October 17th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
It is MEA weekend in Minnesota. Larry Nelson was a city kid whose grandparents had a farm near Upsala. He would spend summers on the farm and as a teenager he would come uptown to hang out with those of us who lived in town. He ended up marrying the banker’s daughter, Sharon, one of the girls who lived in the “village” of Upsala. Larry was unique. At my sister’s wedding dance he took out his pocket knife and cut off Phil’s tie. Phil and Sharon were first cousins. I remember Phil was not very happy at all.
Larry was the kind of fellow that wanted others to experience life. He knew that I was not into fishing and hunting (having spent my youth as a delinquent) so he went out of his way to invite myself and my son to tag along on a fishing opener and a grouse hunting trip one MEA weekend. He was part owner of “the shack” near Talmoon. There were three adults, Ron, Larry and myself and our three sons. The boys took the dog and I rode with Ron and Larry. I didn’t own a shotgun so I simply walked along. We brought 17 grouse back to the shack and Larry cooked up the grouse along with the wild rice and mushroom soup. It was a feast indeed. Larry was one of the very first to have heart bypass surgery. I recall he had to travel to Houston, Texas for the surgery. He died way too young, but he lived life to the fullest and he looked out for his friends.
The show this week is live from Christian University in Abilene, Texas. Special guests include the hottest fiddler from Cowtown, Elana James, steel guitar and Dobro daredevil, Cindy Cashdollar and the wonderful gospel singer Jearlyn Steele. Enjoy the show.
“Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that’s the stuff Life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin.
October 10th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
For years there has been a full service car wash on Division Street in St. Cloud. It was not a cheap date, but there were lots of cloth washing elements, no plastic brushes and lots of folks doing the pre-wash prep and even more young folks doing the drying. There was a tips jar and I usually put a buck in. There were gas pumps out front and a convenience store. Free pop-corn, clean restrooms, lounge chairs and magazines. I always felt great getting into a sparkling clean car. It even seemed to run better.
The car wash now has one employee with three options, a five dollar exterior only wash, an eight dollar exterior wash and a thirteen dollar exterior wash. The one employee takes your money, rubs a brush on the bugs, directs you to the inside and you ride through with the engine running, being sure to keep your foot off the brake and your hands off the steering wheel. When you get through all the cloth, the various sprays and the blowing air, there is no one to greet you on the other side. Bring your own towels. No gas pumps and no popcorn either. The operation went from eight or ten employees to one.
The show this week is live from The Fitzgerald Theater. Guests include legendary singer-songwriter, record producer and brooding British balladeer, Nick Lowe. By the way, five thousand folks showed up for the Street Dance and Meatloaf Supper last Saturday. Enjoy the show. You should consider attending the warm up show on Friday nights. Go to www.prairiehome.org to check on tickets.
“Aside from the strictly moral standpoint, honesty is not only the best policy, but the only possible policy. The fulfillment of the pledged word is of equal necessity to the conduct of all business. If we expect and demand virtue and honor in others, the flame of both must burn brightly within ourselves…honesty begets honesty; trust, trust; and so on through the whole category of desirable practices that must govern and control the world’s affairs.” James F. Bell
October 10th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
In October of 1956, Ma was 36 years old. Two months earlier she had given birth to her sixth child, a boy. Our family of eight lived in a small house at 1620 Colorado Avenue in St. Louis Park. Dad had just smashed up his third car in as many years. Ma’s mother Grandma Ramlo, drove her 1952 Chevy down from Upsala, placed Dad in the backseat and drove him to the Chemical Dependency department at VA Hospital in Minneapolis. She said, “He is your problem now!”. Then she packed us all up and we moved into the apartment above the Ramlo Grocery in Upsala, Minnesota.
The one bright spot for me was that I would not have to serve the 20 hours of detention that I had racked up in eighth grade at St. Louis Park Junior High. Today is the homecoming game in Upsala and I plan to be there cheering the new paired team, “USA Patriots” (Upsala and Swanville football has merged), on to victory. The team is ranked in the State polls.
The show this week is the beginning of the new season with a live broadcast from The Fitzgerald Theater. Special guests are the Old Crow Medicine Show, Maria Jette and an enhanced All-Star Shoe Band. Immediately following the show will be the annual Street Dance and Meatloaf Supper on Exchange Street. It will be clear and cool so why not go? You will have a great time.
