June 27th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
The forecast if for more rain, but there have been some sunny days this week. The farmers are having to deal with too much of a good thing. Replanting is not a good way to spend the day. Kerry and I are working the garden in Upsala together. It was featured as one of the highlights for a group of “walkers” that visited Upsala last weekend. The bad news in that the church cemetery lawn mowing service mowed the asparagus patch by mistake. I spoke with the young lady and she had no idea. For that reason, the picking season will be extended to July 18th.
In the February 27, 2006 issue of The New Yorker there was an article on pursuing happiness. It turns out that by nature we have been hardwired to emphasize the negative. Survival depended on being wary. The curious and unwary would be eaten by bears or tigers. “Call no man happy until he is dead” was a Greek saying. According to positive psychologists, once we are out of poverty, the most important determinant of happiness is our “set point”, our natural level of happiness, that is largely inherited.
Ready for the secret to happiness? Here it is: Happiness is equal to your set point S, plus your life conditions C, plus a bit of volunteer work, V. “H = S + C + V”. If you want a copy of the article, let me know.
The APHC show this week is live from the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood, in Lenox, Massachusetts. Special guests include postmodern bluesman Keb’ Mo’, singing trio The Wailin’ Jennys, pianist Rob Fisher and Bensonhurst harmonizers The DiGiallonardo Sisters. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will entertain us with skits galore. The News From Lake Wobegon will focus on the summer time. Enjoy the show.
The second presentation of Sunset Stages is tonight from the Darnall Amphitheater on the campus of the College of Saint Benedict. Keri Noble will be the star attraction. The show starts at 7:30. I will be working a table, so be sure to stop by to enter the drawing for a door prize.
“Let us be grateful to people who make happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom” Marcel Proust
June 20th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good foggy morning from Collegeville,
Rain, rain, rain. Hopefully today will bring some sunshine. The first Sunset Stages event had to be moved inside to The Colman Theater last night. Bill and Kate Isles were great. They met at Bill’s CD release party in 2001. She had heard him being interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio earlier in the day. Sitting down to a cup of coffee led to a marriage and a duet team. Besides Kate and Bill there is a fiddle player and a bass player who is 15 years old. Sarah has been playing with the group for a year. I was very impressed with her skill. The standup bass was taller than she is. Check their schedule on the web at billandkateisles.com Next week Keri Noble will perform on Friday night at 7:30, hopefully outside, in the Darnell Amphitheater on Campus at College of St. Benedict. See you there.
Grandson Willie, age 5, joined the Osberg men’s fishing trip earlier this month and if you can get your hands on the Wadena newspaper you will see a picture of myself and Willie with a couple of smallmouth bass that we caught on a lake near Walker. We stayed at Brindley’s Harbor Resort on Leach Lake and a good time was had by all. A cold front had come through on Friday, so we had to work hard. If you have time, go to my son’s website: theoutdoorreport.com for a story on Erik’s first gig as a fishing guide. Funny stuff.
The APHC show this week is live from the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois. Special guests include Ivy League country singer Robbie Fulks, mezzp-soprano Jennifer Rivera, public radio’s only in-house blues singer, Hilary Thavis and vocalist Lynn Peterson. Note: The absence of a female singer last weekend was noticeable to me anyway. Enjoy the show.
“If you can do more, you should.” Robert Redford
June 13th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
June 6, 1989 was the last day of school for my son in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school day ended at 2:30 PM and at 5:30 PM he left in his 1972 rust free Olds Cutlass Supreme for Minnesota. He had earned the money to buy the car by waxing office building floors during the middle of the night for a company owned by a woman who also hailed from Minnesota. I am not sure how he found the job. The Olds was hard to start when the engine was hot, so I told Erik not to shut off the engine if he was stopping for a short period. Very early the next morning he called and told me that he had run over a dead deer and when he was dragging it out from under the car, he heard a knock in the engine. He was calling from the Big Foot gas station in Shelbyville, Indiana.
I told him that I could not afford to have him take it to an Olds dealer, but to stick tight and I would think of something. He called back to say that he had met a backyard mechanic who offered to help. The timing gear needed to be replaced. I ended up wiring $400 to Western Union and Erik spent the evening fishing with the mechanics son and slept on their couch. The next morning he headed up the road to meet his Uncle Geoff at Denny’s for breakfast in Chicago.
The APHC show this week is live from the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Saint Louis, Missouri. Special guests include innovator and preservationist Pokey LaFarge, banjo player, guitarist and songwriter, Joe Newberry and guitar heavyweight Steve Wariner. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will entertain us with skits and stories. The News From Lake Wobegon will focus on the summer time. Enjoy the show.
