December 2nd, 2022 by Gary Osberg
It looks like the ice on the pond is not going to be very safe for a while. Do not go out there unless you are with a buddy and be sure to check the ice often. When I was a wild youth in Upsala, we used to drag race our cars across the ice on Cedar Lake west of Upsala. To my knowledge, no one ever went through the ice. We got away with a lot of stupid things as kids. One winter we made a game of standing on the hood of an old DeSoto, using it as a giant snowboard as we were towed in the ditch behind a car. Dumb and dumber.
After a heavy snow we would make a party out of driving into the Burtrum Hills with our old cars and just try to get stuck. These were not SUVs, we had a 1954 and a 1952 Chevy. We simply packed a lot crazy boys in the cars with snow shovels in the trunk and went for it. My sister and one of my classmates both ended up in casts after a toboggan run down a steep hill in the Burtrum Hills.
Try to not let your young children read these Friday notes.
You may want to come to St. Joseph tonight for the annual tree lighting at the corner of College Avenue and Minnesota Street. Great River Chorale is presenting “Amid the Winter’s Snow”, tonight at St. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown St. Cloud and Sunday at 4pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Tickets can be purchased at www.greatriverchorale.org or at the door. I hope to see you there on Sunday.
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.” Seneca
November 25th, 2022 by Gary Osberg
My mother’s mother, Laura Ramlo, and her husband Bert, owned a grocery store in Upsala, Minnesota. Most of us called her Grandma Ramlo instead of Grandma Laura and some just called her Gram. They lived behind the store in small quarters. The bedroom didn’t even have doors. There were entrances from both the dining room and the living room with heavy drapes hanging from poles. They heated the living space with a fuel oil burner that was in the dining room and it had to be filled often. The store was heated with a wood burning stove. The wood and the fuel oil were stored in the attached warehouse. That was convenient.
Gram was famous for her Thanksgiving dinners which were more like a feast. Owning a grocery store made it easy for her to offer all three: turkey, beef and pork, some years. Grandpa Bert would complain about her “raiding the stock” but not too hard. My job was to fill the crystal water glasses with water from the cistern pump in the kitchen. The kids would sit at card tables in the living room. We would always sing the “doxology” and express our thanks for the goodness in our lives and the food on the table. Every year, Gram would offer her apologies for the food, even though it was awesome. “I don’t know why I keep doing this, I just can’t cook anymore.” Not true Gram.
I trust that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast yesterday.
“If more if us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” J.R.R. Tolkien author of The Hobbit.
November 18th, 2022 by Gary Osberg
In 1998 Dad moved from his high rise apartment in downtown St. Paul to my house in Upsala. He had been a city fellow for most of his adult life, but he was raised in Upsala. I was working in Minneapolis as a sales manager with the Xerox agency Albinson and I was gone most of the week. It wasn’t much of an inconvenience to have him there. His passion was cooking, however I told him in no uncertain terms that I hated the smell of fried foods and I did not eat leftovers.
In July of 1999 Albinson and Xerox parted their ways and they no longer needed a sales manager. I spent the summer painting old buildings and garages in the Upsala area and started working for Minnesota Public Radio in October of that year. If I did not leave a post-it note on the counter in the morning that said “NO SUPPER”, there would be a home cooked meal on the table when I arrived home. The food was awesome. The baked potatoes were done in a very special way. He boiled them for 10 minutes first and then baked them for one hour at 400 degrees.
As Dad struggled with old age and cancer, sometimes the quality of the supper was not up to his usual standards. Also, many times the smell of burnt food or worse, burnt plastic, from the tea pot handle, would greet me as I came in the back door. He liked to take naps and he burned three tea pots, with plastic handles, in the last six months. It got so that the only time I did not leave out the post-it note, “NO SUPPER”, was on Fridays.
On Friday November 18, 2004, I came home and he greeted me with “I have to go to the hospital, but you can eat first. Your supper is in the oven” I responded “No way, we will go now!” I put on the oven mitts and grabbed the baked potatoes and dish of meatballs from the oven and shoved them in the frig and we drove to the VA in Minneapolis.
That was Dad’s “Last supper”, he never did come home. That weekend I ate the leftover meatball supper. It was a very tasty meal.
“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself.” Howard Thurman
November 11th, 2022 by Gary Osberg
Today is Veterans Day. It was first known as Armistice Day, a day commemorating the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front in Europe, at eleven o’clock am on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918. In many parts of the world, people observe a two minute moment of silence at 11 am as a sign of respect for the roughly 20 million people who died in the “war to end all wars”. I plan to visit the grave site of my father and my uncle at the Gethsemane Church Cemetery in Upsala. I used to visit a couple of vets who lived in Mother of Mercy in Albany. Aymer Nelson passed away in 2017 at age 104. Aymer took part in the landing at Normandy Beach on D Day and he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Bob Holmen Sr was on a destroyer in the Pacific. I miss them both.
