THE BEST LIFE deMontignys Lake Eufaula
Cover Photo by Moonflower Photography
MEET YOUR TEAM
I visit a lot of lake homes in the course of showing property and listing property around Lake Eufaula. I often see a sign in a home that says, “If you are lucky enough to have a house by the water, you are lucky enough.” I believe that sentiment is portrayed in our magazine “The Best Life Lake Eufaula.” People who own or have access to a lake home are truly lucky!
There are many studies that show that people living by “blue space” (water) experience many positive results. Living by a lake, or having a lake home to go to, has been found to improve the quality of life. A few of the positive effects include feeling calmer and more peaceful, having improved mental health, and having a more positive outlook on life. Some people have even found that living by the lake helps to lower their blood pressure. People who suffer from symptoms of PTSD, anxiety disorders, and even addictions, are able to better manage their lives living and being around blue space. I know when I lived in Oklahoma City traveling East on Highway 40, a calm came over me as soon as I passed Tiger Mountain Road and saw Lake Eufaula.
The beautiful sunsets and sandy beaches at Lake Eufaula truly create “the best life.” We hope you enjoyed the first edition of our magazine, “The Best Life Lake Eufaula” and are looking forward to more of our featured articles show casing our friends and neighbors. In between issues, enjoy the “Best Life” and celebrate how lucky you are!
Sincerely
Notable Events
SEPTEMBER
2024
● September 7:
Vision Eufaula Wine & Art Festival
Saturday September 7th from 10 am – 6 p.m. at 150 N. Front Street, Eufaula; https://www.facebook.com/VisionEufaula
● September 7 & 8 On Lake Eufaula
The Fish Bowl is a Big Bass tournament that will take place on September 7th & 8th at Lake Eufaula. There will be bi-hourly weigh-ins each day with prizes awarded to the top five biggest bass from each weigh-in period as well as the top 3 overall for the tournament. The proceeds from The Fish Bowl help support OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home-away-from-home for children battling cancer and their families.
● September 28:
Back to the Bee Gees Tribute
Saturday September 28, Legacy On Main Street, 224 N. Main St, Eufaula, 6 p.m.
Don’t forget to check out events at your local library!
rAising AWAreness For An eVent?
Submit event information from local schools, HOA’s, charities, businesses, the city, etc. to: TheGoodLifeBackOffice@gmail.com and we will print them here to spread the word. SEPT. 7 & 8 , 2024 SEPT. 7 & 8 , 2024 On lake eu faula On lake eu faula
• Dog Boutique • Self Wash Dog Bays • Grooming
• Dog Daycare Shop online! www.Lakedogco.com 117 N Main Street Downtown Eufaula 918-490-9041
$33,000
Eufaula's newest hot spot located right on the water at 800 Lakeshore Dr in Eufaula. Bites, Brews and Lake Views!
Great food, Great drinks and the best patio in town! Eufaula's Sports Pub located in the heart of Downtown Eufaula at 200 N Main. 918-707-5164
All ages welcome til 10p Good Vibes Only!
Did You Know?
By Sean McAllister
i’d like to discuss the difference between a replacement cost homeowners plan vs. cash value for homeowners policies.
A 100% replacement cost homeowners plan will allow a customer the ability to repair/replace/rebuild at current market value rates for labor and material costs, minus any deductibles that may apply. There are several deductible options for our customers to choose from to best fit their budget, but a standard deductible would normally be around 1% – 2% of the dwelling coverage amount and can be as high as 5%, or $10,000.
These policies require the customer to insure a minimum of 80% – 100% insurance to value of the estimated replacement cost. If you are insured to 100% to value then you’ll have an added endorsement in you plan that’s standard to all 100% replacement
policies called Option ID. This endorsement will allow for an additional 20% of dwelling A coverage amount (main home structure) added to the policy coverage should inflation increase during time of loss.
With an actual cash value plan (ACV), the customer has chosen to ensure the property at a lesser amount of the full replacement cost, say 70% of the estimated replacement cost value. Therefore, recovering from a loss would be rated at the current market value for that dwelling/structure at the ACV rate, minus the deductible. Like comparing the cost of an older home vs. the cost of rebuilding that same home with modern materials and current code. This could be a detrimental factor if repairing only part of the home (i.e., roof), because the current labor rates and material rates would still apply to complete repairs.
