Notebook

February 19, 2010

February 19th, 2010 by Gary Osberg
 Good morning from Collegeville,
 
It is a crisp sunny morning in central Minnesota.  The sun is rising earlier every day and I can see a sunset from my kitchen when I get home.  Spring is on the way and it is only four months until we go to Woody’s Fairley Reliable Resort in Ranier.
 
Barby gave me a four gifts for Valentine’s Day.  I am blessed.  One of the books is titled “How Full Is Your Bucket?”  I read it twice already and it is a wonderful read.  It reinforces my belief in positive thinking and it provides insight to what works and what does not work in relationships.  When your bucket is full you feel great and when it is empty you feel awful.  It is estimated that we experience about 20,000 individual moments every day and they are either positive, negative or neutral.  In some cases, a single encounter can change your life forever.  I sourced an antique copper bucket and dipper which I placed in my office to remind me every day about the opportunities that I have to help to fill someone’s bucket or to dip in and take from someone’s bucket.  Check it out at www.bucketbook.com.
 
I also received the traveling trophy for the Hagstrom/Osberg golf tournament this week via UPS.   It was shipped to me by Brother Geoff who was in our foursome last year.  This July 3rd will be the 25th Annual H2O Open.  Cousin John’s name appears 7 times on the trophy but I am quite sure that Cousin Kevin and I won it a number of years before we started the trophy.  We won so many times that we named our foursome “Ming” because we were a dynasty. Cute?
 
The show this week is a live broadcast from The Fitzgerald Theater in vibrant downtown St. Paul.  Special guests include vocalist Andra Suchy and Peter Ostroushko.  Enjoy the show.
 
By the way, I deactivated my Facebook account.  I simply did not take the time to do it justice.  I did not “unfriend” you.  Take care of yourself, you are important.
 
“In a cat’s eye, all things belong to cats”  English Proverb
 
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February 12, 2010

February 12th, 2010 by admin

Good morning from Collegeville,

It is still winter and I for one am growing weary of it all. The days are getting longer and the cardinals are starting with their songs looking for love. Sunday 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 two new cd’s. “The Fall” by Norah Jones and 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 successful 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.

The show this week is live from The Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. Special guests include Leo Kottke, Phillip Brunelle and VocalEssence, Met Opera Tenor, Raul Melo and North Dakota native Andra Suchy. Enjoy the show.

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Paul of Tarsus

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February 5, 2010

February 5th, 2010 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Winter is hanging on in central Minnesota.  No huge amounts of snow, but enough to make it slippery.  I booked our flight to Phoenix during Barby’s spring break, which does not come until the end of March.  Seven weeks and counting.
 
Last night Barby and I attended the first ever live HD Cinecast of A Prairie Home Companion at The Parkwood 18 in Waite Park.  I especially enjoyed the pre-show tour by Garrison of downtown St. Paul.  He wore a letterman’s jacket from Anoka High School with his real name “Gary” in script along with a large “A” and “Tornados” on the back.  He graduated 1960.  I have a letterman’s jacket from Upsala with “Gary” and a “U” and “Cardinals” on the back.  I graduated 1961. Cool. 
 
The show was wonderful.  Special guests included Elvis Costello, Jearlyn & Jevetta Steele, Heather Masse, Robin and Linda Williams and Erica Rhodes.  Erica and Garrison did a spoof on her becoming the new host for APHC and it was a hoot.  Both Tom Keith and Fred Newman did the sound effects.  The camera work was great.  There were close ups that you could never get if you were in the audience at the Fitzgerald. 
 
The good news is that you still have time to see the encore performance next Tuesday at the same time, 6:30 PM CST.  Here in Waite Park the tickets were $22 each, but worth it.  Perhaps you should check with your local movie theater.  Also, you can hear the show this Saturday and Sunday at the usual times on your favorite public radio station. 
 
“I have to remember not to look at my shoes.  On television that makes a person look sheepish  .. or guilty .. or like a politician.”   Garrison Keillor
 
 
 
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January 29, 2010

January 29th, 2010 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
 
Last week’s note included a message from an unnamed family member who had some trouble with a sticky keyboard on his new laptop computer.  Well, Brother Bill will not be sending out any more emails any time soon.  The laptop was destroyed in a fire that wiped out his business.  Bill rented shop and office space for his paint contracting business from a guy who owns the Iron Hills Pawn shop in downtown Little Falls.  When Bill got home from watching the Vikings game at a friends house, he received a phone call from a fellow business man telling him that his shop was on fire.  About 30 firefighters worked through the night to keep the fire from spreading to the building next door.  A state fire marshal determined that the fire started in the pawn shop and spread quickly through the old building.  I remember purchasing a brand new 1980 Pontiac Phoenix from 122 Motors when they occupied the building.  An antique cash register that used to belong to Grandma and Grandpa Ramlo was spared.  The cash register only went up to $9.99.  I had purchased the cash register from the fellow who bought Ramlo Grocery in Upsala in 1967 for $35.  I suppose Bill will have to take up ice fishing.
 
