July 8th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Another beautiful summer day in central Minnesota. Last weekend was awesome, three straight days of sunshine. The 26th annual Hagstrom/Osberg Golf Tournament was one of the best ever. My son and his friends built a hog roaster this past winter and he hauled it down to Brother Bill’s place in Little Falls and cooked a number of pork shoulders. A whole pig would have been too much pork. It is a state of the art cooker that has remote temp sensors and a built in fan that does all of the work. You load the charcoal and the meat and then simply wait 9 or 10 hours. Susan had placed a handmade sign near the cooker that warned folks, “DO NOT OPEN” or you would have to deal with SUSAN. (Susan is from Chicago and no one messes with Susan.)
Cousin Kevin and his brother Tom plus myself and Jeff Smith formed the MING DYNASTY team and as is tradition, we were the last team to come in. We were at 4 under on the ninth tee and we were positive that we had the trophy in hand. I actually looked like a golfer by shooting a very good approach shot onto the ninth green. Cousin Kevin, a scratch golfer, placed his shot inside mine and I sunk the putt for a par. We soon found out that Cousin Lynn, who like me, plays golf once a year, had sunk not one, but two twenty foot putts and her team was at 5 under par. Oh well, there is always next year.
The show this week is the first in the summer time compilations with bits and pieces from recent Cincinnati performances. Special guests include local boys Jake Speed and the Freddies, playing the “Queen City Rag”. Howard Levy joins Pat Donohue and The Guy’s All Star Shoe Band. Poet emeritus Billy Collins recites “The Hangover”. Enjoy the show and enjoy the festivals.
“Think like a person of action and act like a person of thought.” Henri Bergson
July 1st, 2011 by admin
Good summer morning from Collegeville,
Hot and humid. The corn should grow another inch over night. They say that in August you can go into the corn fields during the middle of the night and hear the corn growing. My new garden in St. Joe is coming along slowly. I have to rope it off to protect it from the parked cars for the big concert this Sunday. Bobby Vee is playing his last Joetown Rocks. Fireworks are at 10 pm and the MLC Band starts to rock at 10:30 pm. I have yet to attend, since Barby’s daughter Alyssa has a 4th of July party that day every year. The church offers to put residents in the area up in a motel overnight due to the noise level so they must live up to their name.
The other big news in St. Joseph is the opening at 10 am today of the Minnesota Street Market in the old Loso Grocery building. The plan is to be open every day Monday-Saturday from 10 to 6. Minnesota Street Market is a food and art co-op providing local produce and products. They will feature organic and whole foods. They will be open this Sunday to take advantage of the crowd of visitors.
Aunt Maggie is doing just fine. It takes two days to drive out there and two days back but the ride was uneventful. The mountain peaks around Bozeman are still covered with snow and the contrast with the black spruce and the green grass is spectacular. The artists and camera fans must be having a great time. On Tuesday we drove up the Gallatin River to West Yellowstone for an ice cream cone. The river was running wild and the white water rafters were doing a booming business.
The show this week is the last live broadcast of the season. It will be coming to you from the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Special guests include Broadway actress Christine DiGiallonardo, Nickel Creek alum Sara Watkins, Gospel singing sisters Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele and Chris Thile on the mandolin. Enjoy the show. This summer the show can also be heard on Sunday evening from 6 to 8 on the news network of stations including KNSR 88.9 here in central Minnesota.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Mohandas K. Gandhi
June 17th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Barby and I drove to Sioux Falls on Sunday. One of her classmates lives there and they love to shop while I meet with underwriters and try to find new ones. I got a good reception from a number of new contacts. We always stay at the Holiday Inn in downtown Sioux Falls. Tom Bosch is the “inn keeper” and he is always a joy to work with. Every year the downtown area is filled with wonderful sculptures. “Sculpturewalk Sioux Falls” is worth the trip alone. There is a People’s Choice Award Ballot with 49 sculptures on the ballot. My vote is going to go for the one on the corner of 9th and Phillips Avenue, ‘Joy of The Dance’ by D.E. McDermott. You can check it out at
www.sculpturewalksiouxfalls.com
Tomorrow I am heading west to visit Aunt Maggie. She turned 90 in May and she still lives with ‘Blue”, a cat that she adopted, on her ‘ranch’ on the ‘bad corner’ which has a pond and an artesian well. She manages to pick up a 40 lb bag of crushed corn from the feed store in Bozeman every other week which she feeds to a herd of deer that pass through her back yard. There is still lots of snow in the mountains out west, so I hope that I don’t have any trouble getting there.
Maggie is unique and the stories are wonderful. She once was “Queen For A Day” and had a career as a model in LA.
