February 14th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
The onboard temperature gauge read minus 23 yesterday. That would be a record low for this winter according to my Gran Prix. The forecast is for some warm up this weekend and it could not be soon enough for this weary one.
I did order some seeds from Comstock, Ferre & Company in Wethersfield, Conn. It will be interesting to see how the harvest from these special seeds will compare to the ordinary ones that I have been getting from The Farm Store in Upsala. I always get my Yukon Gold seed potatoes from Woods, Farmer Seed and Nursery on Division Street in St. Cloud. I had the antique rear tiller tuned up this fall so hopefully I will be able to start it up this year. Last year I had to get along by using only the small Echo tiller. I located a shop in Freeport that can repair the Echo so I should be ready to go when I get back from Sedona on April 9th. Both of these tillers were obtained using the bartering system, so not much has been invested to date.
I attended the Business After Hours at Stearns Bank this week and I won a pineapple along with a fifty dollar bill. It pays to network.
The show this week is live from the John S. Glas Field House in Bemidji. Special guests include Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, jazz guitarist Sam Miltich and the diva of the Dakotas, vocalist Andra Suchy. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors; Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Tom Keith along with The Guy’s All Star Shoe Band will set the tone for the News From Lake Wobegon. Enjoy the show.
There are still tickets available for the show at The U of M Morris on Saturday Feb 19th. Information online at
In 1987, Garrison decided to retire for a while. If you want to watch a news report from The News Hour on PBS, click on this link.
“A man who picks up a cat by the tail, gains knowledge that he cannot learn in any other way.” Mark Twain
www.morris.umn.edu The show in San Diego on the 26th is sold out.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VE0qMta0Ks&NR=1
February 4th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
More of the same. The ground hog did not see his shadow, but I doubt if that will make much difference. Barby and I are planning to fly to Phoenix the first weekend in April and that will help me to hang on.
I often wonder what my life would have been like if great grandma Anne Oien had boarded a train heading south out of Chicago instead of one bound for St. Paul, Minnesota. Just think if she had arrived at a railroad station in Louisville, Kentucky in 1893 and met up with a fellow who owned a horse farm instead of hooking up with Fred Anderson who had been drawn to Minnesota with brochures that promised “milk and honey”. Fred begot a girl that they named Laura and they moved to an abandoned log cabin south of Cushing, Minnesota. They had purchased 80 acres for a grand total of $480 and my fate was sealed. Now instead of blue-grass country, I live in the land of ice dams and piles of snow so high that the idea of a garden plot is hard to imagine. I must order those garden seeds today and renew my hope for spring.
We’re looking for classical music talent from every corner of Minnesota! Help us spread the word about Minnesota Varsity, a high school-level Classical music showcase. We are accepting classical and musical theater performance submissions from soloists and small ensembles of Minnesota students. In addition to having their performance heard by our editorial panel (consisting of MPR hosts, conductors like Nicholas McGegan and Sarah Hicks, and others) 15 performances will be recorded by MPR engineers and broadcast on-air and online. 5 soloists/ensembles will perform at the Fitzgerald Theater on April 17 at 2pm in a showcase concert.
Students can submit their materials online at
classicalmpr.org/varsity.
The show this week is live from The Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. This week’s special guests include the man who puts the “sting” in “string”, Sam Bush and Nashville songwriter, Berklee Alumna, plus Biwabik, Minnesota native Emily Shackelton. Jearlyn Steele will join the usual cast of characters. Enjoy the show.
“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” Dale Carnegie
January 28th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
This is the last Friday of January and February is the shortest month of the year. I have received the first seed catalog in the mail and it makes me feel better just to think about the garden. The old timers have always said that it is good idea to have the potatoes planted by Good Friday and this year that will be April 22nd. My favorite potato variety is the Yukon Gold.
The oldest seed company in New England is Comstock, Ferre & Company in Wethersfield, Connecticut. William Comstock and his father Judge Franklin Comstock purchased Wethersfield Seed Gardens in 1838. Judge Comstock crafted a light pine box with hinges and hooks and placed the seed boxes in stores throughout New England and as far west as the Mississippi River. Many a young man got his start in sales by traveling from state to state delivering and collecting seed boxes.
