Women of the Northwest
Ordinary Women Leading Extraordinary Lives
Interviews with interesting women.
Motivating. Inspiring. Compelling.
Women of the Northwest
An interview with your host Jan Johnson
Listeners have been asking to hear an interview with me and about my life and inspiration.
Today's episode has my youngest daughter Sidney and her friend, Morgan Burdick as hosts, asking a lot of questions.
This episode seems to have a lot of laughter going on..... hmmmmm
Topics include:
- enrolling in a ceramics school in France
- starting a preschool
- marrying and combining seven children and adding three more
- writing books
- painting murals
- starting a chapter of 100 Women Who Care Clatsop
- starting Hilda Lahti Parent club
- being a reading specialist
- Family Book Club
- Pioneer Days
- learning to play piano
- reviving theater in Knappa
- traveling through every state but Alaska
- Bucket list- going to Alaska, writing 8-10 books
- making cookies and jams and jellies
Subscribe to the Women of the Northwest podcast for inspiring stories and adventures.
Find me on my website: jan-johnson.com
Topics include: Enrolling in a ceramics school in France, starting a preschool, marrying and combining seven children and adding three more, writing books, painting a mural on the hall walls of Hilda Lahti Elementary, staring 100 Women Who Care Clatsop, Hilda Lahti Parent Club, Reading Specialist, Family Book Club, Pioneer Days, learning to play piano, theater, travel through every state but Alaska, bucket list- write 8 – 10 books, go to Europe, making cookies and jams
SPEAKERS
Sidney, Johnson, Jan Johnson, Morgan Burdick
Jan Johnson 00:07
Are you looking for an inspiring Listen, something to motivate you? You've come to the right place. Welcome to women of the Northwest where we have conversations with ordinary women leading extraordinary lives. Motivating, inspiring, compelling. This is happening.
Morgan 00:26
This is this is happening?
Jan Johnson 00:28
This is happening.
Morgan 00:29
All right, guys, it's happening.
Morgan 00:32
Welcome to women of the Northwest. Today we have an extremely special guest, our host herself. We have convinced to be interviewed with her daughter Sidney and me the usurper daughter Morgan.
Jan Johnson 00:49
You may have heard Morgan Burdick on an interview, a previous interview. So and you may have heard Sidney and her sister Emily, on a Christmas interview.
Sidney 01:04
Well, this is a Mother's Day Special Edition. So, ladies and gentleman, probably just ladies oh, what's your fan base?
Jan Johnson 01:14
Yeah, ladies and gentlemen. And you know, whoever
Sidney 01:18
you're right, the entire fifth floor of OHSU. We see you out there.
Sidney 01:24
Okay, so I want you to know that I have compiled a whole list of questions that I have been dying, dying to know, mom, since before you ever even had a podcast over years and years ago, when you said one day, I'm going to start a podcast and this is what it's going to be called. I've had these questions on my phone.
Jan Johnson 01:43
My
Morgan 01:44
This is a lot of buildup, it really is. So if they're bad questions.
Jan Johnson 01:49
Well, let's see about what the answers are.
Sidney 01:50
Also, I haven't told her any of these. So she has no advance warning as to what these are. So really getting you on the spot here.
Jan Johnson 01:57
Okay. Okay,
Sidney 01:58
ready? I'm ready. Okay, you ready for the most important question?
Jan Johnson 02:01
Yes.
Sidney 02:03
Who's your favorite kid?
Jan Johnson 02:08
And the next question is,
Sidney 02:12
okay, all right. Okay. Okay. Well, all right. I guess let's let's start.I was really, alright, fine. All right. Okay, fine.We'll just say that it's me. Okay. We'll start with some easy, simple, what brings you the most joy in your life?
Jan Johnson 02:33
is the right answer Sidney Claire.
Sidney 02:36
Could be
Jan Johnson 02:39
okay, the most joy.I think my most joy comes from relationships. And so when my children contact me, maybe on a daily basis or more sometimes it brings me joy, because and I get to build relationships with them.
