GaryOsberg.com

This week I am sharing a press release with a quote from Brother Paul-Vincent about a very special show coming this fall from the students from Saint John’s Preparatory School. I will be sure to let you know the date of the performances.  Have a safe Labor Day weekend.

In 2008, through an exceptional turn of events, Saint John’s Abbey acquired a set of amazing artifacts: 23 life-sized, awe inspiring puppets, commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II, and created by the Little Angel Puppet Theatre of London, England. Since their arrival in Minnesota, much care and attention has been showered on these unique pieces of art in order to ready them for a performance!

Amahl and the Night Visitors featuring over 60 live singers, musicians, and puppeteers, is a collaboration by Saint John’s Abbey, Saint John’s Preparatory School, and CSB SJU Fine Arts Programming.

“Through our connections with Lyndie Wright puppeteer emeritus of The Little Angel Puppet Theatre of London, Saint John’s Abbey received the Amahl puppets in 2008,” Saint John’s Prep Theatre Director Paul-Vincent Niebauer, OSB said. “Our students will have rehearsed six days a week for seven weeks learning the fine art of puppetry in preparation for this glorious and entertaining opera!”

“Amahl and his fellow puppets are over 50 years old. They needed some TLC from our team before becoming stage-ready again. We are thrilled that this production is bringing together so many members of our community.” Br. Niebauer

The opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, is a one act opera commissioned by NBC Television and was broadcast live December 24th, 1951. Written by Gian Carlo Menotti, and performed in English, the libretto tells the simple, yet powerful story of the Three Magi who stop for a night on their journey to Bethlehem and meet a special young boy named Amahl. What transpires is a rarely-heard story that compliments the traditional Christmas story.    

Live from Here this week is the second to the last of the re-broadcasts.  Next weekend Live from Here will be ending it’s run.  I for one will be very sorry to have it go. 

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

Category : General

Comments Off on September 4, 2020

This is a story first published on August 24, 2018.  At that time Zygoatian LLC had a store in Isle, Minnesota.

 My granddaughter, Kaylin Marie, is a partner in a new venture that provides promotional products.  T shirts and stuff.  Zygoatian LLC is located in Isle, Minnesota.  On Tuesday I left the cabin on Blue Lake near Aitkin and traveled on a road that I had never traveled on before to visit Kaylin at her store.  I was very impressed.  In fact, I purchased a table that her father had crafted out of solid walnut.

The problem was that her cell phone provider does not have reliable service in Isle, so we drove to Mora to visit a Verizon store.  As most often is the case, the place was very busy.  Kaylin was working on her phone to get permission from her current provider to use her existing phone number on a iPhone, when an old man came to the door using a walker. Kaylin jumped up to help him with the door.  He sat in a chair and waited.  I was strolling around clad in my new jacket that I received for supporting our triple A radio station, The Current, during the last pledge drive. 

When I took a seat next to the old man, he asked: “Are you 89 years old?”  No, I replied,  “I am 74 years old, why do you ask?”   “Well you have 89 and a third on the back of your jacket”.    “No, that is the frequency of a radio station, The Current, broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio”.    Now we know the true power of promotional products.

Note:  On Sunday I will be 77 years old.  Now I am the “Old Man”.

Live From Here this week is a rebroadcast. Tune in on your radio or your smart device.

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”  Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Category : General

Comments Off on August 28, 2020

I am not a shopper.  I am a buyer.  Last year Ms. P told all of us “Art World Travelers” from Upsala that we would need a smaller suitcase for the trip to Europe.  I walked into a local department store and went directly to the luggage display.  There was a small black suitcase with a sign that said “Lift Me”.  I lifted it and took it to the check out counter.  My friend said that she had never been in and out of Macy’s that fast in her life.  It was even on sale.

In April of 2018 I fell while crossing a creek in Sedona.  That was the beginning of my back pain.  I noticed that my mattress had a sag in it, so I went to a local furniture store and ordered a new mattress.  The salesperson sent me home with a new mattress pad.  When I stripped my bed, I discovered that the feather bed was the reason for the sag. I had forgotten that I even had one.  There was nothing wrong with the mattress.  It was just as firm as when it was new.

The next day I went back and cancelled the bed.  I felt bad, so I bought a gift card. A year later, the store sent me a $25 birthday card, so last month I finally got around to using them.  The only thing that I could think of was that one more patio chair would be nice to have so that I could invite someone to join me on the back patio and we would be 6 feet apart. There were some problems with delivery, but finally I got a call saying that they would be here this last Wednesday.  The driver pulled up and to my amazement the chair came in a flat box, in pieces.  A “shopper” would have been wise enough to ask before buying.  Due to my sore back, I had to ask Marcus to assemble it for me. I am happy with the chair.

Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast.  You can enjoy the show on your radio or your smartphone.  The free MPR Radio app has nine streams to choose from.  Live from Here is on the News Stream. 

