May 1st, 2020 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Mill Stream Village,
What a difference! On March 3rd, Dr. Benjamin Mueller, with the Twin Cities Spine Center, performed “spinal cord de-compression surgery”. It worked. The pain in the back and legs has been replaced with a dull ache. It will be many months before I am able to free myself from the heating pad, but “time heals all wounds”.
However the world has changed. Today, I would not be able to have that surgery, since it would be considered “elective”. Working from my kitchen table in my cottage is not the preferred way, but hopefully soon I will be able to return to the third floor of Wimmer Hall at St. John’s University.
One year ago today, 12 students from Upsala High and 20 adults including myself and my granddaughter Chrissy checked into a quaint hotel in the village of Aufkirchen, Germany. Aufkirchen is a suburb of Munich. Later that day we visited Dachau, the concentration camp where thousands died. Our tour guide, Sergio, told how his grandmother had thrown her baby daughter from the moving train into the arms of a total stranger. That baby girl was Sergio’s mother. I am so glad that Ms. Poissant, the art teacher in Upsala scheduled our “trip of a lifetime” in 2019 and not 2020.
Live from Here this week is another Live from Home broadcast. Stay safe.
“This too shall pass”.
February 28th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
My second car was a 1957 Chevy four door hardtop, red with a
black top and spinner hub caps. In 1962 I was working up the ladder on my
way to be a Gas Station Manager. I worked the night shift
at a Standard station on highway 55 in Plymouth. One evening a client needed
a ride home so I offered to give him a lift. On the way back, an old man
made a left hand turn from the right lane and I hit him going 55
mph. No seat belts back then so I had a very serious back
injury.
I ended up in Swedish Hospital (photo attached) in downtown
Minneapolis and I laid there for three weeks undergoing tests. One of my
classmates, Martha Gustafson, from Upsala class of 1961, was a nurse at
Swedish and she did give great back rubs. Finally Dr. Virgil P Lundquist told me
that there was a chance that a risky operation would work. I told him to
go for it. A week later I took a bus home to my mother’s house in south
Minneapolis. I suffered for a while but the operation was a
success.
Now I have been dealing with terrible pain and an inability
to walk normally, due to compressed nerves in my spinal cord. Dr.
Benjamin Mueller, of the Twin Cities Spine Center, will be performing
surgery next Tuesday morning at United Hospital in St. Paul. I don’t know
how long I will be out but Dennis Brooks, dbrooks@mpr.org
will be covering for me. I hope to be as good as new in a little while.
There will be no Friday notes for a while.
Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast of a
show with special guests The Lumineers, Raphael Saadiq, Sarah Jarosz, Jeff
Daniels, Aparna Nancherla and Maria Popova. You can enjoy the show on
your radio, computer or your smartphone.
“Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of
flattery.” Joyce Brothers
February 21st, 2020 by Gary Osberg
I celebrated my seventh birthday in Vienna, Austria. I was
an army brat. Dad served in the navy during the war and later he joined the
army. In 1950 he was a Sergeant in the 5th Army stationed in Vienna. As
“dependents” we were housed in an apartment building that was quite nice. There
were two marble faced fireplaces and a baby grand piano along with a crystal
chandelier in the dining room. I ran with a group of other army brats and I was
the oldest in the group.
One day in February we were hanging out in front of the
large estate on the corner next to our apartment. One of the kids stuck his
hand in the fence opening and a dog took his mitten. I bravely offered to go
through the gate and recover the mitten. I still remember starting my walk
across the large yard toward the two “Boxers”. They greeted me by jumping up and
knocking me to the ground. They proceeded to chew on my arms and legs until an
Austrian man who we referred to as the “fireman”, (he took care of the furnace
in our apartment building) came in and pulled the dogs off of me.
I walked home nearly naked and my mother fainted when she
opened the door. I spent about 6 weeks in the army hospital. It took me a while
to get over my fear of dogs. The occupant of the estate was a Colonel in the
U.S. Army and they gave me a new winter coat.