Sidney 03:00
Okay. What do you think your greatest accomplishment in life is?
Morgan 03:08
I feel like Sidney Johnson is the answer to all these questions
Jan Johnson 03:15
Yeah, we might be fishing - you like to fish right?
Jan Johnson 03:22
Greatest. Okay, so name some things that you think that I've done? Or you know, I've done or whatever. And then maybe I'll pick one.
Sidney 03:29
No, no, this is that's not how are you? Good try, though.
Jan Johnson 03:35
Oh, okay. greatest accomplishments. Gosh, there's so many. It's hard to narrow down
Sidney 03:49
and she's so humble too
Jan Johnson 03:51
I know it's true.
Morgan 03:52
You can pick three? Yes. Okay. Yeah.
Jan Johnson 03:55
Well, one of my favorites was doing the murals at this school down the halls.
Sidney 03:59
Tell us about that.
Jan Johnson 04:01
There were a long hall of like fourth through eighth grade classes down this hall with blank white walls. And so I started pulling kids out of the classes and helping them find pictures of different nature things. So we had an ocean scene and Cannon Beach and Big, Big Creek and forests. And so they all the different parts of the big whale and the big Osprey and different things on there. So yeah, that was a fun accomplishment.
Sidney 04:40
I had we had a like a beanbag or something. We wanted to have feet walking across the beach. And so Emily, I sat down on this beanbag and Emily painted my feet, and I walked on the wall. And then she like, drugged me to the bathroom to watch me Yeah.
Jan Johnson 05:03
Yeah, that was fun. I I think writing my first novel was a big accomplishment because it took a long time.
Sidney 05:13
That leads us into our next question,
Jan Johnson 05:16
because it took a long time to write and a lot of learning curve to do that.
Sidney 05:20
Okay, well on that subject, tell us about your writing. And your books that have been published or are on the way to be. What inspired you write them? What were challenges along the way? What do you wish you did differently? Or what do you like about them?
Jan Johnson 05:37
Oh, my.
Sidney 05:38
hit it.
Jan Johnson 05:39
Okay. Um, alright, so the first book is, I will enter his gates, a walk with God, which is a memoir written about my first husband who had a brain tumor. So he had left his journal and just about his, what God was doing with him throughout it. So looking through that, I felt like that was something that people would want to read and gain support through and whatever. So I wrote it as a memoir, it took me a long time, like, probably 30 years to figure out how to do that. Because I didn't really know what I was doing. And so that was the first thing then I wanted to do something fun, because it was really hard to do. And so Sidney, one of my favorite daughter's
Morgan 06:34
very diplomatic
Jan Johnson 06:35
happens to be a nurse on a very difficult floor, and happened to originally have a couple of fun friends that have changed over the time still. And so with all of her silly stories, or crazy things, I've moved into a romance genre. So writing, filling out i filling some of the stories that are on the floor and working with kind of getting, you know, toward a happy ending, happily ever after. Okay, and so that's going to be a series of four, first two are written. And then I just finished a Christmas novella.
Morgan 07:27
What have you learned about yourself in writing your own story?
Jan Johnson 07:32
Oh, my own story, huh? Um, looking way back. i I wish I could know what I know now about life and could have been a nicer person earlier on. I think I was pretty cranky and pretty snippy, and right, too many times hard for me to picture maybe arrogant. A little. So yeah, so hopefully, I'm not that person anymore.
Sidney 08:08
So what what I guess, advice would you give either to younger you, or to your children? What would be life lessons, advice, goals, things that you would share with us.
Jan Johnson 08:23
And the important things in life or relationships, because everything else goes away. You know, it doesn't matter what kind of job you've got, or what kind of house you've got, or what kind of car you drive, or, you know, how many cookies you make.
Sidney 08:41
I actually think that's pretty important.
Morgan 08:44
We just had some really, really good cookies. So
Sidney 08:48
Mama Jan makes the mean, cookie.