“If you are going to expect, you have to inspect” Grandma Ramlo
September 26th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
“I have been rich and I have been poor. I much prefer to be rich. I have been well and I have been ill. I much prefer to be well. I much prefer to be well than to be rich.” Anonymous
I flew into Sun Valley, Idaho on Sunday. I felt a tickle in my throat. I fought it all three days with a special smoothie prepared for me by my friend Ananda the owner of Akasha Organics on Main Street in Ketchum. I drove to Bozeman on Thursday and spent two days in bed at Aunt Maggie’s. She fixed me chicken noodle soup and put me on the plane back to Minneapolis on Saturday. Barby met me at the airport and I spent three days in bed at home. Yuk! I am now on an anti-biotic. I sure hope you don’t catch it.
If you have not been to Sun Valley, be sure to put it on your “bucket list”. The new pavilion is awesome. Go to www.sunvalley.com
The show this week is a one of a kind reunion show that was done recently at The Fitzgerald Theater. Special guests include Bill Hinkley, Judy Larson, Dakota Dave Hull, Cal Hand, Butch Thompson, Pop Wagner, Vern Sutton and Peter Ostroushko. Minnesota’s Oldest Old-Time Band, the Brandy Snifters will also appear on the show. Enjoy.
“To know when you have enough is to be rich beyond measure.” Lao-Tzu
September 12th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
A beautiful sunny morning. 135 folks showed up for breakfast at Chamber Connection this morning, hosted by Midsota Plastic Surgeons, under a tent. One of the many great things that they do is to organize a trip to South America each spring to perform reconstructive surgery on children. If you are looking for a way to give back, check out their website www.helpsintl.org
I will be in Bozeman next Friday, so there will not be a weekly note. Our classical music station, KWRV 91.9, has been serving Sun Valley, Idaho and the Wood River Valley since 1993. I plan to fly in to Sun Valley on Sunday and I will work there on the first three days and drive the rental car to Bozeman on Thursday. I will be spending time with Aunt Maggie and enjoying the mountain air.
Sun Valley was created by Averell Harriman and the Union Pacific Railroad in the thirties as a destination ski area. Mr. Harriman had sent an Austrian Count to travel the western United States in search of a place to start a ski resort. When he arrived in Ketchum, Idaho, the Count wired back that it was better than anything in Europe. The Union Pacific purchased a 3,000 acre ranch for $39,000 and they built the Sun Valley Lodge. They also invented the chair lift in Sun Valley.
The show this week, (heard in Sun Valley at 4 PM on Saturday) is a special New York City compilation show with some of Gotham’s go-to guests, including Bronx born comedian Robert Klein, Broadway stars Walter Bobbie, Faith Prince, Kristin Chenoweth and Tony Roberts plus Robin and Linda Williams. Enjoy the show.
“It’s so fun, here in America” Anna Osberg, age 4
September 12th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
The APHC show at the Minnesota State Fair was wonderful. The package that we received from Ticketmaster included a VIP parking pass that put us just feet from the Grandstand, plus food vouchers for inside the Grandstand Plaza. I have a sweater that was left there by a Diane Yeager from Sauk Rapids. If you know her, have her give me a call.
The Top Ten List of Things That I am Thankful For:
1. No cell phone companies are going to give out our cell phone numbers to telemarketers.
2. There are at least 20 Turkey Vultures cleaning up things around the St. John’s campus.
3. I will have five grandchildren by next April.
4. I have the best job in the world.
5. My health is good
6. My son is my financial planner
7. My daughter is making Visual Arts Minnesota a success.
8. I have five siblings and no one is mad at anyone.
9. I get the traveling golf trophy from the annual Hagstrom/Osberg golf tournament.
10. I have someone to share a cup of coffee with every morning who loves me.
The show this week is live from the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, Vermont. Special guests include Suzy Bogguss and the usual cast of characters.
“Art is the stored honey of the human soul, gathered on wings of misery and travail.” Theodore Dreiser
August 29th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
It is hard to believe that it is the end of summer. School starts next Tuesday. Here in Minnesota we still wait until after Labor Day. Classes started here at St. John’s on Wednesday. It is great to have the students back on campus.
Tomorrow will be my sixty fifth birthday. In my family we like to celebrate big every five years. Barby and I had a family picnic at Big Oak Camp last Saturday. 65 folks showed up for my 65th birthday, what are the odds. It was a beautiful day, a little cool even. One of the highlights was when Cousin Dave’s daughter Maggie, age 8, sang the Happy Birthday song to me one-on-one. It was very special. It may have been only the second time that we had met. It was her idea and it was wonderful.
