remember wading in some flood water out in front of where we lived. We Were only there for about less than a year. I don't remember for sure.
Morgan
So Oklahoma is the only other place you've been lived. Lived. Where all have you traveled to? Did you get to travel a bunch?
Grandma Bernie
Mexico.
Morgan
Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
And to Canada. Most all from about the middle of Canada straight up.
Morgan
Okay.
Grandma Bernie
Over the west coast.
Morgan
That's cool. Was Canada pretty?
Grandma Bernie
Oh yeah. It was a very different kinds of mountains. They were like you could reach out and touch them. And instead of ours, they're so big and they're far away. Or at least where I've seen in Vancouver. Actually, I don't remember much of Vancouver. It's a big household or big house. A big city on the west coast of Canada.
Morgan
Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
But we went on Vertu Island. What's it called? Victoria is the capital.
Morgan
Oh yeah. I know what you're talking about. B.C. british Columbia. Is that right?
Grandma Bernie
Yeah, it's.
Morgan
I don't know a lot of my Canadian graphy. I'm not very good at that one.
Grandma Bernie
I can't remember offhand, I can't call it what the name of the island is, but Victoria is the capital of it and of the British Columbia and has the beautiful harbor and beautiful lighting at night and stuff. And you can ride a ride horse and carriage stuff. When we did all that, you.
Morgan
You've always read so many books. It's always been a big part of who you are. You're a big reader to read. So it was always cool when you would read things and then you would go visit places and it would come to life of what you read.
Grandma Bernie
Yes.
Morgan
What was your coolest memory of that? Where you'd read something and then you got to experience it in real life.
Grandma Bernie
Probably because I've always liked archaeology too. I like watching them, that's all. I don't have the experience at it, but I just like what they're doing and what they find and all of that. And so I've read a lot about it, watched it on tv. And so when we went to Mexico, we went to some old ruins that were close to little villages. You still had little villages stuff. And it brought that really alive. When you were walking around this ruins and we'd crawl through part of it and come out somewhere else and they'd explain what this was supposed to have been. And we were actually doing that.
Morgan
That's so fun.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah.
Morgan
And you're. You've always been really big at that on this property that you've lived in for so many years. When I was a kid, we'd come out here and we'd search for arrowheads.
Grandma Bernie
Oh yeah. I've been doing that recently because I keep falling down and to take some time off to heal.
Morgan
Yeah. And we have to keep you safe. So you falling is not part of that plan. But have you. Were you still doing it for a while? Do you still find them on the property? You still have the. Like a major collection of all the ones we found.
Grandma Bernie
And they're all different kinds, about 20, 20 to 30. They come boxes where you. They have foam in them and you.
Morgan
Put kind of like a shadow box.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah, they may call that, but they're just tiny as far as height. But they're about like a 9 by 12 or maybe a 10 by 12. And so I've. Most of them are in those kind of boxes for protection and stuff because.
Morgan
They'Re easy to break and they're so cool. They have so many different designs and.
Grandma Bernie
Different textures, like different tribes, different ages. You think about that people left these people that I'm handling. Something that's 10,000 or 12,000 years old was made by a person who was here. I just the same way with astronomy. I love things about astronomy and the black holes and the stars and the planets and all the other weird stuff that's in between it that they can't explain.
Morgan
The things that we'll never probably understand in our lifetime.
Grandma Bernie
And it's hard for me to go outside at night and it's not hard for me to do that. But it's hard not to think about how puny I am standing in this place at this time. And I don't know whether there's anybody else out there, whether there's a big somebody who invented us. But if there's somebody in an alternative universe or place beside me who is. Knows what I'm doing, but I don't even know they exist. There is nothing that's impossible because we don't know.
Morgan
Yeah. And that's the funnest part about it. Right. Is getting to be somewhere where we don't have all the answers.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. And so I think that's what. What I like about archeology too is explaining some of the things that we found and why it happened. Especially like in the Middle east, all the pyramids and tombs and stuff. I just love.
Morgan
Did you hear about the story where they found a whole structure underneath the pyramids?
Grandma Bernie
Which one?
