October 14th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
If you enjoy “Great Art”, head up the road to Little Falls tonight. Charles Gilbert Kapsner will be at the Great River Arts gallery from 6pm until 8pm presenting his annual salon, “Collaborations”. Details are at www.greatart.org Little Falls is another one of the gems that folks can enjoy as they take in the fall colors.
A Prairie Home Companion opens a new season and a new era as Chris Thile steps to the mic to host a live broadcast from home base, the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Singer, songwriter, guitarist, rock star, and man-about-Nashville, Jack White, joins in for a few acoustic tunes. Chris will welcome Brooklyn’s Lake Street Dive back to the land of 10,000 lakes — they’re sure to light up Exchange Street with an infectious blend of pop, soul, and jazz. Comedian Maeve Higgins from County Cork, by way of New York City joins in. Plus: scripts, scenes, and sound effects from the Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Serena Brook, and Fred Newman; and music from The First-Call Radio Players: Richard Dworsky on piano, guitarist Chris Eldridge, Brittany Haas on fiddle, Sarah Jarosz singing and playing banjo and octave mandolin, bassist Paul Kowert, and Ted Poor on — *gasp* — drums. All that, and a never-before-heard song from Mr. Thile, brought to you by Powdermilk Biscuits, the Catchup Advisory Board, and Bee-bop-a-ree-bop Rhubarb Pie and Frozen Rhubarb Pie Filling. Tune in on your local public radio station or watch live (Saturday, 5pm – 7pm Central Time) at prairiehome.org.
“There will always be people who have so much more than you, but don’t forget to look behind you and see that there are even more people who have less than you.” Bee Osberg
October 7th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
Snow was in the weather forecast for the first time this week. The fall colors are remarkable. This would be a good weekend to hit the road and visit some apple orchards and pumpkin patches. If you have never been to “The City on the Pond”, New London, Minnesota, you are missing a real gem. The Goat Ridge Brewing Company is having a party tomorrow night. Their outdoor space is on the river and there is even a band stage. “The Brothers Burn Mountain” are headlining at 8 PM. Details are at www.goatridgebrewing.com
In March of 1974, Garrison spent a week in Nashville writing a piece about the Grand Ole Opry for The New Yorker. The Opry is the oldest radio show in the country. It made him think of starting a radio show in Minnesota. That night, in the Sam Davis Hotel, Garrison made a list of musicians that he might invite to join him on stage. Vern Sutton, Bill Hinkley, Judy Larson and Butch Thompson all came to mind. Garrison went home and talked to Bill Kling about the idea. In Garrison’s words: “ He took it hook, line and sinker – no committee meetings, no exchange of memos, no long discussions, just a plain yes – and A Prairie Home Companion went on the air July 6, 1974”. The first broadcast, the musicians and crew outnumbered the audience in the hall.
Tomorrow at 5 pm, the last re-broadcast of a show will air before the new kid, Chris Thile, takes over on October 15th. It is a trip back to 2014 and the October 4th broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Ellis brings a batch of songs across the river from Minneapolis, including “Red Light” and “I’ve Got a Thing for You,” and bluegrass ambassadors The Gibson Brothers play “They Called it Music” and “Eastbound Train.” Plus: Dusty and Lefty tangle with Big Messer in a “state capitals” contest; a visit to the Cafe Boeuf St. Paul; and in Lake Wobegon, the Lutheran Church holds its Senior Banquet. Enjoy the show.
“Some Saturdays when the show drags, the jokes fall flat, the musicians struggle, I consider that I may have been cut out to be a listener. I’m a good one.” Garrison Keillor from his “5th Anniversary Album” jacket.
September 30th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
Today is homecoming in Upsala. In my day it was the Upsala `Cardinals’, but some time ago Upsala football merged with Swanville and now it is the USA (Upsala Swanville Area) `Patriots’.
Some of my favorite memories of football games are those played in the mud. I was an overweight freshman on the Upsala Cardinal team in 1957. Freshmen wore the old uniforms and helmets and we did not win any fashion awards. John Atkinson, a senior running back, ran with his knees pumping up and down high and hard. He still managed to make yardage. In practice, I would simply bounce off of his knees. The memory of the pain is still with me. That was the year when no other team even scored on the Upsala team. Clarissa got to our three yard line, but our defense held.
A couple of years ago, the 1957 Upsala football team was inducted into the Upsala Sports Hall of Fame. I was one of nine of the twenty-nine original members of the 1957 Upsala Cardinal football team who showed up for our induction into the Sports Hall of Fame. One of the guys, Dave Chuba, came all the way from Ohio. Our quarterback, Bob Soltis, was named All-State that year. It was the second year that inductees were chosen. Bob’s brother Ralph was chosen the previous year and another brother John was a junior on the 1957 football team. John accepted an individual award for his brother Bob. There were lots of Soltis boys and they all played football. No one lifted weights in those days, they just threw bales of hay all summer. Us “village kids” had a tough time keeping up.