“It’s widely known that among salesmen; as among fishermen, about 25 percent of them wind up with 75 percent of the winnings. And evidently it’s so much the flashy presentation or the persuasive personality that brings in the big money as it is the systematic perseverance in finding and following up leads” University of Chicago’s Industrial Center
June 6th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
70 years ago today, Aymer Nelson, a farm boy from Upsala, was going ashore on one of the beaches in Normandy, France. Today, Aymer lives in an apartment at Mother of Mercy in Albany. At age 102, Aymer still does his daily exercises to ensure that he stays fit. I called him yesterday to thank him for his service and for his part in liberating France. Aymer also was at The Battle of The Bulge, one of the bloodiest of the war. I asked him if he had been wounded and he said that a 88 mil shell landed behind him, but it was a dud. He is truly part of “The Greatest Generation”.
Today is also the 25th anniversary of my son Erik’s epic journey home from Charlotte, North Carolina in the rust-free 72 Olds Cutlass Supreme that he purchased with monies earned waxing floors at night. Next week I will tell you the rest of the story.
The APHC show this week is live from the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Special guests include the First Sisters of Rock and Roll, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart,
folk musician Greg Brown, gospel grandmaster Jearlyn Steele and blues singer Hilary Thavis. Plus, the Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will entertain us with a variety of skits. The latest news from Lake Wobegon will wrap things up.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with the cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
May 22nd, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Monday we will celebrate Memorial Day. This national holiday honors the men and women who have died in military service to this country. The first “Decoration Day” was celebrated in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston, West Virginia. Another Decoration Day was celebrated in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866 to honor those who had died in the Civil War. The name “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882, but did not become common until after World War 11. (source: Wikipedia)
When I was a youngster in Upsala, we always had a Memorial Day service at the school followed by a parade down Main Street. Sometime after I graduated in 1961, the practice died out. Then in the 80’s, 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, each holding a bunch of lilac flowers. The parade ends at the City Park, where the children still wait in anticipation for the chance to collect the spent brass shells after the 21 gun salute. They make good whistles. After that, one of the civic clubs serves a picnic lunch including “Bee Bop A Ree Bop Rhubarb Pie”.
Be sure to take the time to honor those that you know who have served. If you meet a service member, simply put our your hand and say “Thank you for serving”. They deserve our respect no matter what your position is on war.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Special guests include the masters of ballroom perfection Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, eclectic vocalist Heather Masse, and the staff blues singer Hilary Thavis. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors will entertain and of course Garrison will spin tales from Lake Wobegon. Enjoy the long weekend and enjoy the show.
“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
May 16th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
My mother was 36 years old when she had to move back to her home town to raise six children on her own. We may well have been the first AFDC family in Upsala and one of the first in Morrison County. All six of us have paid a lot of taxes over the years so the government came out ok on their investment.
For that reason, the story in Thursday’s St. Cloud Times about a 4th grader in St. Joseph raising money to buy a Rainbow Play System for the low-income housing complex that he and his family live in, got my attention. Dominic Ballou, age 10, has raised $1,200 towards a goal of $2,000. He has been delivering a short speech to area businesses and asking for donations. Rainbow has agreed to match whatever amount he raises. Dominic is a Boy Scout and he has been selling popcorn for that organization for a while now.
It would be wonderful if we could help Dominic to reach his goal this next week. My check is in the mail and if you want to help, simply email his mother Amber Wies at [email protected] She will call you and give you the details.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Special guests include one the country’s most respected voices, Suzy Bogguss, bluegrass guitarist Bryan Sutton, songwriter Lynn Peterson and organist Ken Double. Plus the Royal Academy of Radio Actors will fill out the bill. The News From Lake Wobegon will bring us up to date on the town in the county that the surveyors missed. Enjoy the show.
“Remember, what you possess in the world will be found at the day of your death to belong to someone else, but what you are will be yours forever.” Henry van Dyke
May 9th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good rainy morning from Collegeville,
Yesterday was the first day that the earth worms were out on the parking lot and the sidewalks on campus. The smell of earth worms brings memories of fishing. The annual Osberg fishing trip is 4 weeks from tomorrow and the Minnesota fishing opener is tomorrow. I have never been an opener participant. My interest in fishing is only because of my son Erik. When we purchased a lake place 40 years ago I bought a fishing license for the first time in my life. Erik was not even two years old the first summer, but his Uncle Duaine made a special short fishing rod for him and soon we were casting for bass from our sail boat.
Earl Benson, the warehouse manager at General Office Products was the one that taught me how to fish for bass. Erik hated the process of putting a live frog on a number 2 hook with a slip sinker, but it did produce fish. Today it is almost impossible to find frogs anywhere . Minnows, leeches and night crawlers seem to work best for walleye. If you do choose to go out tomorrow, be careful. Wear a life jacket.
If you would like your own lake place, check this out: bemidji.craigslist.org/reo/4418268588.html
The APHC show this week is live from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Special guests include Brad Paisley, country music outsider Sturgill Simpson, mandolin maestro Sam Bush and fiddle player Stuart Duncan. A visit from Brian Dan Christensen plus the Royal Academy of Radio Actors and the latest News From Lake Wobegon complete the lineup. Enjoy the show.