Jan Johnson 08:53
Yeah, is to focus on those things, and to really try and discern what the what is it that you really want in life and seek after those things. And not just because maybe somebody tells you you need to be a certain kind of a person that you would be, you know, switching to really looking at your heart,
Morgan 09:15
how have the things you have really wanted in life changed as a mom as a person in the world over your life.
Jan Johnson 09:25
Let's see, when I got out of college, I was gonna I was going to spend my year my senior year of college in France. I was accepted to a ceramic school there. And then I was pregnant and so I wasn't sure that I wanted to go to a foreign country that I didn't know anything with. And spoke a little bit of French with to have a baby. So wasn't quite that brave to do. I yeah, I think I was a lot more adventurous than when I was young. But maybe that's tempered a little bit with being married to someone who is not really adventurous
Sidney 10:06
that he was known for.
Jan Johnson 10:11
Other than going to Guatemala does.
Morgan 10:13
Sorry dad. Adventure isn't cheap for me.
Jan Johnson 10:17
Okay, so let's see what's next. Well, I didn't anticipate having 10 kids. I thought three would be plenty. And that changed.
Morgan 10:32
Why?
Sidney 10:33
Why did like? I guess if I want at this point, you had three he had four. At what point were you like? Yeah, this is a good idea. Yeah, love having more or no of getting married and saying yes.
Jan Johnson 10:49
To saying yes to seven.
Sidney 10:51
I'm very happy with the way that it turned out. supremely happy,
Jan Johnson 10:55
because you gotta good sister too.
Sidney 10:58
But what is what was like? Yeah, this is okay. We can do this.
Jan Johnson 11:03
Yeah. Because I think I like challenges.
Sidney 11:10
Did you hear that Dad? She married you because you were a challenhge.
Jan Johnson 11:12
Ialways think I can do things? And.
Sidney 11:21
And you did things and
Jan Johnson 11:22
I did things. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Morgan 11:27
So speaking of doing things, I hear that you started a preschool.
Jan Johnson 11:33
I did start preschool.
Morgan 11:34
How'd that happen? What inspired that?
Jan Johnson 11:36
Um, I had my degree was in early childhood education. And part of that, I think, was because I I had volunteered in a headstart. And I really, really enjoyed that. So and working with kids was a lot of fun. And so I felt like that was just something I really, really enjoyed doing that. And then when I graduated from college, I worked at a preschool before I moved up to Oregon, down in Arizona. So
Morgan 12:08
what was the biggest mistake you made in the process of starting a preschool?
Jan Johnson 12:14
Hmm. I don't really I don't, I don't think there were a lot of challenges there was I did it in this church. So it already had the setting was there and whatever. And then the the pastor had asked several people if they would chip in to start like, like as GoFundMe kind of type of thing, whatever. So they, they started with, like, $5,000. And it was enough to get toys and get it off the ground and the, you know, pots and pans things for lunches and some curriculum and start paying people and whatever. So
Sidney 12:53
who helped you it was you and anyone, anyone, like were there like any aids, any parents that came volunteered anything like that?
Jan Johnson 13:02
Well, I hired people. So at one point, I had 13 staff people, yeah.
Sidney 13:07
Okay, so what became this preschool? Because now it is
Jan Johnson 13:11
oh, so I did that for nine years. And then Howard got his brain tumor, and I needed a job that had insurance that could help with that. And so I started working at the Warrentton grade school. But the preschool eventually turned into a Christian school and is still there.
Sidney 13:31
Yeah, you are the founder is founder of a school.
Jan Johnson 13:35
I guess. Yeah. Yeah. Instead of Hilde Lahti, they could call it the Jan Johnson.
Sidney 13:40
Called the Jan Johnson and you know, those of you called the points. The point point is something like the murals made out of little dots. Oh, pointillism. pointillism being a pointillism picture of your face. On the wall. So when you come in it says the Jan Johnson School for whatever, and just has like a pointillism.
Morgan 14:04
Oh, or a nice big mural founder and Headmistress.
Sidney 14:08
Yeah. Well Head Mistress.