TCelebrating Life with the deMontignys
Written by Hayley Simon
his month, it’s our pleasure to introduce you to your neighbors, the deMontigny family. Lynnsey & Dave deMontigny have two daughters; Allyson who is six years old, and little Hazel who is twenty months. Charlie, their family dog, is a Chesapeke retriever and is Hazel’s little fur buddy, as they got him as a puppy when Hazel was just born. They also have one of Charlie’s puppies named CJ who is 8 weeks old. Together, the family lives on a nine hundred acre ranch, “The deMontigny Ranch,” on the peaceful outskirts of Eufaula.
Allyson loves soccer just as much as she loves being in dance. She had her first recital this year and she loved being in the spotlight on stage. Allyson also takes piano lessons and gets her sarcastic
sense of humor from her father. Hazel, “the firecracker spirit,” as her mother calls her, runs the roost with her wildness.
Dave not only dedicates his life to his work as a game warden for McIntosh County, he also works the land and provides a service called “Sunrise 2 Sunsets Outfitters,” to those who want to hunt and fish the land. Dave is an outdoor enthusiast and he loves sharing that with the people who love it too. Given that the state provides Dave with a boat to patrol Lake Eufaula and maintain outdoor safety, he spends a lot of time on the water. They also have their own boat docked at the marina for family use. Lynnsey is a passionate event coordinator for Legacy on Main. She is also on the board for Vision Eufaula, a non-profit organization
focused on revitalizing downtown Eufaula to promote the town as the top tourism and destination in Oklahoma.
Lynnsey and Dave met through Lynnsey’s first cousin, Wayne Dye. Dave and Wayne have been best friends since elementary school. Lynnsey and Dave didn’t formally meet until after college. She found herself at Dave’s superbowl party in 2013, and they were drawn to one another.
They moved to Pennsylvania for about a year and a half for work, until Dave decided he wanted to stop traveling so much for the oil and gas companies. They decided to move back to Oklahoma in 2016, two months before the wedding! On the 20th of May in 2016, they were married in Destin, Florida. They chose a beach wedding so everyone could enjoy a little vacation as well as the event. The couple went to the summer olympics in Rio and then went on their honeymoon together with a large group of friends. It is one of their fondest memories together.
At the end of 2019, Dave decided to apply for his dream job: game warden. They were so excited when he got the job! There were only a few counties available and they ended up falling in love with the town of Eufaula, so McIntosh County it was! Once they were assigned to McIntosh County, they went on the hunt for a home. It wasn’t until 2021 that they purchased their ranch.
Lynnsey grew up in a small town in Panama, Oklahoma. She played softball from ages 5 to 20 years old, into college. Softball was a big part of her life because her father was the coach. She bonded deeply with her softball teammates. Lynnsey’s hope is that her children will
have that bond, too, here in Eufaula. Lynnsey graduated high school from Panama in 2007 and went to Carl Albert State College, from which she graduated in 2009 with an associates degree in business administration. Subsequently, she graduated from UCO with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. This is where her love for marketing and event planning truly kicked off.
Dave graduated from Wilburton High School then went to Eastern Oklahoma State college, and went to OSU next. He graduated with a wildlife management degree. He always planned to be a game warden.
Many people vacation at Lake Eufaula, in turn Lynnsey strives to provide the people of Eufaula with a warm welcome and great events. Lynnsey loves what she does, and she is eager to be a part of Eufaula’s continued growth as a community of opportunity and enrichment. Her favorite part of her job is being a part of everyone’s special occasions and memories.