The new owners are Jere and Emilee Gettle and they are working to return Comstock, Ferre & Company to it’s glorious beginnings as an heirloom seed company. They are planning a huge celebration with the Greenhorn’s Seed Circus on June 5th. You can follow their progress online at
www.comstockferre.com
The show this week is live from The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Special guests include Texas born mandolinist/violinist Richard Kriehn, saw player Andy McCormick and the finest alto who ever dwelt in a Yurt, Heather Masse. Enjoy the show. Garrison is bringing the show to Bemidji on February 12 and Morris on February 19th. Ticket info for Morris is online at
www.morris.umn.edu Click on the “Prairie Home Companion” box. I apologize for not warning you that the show last week was the annual Joke Show.
“Leadership is achieved by ability, alertness, experience; by a willingness to accept responsibility; by a knack for getting along with people; by an open mind and a head that stays clear under stress.” E.F. Girard
January 21st, 2011 by admin
Good chilly morning from Collegeville,
The car thermometer read 22 degrees below zero this morning. That is cold. They say that this will not last and that we may hit 30 degrees above next week. We have already picked up 32 minutes of daylight since the Winter Solstice, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Fifty years ago yesterday, John F. Kennedy spoke the words, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Although that is the most often repeated portion of his inaugural speech, there were many other very memorable portions. I Googled “John F Kennedy inaugural” and I was able to listen to the first few minutes online. Finally, I went to Amazon and ordered a DVD that promised to contain the entire speech. The saddest thing is that only 1,035 days later he was shot and killed in Dallas.
Last night HBO broadcast a new film tracing JFK’s life with a lot of home movies and thankfully they left out those awful images that were shown on TV over and over in November of 1963. They did show 2 year old John John saluting his father’s casket. And now we have Tucson. All we can do is to try and help these folks before they set up for the assassination attempt.
On a lighter note, the wonderful teenage fiddler Catie Jo has been invited to join the cast of A Prairie Home Companion in Morris on the U of M campus on February 19th. You can still get tickets by going
online. Northrop Ticket Office is handling the ticket sales. There is a “Pretty Good” reception in the campus Student Center from 2 PM until 4 PM. The show starts at 4:45 sharp. “No Late Seating”
This week the show is back at The Fitzgerald Theater and Garrison is back at the helm. I thought that Sara Watkins did a pretty good job hosting last week, but it was not the same without Garrison as the host. Guests on this weeks show include Vocal Essence under director Phillip Brunelle along with Andra Suchy. Enjoy the show and I hope to see you at Morris.
“Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” John F. Kennedy 1/20/1961
January 14th, 2011 by admin
Good cloudy morning from Collegeville,
According to the weather guy on MPR this morning, we have had some snow flakes every day in January except this last Wednesday. There is a gloom over all of the land anyway due to the senseless violence in Tucson last Saturday. The forecast looks like more of the same with some below zero weather. What can we do to bring some cheer and sunshine into our lives? Well one of the many emails that came my way this week offers some good advice.
High Impact Training is a local company with national reach. They are a new sponsor of the Marketplace Morning Report on 88.9 KNSR in central Minnesota. They offer the following suggestion.
www.highimpacttraining.netBe it resolved that I, ______________ (state your name), will; upon the occasion of the New Year, embrace the following:
1. I will be nicer to myself less critical and judgmental. More like my own best friend.
2. I will move my body a bit more and bring more oxygen into my heart and brain.
3. I will ask for help when I need it.
4. I will accept help when it is offered.
5. I will walk into and out of work grateful for the opportunity.
6. I will find humor in something every day and give it a good hearty laugh.
7. I will count my blessings more often than my slights.
8. I will compliment someone every day, sharing my positivity with them.
9. I will think, “Do I really need/want this?” before I just buy something.
10. I will find a way to give something to someone less fortunate than I.
Let it be further resolved to make 2011 a wonderful year! Tracy Knofla, Featured Consultant, High Impact Training
The show this week is a very special live show from The Fitzgerald Theater. Garrison will be turning over the hosting duties to Sara Watkins. Other guests include claw hammer-banjo jammer Abigail Washburn and American musical storyteller Tom Brosseau. The usual cast of characters and The Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band will fill the bill. Enjoy the show.