Morgan 14:11
Yeah, yeah.
Sidney 14:13
No one will take that mural down. Yeah.
Jan Johnson 14:16
We'll see. I don't know.
Sidney 14:17
Hey. this is my podcast now. We asked the question.
Jan Johnson 14:23
Okay. Okay.
Sidney 14:27
Okay, so recently you got involved with this 100 Women tell us all about that.
Jan Johnson 14:34
100 Women Who Care is an organization that is national, and I think there may even be some international ones. So I started a chapter here. And basically your goal is to have 100 Women who will meet four times a year and listen to presentations of three nonprofits, local nonprofits, vote on one and then everyone writes a check for 100 dollars. So that's $10,000 that goes right to that organization. So we had our first meeting last week, and it was very successful, we're not quite to, we started with about, I was gonna be happy to have 30 members, and we had 65 in our first meeting, and I'm up to 85. Now, so I'm really excited about that. So
Sidney 15:24
where can people find information that
Jan Johnson 15:27
will put a link in the show notes?
Sidney 15:30
You're an official podcaster now. I'll put a link in the show notes. What a boss. Okay, so how did you find out about this? Why are you interested in it?
Jan Johnson 15:41
I found out about it because when we went to Ecuador on a trip to see our sponsored kids, there was a woman on the trip with us. And she had just started a chapter in Minnesota, and had their first meeting was all excited about it. And I thought well on something I want to do one of these years. So yeah. So
Sidney 16:00
what are some of the like things that potentially the money could go to?
Jan Johnson 16:04
The first time we did cultural and arts because I was thinking that wouldn't be quite as big of an impact. And I wanted to save the bigger impact for other things. So the first one went to Ten Fifteen Theater, they had had a flood in their basement. And so they needed funds to repair that and replace costumes and other damaged things that they had there. So that was the first one. Next one is going to be houseless, mental health, and veterans. That's our categories. So that's our people, yes.
Sidney 16:41
Okay. So what are some of those like local organizations that might benefit from them? What are ones that? Well,
Jan Johnson 16:47
I just found out that one of our members works at the veterans in Warrenton. So she will be nominating that one. Some local ones would be helping hands, river folk, feeding hungry bellies, warming center. Food Banks. Some of the class of behavioral health has things and Oh, yeah.
Sidney 17:17
Okay. Yeah. All right.
Morgan 17:20
One of the things that I noticed about you is how many different pots you have fingers in the way that all of those things you're doing Contribute to your community? Yeah. How do you end up in all of these different places?
Jan Johnson 17:36
I don't know. It just things just come to me. When we first when I married it and came here and the kids got started at the school, there was no Parent Club. Yeah, I'd have to start a parent club. And, and then, when I was a reading specialist, and put together a parent, Family Book Club, that was fun, you know, just because there's a need for things, you know, and I don't know, I just always have vision for what's lacking in something.
Morgan 18:15
A lot of people can notice things like that, but most of them don't start the solution. Yeah. What do you think is different about how you address those needs you see,
Jan Johnson 18:26
I don't know if it's a curse or a gift. I don't know. I just I guess part of it. My mom always said, if you see something needs to be done, then do it.
Sidney 18:43
That's funny. My mom says the same thing
Jan Johnson 18:47
don't wait for somebody else to make it happen. And I think that's like, the more that you step out and try and do things, you know, you find out it's not so hard, you know, to organize or to make it happen. Remember when we did the old fashion days? Pioneer day Yeah. And so we set up, we got all these people that had like a washtub. Ya know, making bread and making, you know, sharpening knives on a stone grinder and spinning wheels. And that's
Sidney 19:23
why I think that was between you and dad both like that is always always inspiring me just blowing me away is like you two in very different ways. But you both have the ability to say because I remember all throughout my life, you've always said that, like, you see somebody needs to be done do it. And that's something that you both have, you know, when I brought to you a problem, you say, Well, what are you going to do about it? Like, how are you going to fix it? What are you going to do about it? And like, oh, I need such and such I need to Okay, well go out and get it. Like that's always just been a mentality that you and Dad both have had in very different ways of going about it. But you've both have that, like, go out and do it yourself. Fix it yourself. Yeah. And that's something that is like, just blow me away of you as a person. And you as a mom, like, think of all the things that you've done. You started a preschool. You're starting a charitable organization. You raised me. I mean, that's, you know, that's when
Jan Johnson 20:25
I was tired.