My dad, Bill Osberg, served in the Pacific theatre on the USS Vammen. He was a radar operator, spending many hours in a small room on a “tin can” while the fighting raged around him. In one of his journals he wrote: “The two months at Okinawa were hell.”
We owe a great deal of thanks to all of those men and women who fought to protect this country. War is hell, but the warriors are to be honored. When you meet a man or women in uniform, simply offer them your hand and say, “Thank you for serving”.
If you would like to learn about the five awesome paintings created by Charles Kapsner that honor all veterans, simply go to www.vetsart.org The paintings hang in the Committal Hall at the Minnesota
State Veterans Cemetery located off of Highway 371 north of Little Falls. You can call 320-616-2527 to find out what the hours of operation are.
“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” George S. Patton
November 4th, 2022 by Gary Osberg
Years ago I met a woman whose father was a doctor in Cold Spring. His brother was also a doctor and they would take turns covering for each other during vacations. One year the brother and his family drove to California in their “woody” station wagon. At the end of the first week the doctor received a telegram from his brother in California telling him how great a time they were having and asking him to wire some money so they could stay a little longer.
The next week another request for more money arrived. This time, the doctor sent a telegram back to his brother telling him that there would be no more money and that it was time for him to come home.
Some time went by and one day the railroad station manager called the doctor and told him that he should come to the depot. There was a C.O.D. for him. The doctor argued that he had not ordered anything C.O.D. The station manager told him to get down there, that there was no doubt that the package was for him. When the doctor got to the train depot, he discovered that his vacationing brother had loaded the “woody” onto a railroad flat car and shipped himself and his family home C.O.D.
Special note: Madison Symphony Orchestra’s principal organist and virtuoso, Greg Zelek will perform in the Abbey Church, this evening at 8. Information at Saint John’s Abbey dot org
“We judge others by their actions and we judge ourselves by our intentions.” GMO
October 28th, 2022 by Gary Osberg
I am a recovering entrepreneur. I couldn’t work for the man, I had to be the man. I have a collection of 44 calling cards from 22 different companies. The time I got the closest to the “Brass Ring” was when Jimmy Dorr and I started the Knoll office furniture dealership, Corporate Environments. Knoll is the Mercedes Benz of the office furniture industry. In 1986 both Jimmy and I were salesmen for Dayton’s Commercial Interiors. (My wife Marcia was happy with this one since it came with a 20% discount from the Dayton’s Department Store.)
Knoll was represented by both Dayton’s Commercial Interiors and General Office Products but the Knoll share of the commercial furniture business in Minnesota was tiny. Bill Perry, a Knoll executive, came to town and approached Jimmy about starting a new dealership and taking the line away from Dayton’s and GOP. Jimmy approached me and with the help of a few friendly investors and a second mortgage on Jimmy’s house, we opened a showroom on the fourth floor of International Market Square. We won a design award for the showroom and we managed to score some big orders, but by 1988 we were forced to bow out and turn the reins over to others. Someday I will write a book about the experience.
In 1994 I joined Albinson Inc. as the Xerox rep in the St. Cloud market. Life was good and in April of 1999 I was promoted to Sales Manager. On July 14, 1999 Albinson and Xerox parted ways and I was let go. I spent the summer painting old buildings in Upsala.
In August I saw an ad in the St. Cloud Times for a position with Minnesota Public Radio. It took two and one half months and seven interviews to get this job, but today is my 23rd anniversary of selling on-air messages, web ads and pre-roll messages for MPR in central, western, southwestern Minnesota, Sioux Falls and Sun Valley, Idaho.
Now there is an opening for an “Account Executive” in Rochester, Minnesota. If you are interested, here is the hotlink AE position in Rochester Please mention my name in your cover letter. Call me if you have any questions about the job.
“It will be fine, in a little while.” Jimmy Dorr
October 21st, 2022 by Gary Osberg
I spent a lot of my youth in Upsala, Minnesota. At school there were “Farm Kids” and “Village Kids”. Some were “summer kids”. They were kids whose parent or parents grew up in Upsala and who were sent to Upsala to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa during the summer. Some stayed for a few weeks and some stayed for the whole summer. In one situation that I knew of, the son was getting into too much trouble in the “cities” and they thought hard work on a farm would be a better way for him to spend his summer.
Larry was a “summer kid” and he ended up marrying one of the Upsala beauties. She was chased by all of the boys, but Larry won her heart. He was also one of the eight couples that camped on our lakeshore on Cedar Lake west of Upsala every fourth of July. He was a fun loving fellow who died way too young.
MEA weekend is a special time of the year. Many a father/son(daughter) combo head for the woods or ponds to bring home the “bacon” in the form of grouse or duck. Larry knew that I had never taken up hunting, but he wanted my son Erik and myself to experience a weekend of grouse hunting up north at “the shack”. Larry invited our friend Ron and his son Matt, my son’s best friend, to join him and his son Danny. So there were three dads and three sons along with a black lab, “Bear”. We formed two teams and I was the “bird dog” on the DADS team. Bear went with the boys.