Category : General

Comments Off on August 7, 2020

Sun Valley was discovered by Count Felix Schaffgotsch about 80 years ago.  Averell Harriman, the chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, had asked the Count to go west and try to find a suitable site for the creation of a ski resort similar to those that he had visited in Europe.  The railroad needed “destination places” to encourage rail travel.  The Count was advised to take a trip to Ketchum, Idaho, a mining town in central Idaho.

Upon arrival, the Count wired Harriman, “This area combines more delightful features than any place I have seen in Switzerland, Austria or the United States for a winter resort.” Within days they purchased a 4,300 acre ranch and the Sun Valley Resort opened in the winter of 1936.  The “chair lift” was invented in Sun Valley.  You can visit www.sunvalley.com for information on the resort.   When you get there be sure to tune in to KWRV 91.9 Classical MPR. 

The Sun Valley Music Festival is online this year. Music Director Alasdair Neale brings you 14 all-new concerts featuring Festival Orchestra musicians filmed in homes and stages across 43 cities. Award-winning directors, producers, designers, and technicians bring the music to life both acoustically and visually. It’s a musical and cinematic experience you won’t want to miss—one you can enjoy from the comfort of your home or on the lawn at the Sun Valley Pavilion.

I have watched two of the performances on my iPhone with ear buds and the experience is wonderful.  For a complete schedule of performances, go to www.svmusicfestival.org  You won’t want to miss the Gala Concert, Monday August 3 at 6:30pm MDT.  Three Broadway stars, Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara and Brian Stokes Mitchell will present a live performance.

Live from Here is a rebroadcast.  Enjoy the show Saturday at 5pm CDT on your radio or smartphone.  It will be rebroadcast Sunday at 11am. 

“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

Category : General

Comments Off on July 31, 2020

Here in Minnesota, cabins are a big part of many lives.  When I was very young, my folks would rent a cabin from Pete Viehauser on Pine Lake, which is 3 miles west of Upsala.  In 1973 my mother-in-law mailed an auction flyer to us. Widow Agnes Olson was selling her small farm on the north side of Cedar Lake.  I went to see my banker and he told me “go for it”.  Also, a client at Red Owl Foods said that everyone should have a lake place.  When we got there, Marcia said “I want this place”  and she proceeded to teach me the art of bidding at an auction.  “When it is your turn Gary, do not hesitate. Act swiftly”.  We ended up with the place.  It even had a slamming screen door and a barn for my daughter’s horse.

Now, once in a while we get to go to my brother Brian and his wife Jean Marie’s place on Blue Lake west of Atkin.  Photo attached.

My granddaughter Kaylin Marie owns a T shirt factory and she designed  a T shirt with “It’s a cabin thing!”  You can go to this website and get your very own “It’s a cabin thing” shirt, hoody or coffee mug. 

Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast.  I for one enjoy listening and many times I listen both Saturday afternoon at 5 and again on Sunday at 11 in the morning.

“Your poetic sign mate said it best. ‘Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”  Leonard Coehn

Category : General

Comments Off on July 24, 2020

I miss being on campus.  The last I heard we will be working from home until after Labor Day.

Over the twenty years that I have been working for MPR, I have met a number of very interesting folks.  One of my favorite was Brother Willie.  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 table and chairs, 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 once managed the Abbey dairy herd and also he was the self appointed night watchman. George Maurer wrote a song, The Brother Willie Shuffle and the pub in Sexton Hall  is named after Brother Willie. 

Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast.  You can listen on your radio, smartphone or computer.  You can learn more at www.livefromhere.org

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

Category : General

Comments Off on July 17, 2020

The 36^th annual Hagstrom/Osberg Golf Open was held last Saturday. We have this family tradition every year at the Little Falls Country Club on the second Saturday of July.

My mother’s sister, Leone, Auntie to me, married Duane Hagstrom, owner of Hagstrom Chevrolet in Upsala, Minnesota. Between the two families there were 10 cousins. Auntie’s youngest, Kevin, is a very good golfer and for many years he and I won this best ball event every year. For that reason, we named our team ‘Ming’. After all, we were a dynasty. Ming is back.  Photo attached.

Because of my recent back surgery, all I can do is putt.  I was able to sink a birdie putt on hole number 1 and another on hole number 3 so we were 2 under par after three holes.  The rest of the team included Cousin Kevin, my brother Brian and his wife Jean Marie, plus brother Craig and his son Grayson. Craig’s daughter McKenzie drove the cart.  We finished 6 under, which means that the trophy is in my living room for the first time since 2009.

After golf we gather at brother Bill’s house near the golf course for a picnic and the award ceremony. We did our best to practice distancing. We are fortunate to have a number of traditions in our family.  I trust that your Fourth of July Celebration was a safe one.

Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast.  You can listen on your radio or smartphone and online at www.livefromhere.org  

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate on the present moment.”  Buddha   

Category : General

Comments Off on July 10, 2020

Tomorrow I plan on tilling my daughter’s garden in Upsala.  After I finish working in the garden, I plan on visiting “Hippe Landing” west of Upsala near the American Legion Memorial Park on Cedar Lake.  The park has one of the best swimming beaches in central Minnesota.  There are camping spots also, but I understand there is a long waiting list. I hope it is open.

There used to be an old store without any signage located where the landing is now.  At one time it was called Cedar Lake Pavilion. The store was owned and run by Emie Hippe. Emie was a real character and for many years she served ice cream, candy and pop to kids from the park and 3.2 beer to the adults. The PayDay candy bar was a favorite of mine.

Strangely, you could not buy a Coke there and I always wondered why. One day my brother Craig and I went in to have a drink and I finally had the nerve to ask her, “Emie, why don’t you serve Coca Cola?” She slammed her hand on the bar and said “The dirty rascals.  My husband Ben used to travel quite a ways with the empty bottles and bring back the full ones. Then during the war, they asked us to simply hold on to the empties and they would pick them up later.” So what happened Emie? “The dirty rascals changed their mind and would not pick them up.” “What did you do with them Emie, they would be worth a lot of money?” “You will never find them!” she proclaimed, “We buried them under two ton of rock!”

For over 60 years no Coca Cola products were sold from this store, all because someone broke a promise. I am sure that the Coca Cola route driver tried a few times when he would see the Pepsi truck out front, but she never let Coke back on the shelf.

Live from Here is a rebroadcast of a show.  You can listen on the radio or on your smartphone.  Or anytime on www.livefromhere.org 

”Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.”   “A nickel isn’t worth a dime anymore.” Yogi Berra

Category : General

Comments Off on June 26, 2020

There are over 1,000 lakes in Otter Tail County.  Holly’s Resort is on Otter Tail Lake and it is one of the larger lakes in the county.  For four days the wind blew at 20mph or stronger, so I did not wet a line.  My recent “spinal cord decompression surgery” would not allow me to tolerate the bumpy ride.  This summer I will only fish on calm days.

We hired Randin Olson who is a full time fishing guide.  He chose another smaller lake, “Secret Lake”, and so the other Osberg men were able to catch plenty of Walleye and many small mouth bass.  Randin and my brother Geoff both claim that smallies taste just like Walleye. You can hook up with Randin at www.lockjawfishing.com  

My family is very blessed with many traditions, the first of which is the “Osberg Fishing Trip”.  I have attached a photo of my grandson Walleye Willie with a 20 inch smallie. 

Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast.  You can listen to old shows at www.livefromhere.org  

“What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.” H.P. Liddon

Category : General

Comments Off on June 19, 2020

This weekend I am going fishing with my four brothers, my son Erik and my grandson “Walleye Willie” plus brother Craig’s son Grayson.  A total of 8 Osberg men ages 11 to 76.  My sister’s grandson Adam and Cousin John will also join us.  Sometime in the nineties, my youngest brother Craig was invited by his father-in-law, Jim Keeler, to go along on a fly-in fishing trip to Trout Lake in Canada. Over time, my other brothers, who were into fishing, were invited to go along. In 2003 brother Bill offered to pay the way for my son Erik, so I decided to go along.

I am the oldest of five Osberg brothers and it was a wonderful bonding time. I told the camp host, Murdoch, that I would be back every year for the next 20 years. The next year we went to brother Brian’s cabin near Aitkin instead. The year after that went to Rainy Lake. Erik was working as a weekend sportscaster on Channel 10/13 in Duluth and he did a story on fishing with the guide and resort owner Woody for his TV show. He suggested that we try Woody’s instead of the fly-in in 2005. We had a great time and the greatest part was that Woody had a wonderful pub filled with memorabilia from his hockey days. For many years we went back to Woody’s. We never did do the fly-in again. You can check out Woody’s at www.fairlyreliable.com  It is worth the drive just to meet Woody. In 2011 we switched to Brindley’s Resort on Leach Lake. A large home across the road from the marina worked well for the whole gang, but fishing was tough.

In 2017 we decided to try Holly’s Resort on Otter Tail Lake.  Erik is an ambassador for Otter Tail County and we reasoned that we would have a better chance to find the elusive walleye.  We had a great time. One of the cabins is right on the lake.  Brother Bill is the chief cook and bottle washer, so we put him in that cabin along with brother Geoff from Chicago.  Next Friday I will give you a complete report. There is a traveling trophy and guess who’s name has never appeared on it.  Maybe this year. 

Live from Here this week is a special Live from Home broadcast. Special guests include Rufus Wainwright and LuLu Miller.  Enjoy the show..

“Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that’s the stuff Life is made of.”  Benjamin Franklin

Category : General

Comments Off on June 12, 2020