In April of last year I returned to Vienna and I was able
to take a cab ride to 41 Gregor Mendel Street. We had lived in an
apartment on the second floor. I told the cab driver to wait for me and I
approached the front door. A resident was getting into his car and he asked me
if I needed help. I shared with him that I had lived here as an Army brat in
the fifties and was hoping to see the apartment. He told me to push the button
for Benedict, the owner of the building. Someone buzzed me in and I walked
up to the second floor. The lobby looked very familiar. The
elevator was new. The faucet which provided water for the flower garden
was still there. (photo attached). The guy that let me in was a
live in boyfriend of the owner, Verena Benedict. He let me in but he
would not allow me to take pictures. I would love to return to Vienna to
take Marcus and Verena out for dinner. I love it when a plan comes
together.
Live from Here
this week is a live show from the Town Hall in New York City. Special
guests include Nathaniel Rateliff, Haley Heynderickx, Aoife O’Donovan, Rachel
Syme & Josh Gondelman. Last weeks show was one of the best I have
ever heard. You can enjoy this week’s show on the radio, on your computer
or smart phone or you can watch it on YouTube.
The St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra is performing “Horizons”
Saturday night at 7:30 at Ritsche Auditorium on the campus of St. Cloud State
University. Tickets at the door or at www.stcloudsymphony.com
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test
a man’s character, give him power” Abraham Lincoln
February 14th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
It is still winter and I for one am growing weary of it
all. The days are getting longer but I have not heard any Cardinals singing
their songs looking for love.
Today is Saint Valentine’s Day, “an annual holiday
celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.” (Wikipedia) The
day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine,
established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD.
Some claim that the first recorded association of
Valentine’s Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules by Geoffrey
Chaucer who wrote: “For this was sent on Valentine’s Day, when every bird
cometh there to choose his mate.” This poem was written in 1382 to honor the
first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of
Bohemia both of whom were 14 years old.
The sending of “Valentines” probably started in Great
Britain. Esther Howland developed a successful home-based business in
Worcester, Massachusetts making Valentine cards based on British models. The US
Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines
are sent each year worldwide, second only to Christmas. There are many ways to
demonstrate affection to those that you feel love towards. Gifts of music is
one.
If it is romance that you are looking for, check out Melody
Gardot’s “One and Only Thrill”. I have a close personal friend that unwittingly
revealed his unique love for his wife. He is a retired business man who has a
cell phone, but the only person that has his cell phone number is his wife.
Every time his cell phone rings he knows that it is the love of his life who is
calling him. Now that is romantic.
Live from Here
this week is a live show from Town Hall in New York City. Special guests
include Indigo Girls, Ken Burns, Real Estate, Lewis Black and Amanda
Brown. Lewis Black on public radio? Edgy.
February 7th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
I celebrated my tenth birthday on a ship crossing the
Atlantic Ocean. My mother along and with her four children were returning from
a stint as US Army dependents stationed in Vienna, Austria. My Dad was held
over in Vienna and when he arrived in Upsala a few weeks later, Ma along with
my brother Brian age 2, were in New Ulm visiting her cousin Helen. Dad borrowed
a brand new 1954 Chevy from Uncle Duke who owned Hagstrom Chevrolet in Upsala
and my brother Bill and I rode with him to New Ulm.
I was napping in the back seat and I woke up
when our car was broadsided by a dump truck. I had a broken leg. I still can
remember the pain when they were putting me on the X-Ray table at the hospital
in Cokato. The cast was from my toes to my crotch. I was in the hospital for a
few weeks and when it came time to transport me back to Upsala, Dad took me to
Uncle Elmer’s. Uncle Elmer and his wife Ethyl owned the Dokken Funeral Home in
Cokato. I had to spend the night on a cot on the main floor of the funeral
home. There were coffins in the next room.
The next day they hauled me to Upsala in a black Studebaker
hearse. That explains a lot, huh! I was placed on a cot in the dining
room. I gained 30 pounds due to Gram’s over feeding and no activity.
Live from Here this week is a live show from
the Town Hall in New York City. Guests include Andrew Bird, Bedouine,
Sarah Jarosz, Jia Tolentino and Tom Papa. Enjoy the show on your radio,
smartphone or computer.