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show originally broadcast in October of 2004. Special guests include Mark Knopfler, Geoff Muldaur and Dan Newton. Enjoy the show.
“Man’s finest hour is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle victorious.” Vince Lombardi’’
September 23rd, 2016 by Gary Osberg
Fall is upon us. The days are getting shorter and football is back. The Tommies are coming to St. John’s tomorrow, so it will be a little rowdy in St. Joe on Saturday night. Sunday morning there will be a service for Jacob Wetterling at the College of St. Benedict followed by the Millstream Arts Festival in downtown St. Joseph, which runs from 11 until 5. I hope that the weather clears up.
The APHC show is another fall rebroadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this one originally from October 2009. The boys of Wilco stop by to play “One By One” and “Passenger Side” and add a touch of rock’n’roll to the corner of Exchange and Wabasha, and a blast of bluegrass from singer Patty Loveless, including “The Bramble and the Rose” and “Prisoner’s Tears.” Plus: the Royal Academy of Radio Actors with a message from Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie featuring the revolutionary Thermal Thong, Dusty and Lefty head out of Minnesota just before winter descends, and Rich Dworsky and The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band play “Rockin’ Past Bedtime.” In Lake Wobegon, the host recalls an autumn morning that changed him forever.
The Outdoor Report TV show on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin will air the final episode of the season tomorrow at 8:30 am. There will be a look back at some of the best stories of the season and a special “Savory Goodness” segment. My son Erik has done a marvelous job and it has been a real treat to watch my grandson “Walleye Willie” shine. You can watch all of shows on www.theoutdoorreport.com
“The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” Benjamin Disraeli
September 16th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
43 years ago yesterday I attended an auction on the Gust and Agnes Olson farm located on the north shore of Cedar Lake west of Upsala. I ended up as the high bidder on an old farmstead on the lake. The trick to winning at an auction is to never hesitate. When it is your turn, simply nod your head. I didn’t even have the required $3,000 cashier’s check, but the banker was a good friend of the family and he allowed me to bid with the promise that I would go to town afterward and get the money. My god-father took me on a walk around the property after the auction was over and I remember stopping at one fence line only to find out that there was another 400 feet beyond that fence included in the deal. We had no clue how we were going to pay for it, but it turned out that my brother-in-law was ready to retire and he was willing to move back to Minnesota from California and become a partner in the deal. Needless to say it had a profound effect on our lives. We were able to enjoy “going to the lake” for many years. I still love the sound of a slamming screen door. If you ever get the chance to own a cabin, go for it.
The new owners have torn down the old barn and are putting up a new one. Bill kept hitting his head on the low ceiling just as I had. He rescued some artwork from the barn that he figured was created by one of my children. The one with Charlie Brown and Snoopy was used as a hiding place for a key to the cabin. I was happy to have them back. I have been invited to stop by and see the progress on the new barn and I am looking forward to seeing the old place.
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show which first aired on October 2, 2004 from The Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. This week’s guests include singer, songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler. Blues singer Geoff Muldaur performs “The Whale Swallowed Jonah”. Accordionist Dan Newton sits in with the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band. In Lake Wobegon, the host wades into frigid water to help Uncle Dean and Aunt Evelyn bring the dock in. Enjoy the show.
The Outdoor Report TV show tomorrow is about the elk herd in Minnesota. Enjoy that show also. The show airs on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin at 8:30 am.
“Closing the Cabin” by Thom Tammaro
In the yawn of dusk,
We drift home in Minnesota autumn,
Reciting the litany once more:
Dock in; boathouse latched;
Rugs rolled; plugs pulled;
Windows hinged; floors swept;
Pilots out; pipes drained;
Faucets opened; doors locked;
Hummingbird feeder taken down;
Key hanging in its secret place.
In the flicker of lights near the city’s edge
We talk easily, gather within
All that the summer has given:
A great fish, slender and shiny,
Diving for bottom; loons calling
In the still afternoon;
Stars swirling above the rooftops.
Near home, vees of geese circle,
Circle in the shadows above us.
Later that night, we pause
On the stairs — winterward —
Unlock that other season
Where little puffs of winter dust
Rise when we open the door. “Closing the Cabin” by Thom Tammaro, from Closing the Cabin. © Stellar Press, 1989. Reprinted on Writer’s Almanac with permission
September 15th, 2016 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 U.S. 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 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 while 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!
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show originally performed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee in April of 1995, 21 years ago. Special guests include Chet Atkins, singer Nanci Griffith and The Fairfield Four. In addition Robin and Linda Williams join Kate MacKenzie and the host as the vaunted Hopeful Gospel Quartet. Tom Keith will join The Royal Academy of Radio Actors and the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band. Enjoy the show on the radio or next week you can listen on the internet at prairiehome.org
The Outdoor Report TV show on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin airs tomorrow at 8:30 am. This week is a special “Passing it On” episode featuring young folks learning from older folks. “Real people made to look real”. Tune in or catch in online at www.theoutdoorreport.com next week.