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander Time; for that is the stuff Life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
January 7th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Well, I didn’t get a call from Mark Dayton to head up any of the agencies. His loss. Just joking, wild horses could not drag me down to the Metro area to work for a living. I love that the commute to work is 6.2 miles. Barby got me a new Garmin 1300 GPS for Christmas and come to find out that the shortest route from Wimmer Hall to St. Joe is out the back way using County Road 159. I am having some trouble figuring out how to “save to favorites”, but other than that I love it.
As you may have heard, Garrison is coming to western Minnesota in February. The APHC show will be broadcast live from the campus of the U of M Morris on Saturday, February 19th. This morning he announced that on the January 15th show, Sara Watkins will be the host and he will be a guest. Strange. If you are a fan, I suggest that you get tickets to the show as soon as possible. Go to
www.morris.umn.edu and click on the “Prairie Home Companion” link.
By the way, I still have a couple of “on-air message packages” available that include tickets to the February 19 show in Morris. “You too can reach our unique audience with your unique message”
The show this week is the first of a run at The Fitzgerald Theater in downtown Saint Paul. Special guests include the incomparable Nellie McKay plus a tune for 4 (count ’em 4) fiddles for the New Year with Deena and Sedra Bistodeau, Catie Jo Pidel and Richard Kriehn. Catie Jo was at the State Fair show a few years ago. She appeared to be about 12 years old. I still remember the green framed glasses. I wish that I had tickets to the show. The usual cast of characters will be there to entertain as well. Enjoy the show.
“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
December 30th, 2010 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
It has been a very quiet week in Collegeville. I have often said that the week between Christmas and New Years is a good time to get out of town, however, now I dread flying and driving is dicey. Maybe next year I will book the cabin and simply catch up on novel reading.
Christmas was a delight. Barby ventured out on Christmas Eve to Santa’s workshop, otherwise known as Doodle Town Toys in Big Lake. She took her eldest grandson, Elijah, age 5, with her and they had quite the adventure. They got lost and stuck in the snow a couple of times. They had a great time selecting from the collection of hand made wooden toys. Elijah made sure that a couple of pull toys were included and a tractor with wagon filled with blocks made a wonderful gift for Charlie. You can check them out at
www.doodletowntoys.com
My family gathered at a party room in an apartment complex on Christmas Eve day which worked out quite well. My new plan is to send money to my children and they select the gifts for the grandchildren. That way, I am surprised at the same time. The adults draw names, which simplifies the process.
Last year Barby and I went to see Louie Anderson at The Paramount Theater in downtown St. Cloud on New Years Eve, but this year we are staying in close to the fire to watch Northern Exposure and eat Chinese take out. Louis will be at The Paramount on New Years Day at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available at 259 – LINE or
www.paramountarts.org
2010 has come and gone, and hopefully, 2011 will bring a few more jobs for many. I will forward Minnesota Public Radio job postings once in a while to help to spread the word.
The show this week is a broadcast of the Christmas show from last Saturday that did not go out as planned. Special guests will include poet Sharon Olds, authors Ian Frazier and Mary Gordon plus playwright and author Paul Rudnick. Musical guests will be Rob Fisher Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Christine DiGiallonardo. 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’re looking for. That’s what everybody is looking for.” Toni Morrison
December 20th, 2010 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Seven days until Christmas Eve. I am almost done with my shopping and I plan to wrap gifts this weekend. There is no doubt that we will have a white Christmas this year. On Monday night the Monticello gang and I attended the George Maurer Jazz Group concert at The Paramount Theater. George always delivers a fresh package. You can purchase his CD’s at the St. John’s Bookstore in Sexton Commons. They make good stocking stuffers. If you have never taken in one of their concerts, you may want to plan on next year.
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 my 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.
The show this week is live from The Town Hall in New York City. Special guests include mini-orchestra Pink Martini and world renowned Operatic Baritone Nathan Gunn along with the Royal Academy of Radio Actors. Enjoy the show.