The show this week is a live broadcast from highly-esteemed Center for The Arts n Northwest Lower Michigan. Special guests include Montana Folk Duo Storyhill, Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson. Smoky Mountain legends Robin and Linda Williams and student musicians, violinist Yuri Popowycz and harpist Charles Overton will join Garrison along with the usual characters. Enjoy the show.
There will not be a note next week.
“It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into” Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
June 10th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
What a week of weather. The temp hit 100 degrees this week and then a cold snap brought it down to 48 degrees later in the week. Only in Minnesota does it swing that quickly.
Hopefully the forecast for clearing after midnight tonight will hold so that the 11th Annual Carmel Roll Bike Ride scheduled for tomorrow will be another record setting event. The start of the ride is in Albany next to City Hall on Railroad Avenue. I will be there by 8 am handing out caramel rolls. There will be tables and rolls at Holdingford, Bowlus, Avon, Freeport and maybe in St. Joseph. You can start anywhere on the trail as long as you get to Albany to pay the entry fee and get your wrist band. Details on the Carmel Roll Ride are online at
www.lakewobegontrail.com
Tonight in downtown St. Cloud there will be another in the series of Art Crawls. There will be many awesome opportunities to buy art to raise your spirits. There is a new gallery opening up soon.
The show this week is a live broadcast from beautiful Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodinville, Washington. Special guests include singer and formidable multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz and tantalizing cabaret trio Bodacious Ladyhood.
“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
June 3rd, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Well I finally cut the cord. I moved my garden to St. Joseph. The hardest part was finding a flat bed trailer large enough to transport a 20 foot by 30 foot garden plot. I was able to cut a deal with a house mover and it went quite well. I figure that with the cost of gasoline on the rise, making a 55 mile round trip every Saturday was simply not a good use of resources. I left the asparagus. I will be buying asparagus from the Farmers Market in St. Joe from now on. Brother Bill is interested in transplanting some and Cousin Tim is planning on spraying the asparagus bed to get rid of the clover that has taken over. For those of you in the Upsala area that are interested, check it out once in a while. Usually in June, when the weather gets hot, there is such an abundance that it goes to waste.
Last night we celebrated Auntie’s birthday at The Local Blend in downtown St. Joe. The food is local, organic and delicious. The Minnesota Street Market, a food co-op, is coming along nicely. There is still some work to do in the back rooms before they can open for business, but you can join now. They had a “Meet the New Manager” get together Wednesday and I signed up. Check them out at
www.minnesotastreetmarket.com
The show this week is a live broadcast from the Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Arizona north of Sedona. Simply get on Route 66 and head west. Special guests include, but are not limited to, country renaissance man Jimmie Dale Gilmore and The Wronglers plus brilliant writer and humorist Ian Frazier. Enjoy this high altitude show on 90.1 classical and 88.9 news in central Minnesota. If you need a map of the station locations in Minnesota, send me an email.
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
May 27th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Monday we will celebrate Memorial Day. This national holiday commemorates the men and women who have died in military service to their country. The first “Decoration Day” was celebrated in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston, West Virginia. The official birthplace of Decoration Day is Waterloo, New York where they honored those who had died in the Civil War on May 5, 1866. The alternative name of “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882, but did not become common until after WW II. (source: Wikipedia”)
When I was a youngun in Upsala, we always had a Memorial Day service at the school and a parade down Main Street. Sometime after I left town in 1961, the practice died out. Then in the eighties, Lorna Koehn, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, brought back the Memorial Day celebration in Upsala. I can still picture her marching in front of a group of children holding bunches of lilacs. One of the local civic clubs added the offering of a picnic lunch at City Park where they serve grilled hamburgers and rhubarb pie with ice cream. The children still wait in eager anticipation for the chance to collect the spent brass shells after the 21 gun salute. They make good whistles.
One of the more stressful ceremonies at the school took place the year that they invited Father Tony Kroll to be the speaker. Sometime years before, Father Tony had been jailed for climbing over the fence at Honeywell in Minneapolis to protest their involvement in making war instruments. Tony is still doing his thing. A few Saturdays back he was on the side of Division Street next to Barnes and Nobel with anti-war signs. Memorial Day is not anti or pro war. It is about the men and women who served their country.
Be sure to take the time to honor those in your life who have passed on. If you happen to meet a service member, simply say “Thank you for serving”. They deserve our respect no matter what your position is on war.
The show this week is a live performance from the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia. Special guests include the American roots trio The Wailin Jennys, humorist Roy Blount Jr, tenor Paul Appleby and vocalist Andra Suchy. Here in central Minnesota you can enjoy the show on Saturday from 5 PM to 7 PM on both the classical and the news networks. The show will be rebroadcast on Sunday at 11 AM on the news network including KNSR 88.9 from Collegeville.