The deMontigny Ranch is nestled one mile from Lake Eufaula. Their outfitters club, “Sunrise 2 Sunset Outfitters,” in which they donate deer hunts to a nonprofit organization called Operation Freedom Outdoors. Operation Freedom Outdoors puts out several different hunting and fishing trips each year. Dave works closely with the nonprofit to provide
veterans with a great hunting experience. Last year was their first year providing this service for five veterans, and it turned out exceptionally well. Dave served six years with the National Guard and it’s always been his dream to give back by providing others with the opportunity to enjoy the land. “Sunrise 2 Sunset Outfitters,” provides a remodeled barn converted to full living quarters where people can stay during their trips. Dave hopes these trips will inspire children to find their fun outdoors as he did growing up. During his early years, Dave would travel to Helena, Montana, to go hunting
in the untamed Rocky Mountains and to fish Canyon Ferry along with the other surrounding lakes.
The family tries to take a vacation every year, no matter how small the trip is. To them, the small trips are just as important as the big trips. Last year, they took the girls to Florida to the beach. Dave goes back to the Rocky Mountains to hunt wild game with his family members who still currently live there. Quite a few years back, Dave and Lynnsey took an “adulttrip” to Disney World.
Before the family moved to Eufaula, they lived in Blanchard, Oklahoma. In Blanchard, everyone was close enough they could walk to each other’s houses, have dinner together, and hang out whenever they wanted. However, that was before COVID happened. The family moved to Eufaula in the middle of covid, and living out in the country, they did not get the same sense of closeness with their neighbors. It was challenging at first to get involved in the community. They’ve been in Eufaula for three years now, and they feel the effects of Covid are winding down and they have the sense of community they always hoped for. Lynnsey hopes to open up her own little store in downtown Eufaula one day. Eufaula is their forever home.
The deMontigny family motto is to “celebrate living full, big, happy lives in the smallest moments in the everyday, because you can always find the joyous moments in the small things.” Today, the family is living in these precious moments, celebrating life, community, and the outdoors.
As always, The Best Life Lake Eufaula team would like to say thank you to the sponsors within these pages! Y’all make our publication possible.
RescueD HeaRts
say hello to Gino and Chili, two rescue dogs that were saved by Greg and Becky Anderson. Gino is a 5-yearold Catahoula who was rescued on Sept 14th, in 2020 from Country Roads Animal Shelter. When the Andersons relocated to Norman Oklahoma, Gino joined them as a companion for Abby, their former dog. Abby kept him in check and taught him everything she knew. With his lightning-fast mole-grabbing skills, Gino also enjoys hunting rabbits and squirrels more so than Chili! Adopted on August 12, 2023, Chili is still a large puppy who loves to give hugs! They chose Chili because, following Abby’s passing, Gino was quite depressed and they knew he needed a friend because he missed her so much. The Andersons’ ended up at the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter and Welfare where they found 10-month-old Chili. There were around 400 dogs in the shelter, and they were eager to meet Chili. Once they did, Chili crawled into Greg’s
“Adopt don’t shop! There are so many animals in shelters and if you would just give them a chance, they are so appreciative to be a part of the family. They just love big!”
– Becky Anderson
lap, with big puppy-dog eyes that begged, “Please don’t take me back there.” That was all it took! Once they exchanged a loving look, the family knew they were going to bring him home. It was love at first sight. Chili’s journey has been long, but his heart of gold and desire for fun hasn’t changed. Every day, he wakes up happy and is prepared for anything. He wants to be with everyone, and he loves having a good time and having fun wherever he goes. Gino, on the other hand, has a serious demeanor and can become moody (a trait he learned from Abby). Gino used to be silly like Chili, but as he gets older, Gino has taken on more of Abby’s personality. However, when somebody brings the food bowl, he acts like a puppy and loves treats that crunch; his favorite are crackers! Chili loves fruits and vegetables, but yogurt is at the top of his list. Within the love, fun and silliness they share, the family is complete with rescued hearts.
Gino, 5 years (left) Chili, 19 months (right)
Photo Creds: Heather Beadles at www.beadlesportraits.com
OuR sisteR in aRMs
erica Traxler, our sister in arms, is a retired Army veteran originating from Michigan. During her husband’s active duty service, in 2016 they were stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and that is how they became acquainted with the state. Erica attended Cameron University for her bachelor’s degree and graduated in 2020. Her husband retired from the Army in 2021, and she subsequently graduated with a Masters Degree from East Central University. Erica has been volunteering for the VFW ever since. Erica comes from a colorful military background: her husband served in the Army, her father and paternal grandfather served in the Army, her maternal grandfather, her brother, and many more of her family members served in the Marine Corps.