Another Dave wrote a wonderful poem about “The Flash” giving up the big city and the office furniture business to come back to Central Minnesota to “sell radio spots”. He has the gift of the pen. It was the first blending of my family and Barby’s family and it was a big hit. The food was awesome. If you need a caterer, check out www.innovativecateringsolutions.com Tammy is great to work with. 763-528-0380
The show this week is a rebroadcast of the show from the Grandstand of the Minnesota State Fair which will be performed live tonight at 8 PM. Guests include Tonic Sol-Fa and Suzy Bogguss. There will be a showdown between sound effects men Fred Newman and Tom Keith. Barby and I hope to see you there.
“The State Fair is not a way of life; it’s a reward for making it through the summer. Sort of like ice cream is a reward for eating your broccoli.” Garrison Keillor
August 22nd, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
“Soaring Turkey Vultures”, it simply does not conjure up the same feelings. It proves that my readers are a lot smarter than I am. According to Google, both Bald and Golden eagles are superficially similar to Turkey Vultures. Eagles fly on flat wings instead of holding their wings “in a dihedral angle” while soaring. The immature Turkey Vulture has a gray head instead of a red head, for that reason they look a lot like eagles. The label “vulture” is a PR problem. Even Snoopy had to deal with the bird, although, I don’t recall that the vulture created by Charles Schultz ever did any soaring.
The show this week is a sampling of shows from Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. Guests include Jearlyn Steele singing a tribute to Mahalia Jackson, Peter Ostroushko sitting in with the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra plus blues singers Jack Elliot, Suzy Bogguss, Howard Levy and Alice Peacock. Enjoy the show. There may still be tickets available to the show next Friday night at The Minnesota State Fair. Check out Ticketmaster.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Shakespeare
PS If you would like to live in Upsala, check out the listing at Edina Realty for 302 Borgstrom Street or simply call Amy at 320-291-0882 to view a nice house for sale in Upsala, Minnesota.
August 15th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Eighty two folks showed up for Chamber Connection here on campus, in the Alumni Lounge. It is a beautiful morning and the eagles are soaring in the sky above campus. This morning there are about 15 of them playing in the air. I was hoping that they would be performing as the guests arrived, but they waited until now. It is amazing to me that they simply seem to be soaring for the fun of it.
I always enjoy having folks come for coffee and cinnamon rolls on the third Friday of August each year. Chamber Connection works. I announced that I had an opening for a sponsorship message in front of the re-broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion on Sunday and someone came up to me afterwards and said that they would take it for 26 weeks. I love it when a plan comes together. If you have never attended a Chamber Connection meeting on a Friday morning in St. Cloud, simply go to www.stcloudareachamber.com
The show this week is a special summertime compilation show about radio. Guests include Studs Terkel, Bob Edwards (NPR alumni) and Meryl Streep. You also will hear the story of how Garrison got started in radio at the U of M.
“If you do not sow, you do not reap; no investment, no dividend. It’s as simple as that.” Alfred Armand Montapert
August 12th, 2008 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
What a beautiful week of weather in Central Minnesota. Almost everyday has been a “10”. I am enjoying the summer but it is going by too fast. Happiness is sitting by the water fountain in front of Sexton Commons on campus of St. John’s University and soaking in the mid-morning sun, sipping on a Diet Pepsi.
In the February 27, 2006 issue of The New Yorker, there was an article on pursuing happiness. I try to read it once every month. It turns out that by nature we have been hardwired to emphasize the negative. Survival depended on being wary. “Call no man happy until he is dead” was the Greek way of putting it. According to positive psychologists, once we are out of poverty, the most important determinant of our happiness is our “set point”, a natural level of happiness that is largely inherited.
Ready for the secret of happiness? Here it is: Happiness is equal to our set point S, plus our life conditions C plus a bit of volunteer work, V “H=S+C+V”
Last Saturday I joined hundreds of other folks in Little Falls and we painted seven houses that are owned by low income families. This has been going on for seventeen years. If your set point for happiness is low, you may need to do more volunteer work. If you want a copy of the article on happiness, let me know.
The show this week is a rebroadcast of shows from the Great Minnesota Get Together, The State Fair. Guests include Becky Schlegel, Patty Griffin and Jearlyn Steele, plus Minnesota broadcaster, Tommy Mischke, Del McCoury and his band. Enjoy the show. See you at the fair on August 29th, MPR day at the fair.
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust
Category :
General 
0 Comment » 