” It’s all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps, but it is a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.” Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
May 20th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Five days in a row with sunshine. What a great week for weather in central Minnesota. I took some half-days off and got all of the garden tilled and planted some more Yukon Golds. The antique tiller is running pretty good. I received some advise on how to adjust the drag, so that it can walk along without breaking my back. Now, with some rain in the forecast, we should be on our way. I had the first of the asparagus and it was fantastic. Don’t try almond butter on vegetables, that does not work. I traded some asparagus for a half stick of real butter and the second batch was the one that was fantastic.
Next week is huge for celebrations. Tuesday is Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday. If you are a fan, MPR will be doing a special show on the news network following the APHC show on Saturday starting at 7 PM. It includes a documentary, “Boy From The North Country: Bob Dylan in Minnesota”. On Sunday, The Current will be playing 70 of Bob’s songs back-to-back. The “BobFest” kicks off at 8 AM.at 89.3 The Current on your FM dial or you can listen live stream at
www.thecurrent.org The documentary will be broadcast on The Current at 8 PM on Sunday.
Fifty years ago on Thursday, Jim Soltis and I marched down the aisle side by side in the gym at Upsala High. There were 33 of us that graduated that Friday evening and we are planning a reunion for sometime this summer. If there are any of you out there that are of the “Class of 61” and you want in on the event, contact me and I will put you in touch with the planner, Betz.
The show this week is a special Springtime Compilation broadcast with Stephanie Davis singing “Springtime Feeling in My Heart.” and poet Donald Hall reading Jane Kenyon’s poem, “Philosophy in Warm Weather.” Other guests include Philip Brunelle and VocalEssence. Enjoy the show. Tickets to the State Fair show go on sale tomorrow. Ticketmaster or
www.prairiehome.org
“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun, or does it explode?” Langston Hughes
May 13th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Friday the 13th. This is the only month that there will be a Friday the 13th this year. Next year we will have three Friday the 13ths. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, NC, 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 show this week is a live performance from the State Theater in downtown Minneapolis. Special guests include Tulsa bluesman extraordinaire, Elvin Bishop, the magical Concordia University Hand Bell Ensemble and Women’s Vocal Ensemble of the St. Olaf Choir. Gospel vocalist supreme Jearlyn Steele will be there to help Garrison to carry a tune. Enjoy the show.
“Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do.
It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity” Christopher Morley, writer (1890-1957)
May 13th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
On Saturday, 2,000 trees were planted in Wadena. A lot of folks, including a bunch of Boy Scouts, showed up on a rainy cool day to ensure that someday there will be shade trees on the streets of Wadena once again. This event was made possible by the many donations made to
www.treesforwadena.com My son Erik came up with the idea after the tornado struck his neighborhood last June. Needless to say the buttons on my vest were busting out that day. You still can help by making a donation via the website.
I have been suffering from the flu this week and I hope you do not catch the bug. Today may be a sunny day, so get out and enjoy.
The show this week is a live broadcast from the palatial 1928 Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan. Special guests include fiery old time string band, Old Crow Medicine Show, fourth generation farmhouse fiddler Joel Mabus and singer Andra Suchy. Enjoy the show.
“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
April 29th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Today spring has arrived. It may retreat tomorrow, but live for the day. Get out and enjoy the sun. Take a walk in the woods. Look for the wild flowers that only last for a week at the most. Listen for the sounds of nature. Be thankful for all of the good in your life. Take time to meditate. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow it may snow.
The marriage of the century filled the air waves this morning. I wish the royal couple well. Relationships are not easy, but they are worth the effort.
Duke Ellington was born on this day in 1899. He was christened Edward Kennedy and I have no idea how he came to call himself Duke Ellington. He composed more than 3,000 songs and he led his band from 1923 until his death in 1974. I remember when George Maurer and his jazz group did a 100 year celebration of his birth at The Paramount Theater in St. Cloud. It was a great show. George and his friends will be featured on a TV2 special on June 25th. I will keep you up to date.
Visual artist Yvonne Sexton will be having a reception tonight from 6 to 8 at the Paramount Gallery in Downtown Saint Cloud. Guitarist Leo Kottke will be performing his magic at The Paramount Theater at 7:30 this evening. 259-LINE.
The APHC show this week is a live performance from the beautiful Fox Theater in St. Louis, Missouri. Special guests include the perfect pitch, purity and phrasing of vocalist Erin Bode and The Erin Bode Trio. In addition a jazz duo of acclaimed young singer Tony DeSare and living jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli will perform along with singer Andra Suchy. The usual gang of characters will fill out the bill. Enjoy the show.
“Jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.” Duke Ellington (1899-1974)
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