Morgan
The great pyramids in Giza. The like the ones that all. That's the tourist spot that everybody goes and visits. Yes. There's like a whole structure underneath of proof that people lived there. Like they created this whole community underneath these pyramids. And you think about that and it's wild that we've just been visiting and nobody ever knew that this was actually a. A place of history.
Grandma Bernie
So many years they have been there through I don't know how many years. Thousands. Yeah. And everybody just took it that somebody lived here that right up here by the pyramid or something. That was a special place. They don't really know all about it.
Morgan
Yet, but people were probably living in them too. And that we never digs.
Grandma Bernie
They'll have digs of a site that they're look either unearthing a tomb or maybe a palace area. And then they go below that, another age to go below that. And that's older yet. They just keep going.
Morgan
Yeah. It's fascinating. This is the story of the one as an H Vac technician, he and his digital multimeter are in high demand. So when a noisy office H vac turns out to be a failing blower motor, he doesn't break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product information, he selects the product he needs to keep everything humming right along. Call 1-800-granger clickranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
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A new year doesn't mean erasing who you were. It means honoring what you've survived and choosing how you want to grow. It means giving ourselves permission to feel what we've been holding and knowing that it's okay to ask for help. I'm Mike De la Rocha, host of Sacred Lessons. This podcast is a space for men to talk openly about mental health, grief, relationships and the patterns we inherit but don't have to repeat. Here, we slow down, we listen. We learn how vulnerability becomes strength and how healing happens in community, not in isolation. If you're ready to let go of what no longer serves you and step into the year with clarity, compassion and purpose, Sacred Lessons is your companion on your healing journey. Listen to Sacred lessons with Mike Delarocha on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Sacred Lessons with Mike De La Rocha and start listening on the free iHeartRadio app today. Hey everyone, it's Ed Helms. And I'm Kalpen and we are the hosts of Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am talking to film and TV critic, radio and podcast host and Harry Potter super fan Rhianna Dillon to discuss Audible's full cast adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone what moments in this audiobook capture the feeling of the magical world best for you or just stood out the most?
Morgan
I always loved reading about the Quidditch matches and seeing and I think the audio really gets it because it just plunges you right into the stands you.
Grandma Bernie
Have the crowd sounds like all around.
Morgan
You is surround sound, especially if you're listening in headphones.
Various Podcast Hosts/Advertisers
Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Grandma Bernie
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Morgan
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Grandma Bernie
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Morgan
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Grandma Bernie
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The social media trend that's landing some gen zers in jail. The progressive media darling whose public meltdown got her fired. I'm going to take Francesca off the network entirely. The massive TikTok boycott against Target that makes no actual sense.
Grandma Bernie
I will continue getting stuff from Target.
Morgan
And I will continue to not pay for it.
Various Podcast Hosts/Advertisers
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Morgan
That was a big part of my childhood and whenever we're coming out to visit you was you were so fascinated with the world. And it shaped a lot of who I became as a person. Very curious, very inquisitive. And I always had questions. I wanted to know things, and that was very much who I was. And I do think a lot of that was shaped from coming out here. And we'd find arrowheads. And I had so many questions about the stories of the arrowhead. Not that we knew them, but.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. And fossils.
Morgan
Yeah, we'd find a lot of fossils. It was just a huge. And I wasn't a huge history person per se. Like in school.
Grandma Bernie
I didn't really care for history, but I am now.
Morgan
Yeah, it's fun to learn the things that you want to learn about versus the things you were forced to learn about.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. And I'm real curious about the things that were written in our old history books. Back in my age. We didn't have. Or we. Not in where I lived in Peabody, Kansas. You didn't have dope. Yeah, he didn't. Every single person and his best friend had a ultra modern, rich car to drive around. We all piled into whoever could get their folks car that night.
Morgan
Yes.
Grandma Bernie
None of us smoked for real, but we sure smoked up the inside of those cars. We got them. Somebody would get a pack of cigarettes.
Morgan
Somehow somebody found something somewhere.
Grandma Bernie
It was just really. It was fun. It sounds real corny now, but it was adventure for us. We just didn't have all the technology that you have now. That's something that's getting out of hand for me. I've done AI.