Sidney 20:26
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like your little twitch kid red reader. Look at me now. I don't know.
Jan Johnson 20:33
So a succcess. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I think what everytime, if there's a lack of something, it's like, I just kind of see, is it something that I can fill? Or is there a way I can learn? I mean, that's how I learned to play piano is because we need somebody to play at church. So
Morgan 20:58
how do you get started with something like, I assume you didn't know how to play piano? And then eventually you did know how to play piano? What happened in between?
Jan Johnson 21:06
Practice. Practice? Yeah, no, I started taking lessons and yeah. Well, and then, you know, why did I do theater? Because it was fun. And nobody else was doing it
Sidney 21:21
Tell us about theater. Come on, mom. You've got lots to tell about
Jan Johnson 21:26
sixth grade that had no, A Christmas Carol in the literature book. And I thought, oh, yeah, we put that together. Couldn't we? Wasn't I naive.
Sidney 21:41
I think that we talked about this on the Christmas episode we might have Yeah, but it's worth bringing up again. What were the highlights of that play Mom? Please, please, and indulge your audience with what the highlights.
Jan Johnson 21:55
I think it was probably fun up until the time when one of the characters wasn't coming out on time and was duct taped it
Sidney 22:06
together, hands and feet duct taped in the back room.
Jan Johnson 22:10
He did that by himself?
Sidney 22:11
Oh, there was encouragement? Yeah, um, one of my personal favorites was when we were dancing and the projector caught on Addy's skirt and she flipped the whole projector over
Jan Johnson 22:20
Yeah. Back when we had the overhead.
Sidney 22:23
Or when the smoke machine the fog machine turned on and wrong time. The curtains open and closed at random intervals.
Jan Johnson 22:29
Yeah. Yeah, there was.
Sidney 22:31
Everyone forgot their lines. Also, the tombstones do remember the tombstones? Yes. Flying, slinging out underneath the stage curtains out into the audience.
Jan Johnson 22:40
Well it brought a lot of laughs
Sidney 22:41
I think a parent said I want my money back.
Morgan 22:46
Which is really something
Morgan 22:47
a statement from quite a statement.
Jan Johnson 22:49
Oh, I remember a lot of laughter. I was so mad though. Yeah, it was not
Sidney 22:56
okay. But so with that as a starting point. We had no drama department and you built it up into something beautiful. You made a whole theater. You created a whole theater space. Tell us about your drama years.
Jan Johnson 23:09
Yeah. So I did that for 10 years.
Sidney 23:11
Ten years?
Jan Johnson 23:12
And there's Yeah, I know.
Sidney 23:14
I don't remember being Yeah. Gosh, yeah.
Jan Johnson 23:18
What are the plays that you were in? Um, Peter Pan.
Sidney 23:22
Okay. I wasn't Peter Pan.
Jan Johnson 23:23
Little Mermaid.
Sidney 23:24
No. Um, I was a Christmas one. It was like Waltons Christmas.
Jan Johnson 23:30
Oh, yeah. Homecoming. Yeah.
Jan Johnson 23:36
Best Christmas Pageant. That was sixth grade, though. We
Sidney 23:40
weren't in that one now. But I remember ones that I remember watching. I remember the Little Mermaid. And I think you did Peter Pan again. Maybe?
Jan Johnson 23:50
Because what person in their right mind would think let's do a musical when you don't have you know, any music in the background other than
Sidney 23:59
okay, but you did it?
Jan Johnson 24:00
I did and things and then little kids. Oh, let's have little kids too. And big kids.