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating: there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of weather and bad clothes.” John Ruskin
May 2nd, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
Sump pumps fail. Alarm systems set up to alert you to a sump pump not starting can fail too. I am thinking of having the ancient cistern in the Parsonage filled in with dirt and or concrete. The only question is “where will the ground water go then?”. The person who designed and dug the cistern under the house built in 1892 is long gone, so where does one go to get advice on such a problem? Perhaps Dennis at the Farm Store will know.
Because of all of the rain, the garden has yet to be tilled, so no Yukon Golds will go into the ground this weekend. Jon and Colleen have told me that it is ok to dig up a plot in Millstream Village, so at least I will get that staked out. The Monticello gang is coming to St. Cloud tomorrow and we will be taking in the St. Cloud Symphony performance of “Overcoming Adversity” including “Fratres” composed by Arvo Part. The St. Cloud Police Chief WM Blair Anderson will narrate “New Morning for the World”. Go to S T Cloud Symphony.com for details and tickets.
The APHC show this week is live from the Des Moines Civic Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Special guests include songwriter and guitarist Dave Moore and pianist Nicholas Roth. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Sue Scott, Tim Russell, Fred Newman and newcomer, Kate Beahen will entertain us with a variety of skits. The latest News from Lake Wobegon will ground us.
“Well done is better than well said.” Benjamin Franklin
April 25th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Collegeville,
I met an Army Recruiter at the Business After Hours last night. Ever since Barby and I visited the Marine Museum in Arlington and the war memorials on The Mall in DC, I can’t help but introduce myself to someone in uniform. Sergeant Hart has been in the Army for 15 years already and he will go for 20. My dad served in the Navy during WW11 and sometime after they came home, he and his brother-in-law had a few too many at a bar and ended up enlisting in the Army. Dad was a recruiter in New Ulm and rose through the ranks to Sergeant in the Fifth Army. We shipped overseas to Vienna, Austria in 1950 and I celebrated my tenth birthday on the ship coming home in 1953.
Artist Charles Kapsner is creating five 8 foot by 10 foot paintings that depict our Veterans through the ages. The paintings will be permanently displayed in the Committal Hall at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls. Last Friday, Brother Bill and I visited Charles in his studio in Little Falls, (see attached photo). The second painting, honoring the Navy, is almost finished and it will be installed at the cemetery on May 20th at 4:30 PM. You will be able to see it at a ceremony on May 25th at 1:30 PM. You can help support the project at givemn.razoo.com/story/veterans-art-project
The APHC show this week is live from the newly renovated Northrop Auditorium on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Special guests include The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the only full-time professional chamber orchestra in the United States, conductor Philip Brunelle and vocal powerhouses Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele, plus the Royal Academy of Radio Actors. The News from Lake Wobegon will focus on the welcome spring. When will the car on the lake fall through the ice?
Harper’s Chord, another Little Falls favorite, will be performing at Pioneer Place on Fifth tonight. It is a fund raiser and the show starts at 7:30. The Great River Chorale and the 34th Infantry Division, “Red Bull Band” will perform Sunday at 3:30 at the Paramount Theatre in downtown St. Cloud. Paramount Arts dot org for tickets.
“The bitterness of poor workmanship remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” Longfellow
April 17th, 2014 by Gary Osberg
Good afternoon from Collegeville,
A record snow fall in St. Cloud yesterday, 12 inches in Upsala. Hard to believe. If I did want to get the Yukon Gold potatoes in by tomorrow, I would have to hire a snow removal crew. By the way, you can purchase cubed sweet potatoes at Target Super Store and use them instead of Butternut Squash in the “Vegan Squash Soup” recipe. It saves a lot of prep time. Two bags worked for us. Let me know if you want the recipe.
I am amazed by Wikipedia and I encourage you to send them some money once in a while. I found a framed drawing of a war ship in the Parsonage basement. It belonged to my Dad. He was a radar man in the bowels of the USS Vammen, a destroyer escort. In his journal, he wrote that the two months off of Okinawa were tough. The ship was launched on May 21, 1944, named after Ensign Clarence E. Vammen, Jr. a fighter pilot who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, posthumously. He was in the Battle of Midway. He died on June 6, 1942, failing to return from a mission. He piloted a Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless flying off of the Enterprise. When I found a picture of the airplane, I was amazed at the resemblance to the old toy plane that is on my shelf in the cottage.
The APHC show this week is a spring rebroadcast of a show originally broadcast from The Town Hall in New York from April of 2011. Special guests include the Assad Brothers, Robin and Linda Williams, and the DiGiallonardo Sisters. In the News From Lake Wobegon, Pastor Liz organizes an outdoor procession to celebrate Holy Week. Enjoy the show.
“Riches are not an end of life, but an instrument of life.” Henry Ward Beecher
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