The show this week is live from the Tucson Convention Center Arena in Tucson, Arizona.  Special guests include local Chicano band iMas, legend of the accordion Joel Guzman, accomplished singer and guitar picker Dave Rawlings along with singer-songwriter Andra Suchy.  Next Thursday is the first live HD movie theater cinecast of APHC.   The Parkwood 18 in Waite Park will be one of over 500 participating movie theaters.  You may want to purchase your tickets in advance.  Also, there will be an encore performance on Tuesday the 9th of February.  Both performances are at 7 PM. 
 
“Encouragement is oxygen to the soul”  George M. Adams
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January 22, 2010

January 22nd, 2010 by Gary Osberg
Good frosty morning from Collegeville,
 
On this date in 1936 the wind chill was minus 80 degrees in Upsala, Minnesota.  My mother and Auntie were teenagers and they had just moved to Upsala from Cushing.  Grandma Ramlo wrote that the grocery store that they had purchased was very low on product to sell, but there was a large wood pile.  It was all gone by spring.
 
I received the following from one of my family members who will go unnamed.  Enjoy.
 
” subject: my new e-mail address
 “ hi everyone this is the last person on earth to use a computer i even hooked up a printer/copier/scanner today i even used it tomorrow i may even take it out of the box i am trying to make this professsssional as possssible but i sssspilled my rum buck on the key bord now i have sticcccky keys this is reaaaly fun did i tell you i bought the computer a year agoooo  i think  maybeeee if you hveee any ideas to imprrrove my emale skillls  kep themm to youuurselllf i havv to go miiiix anotherrr rummmbuuuck  calll me   nexttt  timeee my   phon  stillll wworkks  bye ithink im gettttincarpol  tunnnel     imthinnnking  it from    typinnng  i hope     ohh by  thhe  way i bot a  wirelesss  mos ttooo ” 
 
The show this week is live from Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.  Special guests include jazz songbird Inga Swearingen, Nashville picker Guthrie Trapp, vocal trio Sweet Dreams, and Minnesota polka legend Ray Sands and the Polka Dots.  Enjoy the show.  Also, there will be a live Cinecast at Parkwood Cinema in Waite Park of a special APHC show on Thursday February 4th with an encore on Tuesday February 9th.    Stop in now to purchase advance tickets.
 
Go Vikings!
 
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing.  You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time.  Winning is habit.  Unfortunately, so is losing.”  Vince Lombardi
 
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January 15, 2010

January 15th, 2010 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
 
We may get a January thaw today or tomorrow.  Wonderful!  Today would be a good day to count your blessings.  My heart goes out to the folks in Haiti.  I just now sent a text message to 90999.  Simply text the word “Haiti” and $10 will go to the Red Cross and it will appear on your telephone bill.  If all of you did this it would raise over $7,000 for the relief effort.
 
The tendonitis seems to be healing.  I may not have to have surgery after all.  I am not planning on going back to using the laptop except when I go to Sun Valley in September.  A wireless mouse, a wireless ergonomic keyboard and a large LCD monitor is a good idea.
 
If ever someone asks you about your opinion on the most important invention to have an impact on office productivity, the proper answer might well be the invention of Windows.  I am old enough to remember when you had to shut down the accounting program completely then open up the word processing program before you could draft a memo.  Now you simply minimize and switch back and forth between many programs at will.  Think about it.  By the way my first “contact management” system was a 3 x 5 recipe card system and a 1-31 “tickler” file.  Now we use ACT!
 
The show this week is another live show from The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Special guests include American blues master Elvin Bishop, mezzo soprano Frederica von Stade, choral singing ensemble Chanticleer and legendary Scottish balladeer, Jean Redpath.  Enjoy the show and don’t forget to check out the APHC website for a movie house near you that will broadcast the live show on Thursday February 4th at 7 PM CST.
 
” A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.”  Herm Albright
 
 
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January 8, 2010

January 8th, 2010 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
 
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 put 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 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 army and they gave me a new winter coat.
 
The show this week is live from The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco.  Special guests include celebrated Met Opera tenor Raul Melo and a bright shining star of modern bluegrass, Sara Watkins.  The usual cast of characters will be providing a variety show worth tuning in for.
 
Also, The Parkwood 18 Movie Theater in Waite Park will be showing a live HD broadcast of an APHC show at 7 PM on Thursday February 4th.  I picked up my tickets last night.  Get your tickets early.  Plan to dine early at Anton’s next door and make a night of it. 
 