In 1999 Erica decided to join the Army. Her basic training was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina for 10 weeks. While feelings about military training can be a mixed bag, looking back, she feels the methods used in basic training were necessary for her to succeed in her military career. She chuckles when she remembers a drill Sergeant’s nickname, “Teddy Bear.” Although she doesn’t remember the reason the name was earned, it still brings her laughs. During one of the three phases of basic training, Rifle Marksmanship, Erica and another young man scored the highest out of the entire company. During this phase, another young man fell ill and he wasn’t able to familiarize himself with the weapons. Rather than discarding him from basic training, leadership allowed Erica and the other high-scoring recruit teach him how to use the weapons, and if he passed, he could continue into the Army. He ended up scoring a 33, the score just below “expert!”
For Erica, the best part about boot camp was the camaraderie amongst recruits, and the hardest part was the physical training and rough marches. Whenever Erica had KP duty (a job where you must cook and clean and serve your fellow servicemen food), she kept her spirits up by singing songs from home with some other female recruits she bonded with. When times were tough, these songs helped them stay positive.
After basic training, she was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. She decided to be a horizontal construction
engineer. As a horizontal construction Engineer, she would operate equipment such as bulldozers, bucket loaders, road graders, compactors, and a large truck that was much like a semi and trailer to transport materials from place to place.
In the fall of 2002, she went on temporary duty to Ada, Oklahoma from Washington. When she arrived in Ada, there was a forested area where the objective was to clear all of the trees, level the area, compact it, and test the soil before they created a quarter mile stretch of road and an overpass. Thus, Erica was one of the people who broke ground in the Cleet Training Facility in Ada, Oklahoma.
Her first deployment was to Iraq in March of 2003. Erica was there at the beginning of the war. When the war scaled back, she was at Camp Anaconda. They had to dig out all of the craters in the area and fill them, in order to fix the concrete so aircraft could use the runway. For a time, she was sent in many directions. Although she never came under direct fire, she could hear the shots fired beyond the pale. It could be harrowing at times. Back then, the Army used scud missiles, and this was before the enemy’s improvised explosive devices came about. While at Camp Bushmaster, in between Kuwait and her final destination in Iraq, her unit was assigned to build up the berms around the camp, but in the process they came across a mutilated body.
When she got to the Air base, they were able to get supplies in. Erica helped build a movie theater, they had a gym, a
post exchange, and a little semblance of normalcy. She was able to help her company have access to songs and networking through the internet. They were able to email their families. They still had to use calling cards to talk to family and friends at this time, but all of those things made it much easier overseas. It reminds her how different that time was from today. Her sense of duty is what inspired her to keep going. “When you join, you don’t always know or understand what you’re getting into. Once you are in it, you’re in it. So you are there to do the job that they give you.” They still had physical training after being climatized to the Middle East during deployment, and she remembers losing weight because of the heat. The ritual of PT helped Erica relieve stress.
The toughest part about her military career was being a woman. In a male dominated field, she always had to prove herself. No matter what duty station she was in, she would be treated differently. It took a toll when she felt she wasn’t equal to other servicemembers. One of her platoon Sergeants completely ignored her, and she can only assume it was because of her gender. She remembers trying to ask questions and he wouldn’t answer, yet a male comrade would ask the same question and get an answer right away. On some of the bases, female engineers could not be in combat units. When she was bouncing around from station to station, one of the command units wanted to keep her, but due to her gender, the request was denied. They didn’t allow females
to be in combat units as a construction engineer until many years later. She feels they wanted to put her behind a desk.
Although the Army presented gender-based challenges, Erica recalls two amazing Non Commissioned Officers. The first NCO was inquisitive and wanted to learn and grow as an individual. He was loyal and stood up for his people. He helped everyone feel like a family. At Erica’s assigned station from 2007 to 2013, Fort Hood, Texas, her NCOs name was Sergeant Allen. Sergeant Allen supported Erica throughout her step into motherhood in ways she felt most leaders wouldn’t. Erica’s daughter was only seven weeks old and Erica was able to be the mother she felt her daughter deserved, while maintaining her role in the Army. Through her experience, Erica felt many of the best leaders were Non Commissioned Officers.