Morgan
There's a lot of technology now.
Grandma Bernie
The AI stuff scares me. Just because people don't. They don't have a handle on it. Yeah.
Morgan
There's a lot of things we don't know messing with technology that we're very unfamiliar with.
Grandma Bernie
And they're going ahead. They keep pushing ahead without knowing they can stop it.
Morgan
What are the consequences? We don't know yet. So why are we moving forward in that direction?
Grandma Bernie
It sounds pretty iffy to me. Pretty. What do I say? Not that you have to be cautious. You probably not. Very many cautious people are tech technological experts. They're the kind that want to.
Morgan
Oh, full speed ahead.
Grandma Bernie
Yes. And look, we got this and we did this. And what if we do this? I understand that. I can understand that feeling. But being older makes you a little bit cautious. And you just think, what if they did take over?
Morgan
What's gonna happen? What am I leaving behind one day? What is this all gonna look like?
Grandma Bernie
Yeah.
Morgan
It's a weird. It's a weird feeling too. To just Sitting here, and that's why I love having these conversations, is hearing about the life that you had that I didn't get to experience. We very much. Technology's been around for a significant portion of my life.
Grandma Bernie
Yes.
Morgan
I've known at least some form of electronics pretty much my entire life.
Grandma Bernie
And it's cool to hear on computers.
Morgan
I remember we had a computer room, which was like our first computer that we all shared and fought over when we were probably in middle school. At least my childhood wasn't really. There wasn't a whole lot of technology. But we had TVs and there was VHS and we would watch stuff that way. We still had variations. I don't think there was ever a point in my entire life that I've been here for 32 years where there wasn't already some form of technology. But talking about your childhood, there was no technology.
Grandma Bernie
There was nothing like that.
Morgan
And isn't that crazy?
Grandma Bernie
The phone was the house phone. They had one for a house and it was wired in. I still remember when we had operators. I was probably junior higher, maybe grade school. I don't know when, but I do remember getting the operator. And now. God, I don't know.
Morgan
Now we have smartphones. That's like a computer in your hand, which you don't have. You've never had one of those. You still have a flip phone, which is my favorite thing. Yeah. Because you just. Morgan. There's no extra. Just like Morgan's calling and you answer. And I love it. I love that that's what you've gotten to have in your life. And you haven't had the technology and all of that side.
Grandma Bernie
Just probably if I hadn't. I worked all my life, actually, with people, mostly with clients or customers or whatever. The phone was a big thing in my later working life. Had to do a lot of talking on the phone, which I grew to dislike tensely.
Morgan
Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
And. But as I get older, it was hard for me to give after I retired, which I was at 75 when I retired. So that's why.
Morgan
20 years ago, and then you're making yourself 95. You're not 95 yet. You're 86.
Grandma Bernie
So I was what?
Morgan
So if you retired when you were 75, that was like nine years ago or 11 years ago. 11 years ago.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah.
Morgan
You're 86.
Grandma Bernie
Oh, yeah. 87. Okay.
Morgan
Or 87. You're 87.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. 20 years ago. In 60.
Morgan
Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
Eight.
Morgan
Math is hard.
Grandma Bernie
God, I thought technology was.
Morgan
Clearly math didn't get passed down either. That was not what I was gonna. Yes, you're good at math, trigonometry and all of those. Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
College algebra?
Morgan
Oh, yeah. Heck, when I would come here, you would educate me on me so many things. And I was just. I was definitely more of the creative kid. You were. I was really good at that stuff. Not so good at the school stuff. And grandma always would. She'd spell check me and I'd have errors and my mom still does it too.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah, yeah. That comes from being an English teacher. You can't. And my last husband, he was at the part of our life he was going to school for his master's degree and it was biology, science. And so I was an editor. You do a lot of writing in college and doesn't really matter. Maybe not in technology, I don't know. But I know in your average class of science, maybe not math as much either, but English and history and sociology, all those. You do a lot of writing. And in his class classes, he had all those taken care of. So it was more of his upper level classes. But we. He had to do a lot of writing. And so I became an editor, which I was in school anyway.
Morgan
Yeah. So I guess I didn't realize that period of your life you were staying home.
Grandma Bernie
At first. Let's see. Yeah, at first I was home. But when he started going to school, he worked odd jobs. He worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service for a year or two and I worked for them too, doing surveys kind of thing. And so we were very poor and we worked whatever we could get at because we wanted to live out here in the country and it took all our money to do that. We were just living, trying to get by and stuff out here. And we had bought this place that had only. It was just 50 acres in it at that time. And so we were trying to figure out what we were going to do. And we had to cut wood because we had wood. Just a wood fire. And so most. We had most time and we built a shed. And it's just a lot of stuff you just did and took up your time. Then he decided he wanted to finish his degree, his bachelor's degree. He had about three years and something. So when he did that, I got a job in town. And so that's from then. I've been working ever since then.
Morgan
So when you're looking at your life and you're talking about this and all these kind of different stories, what were your favorite parts from your life when you look back and they're really fond memories for you.
Grandma Bernie
Oh my Having my grandchildren was always fun. I know Brian, who's my last husband, we would go to. Especially to Jeanette at this time. Michelle, my other daughter, lived in Seattle and. But we would go to Jeanette's home.
Morgan
Jeanette and Terry, which is my parents.
Grandma Bernie
We had come back from Mexico. Brian and I had gone out there, unbeknownst to each other. Buddy, of course. And when we came back, it was a matter of what we were going through. Can't live without the other one kind of thing. And he was a lot younger than I was. 20 years. We saw this place advertised in paper one time when we were staying out at Grandpa place, who. He had died, but his brother lived out there. So we also lived out there and we were looking for a place. And that was part of us going to North Carolina too, is we were together at that time and. Mm.
Morgan
So buying this place was one of those special memories. And then the grandchildren. Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
And being with Brian, it was the best part of any marriage I've ever had. We did lots of fun things. We learned together. The grasses, trees and everything surrounds us.
Morgan
Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
And part of that was because he was a biologist and I'm reading stuff that he's going to school about because I don't know all of that stuff and it's interesting and we're living in it. So he got involved in when he was doing like his master's. He had been studying and we had been doing surveys of mussels that are in rivers. And we got a contract from state to survey certain rivers to do in the water.
Morgan
Yes.
Grandma Bernie
And so several summers we've been in Arkansas and Missouri and all of Kansas. Everywhere in Kansas. Not the west, just mostly the east and all up and down the East. And we spend summers in a Volkswagen camper, which we had gone to Montana.
Morgan
I also traveled some of the country.
Grandma Bernie
In that we had gone to. I don't know how long we were gone. A couple weeks maybe. We went up through Canada.
Morgan
And what was that like for you? You said he was 20 years younger than you when you got married.
Grandma Bernie
What was your wonderful. I've been treated like that ever.
Morgan
You're having a heyday, huh? Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
Yes. And I love doing all this stuff. It was just. Had been a pretty humdrum kind of life for me. I had my likes and dislikes and those are. Haven't changed so much, but they've deepened and added on and stuff.
Morgan
Some new adventures, doing new things and trying new stuff.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. Got a motorcycle at a garage sale for $500.
Morgan
It was a that sounds safe.
Grandma Bernie
Oh, God, it was fun. I loved riding.
Morgan
Did you drive it or were you just riding on it?
Grandma Bernie
It was a. What's it, one of those Harleys?
Morgan
Oh, it was a BMW motorcycle.
Grandma Bernie
But a BMW is a high gravity. And my legs weren't long enough to reach both. On both sides of the.
Morgan
Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
So I couldn't drive it because I couldn't hold it. I wanted the loud ones. What do you call them?
Morgan
The ones with loud mufflers and stuff. A Harley. Was it a Harley? You wanted a Harley?
Grandma Bernie
Yeah, because they're low in the middle and I could easily touch those. Yeah.
Morgan
My dad had a. I think it was a Harley growing up. It.
Grandma Bernie
Was it a Harley? I couldn't remember. I knew he had one.
Morgan
Yeah. I think I rode on a total of maybe two or three times before mom said, okay, motorcycles gotta go. We got young girls in the house. This is not good.
Grandma Bernie
And that is so true.
Morgan
But you loved it. You're right on the back of it.
Grandma Bernie
But I wouldn't have it. I didn't have. Was just Brian and I didn't have anybody depending on me.
Morgan
And you were living free, Grandma.
Grandma Bernie
Oh, it was awesome. Go whenever you wanted to do. And we were doing this great stuff out in the streams. You're in the water. All as the coolest summers I ever planted or planted live because you were in water all day. But I don't look like a squeegee or something. Sponge.
Morgan
There's some water. What are they? Water moccasins? Yeah, water moccasins.
Grandma Bernie
We went in some streams that had those. I never saw one there.
Morgan
They feel like a fairy tale to me because everybody always talks about them. But I've never seen one.
Grandma Bernie
I never want to see one.
Morgan
I don't either. I don't think. I don't think that's the goal when you're out in the water.
Grandma Bernie
We actually speaking of that we were in. Brian and I did a contract for Oklahoma University. The science department there wanted someone to down on the west southwest corner. But it had a lot of property around it and they wanted that checked. We wanted fossils and bugs and all kinds of stuff.
Morgan
Account you were always out in nature. If there's one thing I knew about you. We would come to the property and you'd have horses and you'd have chickens and you'd be out in the river.
Grandma Bernie
And especially since I was married to Brian, I love being outside. And it's not something I did a lot of other than horses. I did always like to do horses yeah.
Morgan
And you still have a horse to this day. You have one. What is the horse that you have currently?
Grandma Bernie
Th.
Morgan
It's th. And how old is th?
Grandma Bernie
He was 34 on Taylor's birthday.
Morgan
34 years old. He's been with you for a significant portion of your life?
Grandma Bernie
I got him when he was 11. Yeah.
Morgan
It's wild. And you don't ride him? You guys just hang out together?
Grandma Bernie
Yeah, I don't ride him anymore since I've been breaking stuff.
Morgan
Yeah. Yeah. And you did break your hip. And you've been living out here. And what does that experience been like for you?
Grandma Bernie
It just really sucks.
Morgan
Yeah, that's true.
Grandma Bernie
But having a broken leg is what sucks. So you can't get around like you used to and do the things you.
Morgan
Used to when you broke your hip.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah, but living out here doesn't suck. I still. If I had to use a wheelchair or a. Maybe I could get a little car, A little. What do they call them? Some kind of scooters or something that you can drive out so I can go around. All around here. I do not want to go anywhere else.
Morgan
Yeah, you're gonna stay here forever. You made that very clear to us. That is a thing.
Grandma Bernie
So it fell to Michelle. Yeah, it didn't always. When I was in the hospital in Wichita, fell to Jeanette. And you guys said you did a fine job, too. Yeah, because otherwise I was gonna hurt somebody because that food in there was horrible.
Morgan
Hospital food's never fun. And it's hard, you being out here. And we love you and we miss you, but also, you've created a life out here. Much of what you were just talking about is this whole life you've created here, and you don't want to leave it. It's what you've always known for this whole second part of your life.
Grandma Bernie
So actually, most of the years of my life more doing this than anything else. And I love being out here.
Morgan
What was it like when you would have us come out to the property? What did you. It was funny. I remember a story, and you were talking about the chickens at one. And you traumatized me because it was about chopping off their heads. And it was not a great experience as a vegetarian.
Grandma Bernie
Probably not, but I've never been a vegetarian. I had to get used to that when I was growing up because I was the oldest child. And who do you think mom got to do stuff for her?
Morgan
That was you.
Grandma Bernie
It wasn't a voluntary thing either.
Morgan
You were required to do things.
Grandma Bernie
Yes. I never got used to chopping chicken tit off.
Morgan
And that was real. You're telling me that was real stories. And you weren't just messing with me.
Grandma Bernie
We had a. When we first moved out there, all of us moved Ferson to Peabody. It's the first time I've known anything about Greenwood county or southern Kansas. I want to say we had a outdoor toilet when we moved there. We had no running water in the kitchen.
Morgan
Wow.
Grandma Bernie
At a pump. There was a kitchen sink and there was a hand pump there for water into the. That was water in the house.
Morgan
Wow. So you were doing a lot of chores just to have things that were functioning.
Grandma Bernie
Garden canning, separating milk to milk and cream. And you sold the cream for money to get groceries on. Sold eggs.
Morgan
Wow. And then you had the chickens. But then. So you had your own meat, essentially.
Grandma Bernie
And we butchered.
Morgan
That's crazy.
Grandma Bernie
And a guy that owned the farm where we were, where my dad worked, he always gave us. I can't remember how much it was, but a lot of beef. So we always had beef. They butchered pigs. We had pork.
Morgan
You went from that. And then obviously at different portions of your life, you had running water. And now you have electricity and stuff. But you almost went back a little bit. You went back to that childhood. Yeah. Because you can stuff now. I know that.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. Like natural stuff.
Morgan
Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
I like science too, though. And I like advances. And I like to watch what they find out with the telescope and space landings and all that. I always watch that. And archaeology. I like what happened a long time ago. I think the Earth as a fantastic. Whatever it is. Thank God I'm got to be here. But what if this is just a figment of my imagination?
Morgan
It sure isn't. You're real. You're real. I can touch you. I feel you. You're a real human being. But it is cool. It's cool.
Grandma Bernie
And you. When you live by yourself and you're out in the country, the only one you have to talk to a lot of the time is your dog. My dog is very well educated. I've talked to him about a lot of this stuff.
Morgan
Cisco has the whole memory that you have. He's learned everything.
Grandma Bernie
I don't think so. He's just sitting there waiting for me.
Morgan
To pick up the ball, pretending to listen just so he can get a little piece of food or his toy, one of the two.
Grandma Bernie
I do think a lot about that kind of stuff now because I can. I have time. And when I've been working before and married, somehow, it got started with Brian and I getting Together and us exploring. So we went to museums. We went to anything that would had to do with both of those things. We both like that they have a really good museum, small museum in Oklahoma. We'd go down to a lot because you never can see all of it at one time, it seems.
Morgan
Are you mad at the microphone now? I want to know from you because you've painted out pictures of your life. But when you look at your life, is there any parts of it that you regret that you look back on?
Grandma Bernie
Oh, yeah. Oh. People lie when they say there's nothing they regret. They lie or they're fooling themselves. I believe in what we have here in nature. And I believe there's, I don't know, civilization to humans. They were crawling around on the ground. I believe all that's much easier for me to believe. To believe that there's a God up here that put somebody on Earth. And we've all expanded from that. And he's the one that you still should ask. I can't bring myself to believe it. It's just like a fairy tale or something that ancient person has written down that everybody bought. Now we're still. Everybody's believing that. But anyway, that's my own personal thing. I don't care what anybody else does. That's just mine. And so that may be why. Part of why it fulfills my need for some reason for this. So that's why maybe astronomy fascinates me. Because, you know, how did some star or whatever it was, this little thing at one specific moment explode and become all these stars and galaxies and black holes and planets? If they did, are they really accurate? I want somebody to show me what was there before this little black thing that exploded. What was over here.
Morgan
Like, I have a lot more questions than I do answers. So I'm going to need somebody to start answering something before the end of it. And you were referencing your regrets, I think.
Grandma Bernie
And part of that probably that I didn't take more, but I had the chance. When I was going to college, why didn't I take more science classes and all that? Because that seems to be the way I'm going. Teaching is okay. And it was all right. I like students and everything got along. It was just a bureaucracy. You got to answer to this. This person who answers to this person who answers to this person.
Morgan
And I know you don't like answering to anybody.
Grandma Bernie
No, I don't.
Morgan
That is not a thing that you like to do.
Grandma Bernie
And I don't like to be told what to do. But I'M in charge of something. I've had my clashes.
Morgan
You've passed that down as well. Very independent woman. We like what we like.
Grandma Bernie
But I think I've changed somewhat. Yes, I am that way and stubborn about being that way. But as I get older and I think. And being in a hospital and all that stuff makes you think about stuff like that and how you could handle it maybe in your mind better than you've been doing. And I just think there's no way two people having opposite inspirations or desires. There's no way that either of these two people know everything. It always is good to talk. I regret that I was always one minded or could not listen to other people and actually listen to them instead of just hearing what they're saying and not ever trying to understand or think about it. I'm sure I've done that a lot my whole life. I think that's why I'm better off being out here in the country. I don't have anybody to argue with.
Morgan
Just yourself and your dog. I like to end things on and particularly with you. As a piece of advice. Is there any advice you have as people move through this life and they.
Grandma Bernie
Try to understand things person to want to give advice to someone?
Morgan
No. You're great at giving advice. You gave it to me for a lot of my childhood.
Grandma Bernie
I know I'm great at giving it but I'm not sure it's the right advice for.
Morgan
It doesn't have to be the right. It was the right advice for you at one point or another.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. Yeah. I'm not sorry for all of my mistakes. I really. I don't regret marrying Brian because he's a really nice person. Not as nice as I had hoped he was because nobody likes to be betrayed or left or abandoned. And that's how I feel about that. But nevertheless, he is not or was not when I was married to him. He's very kind to everybody and very nice. And I regret that we parted on such a bad note. I do regret that I regret leaving Jay the way I did because he didn't deserve that either. And so those are times when I recognize that I wasn't always a really nice person. And I fully. I agree. And so I think that part of living by myself and thinking over those things I do regret, I think is just a way of coming to grips with who I've become up till now. And I'm not sure what I'm going to work on next.
Morgan
In hindsight's always 20 20. Right. You can look At a situation after you've left.
Grandma Bernie
And love has always been a little tough for me. If I'm in love, I'm in love.
Morgan
We're deep feelers in this family. It's very true.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah.
Morgan
Yeah. And they brought beautiful experiences and memories and stories and I don't regret those.
Grandma Bernie
I really don't. I've had some great experiences. Should anybody else enjoy those? I would wish that on anybody.
Morgan
They're great to live life and go after the adventures.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. And I'd always, I would say that I was more adventurous than I was a couch potato. I've always knocked, look back very often or question myself very often. If it looks like it's going to be fun, let's do it. It's going to be a good experience, let's do it. And so I haven't pulled back away from that. Maybe a little would have been better.
Morgan
Maybe now, yes.
Grandma Bernie
But I don't regret it. I don't wish it had happened.
Morgan
And what about advice? As you look on your life, if there's something you could tell somebody, maybe it's you from way back when that you're telling advice to. If you could go back and you could give advice to your 10 year old self about the life that she's about to live up until this moment, what would you say to her?
Grandma Bernie
Go out and grab it. Grab life. Live. Don't be afraid to do stuff. Life would have been different if I'd have gone to college right out of high school instead of getting married. I can't help but think, what would that have been like? It would have been different.
Morgan
Different path for sure.
Grandma Bernie
And so I guess you really can't do much else besides what you want to do. Something's going to send you down a certain path. Either your parents want you to go to college or maybe they want you to get married, they want grandchildren or I don't know. They're a big influence on a lot of people. Not all. There are a lot of people that don't have real parents anymore and I haven't given enough thought to them.
Morgan
And it sounds like more than anything, I think you were, you wanted to trust your instincts more and go out and do things that you exactly wanted to do. And there were moments of your life where you pulled back a little and.
Grandma Bernie
Some not very many times though.
Morgan
And that's the best part. Right. You started to figure it out pretty.
Grandma Bernie
Quickly if it tells you anything. I don't know even how many jobs I've had in my life, I have never worked for anybody or any institution anything more than three years until I worked for Butler county here when I was married to Brian and I worked with.
Morgan
You were just living all kinds of odd jobs and doing everything.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. Worked for a radio station out here when it first got started. Oh, so much fun.
Morgan
Is that weird now for me that you realize one of your grandchildren is in radio and that's one of your jobs?
Grandma Bernie
I feel it's like a special. This is my throwback.
Morgan
I'm the throwback.
Grandma Bernie
Oh, I love that.
Morgan
I'm glad I could be. Yeah.
Grandma Bernie
And just learned to fly an airplane. Had an airplane that I flew wherever I wanted to.
Morgan
You had a motorcycle, an airplane. You worked on a radio station. You were also digging on muscles. What didn't you do at some portion of your life?