“Three-fourths of the people you will meet tomorrow are hungering and thirsting for sympathy. Give it to them, and they will love you.” Dale Carnegie
December 10th, 2010 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Christmas Eve is two weeks from today. I think that I have it covered, but I still have a couple of gifts to buy. I used to wait until Christmas Eve, but I have improved in the regard. I trust that your plans are all coming together.
This week my old friend Wes had to bury his mother Ethyl. Wes was one of the oldest members of The Black Knights Car Club in Upsala. I was the youngest member. He also was the driver of his dad’s 1950 Ford on the night that we were in a drag race with another member. I was riding shotgun. The Ford slid off of the gravel road into the left side ditch and hit a bridge. I can still remember the horn blaring, the rear tires spinning and the sound of the windshield breaking. I had put my arm up to protect my face and the force of the impact broke my wrist. I was a sophomore at Upsala High and that fall I had to stand on the sidelines instead of playing football. The sling that held my broken wrist did provide a perfect place to hide the “tools” that I shoplifted. The car club had plans to drop a V8 engine into the 1936 Chevy Coupe that the club had acquired from our leader, Duane, (AKA “Punk”). The car was stored in a garage that was behind the house that my mother rented on Borgstrom Street in Upsala. When the County Sheriff showed up at my front door with a search warrant, Ma fainted dead away. They were going to charge her with “fencing”. We had hidden some stolen goods in the barn next to the garage. The club house was an old chicken coop next to the barn that we had cleaned out. The garage is still there, surrounded by trees growing out from the foundation.
The entire gang was brought to trial in the Morrison County courts and we each received a sentence of six months probation. “Punk” was held in the county jail for almost two months without bail. Our school superintendent was named as our probation officer. Two of the gang went to the reform school in Red Wing, but they both went on to lead productive lives. One was a successful franchise salesman and the other is a lay minister in the Twin Cities area.
The show this week is a live broadcast from the Town Hall in New York City. Special guests include poet emeritus of the known universe, Billy Collins, Broadway bandleader, Rob Fisher with cornerstone of the jazz keyboard, Dick Hyman and the DiGiallonardo Sisters. The usual cast of characters will help us to get into the holiday mood. Enjoy the show.
“All that a man does outwardly is but the expression and completion of his inward thought. To work effectually, he must think clearly; to act nobly, he must think nobly.” Channing
December 3rd, 2010 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
Thanksgiving dinner at Erik and Jena’s was wonderful. Erik soaked the turkey in salt brine overnight and he roasted it breast down. That was a hint that he picked up by listening to Lynn Rosetta Kasper on MPR. He also made a sweet potato pie that was to die for. If you would like the recipe for the pie, let me know.
This summer Auntie and Cousin Odd from Norway came to campus for a visit. After having lunch at the “Refrectory” we toured the “new church”, (built in 1961). I showed them the chapel that was the subject of my weekly note back in November of 2007. The remodeling of the small chapel began by cutting a new door into the one foot thick concrete wall. This made me a little nervous, but it seemed to be fine. The next week a contractor was applying new plaster to the ceiling. I watched the young man and noticed that he was putting it on real thick, like about two inches thick, and they had not added anything to the old concrete ceiling, no lath or perforated metal as you would use for a stucco job. I thought to myself “this is not a good idea.” The next Friday morning I walked past the project and almost all of the new plaster was on the floor. Some of the plaster clung to the edges. On the following Monday morning there were no workers present, but it was all cleaned up. By Tuesday afternoon I noticed the contractor’s truck was back. On Wednesday morning I stopped by and there were two workers and a fellow with a clip-board. I could see that perforated metal had been attached to the ceiling. I stuck my head in and commented. “I saw what you were doing in here last week and I thought to myself “this is not a good idea”. “I am sorry to see that I was right”. The man with the clip-board replied with a smile, “and we are sorry that you didn’t stop us sooner.” Sometimes it pays to speak up. Just because the signage on the truck says that they are experts doesn’t mean that they don’t make mistakes in judgement.
The show this week is live from the Town Hall in New York City. Special guests include, but are not limited to, The Imposter, Elvis Costello and Sola’s great dubliner John Doyle. The usual cast of characters will help to kick off the holiday season. Enjoy the show. Enjoy the snow.
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” Willie Nelson
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