Erica and her husband have been together since 2005 and were active duty at the same time. They both had fulfilling Military careers. Erica’s mother helped her throughout her military career, as well as her husband. Looking back, Erica is thankful for those two people the most. Our sister in arms, Erica Traxler has had an incredible Military journey, as many before her have. On this note, we have one more thing left to say; “Hooah!”
Thank you to Sean McAllister at State Farm for sponsoring this page to salute our veterans!
114 South 2nd Street
Eufaula, OK 74432
Phone: (918)689-7297
Email: eufaulaorders@sovereigntitleok.com
Lake Eufaula Real Estate Statistics
When buying and selling real estate you need to be able to make an informed decision. You need to know if the market is going up or down; how many homes have sold in the last 6 months; what is the average price of a home sold; what is the average price per square foot; and what is the average days on the market. We at Eufaula Lakeshore Realty have that information readily available for you. Choose a REALTOR who is experienced and knowledgeable. Choose us!
Chicken Pot Pie
Submitted
by
Linda Sanders, owner of Linda’s Lakeside Diner restaurant
ingredients:
• 2 boxes of roll out pie crust
• Grilled chicken, cut up
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
• 2 cans of mixed veggies
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
instructions:
Place pie crust down in baking dish.
Mix remaining ingredients together and pour into pan with crust. Cover with the remaining crust and bake for 35 to 40 mins at 350 degrees.
Parents call us when they are stuck in power struggles with their kids. They share with us their weariness from telling their kids “No!” so many times. They find themselves saying no, often in a frustrated or angry tone of voice, because their kids have not taken care of their responsibilities.
It often goes something like this. A kid will ask, “Dad, can I _____?” The dad replies, “No! Your room is a mess. And I told you to clean it yesterday!” Then arguing follows and the power struggle continues, causing more and more frustration for the parent.
There is a simple Love and Logic technique that can effectively break this cycle. Instead of saying no, use the phrase “as soon as” with setting a limit. When your kids ask if they can do something, simply respond by saying something like, “Sure, as soon as your room is cleaned up.”
The difference in outcome can be quite amazing. There will be fewer fights and power struggles, even with teens. Life can get a lot easier; chores will start getting done without asking, and even homework will be finished.
As with all Love and Logic techniques, an essential requirement for success is delivering the message with empathy. Sincere empathy and a calm tone of voice is absolutely essential for breaking power struggles. As we often say, nothing works without empathy!
For parents, there is something powerful about identifying and acting on what we can control. There is also something powerful about kids learning realistic causes and effects. Isn’t it realistic to take care of our responsibilities before we get to do the things we want? In the so-called real world, we get paid, or we get to have fun, after our work is done.
We encourage you to experiment with this principle and find ways to make it work for you. For more insight into how to avoid power struggles, listen to my audio, Nobody Wins a Power Struggle: Avoiding Battles that Ruin Relationships and Lead to Rebellion.
Thanks for reading!
Dr. Charles Fay
Charles Fay, Ph.D. is a parent, internationally recognized author, consultant and highly skilled public speaker. Millions of educators, mental health professionals, and parents world-wide have benefited from his practical and down-to-earth solutions to the most common and frustrating behaviors displayed by youth of all ages. These solutions come directly from years of research and clinical experience serving severely disturbed youth and their families in psychiatric hospitals, public and private schools, and homes. Learn more at LoveandLogic.com.
• BOAT SLIPS 24-50 FT • DRY STORAGE 30-50FT
•
DOn’t apOlOgize.
Just fIx It…
In a memorable way.
sITUATION: A customer calls to complain. Something is wrong, needs fixing, or is late.
YOUR INITIAL REACTION: Rats.
REALITY: Fix the problem, and build goodwill, or lose the next order to the competition.
AXIOM: The people who speak with and deal with customers control the future – and the destiny of their company.
BASIC INSTINCTS: Your first instinct when speaking to an angry customer is to apologize. “On behalf of ___, I would like to sincerely apologize…” is a bunch of insincere crap. Avoid this. It puts you at a deficit, and no one cares or wants to hear it.
