GaryOsberg.com

Good morning from Collegeville,

 A beautiful sunny morning.  135 folks showed up for breakfast at Chamber Connection this morning, hosted by Midsota Plastic Surgeons, under a tent.  One of the many great things that they do is to organize a trip to South America each spring to perform reconstructive surgery on children.  If you are looking for a way to give back, check out their website www.helpsintl.org

 I will be in Bozeman next Friday, so there will not be a weekly note.  Our classical music station, KWRV 91.9, has been serving Sun Valley, Idaho and the Wood River Valley since 1993.  I plan to fly in to Sun Valley on Sunday and I will work there on the first three days and drive the rental car to Bozeman on Thursday.  I will be spending time with Aunt Maggie and enjoying the mountain air.

 Sun Valley was created by Averell Harriman and the Union Pacific Railroad in the thirties as a destination ski area.  Mr. Harriman had sent an Austrian Count to travel the western United States in search of a place to start a ski resort.  When he arrived in Ketchum, Idaho, the Count wired back that it was better than anything in Europe.  The Union Pacific purchased a 3,000 acre ranch for $39,000 and they built the Sun Valley Lodge.  They also invented the chair lift in Sun Valley. 

 The show this week, (heard in Sun Valley at 4 PM on Saturday)  is a special New York City compilation show with some of Gotham’s go-to guests, including Bronx born comedian Robert Klein, Broadway stars Walter Bobbie, Faith Prince, Kristin Chenoweth and Tony Roberts plus Robin and Linda Williams.  Enjoy the show.

 “It’s so fun, here in America”  Anna Osberg, age 4

Category : General

Comments Off on September 12, 2008

Good morning from Collegeville,

The APHC show at the Minnesota State Fair was wonderful.  The package that we received from Ticketmaster included a VIP parking pass that put us just feet from the Grandstand, plus food vouchers for inside the Grandstand Plaza.  I have a sweater that was left there by a Diane Yeager from Sauk Rapids.  If you know her, have her give me a call.

The Top Ten List of Things That I am Thankful For:

1.                   No cell phone companies are going to give out our cell phone numbers to telemarketers.

2.                   There are at least 20 Turkey Vultures cleaning up things around the St. John’s campus.

3.                   I will have five grandchildren by next April.

4.                   I have the best job in the world.

5.                   My health is good

6.                   My son is my financial planner

7.                   My daughter is making Visual Arts Minnesota a success.

8.                   I have five siblings and no one is mad at anyone.

9.                   I get the traveling golf trophy from the annual Hagstrom/Osberg golf tournament.

10.               I have someone to share a cup of coffee with every morning who loves me.

 The show this week is live from the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, Vermont.  Special guests include Suzy Bogguss and the usual cast of characters.

 “Art is the stored honey of the human soul, gathered on wings of misery and travail.”  Theodore Dreiser

Category : General

Comments Off on September 5, 2008

Good morning from Collegeville,

 It is hard to believe that it is the end of summer.  School starts next Tuesday.  Here in Minnesota we still wait until after Labor Day.  Classes started here at St. John’s on Wednesday.  It is great to have the students back on campus.

 Tomorrow will be my sixty fifth birthday.  In my family we like to celebrate big every five years.  Barby and I had a family picnic at Big Oak Camp last Saturday.  65 folks showed up for my 65^th birthday, what are the odds.  It was a beautiful day, a little cool even.  One of the highlights was when Cousin Dave’s daughter Maggie, age 8, sang the Happy Birthday song to me one-on-one.  It was very special.  It may have been only the second time that we had met.  It was her idea and it was wonderful. 

 Another Dave wrote a wonderful poem about “The Flash” giving up the big city and the office furniture business to come back to Central Minnesota to “sell radio spots”.  He has the gift of the pen.  It was the first blending of my family and Barby’s family and it was a big hit.  The food was awesome.  If you need a caterer, check out www.innovativecateringsolutions.com          Tammy is great to work with.  763-528-0380

 The show this week is a rebroadcast of the show from the Grandstand of the Minnesota State Fair which will be performed live tonight at 8 PM.  Guests include Tonic Sol-Fa and Suzy Bogguss.  There will be a showdown between sound effects men Fred Newman and Tom Keith.   Barby and I hope to see you there.

 “The State Fair is not a way of life; it’s a reward for making it through the summer.  Sort of like ice cream is a reward for eating your broccoli.”  Garrison Keillor

Category : General

Comments Off on August 29, 2008

Good morning from Collegeville,

 “Soaring Turkey Vultures”, it simply does not conjure up the same feelings.  It proves that my readers are a lot smarter than I am.  According to Google, both Bald and Golden eagles are superficially similar to Turkey Vultures.  Eagles fly on flat wings instead of holding their wings “in a dihedral angle” while soaring.  The immature Turkey Vulture has a gray head instead of a red head, for that reason they look a lot like eagles.  The label “vulture” is a PR problem.  Even Snoopy had to deal with the bird, although, I don’t recall that the vulture created by Charles Schultz ever did any soaring.