“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
 
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December 31, 2009

December 31st, 2009 by Gary Osberg
 Good morning from Collegeville,
 
The year two thousand nine is coming to a close in about 12 hours.  The highlights of this past year are as follows:
 
1.  Barby and I celebrated our fourth Christmas together with her family, which has now grown to 13 plus the two of us. We need to extend the dining room table.  The double smoked ham from St. Joseph Meat Market was great.
2.  William Harley Osberg was born on 3-3-9, a square root day.  He was a surprise and he is wonderful.
3.  I turned 66 and started drawing Social Security with no plans to retire.  I must pay income tax on the SS, but that is ok.
4.  Titan, the cat, got out the front door on December 5th and did not come back until one week later.  No worse for the experience and it was one of the coldest weeks this year.  He must have been trapped in a garage.
5.  I found out that using the red button on my laptop to move the curser and using my thumb to left click and right click is not a good idea.  I now have a wireless external keyboard, mouse and a large screen monitor.
6.  I entered 32 orders this month that added up to the second highest monthly dollar amount for orders entered in the ten years that I have been doing this.
7.  My happiness does not depend on whether or not the Vikings win a football game.
8.  A Prairie Home Companion came to Avon on July 4th and 10,000 folks showed up.
9.  I celebrated 10 years with Minnesota Public Radio.
10. I gave up Diet Coke.
 
The show this week is a special compilation of the best of 2009.  Special guests include Brad Paisley, Sam Bush, Elvis Costello and Martin Sheen.  Nellie McKay does a tribute to Doris Day and Patty Loveless sings “The Bramble and the Rose”.  Enjoy the show.
 
Happy New Year and let us all try to say  “twenty ten” when we refer to 2010.
 
“Let others lead small lives, but not you.  Let others argue over small things, but not you.  Let others cry over small hurts, but not you.  Let others leave their futures in someone else’s hands, but not you.”  Jim Rohn
 
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December 18, 2009

December 18th, 2009 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
 
Seven days until Christmas.  I am doing this on my new ergonomic external keyboard.  The physical therapy is not going as well as we expected.  Someone suggested voice recognition software. 
 
Children love Christmas, as well they should.  As with most families, some years Christmas gifts were easy to come by and some years they were hard to come by.  The Christmas of 1956 was a memorable one for me.  My mother had to take an apartment in Little Falls, having left Dad after years of his not being very responsible.  That Christmas, Santa brought us six big Tonka Toy 18 wheel trucks.  There was a cattle truck, an oil tanker, a freight truck and three more.  This was a perfect gift for a family with five boys. For years I had the impression that they were from a social agency that served the poor.  It turned out that the gift giver was Dewey Johnson, a classmate of Mother, who was acquainted with one of the founders of Tonka Toys.   Dewey had already passed on before I learned this from my mother, so I did not get a chance to thank him. 

Perhaps you know of a family that has come upon hard times and they could use a Secret Santa.

Here at St. John’s we are blessed with a lot of signs of the season.  One is the huge tree in the Great Hall.  If you have ever wondered how they get the tree inside, simply go to www.youtube,com and type in “Great Hall Tree”  or perhaps this link will work  http://bit.ly/7H3YDf 

 The show this week is live from The Town Hall in New York City.  Special guests include Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Martin Sheen and The Russian Chamber Chorus along with the Royal Academy of Radio Actors.  Enjoy the show. 

 “It is better to give than to receive”  Anonymous

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December 11, 2009

December 12th, 2009 by Gary Osberg
 Good morning from Collegeville,
 
And a clear frosty morning it is.  Tis the season!  The season for family, friends, food and fun.  My favorite part of celebrating the holidays is the music.  A “must see” for me is the annual George Maurer Holiday Show at the Paramount Theater.  The lead vocalist, Ann Michels, is always booked in shows on weekends, so for many years now the event has been held on a Monday evening.  This year the show is next Monday December 14th at 7:30 PM.  Tickets can be had at 320-259-LINE 
 
If you have never had a chance to go and you would like a taste, simply go to www.YouTube  and type in George Maurer.  You will find the video “A Mean One Mr Grinch”   You can find more information on all of the George Maurer holiday show at www.georgemaurer.com   
 
On a serious note, if you know someone that is using a laptop and is in the habit of using their index finger to move the cursor using the red button and their thumb to operate the left click and the right click, buy them an external mouse.  My tendonitis is not responding to physical therapy and it is no fun.  An IBM Think Pad should come with a warning label.
 
The show this week is live from The Town Hall in the heart of New York’s theater district.  Special guests include world renowned performer Yo-Yo Ma and the Assad Brothers join forces for a hot trio performance that is sure to keep out the cold, while the vocal styling’s of jazz greats Inga Swearingen and Connie Evingson will add fuel to the fire. The usual cast of characters will set the tone for a holiday in Lake Wobegon.
 
“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.”  Thomas a’ Kempis
 
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