Notebook
June 27th, 2014 by Gary Osberg

Good morning from Collegeville,

The forecast if for more rain, but there have been some sunny days this week. The farmers are having to deal with too much of a good thing. Replanting is not a good way to spend the day. Kerry and I are working the garden in Upsala together. It was featured as one of the highlights for a group of “walkers” that visited Upsala last weekend. The bad news in that the church cemetery lawn mowing service mowed the asparagus patch by mistake. I spoke with the young lady and she had no idea. For that reason, the picking season will be extended to July 18th.

In the February 27, 2006 issue of The New Yorker there was an article on pursuing happiness. It turns out that by nature we have been hardwired to emphasize the negative. Survival depended on being wary. The curious and unwary would be eaten by bears or tigers. “Call no man happy until he is dead” was a Greek saying. According to positive psychologists, once we are out of poverty, the most important determinant of happiness is our “set point”, our natural level of happiness, that is largely inherited.

Ready for the secret to happiness? Here it is: Happiness is equal to your set point S, plus your life conditions C, plus a bit of volunteer work, V. “H = S + C + V”. If you want a copy of the article, let me know.

The APHC show this week is live from the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood, in Lenox, Massachusetts. Special guests include postmodern bluesman Keb’ Mo’, singing trio The Wailin’ Jennys, pianist Rob Fisher and Bensonhurst harmonizers The DiGiallonardo Sisters. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will entertain us with skits galore. The News From Lake Wobegon will focus on the summer time. Enjoy the show.

The second presentation of Sunset Stages is tonight from the Darnall Amphitheater on the campus of the College of Saint Benedict. Keri Noble will be the star attraction. The show starts at 7:30. I will be working a table, so be sure to stop by to enter the drawing for a door prize.

“Let us be grateful to people who make happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom” Marcel Proust

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