October 24th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Fifteen years of service. There were 15 of us that were recognized by the MPR Board of Directors yesterday at MPR headquarters. After spending 23 years of selling in the office furniture industry and 6 years in the office equipment industry, I was unemployed and spending the summer of 1999 painting old buildings in the Upsala area. I drove to Randall and went to the back room at Bermel’s Store, the local Red Wing Boot dealer. I picked out a good pair of sturdy work boots and started climbing ladders. My first job was the Post Office in Upsala and then I did an out building on my cousin Dave’s farm. Per my brother Bill’s instructions, I used oil based primer and latex paint. He let me use his power washer. The two buildings that I did the summer of 1999 still look good. The boots are in pretty good shape too.
In August I read an ad in the St. Cloud Times for a “Development Officer” for Minnesota Public Radio. I didn’t know what a “Development Officer” was, but it turned out to be sales. A perfect fit. It took two months and seven interviews to get the job, but it worked out well. Compared to “slamming boxes for Xerox”, this is more fun than it is work. I may shoot for 25.
The APHC show this week is a re-broadcast of a show from October 1, 2011. Special guests include tenor Raul Melo, Cantus performing “Wanting Memories” and Heather Masse singing “Early Autumn”. In The News From Lake Wobegon, a big wind causes havoc all over town. Enjoy the show.
“It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul” From the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley.
October 17th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
MEA weekend is a special time of the year. Many a father/son(daughter) combo head for the woods or ponds to bring home the “bacon” in the form of grouse or duck. Larry, a friend of mine who died way too young, knew that I had never taken up hunting, but he wanted my son and myself to experience a weekend of grouse hunting, up north at “the shack”. He invited our friend Ron and his son Matt, my son’s best friend, to join him and his son Danny. So there were three dads and three sons along with a black lab, “Bear”. We formed two teams and I was the “bird dog” on the dads team. Bear went with the boys.
The first day we brought back 17 grouse and Larry fixed a meal of grouse with wild rice and mushroom soup in the giant iron skillet that hung from a nail in “the shack”. It was one of the most memorable feasts of my life. I trust that you are doing something special with your family this weekend. If you want to see examples of other hunting and fishing experiences go to theoutdoorreport.com My son Erik has just posted a video about fishing with artificial bait.
The APHC show this weekend is live from the Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. The show will feature special guest jug band pioneer, Jim Kweskin and singer-songwriter Lera Lynn and Minnesota’s Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Sue Scott, Tim Russell and Fred Newman will entertain you with a variety of skits. Enjoy the show.
“Do all you can, with what you have, in the time that you have, in the place where you are”. Okasi Johnson, 14 old aids patient in South Africa.
October 9th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good afternoon from Collegeville,
It is a bright sunny day here in central Minnesota. I have been fighting off a cold all week and I am fading fast, so this is going out early. The highlight of my week was baking a couple of Hubbard squash harvested from the garden in Upsala. Placing one half face down in a half inch of water and baking at 400 degrees for 60 minutes resulted in some of the meat not getting done enough to spoon out, so the second night I did the other half for 70 minutes. Still had some not done. Maybe I should cut them into smaller pieces and wrap them in tin foil. In any case, adding butter, honey and nutmeg made for a wonderful meal. I know that Kerry was able to harvest a bunch of Hubbards also, and she left the Butternut for me to make vegan soup.
Another highlight was waking at 5:19 yesterday to watch the total eclipse of the “Blood Moon”. Very cool. A once in a life time event perhaps. My buddy Bob dragged his two dogs out to witness, but they did not seem impressed. I guess it is a human thing.
The APHC show this week is a live performance from The Fitzgerald Theater on Exchange Street in downtown St. Paul. One of the greatest living guitar players, Leo Kottke will be there along with country singer Suzy Bogguss. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors and The Exchange Street Band with Rich Dworsky at piano, Richard Kriehn on fiddle, Dean McGraw on guitar, Chris Brown on drums and Todd Parks on bass will entertain. The latest News From Lake Wobegon will be sure to bring back memories of my days in Upsala.
“You are only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry, and be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” Walter Hagen
October 3rd, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
The word “snow” is in the forecast. Not nice. Hopefully there will be some Indian Summer yet this month. There are all those fall things that need to be done. I better make a trip to Upsala tomorrow to harvest the rest of the Butternut squash. The first batch of soup was awesome and this is perfect soup weather.
The St. John’s homecoming is tomorrow and the forecast is for sunshine and a high of 46. If the wind dies down, it should be ok. The Hamline Pipers are coming to Collegeville to take on the Johnnies. My son was a 26 year old defensive end for the Pipers in the fall of ’98. They called him “the old man” in the locker room. Erik loved the game of football and I only missed one of his games. I had to go to DC for Xerox training school. I too was “the old man” in that class. Xerox University is a leader in sales training and it did serve me well. Hamline won the game.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul. Special guests include the world-class bluegrass group, The Gibson Brothers and feel-good folksinger Ellis. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will join musical director Richard Dworsky and the newly minted “The Exchange Street Band” with Richard Kriehn on mandolin and fiddle, Dean McGraw on guitar, Chris Brown on drums and Todd Parks on bass. The News From Lake Wobegon will focus on the fall season. Enjoy the show.
Harper’s Chord is playing in Cold Spring at the Third Street Brewhouse later today. The featured event is “Pints for Pink” with food and pink beer made with raspberries and vanilla. I hope to see you there. The fun starts at 4 PM and goes until 8.
“There are two days in the week about which and upon which I never worry. Two carefree days, kept sacredly free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday and the other day I do not worry about is Tomorrow.” Robert Jones Burdette
September 26th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Today is homecoming for the Upsala football team. In my day it was the Upsala Cardinals, but some time ago we merged with Swanville and now it is the USA (Upsala Swanville Area) Patriots.
Some of my favorite memories of football games are in the mud. I was an overweight freshman on the Upsala Cardinal team in 1957. We wore the old uniforms and helmets and we did not win any fashion awards. John Atkinson, a senior, was a running back who ran with his knees pumping up and down high and hard, but 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. This past winter the 1957 Upsala football team was inducted into the Upsala Sports Hall of Fame.
Nine of the twenty-nine members of the 1957 Upsala Cardinal foot ball team showed up for their induction to the Sports Hall of Fame. One of the guys, Dave Chuba. came all the way from Ohio. Our quarterback, Bob Soltis, lives in Upsala, but he was not up to it. This is the second year that inductees were chosen. Bob’s brother Ralph was chosen last year and another brother John was a junior on the 1957 football team. John accepted a individual award for his brother Bob.
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show originally broadcast from The Fitzgerald Theater in September of 2013. Special guests include Vasen playing “Pulska for Tom Morrow”, Chris Thile performing a few Bach violin pieces translated from the mandolin and Chic Gamine singing “All Night”. In the News from Lake Wobegon, a bear visits the town, starting a debate over who will pay to have it removed. Enjoy the show.
Tomorrow night is the annual Gala at the Paramount Theatre in downtown St. Cloud. The Collective Unconscious will perform Abbey Road, celebrating 50 years of the Beatles. Special guest Nicholas David of NBC’s The Voice will perform. It all begins at 6 PM. I hope to see you there. Live auction items include a “meet and greet” with Clint Black. Tickets at paramountarts.org.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with the cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
September 19th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
The squash is looking good. I once had to pay $7 for a large Butternut squash at Target, so it is nice to see them just laying on the ground. There is nothing better than making Alyssa’s Vegan Squash Soup on a Sunday afternoon. The horseradish refuses to die, so maybe in the spring one of you would like to harvest a little bit. This has been a great year for lawn growth, except it is hard to grow grass under walnut trees. Maybe a truck load of river rock is the way to go.
MPR Connects is coming to town. Movie Maven Stephanie Curtis is the special guest. She is heard on MPR’s The Daily Circuit and co-hosts Cube Critics. She will talk about the changing state of Hollywood and how to improve your experience as a film goer. Dave Kansas, the COO of Minnesota Public Radio, will also be at MPR Connects.
When: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Time: 5:30 – 7 pm. Where: Holiday Inn and Suites , 75 37th Avenue South, St. Cloud. The event is free, but you should register at mpr.org/stcloud. I hope to see you there.
The APHC show on Saturday is a live broadcast from The Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. It is the annual season opener and Meatloaf Supper and Street Dance. Special guests include pioneering bluegrass quartet Hot Rize, songwriter Sara Watkins, harmonica revolutionary Howard Levy and singer Lynn Peterson. Even if you can’t make it to the show at 5 PM, you can enjoy the supper and street dance afterwards. Garrison and the gang will be on the outdoor stage and you may even enter the “Loon Calling Contest”.
“Dreaming about a thing in order to do it properly is right; but dreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong.” Oswald Chambers
September 12th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegville,
It is a beautiful crisp morning here in central Minnesota. The temp fell below 40 degrees for the first time. Fall is just around the corner. My daughter has lots of Butternut Squash and loads of tomatoes in “our garden”. All I did was plant the Yukon Golds and the seeds for the squash. This is the second time that I have planted Butternut, I chose them because they are the easiest to remove the skin from. The Vegan Squash Soup recipe from Barby’s daughter calls for “cubed squash”. There was some sort of blight on the Yukon Golds. It was necessary to cut around the holes and even the baked potato that I fixed this week had a spot in the middle. Next year I will try a different source for the seed potatoes.
It has been a year since Auntie passed. There are many stories to tell about Auntie, but my favorite came from her son Kevin. They had been visiting Kevin’s uncle in Alexandria and Kevin told Auntie that he wanted to get back to Upsala so he could watch the Preakness. The speed limit on County Road 17 is 55, so Kevin was doing 60. Auntie said, “You drive slow Kevin”. Kevin stepped it up a bit and a little while later, Auntie spoke up again. “We’ll never get there at this speed.”. “Ma, I don’t want to get a ticket.” , but he dutifully stepped it up again. There was silence for a while and then: “ Kevin, why don’t you just pull over and let me drive”. Kevin owns a four wheel drive pickup. Auntie was 91 years young. We miss you Auntie.