 The show this week is a sampling of shows from Chicago’s Ravinia Festival.  Guests include Jearlyn Steele singing a tribute to Mahalia Jackson, Peter Ostroushko sitting in with the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra plus blues singers Jack Elliot, Suzy Bogguss, Howard Levy and Alice Peacock.  Enjoy the show.  There may still be tickets available to the show next Friday night at The Minnesota State Fair.  Check out Ticketmaster.

 “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”.  Shakespeare

 PS   If you would like to live in Upsala, check out the listing at Edina Realty for 302 Borgstrom Street or simply call Amy at 320-291-0882 to view a nice house for sale in Upsala, Minnesota.

Category : General

Comments Off on August 22, 2008

Good morning from Collegeville,

 Eighty two folks showed up for Chamber Connection here on campus, in the Alumni Lounge.  It is a beautiful morning and the eagles are soaring in the sky above campus.  This morning there are about 15 of them playing in the air.  I was hoping that they would be performing as the guests arrived, but they waited until now.  It is amazing to me that they simply seem to be soaring for the fun of it. 

 I always enjoy having folks come for coffee and cinnamon rolls on the third Friday of August each year.  Chamber Connection works.  I announced that I had an opening for a sponsorship message in front of the re-broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion on Sunday and someone came up to me afterwards and said that they would take it for 26 weeks.  I love it when a plan comes together.  If you have never attended a Chamber Connection meeting on a Friday morning in St. Cloud, simply go to www.stcloudareachamber.com

 The show this week is a special summertime compilation show about radio.  Guests include Studs Terkel, Bob Edwards (NPR alumni)  and Meryl Streep.  You also will hear the story of how Garrison got started in radio at the U of M.

 “If you do not sow, you do not reap; no investment, no dividend.  It’s as simple as that.”   Alfred Armand Montapert

Category : General

Comments Off on August 15, 2008

Good morning from Collegeville,

What a beautiful week of weather in Central Minnesota.  Almost everyday has been a “10”.  I am enjoying the summer but it is going by too fast.  Happiness is sitting by the water fountain in front of Sexton Commons on campus of St. John’s University and soaking in the mid-morning sun, sipping on a Diet Pepsi.

In the February 27, 2006 issue of The New Yorker, there was an article on pursuing happiness.  I try to read it once every month.  It turns out that by nature we have been hardwired to emphasize the negative.  Survival depended on being wary.  “Call no man happy until he is dead” was the Greek way of putting it.  According to positive psychologists, once we are out of poverty, the most important determinant of our happiness is our “set point”, a natural level of happiness that is largely inherited.

Ready for the secret of happiness?  Here it is:  Happiness is equal to our set point S,  plus our life conditions  C  plus a bit of volunteer work,  V   “H=S+C+V”

Last Saturday I joined hundreds of other folks in Little Falls and we painted seven houses that are owned by low income families.  This has been going on for seventeen years.   If your set point for happiness is low, you may need to do more volunteer work.  If you want a copy of the article on happiness, let me know.

The show this week is a rebroadcast of shows from the Great Minnesota Get Together, The State Fair.  Guests include Becky Schlegel, Patty Griffin and Jearlyn Steele, plus Minnesota broadcaster, Tommy Mischke, Del McCoury and his band.  Enjoy the show.  See you at the fair on August 29^th, MPR day at the fair.

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”  Marcel Proust

Category : General

Comments Off on August 8, 2008

August 1, 2008

 Good morning from Collegeville,

 Happy Birthday to my daughter Kerry Kathryn.  I will not tell you what year it was; because she doesn’t look any where close to her actual age and I know that she wants to keep it that way.  You should never ask two questions of any woman, “What did that cost?”  and  “How old are you?”  The first is none of your business and so is the second.  Never suggest the “over 50” menu at Perkins either, especially since it is in fact the “over 55” menu. 

 Last night Barby and I went to The Paramount Theater to hear The Wailin Jenny’s.  It was an awesome show.  They were given a standing ovation and they treated us to two encore numbers.  The Paramount is a jewel and it does need your support.  Please consider making a donation to ensure that we will continue to have first class entertainment.  Go to www.paramountarts.org   for detailed information.  Save the date, The Gala is on Saturday September 6^th.   The entertainment will be provided by “The Nylons”.  The ticket office is open from 10 to 2 during the summer months.

 The APHC show this week is the best of two shows done from the “Tar Heel” State.  Guests include legendary Bluesman Nappy Brown, The Red Clay Ramblers and Sweet Honey in the Rock, plus Suzy Bogguss.  Enjoy the show.   Tickets for The State Fair show on Friday night August 29^th are available at Ticketmaster.