Your second instinct is to give an excuse for why it happened. “The truck broke down, no one showed up, we’re in our busy season, the shipment arrived after we closed…” No one cares or wants to hear it.
Your third instinct is to blame someone or something else. “That’s not my department. We did all we could from this end. Our hands were tied…” No one cares or wants to hear it.
CAUTION: Defensive words, lame excuses, bad attitude, statements like: “You don’t have to talk like that,” and other negative acts of stupidity, only fuel the fire and anger the customer even further.
BEST ANSWERS: Get empathetic as fast as you can. START your response with one of four phrases:
1. Oh, that’s horrible!
2. Thank you for telling me that.
3. NO PROBLEM!
4. You’re in luck! These phrases tell the customer you care about them, and they put you on the path to begin to resolve the problem – and that’s the ONLY reason the customer called.
Written By Jeffrey Gitomer
JUST FIX IT: Make a plan to fix it in one of three ways.
1. Make a suggestion based on your experience followed by the phrase, “fair enough?”
2. Ask the customer what they feel is FAIR.
3. Tell of a similar experience and a positive outcome and ask if that remedy might also be OK for him.
APPROVE AND RESTATE: Get their approval, RESTATE what they agreed to, and reconfirm their approval. Take notes as you go.
AND NOW THE REST OF THE MISSION: Ok mission HALF accomplished. The customer is now satisfied that you have resolved their problem. Big deal – that’s your job. Now is your opportunity to create a great story.
OPPORTUNITY: Fix the problem in a memorable way and you begin to earn loyalty.
GO BEYOND RESOLUTION: Make another concession or give something unexpected. Make a concession they were not expecting. Make a future concession. Give something extra – something of value. Something WOW!
BIG SECRET: The secret is “take my side” (the customer’s) in the resolution process –not the company side.
OR ELSE: A negative story about you, your company and/or your product will begin a ten year run to anyone who will listen. What is the cost of a negative story? Plenty. What’s the worth of a positive story? What does it cost to create a positive story? Less than the cost to fix it memorably – less than the cost of prevention.
VALUE MEASURED: The cost of giving away something is MUCH smaller than losing the customer, his future business and the story he’ll tell all his friends, and what the friends may do.
SMALL WORLD: The world is real small –industry markets are even smaller. Industry leaders talk to other industry leaders. Customers talk to other potential customers. Employees talk to other employees.
THE REAL WORD: The word (of mouth) about how you conduct your business will help you or haunt you as you market (advertise) your way down the path. It will promote your goodwill or seal your fate –and it’s all done behind your back.
NO BUDGET?: We live in a world of budgets but I challenge every reader that there are hidden costs that exceed every budget ever made – the cost of lost business and lost goodwill. The cost of a negative story and the ripple effect it has on future business. The cost of poor training and the impact on your business caused by negative word of mouth advertising.
WRONG MESSENGER: Where is the budget for building customer goodwill? Where is the budget for customer retention? Where is the budget for earning referrals? Lost somewhere in an advertising agencies need (greed} for billing and the fee (kickback) for “placing” an ad. (authors note: I am NOT against advertising and advertising agencies – they play a vital role in building image and branding products. BUT there is a severe lack of funds put towards KEEPING customers, and one of the main reasons for it is that ad agencies don’t profit from it.)
Back to the point – screw ups and the cost of fixing them.
WIN THE PRIZE: The key to success is to empower people with friendly answers to resolve problems, and give them the (financial) latitude to go beyond resolution – to relationship strengthening. Why not create a budget for KEEPING customers and spend money creating memorable stories about complaints turned inside-out, and dealt with in an award-winning way?
CHALLENGE: What awards have you won lately?
KING OF SALES, The author of seventeen bestselling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude. His live coaching program, Sales Mastery, is available at gitomer.me. © 2023 – Jeffrey Gitomer – Buy Gitomer – GitGo LLC –All Rights Reserved.
King Hickory Bassett • Mayo • Ashley Parker Living • Justice Magnussen • Riverside • Best Hooker • Smith Brothers Classic Home BRANDS WE CARRY:
