December 4th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
The last time there was a tree lighting in The Great Hall here on the campus of St. John’s University was in 1999, the first Christmas that I was working in Wimmer Hall for MPR. On Monday, there was a tree lighting of a new age. The insurance company had taken the position that if they wanted to continue with the tradition of a huge live tree in The Great Hall, that the Abbey would have to install a 1,000 gallon water tank in the attic space above the tree. The decision was made to invest in a new tree that would serve for years to come. I have attached video taken with my iPhone 6 for your pleasure. Note: I learned a lesson. Don’t take video in the vertical position. This video is fun to watch on your smart phone or your tablet, but not so much fun on a desktop screen. Sorry.
The APHC show this week is another live show from The Town Hall in New York City. Rob Fisher is bringing the Coffee Club Orchestra for some hot jazz and wistful tunes from the middle of the 20th century. Singer Heather Masse joins the gang from upstate New York to sing duets with the host and a few tunes with Rob and the orchestra. The usual cast of characters will entertain. Garrison will bring us up to date on what is going on in Lake Wobegon.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt
November 13th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Today is the third Friday the 13th this year. It is very unusual for there to be three in one year. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, NC, reported that an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business on this day. “It’s been estimated that $800 to $900 million is lost in business on this day..” source John Roach.
According to Wikipedia, the actual origin of the superstition appears to be a tale in Norse mythology. Friday is named for Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility. When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the spiteful goddess convened a meeting with eleven other witches, plus the devil – a gathering of thirteen – and plotted ill turns of fate for the coming week. For many centuries in Scandinavia, Friday was known as “Witches’ Sabbath.” source: Charles Panati, Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the State Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. Special guests include Vince Giordano and His Nighthawks with a few classics from America’s jazz age to warm up your radio tubes as winter bears down on us. The East 4th Street Quartet along with singer Christine DiGiallonardo teaming up with the host to deliver some sizzling jingles. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will entertain us with a variety of skits. Enjoy the show.
“Always vote for a principle, though you vote alone, and you may cherish the sweet reflection that your vote is never lost.” John Quincy Adams
November 6th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Tomorrow is the opening of deer hunting in Minnesota. I lot of folks will be heading to “the shack”. Since my youth was spent in delinquency, I never did get into hunting, but thanks to a good friend, Larry, I did get a trip to “the shack”.
Larry 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 is going to a hunting shack tomorrow to “shoot some footage”.
The APHC show this week is live from the Sanford Center in Bemidji, near the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Special guests include Elvin Bishop along with his Big Fun Trio will bring a little southern electric blues to the north woods. Dakota Dave Hull, from Fargo, adds his masterful acoustic guitar playing. A dentist, pilot, flight instructor, poet, writer, Marsh Muirhead will join the usual cast of characters. The News From Lake Wobegon may have a report on the opener. Enjoy the show.
“Remember, it is not about having time, it is about making time.” Erik Osberg “The Outdoor Report”
October 30th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
On this day in 1938, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre presented a radio broadcast of the H.G. Wells novel, “War of the Worlds”. They made it sound as if they were interrupting another program and many of the listeners did not catch the introduction disclaimer and so panic ensued. A Martian spaceship had landed in Grover’s Mill, New Jersey and Martians were ravaging the landscape.
“Is has been estimated that of the 6 million people who heard the original broadcast, more than 1.5 million believed it to be true and more than a million others were genuinely terrified, and contemporary accounts tell of police stations swamped with calls.” Source: The Writer’s Almanac
Even in Upsala, folks believed that it was really happening and they ran to the neighbors farm so that they could die together. In 1988, Grover’s Mill, New Jersey installed a Martian Landing Site monument to celebrate its hour of fame.
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of a show presented at The Fitzgerald Theatre on October 29, 2005. Special guests include Prudence Johnson, Ruth McKenzie, Nickel Creek and the Midwinter Tuba Quintet. In the News From Lake Wobegon, Garrison recounts a few of the town’s Halloween pranks.
“Never take counsel of your fears.” Andrew Jackson
October 23rd, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good rainy morning from Collegeville,
This has been one of the longest growing seasons in recent memory. The butternut squash is very much appreciated. What a great deal, all you have to do is turn over a little plot of soil, plant some seeds, apply water and a little Miracle Grow and three months later you have the makings of a great soup. Oh, I forgot, you have to pull some weeds. Now it is the time to clean up the refuse to make it easier to start the whole circle of life over again in the spring. One year, there was only one fruit per vine, so I harvested two 25 pound squash and one giant 40 pounder. I donated them to the Senior Center in Upsala.
The APHC show this week is a live show from Garrison’s home town, Anoka, Minnesota. The Anoka High School Pep Band will team up with globetrotting soprano Ellie Dehn and Broadway star Kate Beahen. The Seventh Avenue Singers will represent the next generation of Anoka Arts.
The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will channel all the drama and comedy of their high school years. Anoka is the Halloween Capital of the World. The News From Lake Wobegon will focus on the beauty of the fall season and pumpkin pie.
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Theodore Roosevelt
October 16th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good cool morning from Collegeville,
On April 17th I wrote about fishing and my grandson Willie’s bucket list of 10 fish species that he wanted to catch this summer. We all thought that this was cute, but no one, except maybe Willie, really thought he could do it. He is six years old. We forgot that he sleeps with a fish pillow and that he has spent hours paging through a huge book on fish with page after page of pictures. Number one on his list was the “Walleye”. The walleye is the favorite of a lot of fishermen. The other factor is that his dad loves to fish.
By Labor Day, there were only two fish left on his bucket list, Lake Trout and Muskie. On the last Sunday of September, Chris Larson invited Erik and Willie to go with him on a family outing on Lake Superior. That day Willie checked Lake Trout off his list. Last Saturday, Erik and Willie ventured out on a small lake near Wadena and after four hours of casting and trolling, they hooked a Muskie. They bent the net but they managed to get the 46 inch monster in the boat. There is a picture attached. They did release the fish and now they can rest from the effort. I am looking forward to next year’s list.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. The heir apparent, Chris Thile, will be on stage along with his mandolin. Other guests include fiddler and cello players, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas. We enjoyed them earlier this year at the College of St. Benedict. Staff blues singer Hilary Thavis will join the usual cast of characters.
“Goals are means to achieving the sub-objectives whereby progress toward objectives can be measured. They should be reasonable, attainable, set in advance for a fixed period, and written.” W.L. Howse
October 9th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
During the sixties my dad worked as a night desk clerk at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. While I was still attending high school in Upsala, Ma would ship me down to spend some time with him once in a while. The first thing he would do is send me to the barber shop in the lower level of the hotel for a haircut and a shoe shine. He would put me up in a room at the hotel or at the YMCA.
Fifty years ago this week, the Twins were halfway to a World Series Championship. “Mudcat” Grant was the ace pitcher of the 1965 Twins. The Twins beat the Dodgers in both home games but the road trip to LA was a bust. The Dodgers swept three games on October 9, 10 & 11. Back in Bloomington, Mudcat started game 6 in the Metropolitan Stadium and the Twins beat the Dodgers 5-1 to even the Series.
Dad was able to get me a press pass for game 7. I was worried about being challenged, so I stopped at a drug store and bought a note pad and a nice ball point pen. The press pass worked and they even gave me a box lunch. Sandy Koufax shut the Twins out in game 7, allowing only three hits and striking out 10. The final score was 2-0.
The APHC show this week is another live broadcast from The Fitzgerald Theatre in downtown Saint Paul. Three young singers, Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan will fill in for Garrison as hosts. I am not sure where Garrison is. The young hosts have invited singer and songwriter Tom Brosseau to share the stage. In addition, violinist and fiddler, Jeremy Kittel and his trio will entertain with some bluegrass and jazz numbers. The usual cast of characters will provide some memorable comedy and drama. Enjoy the show.
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help a man with the wrong mental attitude.” Thomas Jefferson
October 2nd, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
We had a great time at the Fitzgerald Theatre last Saturday. Garrison did a wonderful job. You can get in the rush line at noon today and get a seat on the stage.
Finding a hotel room in Duluth is always tough this time of year so, my grandson, Walleye Willie, got up at 3:30 Sunday morning to ride with his dad to Duluth to try for a Lake Trout. He now has only “Muskie” on his bucket list of 10 fish species to catch this summer.
A picture is worth a thousand words and a video is worth even more. By the way if you know anyone who needs a video for their website, I recommend Erik Osberg with Whiskey Creek Media. 218-639-3130. If you want to chase lake trout on Lake Superior, call Chris Larson at 218-780-4904. Enjoy the video. The young man says “Thank You” twice. He must have great parents. https://youtu.be/hYIXvq5uNXs
The APHC show this week is another live broadcast from The Fitzgerald. Special guests include The California Honeydrops, The Cactus Blossoms and Christine DiGiallonardo is on hand to sing duets with the host. The usual cast of support will be on hand. Enjoy the show.
If you are in St. Cloud tomorrow night, you can attend “Autumn Moon”, the annual fund raiser for The Paramount Arts Center. Cocktail hour starts at 6 pm and comedian Wendy Liebman performs at 8. Dancing on the stage is from 9:30 until whenever. I do have a voucher for a couple of tickets if you can meet up with me at The Local Blend in St. Joe.
“I have come to realize that people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln
September 24th, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good afternoon from Collegeville,
Quotations are a great way to get an idea across or to remind ourselves and others just what is important. Many years ago a friend of mine published “A Collection of Inspiring Thoughts” subtitled “For Business & Professional People”. Every week I try to find a quotation to use at the end of this blog. I use a copy of Norm’s booklet and record when I use one of my favorites.
For 22 years I sold office furnishings beginning with General Office Products in 1972. One of our suppliers carried a calling card with a quote on the back of the card. Ron measured offices for carpet installation and his company was not the cheapest, but they did great work. The card read:
“The bitterness of poor workmanship remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” Longfellow
Today, I found out that it was not Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, but Benjamin Franklin who said that. It goes to show that checking your sources is always the thing to do. Thanks to the English major who thought to look it up before printing.
An article in USA Today about the passing of Yogi Berra is full of his best. “When you get to a fork in the road, take it” is one of my favorites.
The APHC show this week is live from the Fitzgerald Theatre and we will be in the audience. Special guests are singer songwriter Sierra Hull and Heather Masse will sing a few duets with the host. You can watch it at prairiehome.org.
“You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” Yogi Berra
September 21st, 2015 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
My grandson, William Harley Osberg, “Walleye Willie”, age 6, created a list of 10 fish species that he wanted to catch this summer. He sleeps with a ‘fish pillow’ and he reads the Bass Fishing magazine every month. It helps that his dad loves to fish and they live close to lake country. This week Walleye Willie caught number 8 on his list. Now only Lake Trout and Muskie are left on his bucket list. Here is the lad doing battle with his Cat Fish.
http://theoutdoorreport.com/#.Vfme8eGlxhk.email
The APHC show this week is the kick off of the new season at The Fitzgerald Theatre in downtown St. Paul. JD McPherson will burn up the airwaves with rock’n’roll and R&B straight from Northwest Oklahoma. There will be some fresh comedy and drama from the Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman. Garrison will bring us up to date on the News From Lake Wobegon. If you can’t get a seat in the theatre, you can simply hang out on Exchange Street at 5 PM and listen to the broadcast. The traditional meatloaf supper will be served at 6 pm and the street dance will start at 7, right after the show ends or you can watch it live at prairiehome.org.
“You can’t catch a fish from your couch.” Gary Osberg
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