 “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 in Yesterday and the other day I do not worry about is Tomorrow.”  Robert Jones Burdette

Category : General

Comments Off on August 1. 2008

July 25, 2008

 Good morning from Collegeville,

 I may have found someone who can pick up the torch from Brother Willie.  The story is; years ago I met an old man who was shuffling home to Wimmer Hall from the shop area.  His coveralls were covered with dust.  I asked him what his name was and what he did on campus.  He replied, “My name is Brother Willie, don’t you know about the table and chairs that I make for children?”   To make a long story short, I ended up ordering a table and chair set for my granddaughter Kaylin Marie.  When I picked the finished items up I noticed a small wagon filled with blocks.  They were made from scrap oak found in the Saint John’s woodshop.  I eventually ordered 10 wagon and block sets.  Brother Willie is in his nineties and has not been able to work in the shop for quite a while.

 This week my old classmate, Bob Clear, delivered built-in bookcases and bathroom vanities that Barby had ordered just a couple of weeks ago.  They are absolutely beautiful.  I called Bob this morning and told him how pleased Barby was and asked if he might consider making a table and chair set to set in the loft next to the built-in bookcases.  Barby has three grandchildren and another on the way.  He said no problem.  Ah, the gift of the hands.

 The show this week is a special Wild West compilation full of unwashed cowboys, jangling spurs, painful cacti and rotgut whiskey.  Cowboy poet Paul Zarzyski recites “Bucking Horse Moon”, Stephanie Davis sings an ode to bailing twine and Wylie Gustafson gives a sentimental performance of  “Cattle Call”.  For those of you who love yodeling, like Barby, Janet Sorenson sings “Cowboy Sweetheart”.  Enjoy the show.

 “..to build!  That is the noblest of all the arts.”   Longfellow

Category : General

Comments Off on July 25, 2008

July 18, 2008

 Good morning from Collegeville,

 A beautiful morning in Central Minnesota!  One of the best yet.  Chamber Connection was at The Cove on the river in Sauk Rapids.   145 folks attended.  Check them out at www.liveatthecove.com  I will be hosting the Chamber Connection on August 15^th.

 I received the following from my close personal friend, Mark Thelen.  I think that it says it all. 

 Gary,

I have some gold golf wisdom to share — and yes, you may (with proper attribution) pass it on to your entire audience:

When you golf a lot, at the end of the game one will make statements such as, “Geez, if I’d just made that putt on 13, I’d have had a 39. Shucks, dang.”

When one golfs once or twice a year, at the end of the game one will make statements such as, “You know, I really smacked most of my drives and those two long putts I had on the back nine were really nice; I bet if I played more often, I would really be good . . .”

In other words, the frequent golfer remembers the bad shots and is miserable; the infrequent golfer basks in the memory of the good ones. Message: Don’t golf a lot. Wouldn’t you rather bask than be miserable?

 Also, here is my advice for a better game for us hackers: 1. stay on the fairways. 2. Never three putt. 3. Hit the ball far. No, delete 3; it is the enemy of #1.

 The show this week is a mix of a few shows from last year.  Guests include songstress and minister’s daughter, Erin Bode, as well as horn players Dave Bargeron, Kathy Jensen and Jon-Erik Kellso,  plus from the Memorial Day show at Wolf Trap, The Wailin’ Jennys, poet Billy Collins and the Royal Academy of Radio Actors.   Enjoy the show.

 “Any way you slice it, golf suits business to a tee. Get out there and have a ball.”  Harvey Mackay

Category : General

Comments Off on July 18, 20008

Good morning from Collegeville,

The 24^th annual Hagstrom/Osberg golf tournament took place last Saturday.  The “Ming” foursome won again.  That would be Cousin Kevin, Brother Brian and his wife Jean Marie plus yours truly.  The pitching wedge and putter that I inherited from Uncle Bill were good karma as I had hoped.  I did completely miss the tee off swing on the first hole, but my second swing connected and I was out there quite a ways but the hook or slice (to the right) was there as usual.  This is a best ball tournament, so my approach shot was the one closest to the pin.  (Not bad for someone that plays twice a year).  Cousin Kevin sank a 40 foot putt and we were one under on the first hole.  We went on to make three more birdies.  The pot-luck at Brother Bill’s house was wonderful.  The trophy will be on our mantle for part of the year. 

The show this week is a summertime mix of three previous shows recorded in Ohio.  Special guests include Sam Bush, Buddy Emmons and tenor Mark Thomsen, along with the usual cast of characters.  Join them for a whirlwind review of performances from the Buckeye State.  For details on the summer Rhubarb Tour go to www.prairiehome.org  

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.  An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered”.  G.K. Chesterton

Category : General

Comments Off on July 11, 2008