Attention Mrs. Oleson Fans!!
Attention Mrs. Oleson fans!! There have been a series of bizarre rumors circulating about the woman who played my dear mother, Harriet, veteran stage and television actress Katherine MacGregor. Let's settle this right here: Katherine is alive and well, in excellent health and living in Hollywood. She does not and has not had cancer, or so much as a cold in the entire time I've known her. She is a strict vegetarian and an avid devotee of health foods and clean living. She does not smoke or drink. She does indeed meditate and belong to an ashram. She has long been a follower of eastern religion, (Vedanta and the teachings of the late Swami Vivekananda) but she is not and never has been married to her Swami. (Frankly, that's just not even the sort of thing one would do in her religion!)
She's also not married to her doctor. Or any doctor. She's never been a big fan of doctors or western medicine in general. (Even her dog prefers acupuncture.)
The truth is, Ma Oleson is single and loving it... and very retired!
She was married (and divorced) a very, very long time ago, but has decided there are simply better ways to spend her time, than as she puts it, "chasing after some man!" She considers herself retired, enjoys mediation, reading, cooking healthy food, traveling (trips to India and such), quiet evenings with friends and taking care of her dog.
She say she's very happy and really doesn't care what people think about what she does with her life, but she loves her fans and would not want them to worry.
She doesn't do interviews or send out 8" x 10" glossy photos.
She thinks of all of us kids from "Little House" as her own dear, wayward children and is never without advice on what we should all be doing, who we should or shouldn't be marrying, etc. (OK, so it's a little like the show. But she loves us.)
If you are interested in knowing more about Katherine's spiritual pursuits, check out the Vedanta society at their website www.vedanta.org and read all about their fascinating history, including such followers as Christopher Isherwood and Aldous Huxley. You can also visit their Hollywood Temple and bookstore at: 1946 Vedanta Place, Hollywood, CA 90068-3996
So there you are. Not what one would expect to find at the Mercantile is it?