Sidney 24:05
made all of the costumes for all of these plays. What are some of the other ones you put on? What are some other
Jan Johnson 24:12
Miracle Worker?
Sidney 24:13
Yeah,
Jan Johnson 24:13
Miracle Worker was one of the best Yeah, cool. Yeah. We did. What was the one with the the medieval one
Sidney 24:25
that Oh, yeah. Um,
Jan Johnson 24:28
Holy Grail. The
Jan Johnson 24:29
Holy Grail was pretty. That was pretty hysterical.
Sidney 24:35
And by the way, if you ever want to see her massive t shirt and sweatshirt collection for all these plays, her address is
Jan Johnson 24:44
Yeah, we could think back to one of those. There was a Match Girl
Sidney 24:49
Match Girl show we always did a Christmas one and then a spring one right? Elf.
Jan Johnson 24:55
Yeah, Elf Elf was a little challenging, but it was great acting. Yes, super. Yeah. Great acting on that one. Yeah.
Morgan 25:07
With all of these massive projects, do you ever have a moment where you realize you're in way over your head?
Sidney 25:13
The rest of us did?
Jan Johnson 25:16
Like, which things did I neglect?
Morgan 25:18
Well, it makes you it's the all of these stories just sound like they spiral into these huge and beautiful projects
Jan Johnson 25:27
Yeah, there was probably a few times that I got a little stressed out, like, towards the end of them. Okay. So
Sidney 25:32
there was a, there was always this week, right before
Jan Johnson 25:37
No body talk to Mom.
Sidney 25:38
All. Right. The week right before the play went on, my dad and I would kind of have this little ritual. Yeah. Where we we'd look at each other. It'd be like, don't do it. Don't do it. Don't talk about it. Don't do it. Well, you whatever it is, you just
Morgan 25:56
you just tiptoe around.
Sidney 25:57
Yeah, if we if we drove out to the middle of nowhere and left, or would we be upset about it?
Jan Johnson 26:05
Yeah, I know. I need to Yeah, I need to apologize for that.
Sidney 26:10
Yeah. There are costs. There are costs. Yeah, there are costs. There were some very challenging time. But only that would be that one week right before? And you would just
Jan Johnson 26:24
two days before.
Sidney 26:25
Yay. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. But hey,
Jan Johnson 26:28
well, there's a lot of moving parts. You know, there are so many things you can hold your head. Yeah,
Sidney 26:33
I think one or two or five or six or eight times I maybe got left at school. Right. Here we are.
Jan Johnson 26:41
Eight times a little. exaggerating.
Sidney 26:44
I would like to bring up um. Let's see. I got left at a baseball game.
Jan Johnson 26:52
We're going to make this about you, are we?
Sidney 26:55
the after school project. I got left out another afterschool project.
Jan Johnson 26:59
That was Bingo.
Sidney 27:00
After you taught the class that I was in. And then left me
Jan Johnson 27:05
that was Family Book Club. But you had a lot of people that loved you and they take care of you.
Sidney 27:12
Tashi Gremar and all you other people who have ever brought me home. Thank you. My mom. And I thank you.
Morgan 27:22
So now that we've relived a number of Sidney's childhood traumas, Sidney, what has been the biggest lesson that you have learned watching your mom's example in the world?
Sidney 27:36
That's a great question. Um, I think, I think something that like, and it's not something that I am good at, because it's something that like, I know, that I need to work on. But something that has always like, inspired me and been just totally ingrained in me, is when you see something needs to be done, do it. Because that's a lesson that she has always lived by. And something that like, not like building community. And that's important, but not being so dependent on other people that you can't learn to do things yourself, you know, like, gumption I guess you have a lot of you have a lot of gumption. Like that's
Jan Johnson 28:16
you call it grit.
Sidney 28:18
A lot of Moxie. Yeah, a lot of like, okay, this is what needs to be done. Here's the obstacles. I don't care. I'm going to do it anyway. And I think another thing is also like making memories of all throughout my life, you've always taught me experiences. Like I remember growing up the things like that the very clear memories that I have of things are like us going to Portland, and riding the train around Christmas time, or going and seeing plays or music or acrobatics, like weird things that like other people didn't always get that experience. But we got it because you and dad both said like, Oh, this is some, you know, thing that I want to expose my kid to. And this is an experience that I want them to have. And those are the memories like from childhood that stay with me the best. The ones the experiences that like other kids at school didn't have but we had because you knew it was important.
Jan Johnson 29:14
Not when I yelled at you to clean your room, or
Sidney 29:16
no, no, see, this is this is another good mom ism. Every time so we were never allowed to say I'm bored. Because why?
Jan Johnson 29:25
Because there's always something to do.
Sidney 29:28
Because God created this good green earth. And if you're bored, it means you're being lazy. So whenever you're that, yeah, that was Dad. What whenever you would say, I remember telling you whenever we'd say we're bored. You say go clean your room, because you'll always find something to keep yourself and
Jan Johnson 29:48
sure enough, right?
Sidney 29:50
It's true.
Jan Johnson 29:50
Yeah. I mean, didn't you just see that this week? That's exactly my room and found things that you forgot. Yeah, yeah, true.
Sidney 29:57
True. True. Yeah. Yeah.
Morgan 29:59
So I think that's an excellent life advice for any parents out there. Because it's a two for one.
Sidney 30:04
Yeah, yeah, it really is. Yeah, it really is. Yeah. What's something or some things that you wish more people knew about you? Because this whole France thing didn't know.
Jan Johnson 30:16
Yeah, well, that's, you know, could go or not go. I don't know. I have been in every state except Alaska. I already know it.
Sidney 30:26
Well, not everybody knows that.
Morgan 30:27
You're not people. Yeah.
Jan Johnson 30:31
Does everybody know that? Oh, yeah. I guess everybody knows that. My sister shot me through the legs because I interviewed Ann. Okay, and we talked about that.
Sidney 30:41
Why have you been in every state except Alaska though?
Morgan 30:43
Yeah. What's What's the story with the Alaska holdout?
Sidney 30:46
And why aren't we in Alaska right now?
Jan Johnson 30:49
Yeah, no, why? Right? Yeah.
Morgan 30:51
Anyone free?
Jan Johnson 30:52
Let's go on the bucket list to do.
Morgan 30:54
It's light in Alaska now. We should go.
Jan Johnson 30:57
Yeah, we should go. We should go. Because my mom traveled all over in the summers just took us around in the camper. And we went to Montreal by way of Key West and from Arizona looped around everything. So I've been
Morgan 31:14
I mean, this sounds very reminiscent of an Oregon to Alaska trip that we can do this.
Jan Johnson 31:22
I you know, if I had done Alaska already, I wouldn't have it on a bucket list. My bucket list would be empty.
Sidney 31:28
What? That's what else is on your bucket list?
Morgan 31:31
There's nothing else on the bucket list. Go to Alaska. And then it's over?
Jan Johnson 31:42
let's see. I I would like to go Europe again. Because I did that my senior year of high school. That was a few years ago. Things have probably changed a little since then. What was the question?
Morgan 31:56
The rest of the bucket list? We've got Alaska, we've got Europe. What else is on the bucket list?
Jan Johnson 32:03
I would like to I'd like to publish eight or 10 books?
Sidney 32:11
Wow. Yeah. Oh, yeah, that's fine.
Morgan 32:14
What are the other books you would like to publish?
Jan Johnson 32:19
Well, I don't know. I gotta get through these four. First thing, that the Christmas one was pretty fun to do, or, you know, a couple of like, a do a couple of Christmas ones. You know? That would always be I'm not sure. We'll see how that evolves?
Sidney 32:35
What's your inspiration for all these?
Jan Johnson 32:41
Well, you know, to begin with it was nurses. So I don't know.
Morgan 32:45
Feels like there's a right answer again to these questions. My favorite daughter.
Sidney 32:53
You can answer whoever you want.
Jan Johnson 32:55
Well, there is only one daughter that helped me with the writing, you know, and would fill in pieces and going oh, you need to include this or then that not so good.
Morgan 33:07
Shout out to Brandon and other other participants of the Johnson family farm five AC camping trip.
Jan Johnson 33:15
Exactly. Exactly.
Sidney 33:17
Yeah, a good chunk of the night helping my mom write
Sidney 33:30
What else would you like to oh, here's my other question. I have a lot of questions. Here's my question, which will be great. Ready?
Jan Johnson 33:40
I'm always ready.
Sidney 33:42
Are you nervous?
Jan Johnson 33:45
Should I be
Sidney 33:46
it's just the build up? It's not that exciting. What would you want said at your funeral
Jan Johnson 33:57
she's gone.
Sidney 34:00
Mom!
Morgan 34:01
this this is gonna be recorded on the internet. notes because your eulogy is right there. Yeah.
Sidney 34:08
Well, she's asked everyone this question that she's interviewed pretty much so I your listeners want to know.
Jan Johnson 34:15
Okay. All right. What would I like people to say about me at my funeral. They are going to say that I did a lot of things for the community that I laughed a lot. That I cared about people that I took time to recognize different accomplishments that people did and be there for them.
Sidney 34:54
And you made memories and
Jan Johnson 34:57
made memories Yeah. So remember all that just in case you need it?
Sidney 35:06
Well, don't worry. I've heard that person who makes this podcast. She does a transcript. So I also know her
Jan Johnson 35:15
Yeah. Right.
Sidney 35:20
What is the secret to Jan's jams and jellies? Why?
Jan Johnson 35:25
Oh, extra sugar, fresh produce and extra sugar?
Morgan 35:37
What advice do you have for people who would like to build some of the community that the two of you are so good at building?
Jan Johnson 35:45
Oh. I don't know. Just look around and see what needs to be done and figure out how to do it. Make it happen. Take this step forward.
Sidney 35:57
Advice from Jan Johnson. Just do it. Just do it taken?
Jan Johnson 36:04
Yeah, but it was good. It was good. Don't be afraid to step out and do things. Yeah. And try it out. See if it works be not afraid.
Morgan 36:14
right. How do you approach just doing things when you have no idea how to do the thing?
Jan Johnson 36:19
You guys are lucky. For years Google. And YouTube. I think it's easier in a small town and probably, you know, to do things, but wherever your community is to just see where your resources were. I mean, the first when I moved to new places, the first thing I did way back in the day, when there were phone books, I'd looked through the yellow pages and see what businesses there were in what, you know, how you could connect the dots.
Morgan 36:55
Well, how do you move from I read that this place exists in the Yellow Pages to making them part of your world?
Jan Johnson 37:02
Well, I think I think I've learned to be a good networker. And so I listen a lot. And when I'm having a conversation, somebody says, Oh, yeah, I work with veterans. I'm thinking, Oh, okay. I can put you together with this person. That would be good. And then that could make this happen. And do you know, I don't know. I think you have to be a good listener to people and, and think of how you can be resourceful with that.
Morgan 37:31
Where do the cookies in the jam fall into this? Yeah.
Sidney 37:34
Where can one find Mama Jan's Eats and Treats
Jan Johnson 37:43
in the pantry.
Sidney 37:47
Well, thank you so much for coming on our show. was such a joy. pleasure to talk to you to learn from you. Yes. To find out that I'm the favorite kid.
Jan Johnson 38:01
Only thing that could have made it better is if we had more children here to interview but that might be subject for another time.
Sidney 38:09
Okay, you got the best.
Morgan 38:12
Wink. I always got told that I was the favorite daughter but I was also the only daughter. Yeah, it's like being the favorite child out of 10 is way steeper competition.
Jan Johnson 38:23
It's steep. Yeah. It's steep. well, that's so hard at it. Yeah.
Morgan 38:27
you'd have to
Jan Johnson 38:30
Yeah. All right. Thank you, it's been fun
Morgan 38:37
. Our pleasure.