GaryOsberg.com

Seven days until Christmas. I have all of my shopping done and now I simply have to pace myself on the cookies and candy.
Children love Christmas, as well they should. As with most families, some years, Christmas gifts were easy to come by and some years the budget would not allow for much. The Christmas of 1956 was a memorable one for me. My mother had to make a change due to Dad’s inability to handle alcohol. We were living in an apartment in Little Falls.

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. I am not sure what my sister Kathie got that year. For many years I had the impression that they were from some sort of social agency that served the poor. It turned out that “Santa” was Dewey Johnson, a classmate of my mother’s from the Upsala High School class of ’37. Dewey’s friend was one of the founders of Tonka Toys. Dewey had already passed on before I learned the “rest of the story”, so I never did have 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 APHC show this week is live from The Fitzgerald Theater on Exchange Street in downtown St. Paul. Special guests include Maria Jette and Lynn Peterson who will join the host on a few Christmas Carols. Adam Granger will stop by with his guitar to sing a song or two. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Sue Scott, Tim Russell and Fred Newman will be on hand to spread some good cheer. The News From Lake Wobegon is bound to focus on the way the small town in central Minnesota celebrates the holiday spirit.

I have attached the lighting of the Christmas tree in the Great Hall. It is hard to watch on a desktop since I shot it with my iPhone in the vertical position. Much better on a smart phone or tablet. Stay warm and enjoy all the many opportunities to be entertained. I will be working a table at The Paramount Theater on Sunday at 3pm. Cantus will be presenting the Voices of Christmas. Tonight Harper’s Chord is at the Great River Arts Center in Little Falls and the St. John’s Boys Choir is at St. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown St. Cloud. Enjoy.

“May the Force Be With You” Star Wars