Tomorrow night there is a very special event at the St.
Cloud Country Club. The St. Cloud Symphony is hosting their fundraiser, Duets!
There are still tickets available. Simply go to www.stcloudsymphony.com
“Any idiot can face a crisis; it is the day-to-day living
that wears you out”. Chekov
January 31st, 2020 by Gary Osberg
I choose to come to work by the “back door”. I take County
Rd 51 to County Rd 159 and drive past Lake Sagatagan. This morning it was
like a Currier & Ives print. Hoar frost on all the trees.
Tonight is the first night of music, food and beer at the third
annual Otter Tail County on Ice. This year my son Erik and his crew moved
the tent to the parking lot of Thumper Pond in Otter Tail. Too much snow
created bad ice. You can still get tickets by going to www.otconice.com
If you want to participate in a fishing tournament, simply
download a free app, “Fishdonkey” , search for the tournament OTC ON ICE
and register. I just did it and if I can master it, so can you.
What is special about this tournament is you can fish on any body of water in
Otter Tail County. There are prizes for largest Blue Gill, Crappie, Walleye and
Northern. My grandson, Walleye Willie is in third place for
Crappie. The Outdoor Report will be giving a $500
check to someone. Everyone that catches and registers a walleye on any
lake in Otter Tail County will have their name put into a hat and there will be
a drawing. An 8 inch Walleye could win $500.
The headliner is Tigirlily. They are from North Dakota
and they are an awesome act. Enjoy.
Live from Here this weekend is a
rebroadcast. Next Saturday the show will be live from Town Hall in New
York City.
“ I love it when a plan comes together.” Me
January 29th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
Two days ago we celebrated the 53rd anniversary
of the first broadcast on KSJR 90.1 from here on the third floor of Wimmer
Hall. The first words uttered by engineer Dan Rieder were, “Heed my words,
Earth People. You have 10 minutes to live.” The first concert aired was a
pre-recorded concert by the Cleveland Orchestra. What began as Minnesota
Education Radio became Minnesota Public Radio on January 1, 1975.
This is a version of the story of how Bill Kling was
selected to lead the creation of what has become the largest network of public
radio stations in the United States. It was written by our first intern, Ellen
Newkirk. Ellen now lives in St. Joseph and works for the College of St. Benedict.
“The
Saint John’s University monks chose Bill Kling to help start their public radio
station, Minnesota Education Radio because of his “bright mind” – literally.
SJU graduate Marty Mahowald told Ellen the story of Bill Kling’s selection as
the station’s leader as told by his professor Fr. Gunther Rolfson.
Fr. Gunther
told Marty that in the 1960s, Saint John’s had a mandatory lights-out policy at
10pm when the faculty residents would flip a switch that turned off all power
on each floor of the residence halls. However, one evening, during walk around
campus , Fr. Gunther noticed a light illuminating from a single room in Benet
Hall. The next day, Fr. Gunther used a master key to enter the room and found a
system rigged to keep the power on after the switch was flipped each night. The
room belonged to Bill Kling. Eventually, the monks decided Kling’s innovative
and determined spirit was just what they needed for their new endeavor.
According to Mahowald, “Fr. Gunther said that they knew that starting a new
campus radio station would present struggles, budget challenges and many other
issues to deal with and it would take someone with a lot of moxie to lead it
through to success.”
It turned out to be a very good decision; Kling served as
president of Minnesota Public Radio until 2010 and created one of the greatest
public radio station networks in the country. “ Ellen Newkirk, CSB, Class
of 2013.
Live from Here this week is a compilation of
warmups and encores. Special guests include Nathaniel Rateliff, Sarah
Jarosz, The Sklar Brothers and more. Enjoy the show on radio or by
streaming it on www.livefromhere.org
or on the MPR Radio app for your smartphone.