“Any idiot can face a crisis; it is this day-to-day living that wears you out.” Chekhov
September 2nd, 2016 by Gary Osberg
I ran across a video that Erik posted last July. His son, Walleye Willie, is fishing for Big Blue Gill. Willie seems to have the `lingo’ down. His enthusiasm is contagious and makes the point “It is not about having time, it’s about making time.” https://youtu.be/RCai61uz08U
Tomorrow’s show is another special focus on family. If you miss the show on Fox Sports North, you can catch all of the episodes on YouTube or on the website www.theoutdoorreport.com
The Prairie Home Companion show is another rebroadcast, but I cannot find any details on the show. You may catch details later in the day on www.prairiehome.org
Enjoy the long weekend.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Albert Schweitzer
August 26th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
“Welcome Class of 2020”. That is the sign at the entrance to St. John’s University this week. Classes start on Monday. It is hard to fathom “2020”. When I started working here on the third floor of Wimmer Hall, the sign read “Welcome Class of 2003”. Where does time go. Being on a campus every day is a good way to stay young. They are all so full of life. The parents are so proud.
When I arrived at The U of M campus in the fall of 1961, I was overwhelmed. I still remember trying to find my way from one huge building to another. My dad had arranged for me to work at the Campus Bookstore. I can still picture my bosses, Ken and Bob. Bob had really poor eyesight and he had to hold the books very, very close to his super thick glasses, but he got the job done. I did not do well. The worst was English Composition. Every Friday I would turn in one of the blue comp booklets and every Monday I would pick it up and cringe at the “D” or the “F” that the professor had scrawled on the cover. I should have kept a couple.
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show from the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Washington. It first aired on June 13, 2015. Special guests include the Caleb Klauder Country Band featuring Reeb Willms playing “Innocent Road”. Skolkis performs “Langdans from Sveaplan” in celebration of Midsommar. Flat-footer Charmaine Slaven joins Squirrel Butter bandmate Charlie Beck for “Rueben’s Train” In Lake Wobegon, Arlene Bunsen holds a bridal shower for her nephew’s fiancée. Enjoy the show.
The Outdoor Report TV show switches from fishing to hunting. The show airs tomorrow at 8:30 am on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin. You can watch all 9 episodes on www.theoutdoorreport.com
“Well done is better than well said.” Benjamin Franklin
August 12th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
I love it when a plan comes together. Last year I met a fellow at The Local Blend who volunteers as a veterans advocate. He served in the Navy during Vietnam and worked in the VA Admin system for most of his adult life. He mentioned that he was traveling to Little Falls to meet with some folks from the American Legion. I told him that my brother Bill was the Post Commander. From that beginning, I got involved in the Veterans Educational Historic Art Monument.
Now I watch my son’s television show every Saturday at 8:30 in the morning on Fox Sports North. I noticed that he was running a Public Service Announcement for the `clean your boat’ campaign. So, I thought maybe he would replace that PSA with a PSA for www.vetsart.org Yesterday the owner and founder of Whiskey Creek Media, the producer of The Outdoor Report on Fox Sports North, my son Erik, drove from Wadena to the first Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery and shot some video. One of the original backers of the art project, Jack Peck, voiced the spot and here it is. https://youtu.be/gcOEvxkesZw I am not sure when the spot will run, maybe as soon as next Saturday.
The APHC show this week is another rebroadcast of a show which aired on July 2, 2011. Special guests included the new host of APHC, Chris Thile and his Nickel Creek bandmate, Sara Watkins. They will team up with the Everly Brothers. Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele blow the roof off of the Koussevitsky Music Shed at Tanglewood with “This Will Be an Everlasting Love”. Christine DiGiallonardo sings a few duets with Garrison. The News From Lake Wobegon will bring you up to date on the town that time forgot.
“Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.” George S. Patton
August 5th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
Today is a “10” for sure. Low humidity, cool breeze from the north, not a cloud in the sky. It is hard not to feel great about being alive on a day like today. I was able to sit by my bubbling boulder, with my second cup of coffee and watch the sun come up. I bought a couple of Adirondack chairs from the St. Johns Wood Shop. These are very comfortable chairs and they are slowly aging to a very natural grey. One is made from ash and one is made from cedar. When my ship comes in, I plan on buying another cedar one and donate the ash to a lakeside cabin. I knew a guy who, when his ship came in, was at the train station waiting for a bus.
Episode 6 of The Outdoor Report airs tomorrow morning at 8:30 on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin. `Walleye Willie’ will be in this episode also. The episode is titled “Bottoms Up”, all about bottom feeders. If you miss it, you can go to www.theoutdoorreport.com and watch in on YouTube. It is possible to subscribe to the show on YouTube.
The APHC show is another summer rebroadcast from July 3, 2010 which was from the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois. Special guests include John Prine, Howard Levy and Andra Suchy. In the News from Lake Wobegon, the Women’s Bible Group goes skinny-dipping. Enjoy the show.
“All that a man does outwardly is but the expression and completion of his inward thoughts. To work effectually, he must think clearly; to act nobly, he must think nobly.” Channing
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