The first day we brought back 17 grouse and Larry fixed a meal of grouse with wild rice and cream of mushroom soup in the giant iron skillet that hung from a nail in “the shack”. It was one of the most memorable feasts of my life. I trust that you are doing something special with your family this weekend.
“Remember, it’s not about having time it’s about making time.” Erik Osberg
October 7th, 2022 by Gary Osberg
In October of 1956, Ma was 36 years old. Two months earlier she had given birth to her sixth child, a boy. Our family of eight lived in a small house at 1620 Colorado Avenue in St. Louis Park. Dad had just smashed up his third car in as many years. Ma’s mother, Grandma Ramlo, drove her 1952 Chevy to St. Louis Park from Upsala, placed Dad in the backseat and drove him to the Chemical Dependency department at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis. She said, “He is a veteran, he is a drunk and he is your problem now.” Then she packed us all up and moved us into the apartment above the Ramlo Grocery in Upsala, Minnesota.
The one bright spot for me was that I would not have to serve the 20 hours of detention that I had racked up in eighth grade at St. Louis Park Junior High. I had two paper routes in St. Louis Park, so I was able to buy a brand new Schwinn complete with a tank, a horn and mud flaps. The first day of school I rode my shiny red and white bike to school. When I got out, the tires were flat. That evening I stripped the fenders and all other fancy stuff off of the bike. The kids left my bike alone after that.
Next Friday is Homecoming at Upsala High. I plan to be there in my shiny red and white lettermen’s jacket.
Also next Friday, October 14th , Great River Arts, in Little Falls, will host the annual Charles Gilbert Kapsner Salon, Collaborations V, with an opening reception from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. This year marks the 12th year of the Salon, given the pandemic prevented in-person Salons for the past two years. The opening reception and gala will feature a wine sampling by Coborn’s Liquor and lively music by the Pierz Jazz Band, under the direction of Joel Pohland. This event is free and open to the public.
On Saturday night, October 15th, you can enjoy Tonic Sol-Fa at the Paramount Center for the Arts. I have a couple of tickets that I can mail to the first person to respond to this email.
“If you are going to expect, you have to inspect” Grandma Ramlo
September 30th, 2022 by Gary Osberg
The MPR Net Team annual sales retreat at Breezy Point is back. We gather this Sunday for two wonderful days of learning and sharing.
One of the cabins at Breezy Point that is available is the 11 bedroom Fawcett House. It was Breezy Point Resort’s founder Captain Billy’s personal residence. My mother, Bernice “Bee” Larson was a nanny for the grandchildren of Captain Billy Fawcett in the 1930s. She had a bedroom in the Fawcett House and spent the winters in Los Angeles with Captain Billy’s son Gordon Fawcett, his wife Vivian and their two children, Gordon Jr. and Dennis.
Wilford Fawcett, better known as Captain Billy, was a millionaire publisher from Robbinsdale, Minnesota. His most famous publication was the Capt. Billy’s Whiz Bang magazine. The book “Humor Magazines and Comic Periodicals” noted that “Few periodicals reflect the post-WW I cultural change in American life as well as Capt. Billy’s Whiz Bang. For much of the 1920’s Capt. Billy’s was the most prominent comic magazine in America.” Harold Hill refers to the magazine in the song “Ya Got Trouble” in “The Music Man”.
Captain Billy purchased Breezy Point in Pelican Township, from Fred LaPage in 1920 and soon the main lodge was built along with his personal residence. The original lodge was destroyed in a fire in June of 1959. Of course he rebuilt the lodge and the “Fawcett House” still stands. With 11 bedrooms it is perfect for large family reunions. It was recently renovated. For details on rates and golf packages, go to www.breezypointresort.com
“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we know what to do with it. Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Emerson
September 23rd, 2022 by Gary Osberg
Quotations are a great way to get an idea across or to remind ourselves and others just what is important. Many years ago a friend of mine published “A Collection of Inspiring Thoughts” subtitled “For Business & Professional People”. Every week I try to find a quotation to use at the end of this blog. I use a copy of Norm’s booklet and record when I use one of my favorites.
For 22 years I sold office furnishings beginning with General Office Products in 1972. One of our suppliers carried a calling card with a quote on the back of the card. Ron measured offices for carpet installation and his company was not the cheapest, but they did great work. The card read: “The bitterness of poor workmanship remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” Longfellow
One day, I found out that it was not Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, but Benjamin Franklin who said that. It goes to show that checking your sources is always the right thing to do. Thanks to the English major who corrected me. She also was the one that told me that when I stopped to use a restroom in a gas station, I had to at least purchase a bag of peanuts if I didn’t need any gas.
An article in USA Today about the passing of Yogi Berra was full of his best sayings. “When you get to a fork in the road, take it” is one of my favorites.
If you would like a copy of the booklet “A Collection of Inspiring Thoughts”, let me know.
“You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” Yogi Berra
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