The APHC show this week is the final summer break repeat, from June of 2012 at the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Arlo Guthrie plays “Oklahoma Hills”, the DiGiallonardo Sisters harmonize on “Because”, and Heather Masse sings “He’s Gone Away.” In the News From Lake Wobegon, the meanest woman in town passes away. Enjoy the broadcast, and remember, it is rebroadcast on “Heartland Radio” on the internet on Wednesday evening. Get the iPhone app.
“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” Steve Jobs
September 5th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
I never have been much of a fisherman. When I was young, Dad was not around and besides, I was too busy as a juvenile delinquent getting into trouble in Upsala to care about fishing. Then in 1973 we bought a place on Cedar Lake west of Upsala and the next spring, I purchased a rod and reel. The warehouse manager at General Office Products, Earl Benson, instructed me on the art of bass fishing. Erik was only 2 years old when we started fishing out of brother-in-law Jackie’s boat. We mastered the art.
Every June the five Osberg brothers, plus Erik and his son Willie go fishing on Leech Lake. There is a traveling trophy for the largest walleye. Needless to say, my name has never been on the trophy. But this year, Erik and I returned to Cedar Lake and I landed a 17 inch bass in front of the place that we used to own. I was going to have a ‘bass trophy’ made with my name on it and I planned on bringing it to Leech next June, but alas, on Labor Day, my 10 year old granddaughter Anna, caught a 19 inch bass on another Cedar Lake near Aitkin. A photo is attached. Maybe next year.
The APHC show this week is another re-broadcast of a show recorded in March of 2013 at the Fitzgerald Theatre. Special guests include Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell singing “Till I Gain Control Again”. Heather Masse and Jed Wilson sing “Ring Them Bells” and Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele shake the Fitz with “Hold On, I’m Coming”. In the News From Lake Wobegon, Pastor Liz and Clint Bunsen spend some time together while digging a grave for Liz Tollefson. Enjoy the show.
“What every child wants to know is: ‘Do your eyes light up when I enter the room? Did you hear me and did what I say mean anything to you?’ That’s what they are looking for. That is what everybody is looking for” Toni Morrison
August 29th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good rainy morning from Collegeville,
Labor Day weekend may be wet. Our family is lucky enough to have a cabin to go to every year. The main attraction every year is the food anyway, so no big deal. Dominos and a game of Hearts will have to suffice. The kids may get a little bored, but there is not much you can do about the weather.
Today is MPR Day at The State Fair so bring your poncho. One year Ma and I went to the fair, just the two of us. She was slowing down, but she wanted to see the “Sand Castle Exhibit” that she had read about. We used the park and ride and it was a very enjoyable day. She talked a lot about the year that she and her sister, took their seven children to the fair and how much fun they had.
The APHC show this week is a broadcast of tonight’s live performance from the Grandstand at the State Fair. Special guests include transcendent vocalist Aoife O’Donovan and the North Star State’s singing sisters Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will perform skits that are sure to entertain. Richard Dworsky heads up the band with Richard Kriehn on mandolin and fiddle. The latest News From Lake Wobegon will focus on the end of summer. Enjoy the show. If you have the MPR Radio app on your smart phone, you can catch the APHC show Wednesday evenings on the Radio Heartland stream.
“Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that is the stuff Life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
August 22nd, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
This week my oldest granddaughter will be moving into her very first apartment. She will be setting up household starting from scratch, just like her forefathers and foremothers. In the sixties the trend with the Upsala kids was to rent a house and get a bunch of roommates. She will be by herself. It is a nice apartment just a stone’s throw from a Coborns grocery. Very convenient.
I roomed with a buddy, Arnie, in Minneapolis, in a home owned by a classmate of his, Virgil. Virgil had a very nice console TV/Stereo and whenever he went home to Upsala, he would but a chain and padlock on it. We did not get along. Once we had a wrestling match in the Upsala liquor store. I lost that one too. The summer of 1965 I rented a room in an old mansion on Lake Calhoun Boulevard owned by a widow, for $10 per week. That was a nice place. I put the Chevy on blocks and walked every day and took a bus to work in NE Minneapolis at the Honeywell Stinson Plant. I think there is a song about the summer of ’65. I lost fifty pounds.
The APHC show this week is another rebroadcast, originally broadcast from the Cuthbert Amphitheatre in Eugene, Oregon in June of 2012. Special guests include Elvin Bishop singing “That’s My Thing”, Sam Bush performing “Freight Train Boogie” and the Portland Cello project plays “Take Five”. In the News From Lake Wobegon Luanne Peterson copes with the arrival of a new patient in the pediatric intensive care unit.
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau
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