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close
the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t
dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or
any of your space.” Johnny Cash
January 17th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
When the family moved from St. Louis Park to Upsala in
1956, I did get out of having to do “detention” at Park Junior High school. My
rebellious nature had already kicked in. That fall I started hanging out with
other “town kids”. Note: The Upsala school population was divided into “farm
kids” and “town kids”. For some reason one of us decided to steal a gas cap off
of a parked car. I am not sure which “genius” came up with this idea, but in
any case the prank turned into a project. Everyone in town was talking about it
and I am sure that old man Miller printed a story in the local press. Earl
Metzger was the local police and in time one of the “gas cap gang” confessed to
his parents and we all got busted.
We were gathered up and forced to reveal the
hiding place for the gunny sack of gas caps. All of those who were missing
their gas cap were told to come to Earl’s garage and sort through the lineup of
gas caps. We appeared in front of the Justice of The Peace in the backroom of
the fire hall. Justice Bernard Lunder sentenced us all to “six months of church
attendance”. Many years later I would visit Bernard at the nursing home and we
would talk about the “separation of church and state”. He simply laughed
and said he thought we would benefit. Not all of us learned our lesson.
The “Black Knights Car Club” was born a few years later.
The Live from Here show this week
is a rebroadcast. You can listen to old shows and check out what is in
store for future shows by going to www.livefromhere.org
and clicking on “Tickets”.
“It is unwise to pay too much, but it’s also
unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much, all you lose is a little
money, but when you pay too little you stand a chance of losing everything
because the thing you bought is incapable of doing what you bought it to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.
It just can’t be done. So, when you deal with the low bidder, it is wise to put
a little something aside to take care of the risk you run. And, if you do that,
you can afford something better.” John Ruskin
January 10th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
Many years ago my Dad went to work as a dishwasher at Little Sisters of the Poor in
St. Paul. His boss was a woman named Maxine. They became real good friends and
her family referred to him as Grandpa Bill. Maxine and Dad never lived
together, but they ended up living in the same high rise apartment building
next to St. Paul Ramsey Hospital on University Avenue. When Maxine died, I
attended the funeral and Dad surprised me by asking me to sing “The Lord’s
Prayer” and “Amazing Grace” during the service. There was no piano, so I had to
sing “a Capella”. It was ok.
One of the pieces of furniture that Dad brought
with him when he moved into my house in Upsala was a corner unit with glass
shelves and a glass door that had belonged to Maxine. Her family had given it
to him.
After Dad passed in 2005, I had to clean out his room. One
of the items in the cabinet was a small green egg with silver decorations and a
seam abound the middle. I was curious to see what treasure was inside, but when
I pried it open, expecting to find a doll, what came out were ashes!
“OH MY GOD! IT WAS MAXINE”. I spilled a little in my haste
to put it back together and I quickly put it back in the curio.
A few years later, it happened again to someone
that was helping me to clean house. After that I decided to dig a hole
next to my Dad’s grave and bury the “egg”.
Live from Here
this week is a rebroadcast. The next live show is February 8th
from New York City.
“Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t
everything die at last and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?” From The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
January 10th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
My son Erik is the “Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator”
for Otter Tail County. His job is to help spread the word about the
benefits of living and working in Otter Tail County, the county in Minnesota
with more lakes than any county in the state of Minnesota, maybe even the
nation. Last year he was invited to share his formula with rural folks in
Maine and North Dakota.
Two years ago the Super Bowl was held in Minneapolis, so
Erik came up with the idea for a party on the ice on Ottertail Lake. Last
year even I was drawn to the event. I booked a room in Thumper Pond in
Otter Tail and hopped on a shuttle bus to the party. Somewhere on
Facebook is a picture of me in my Mad Bomber cap yelling from the front row in
front of the stage.
This year the dates are Friday, January 31st and Saturday,
February 1st. Year three of the event promises to be bigger and
better than ever. The headliner is the Tiger Lilys (photo attached)
They are adding an official MN Special Olympics Polar Plunge on
Saturday, Feb. 1st www.otconice.com And here is a roll their socks down video. https://youtu.be/niOzcZg4gD8
Live from Here this week is a
rebroadcast. The next live show is February 8th from Town Hall
in New York City.
“It is not about having time, it is about making
time”. Erik Osberg
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