Grandma Bernie
I haven't seen it near enough. Countries and other cultures. That's. I miss that the most.
Morgan
I think that's something you wish you would have done.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah. Because we see all these wars and all these factions, that person from there or whatever, and it's. If you stand back and look at. It's just like a bunch of kids that can't agree around a sandbox or something, so they're gonna punch them out or take them out. It just seems so stupid. I have to say that I think we would not have. It's my opinion, anyway. And I think women are very smart. I think they have gotten the short end of the stick a lot of times, especially earlier. But I think if we had more women rulers, we've had some, like, in Egypt and some of those places and Queen Victoria. But if we'd have had more women leaders of men, women, or, like, armies and services and stuff, I think we would have had a lot fewer wars.
Morgan
Hot. Take Grandma.
Grandma Bernie
You know what? Mother wants her son to get killed in a war.
Morgan
There's a little bit more empathy and compassion inside of that than.
Grandma Bernie
Mm. And men are always okay. I say always. Not all men are like that. Not all women are like what I just said until this time.
Morgan
Did you ever have a moment where being a woman was something that you really experienced? Because what I really see is I see you, and I see my great grandmother, and you guys paved paths and you did things so that way women today are set up to be able to succeed and have leadership roles and stuff. Was.
Grandma Bernie
She's still working on it.
Morgan
Yeah. Oh, yeah. It's still a work in progress, but you guys paved a lot of paths that didn't exist before.
Grandma Bernie
Yeah.
Morgan
Well, Grandma, I've kept you for so long in doing this. But I do want to still end on a piece of advice because I think you gave one. But it could be motivation or instead of advice, it could be inspiration. Be whatever.
Grandma Bernie
Don't hate people. That's the most destructive hate. It doesn't just destroy somebody else, it destroys you. When you hate people, oh my gosh. You're not open to what there is in the world. You see it differently because maybe some other denomination there or runs this store or whatever. That is so petty.
Morgan
It's a great way for us to end on because it's words of advice from my 87 year old grandma. Don't hate. It's not that hard. Yeah. Thank you grandma. I love you. Thank you for doing this with me.
Grandma Bernie
Thank you. I hope I don't feel like completed it.
Morgan
Thank you guys so much for letting me share my grandma Bernie with you guys. She's such an incredible human and somebody that I deeply adore and admire. So I really appreciate this experience. One that I'm gonna remember forever. Getting to record a podcast episode in her living room of the house that she talked about. So if you do wanna check out the video of this, watch it on the YouTube page at Webgirl Morgan and all the interviews are up there. If you want to go check those out and subscribe. If you like listening to audio only, then make sure you also subscribe to the podcast and you can also follow the Instagram page at. Take this personally. All of that stuff is so helpful and really beneficial as we head into the new year and doing this podcast. I know you guys have so many options to choose from, so as always, I'm so happy that you're here. And even more exciting news, next week my fiance is going to join the episode. We're going to talk all about our engagement story and all of the details and things surrounding the big moment that happened over our Christmas break. This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Episode: TAKE THIS PERSONALLY: My 87-Year-Old Grandma on Regrets, Adventure, and Why Hate Destroys You
Date: January 11, 2026
Host: Morgan Huelsman (from The Bobby Bones Show)
Guest: Grandma Bernie (Morgan’s 87-year-old grandmother)
This heartfelt episode centers on an in-depth conversation between Morgan Huelsman and her 87-year-old grandmother, Bernie. The discussion is filled with warmth, humor, and wisdom, as Grandma Bernie reflects on her long and winding life—spanning love, regret, independence, adventure, and the importance of kindness. Together, they explore how her experiences on the Kansas farm, her multiple marriages, career changes, travels, and personal growth shaped the values she wants to pass on, particularly the destruction caused by hate and the liberating power of living life boldly.
This episode is marked by gentle teasing, laughter, and honest self-reflection. Bernie answers with candor, humility, and characteristic “spitfire” charm. Morgan guides her stories with warmth and admiration, keeping the tone conversational, intimate, and often humorous.
A moving episode for listeners of any age about making the most of the time you’re given, forgiving yourself, and always staying curious.