May 18th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
Today will be a 10 on the scale of 1 to 10. No bugs yet and in the seventies. Working from home is getting better. I can eat my lunch on the front porch watching my bubbling boulder. Both Bello Cucina and The Local Blend offer take out. Once we are allowed to meet again, stop by and meditate. Just plug the cord in that is behind the chair and enjoy.
I have never gone on a fishing opener, but my grandson Walleye Willie, age 11 had a great opener. His dad had gone out at midnight and fished until 9 am when the snow chased him, and a lot of other folks, off the lake. He caught a number of nice Walleye. He went home and took a nap. About 7 in the evening, Willie said it was time to go out once again. Walleye Willie caught a 25 1/2 inch Walleye.
Live from Here this week is a special Live from Home show. Enjoy.
“Remember, it’s not about having time, it’s about making time” Erik Osberg
May 8th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
75 years ago today Nazi Germany surrendered its armed forces to the Allies of World War II. Today is a national holiday in the Czech Republic, France and Slovakia. The rest of Europe celebrates the day in a variety of ways as national observances. Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister Princess Margaret were allowed to wander incognito among the crowds and took part in the celebrations.
This year the celebrations will be different with the “physical distancing” that is required. The photo attached was taken in Times Square after VJ day, but it serves as an icon.
My heart goes out to the many millions that served in the military during the war and to the families of those that made the ultimate sacrifice.
Live from Here this week will be a rebroadcast of an old show.
“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 4th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
Many times we end up taking a path quite by accident. My second career was drafting. I faked my way into that field, but it ended well. In 1969 I was involved in the very first computerized drafting service bureau in the world. My third career was office furniture.
Norwood Engineering, the computerized drafting company, was founded by a salesman with Twin Cities Blue Printing, Dick Engebretson. He hired my boss, Ron Crew, at Control Data who in turn hired me. Our plans included franchising service bureaus, so my title was Franchise Manager. We hired General Office Products to design and furnish our office in Roseville and our one and only franchise that we sold to Bob Johnson in Seattle.
To make a long story short, the business failed and I ended up as the last General Manager. I had to write a letter to about 14 companies explaining that Norwood Engineering had filed for bankruptcy and we could not pay the bill. I did add my home phone number at that bottom of the letter, in case they wanted to talk it over.
Jim Helstrom, sales manager for General Office Products, called me. Of course he wanted his furniture back. I had to explain that Ron Crew had taken a loan out at the bank and pledged the furniture as collateral. The bank took the furniture. GOP did not “have a position” on the goods sold. At the end of the conversation, Jim said, “Well if you ever need a job, let me know.” I spent 22 years in the office furniture industry and I loved every minute of it. I called Jim this week. He is 81 years old and lives alone in the woods near Hibbing, Minnesota. I thanked him for the awesome sales training that he had provided. “Distancing” does not mean you can’t call an old friend.
Live from Here this week is either a Live from Home or a rebroadcast of an old show. Enjoy and stay safe.
“Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” From The Summer Day by Mary Oliver
May 1st, 2020 by Gary Osberg
Good morning from Mill Stream Village,
What a difference! On March 3rd, Dr. Benjamin Mueller, with the Twin Cities Spine Center, performed “spinal cord de-compression surgery”. It worked. The pain in the back and legs has been replaced with a dull ache. It will be many months before I am able to free myself from the heating pad, but “time heals all wounds”.
However the world has changed. Today, I would not be able to have that surgery, since it would be considered “elective”. Working from my kitchen table in my cottage is not the preferred way, but hopefully soon I will be able to return to the third floor of Wimmer Hall at St. John’s University.
One year ago today, 12 students from Upsala High and 20 adults including myself and my granddaughter Chrissy checked into a quaint hotel in the village of Aufkirchen, Germany. Aufkirchen is a suburb of Munich. Later that day we visited Dachau, the concentration camp where thousands died. Our tour guide, Sergio, told how his grandmother had thrown her baby daughter from the moving train into the arms of a total stranger. That baby girl was Sergio’s mother. I am so glad that Ms. Poissant, the art teacher in Upsala scheduled our “trip of a lifetime” in 2019 and not 2020.
Live from Here this week is another Live from Home broadcast. Stay safe.
“This too shall pass”.
February 28th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
My second car was a 1957 Chevy four door hardtop, red with a
black top and spinner hub caps. In 1962 I was working up the ladder on my
way to be a Gas Station Manager. I worked the night shift
at a Standard station on highway 55 in Plymouth. One evening a client needed
a ride home so I offered to give him a lift. On the way back, an old man
made a left hand turn from the right lane and I hit him going 55
mph. No seat belts back then so I had a very serious back
injury.
I ended up in Swedish Hospital (photo attached) in downtown
Minneapolis and I laid there for three weeks undergoing tests. One of my
classmates, Martha Gustafson, from Upsala class of 1961, was a nurse at
Swedish and she did give great back rubs. Finally Dr. Virgil P Lundquist told me
that there was a chance that a risky operation would work. I told him to
go for it. A week later I took a bus home to my mother’s house in south
Minneapolis. I suffered for a while but the operation was a
success.
Now I have been dealing with terrible pain and an inability
to walk normally, due to compressed nerves in my spinal cord. Dr.
Benjamin Mueller, of the Twin Cities Spine Center, will be performing
surgery next Tuesday morning at United Hospital in St. Paul. I don’t know
how long I will be out but Dennis Brooks, [email protected]
will be covering for me. I hope to be as good as new in a little while.
There will be no Friday notes for a while.
Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast of a
show with special guests The Lumineers, Raphael Saadiq, Sarah Jarosz, Jeff
Daniels, Aparna Nancherla and Maria Popova. You can enjoy the show on
your radio, computer or your smartphone.
“Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of
flattery.” Joyce Brothers
February 21st, 2020 by Gary Osberg
I celebrated my seventh birthday in Vienna, Austria. I was
an army brat. Dad served in the navy during the war and later he joined the
army. In 1950 he was a Sergeant in the 5th Army stationed in Vienna. As
“dependents” we were housed in an apartment building that was quite nice. There
were two marble faced fireplaces and a baby grand piano along with a crystal
chandelier in the dining room. I ran with a group of other army brats and I was
the oldest in the group.
One day in February we were hanging out in front of the
large estate on the corner next to our apartment. One of the kids stuck his
hand in the fence opening and a dog took his mitten. I bravely offered to go
through the gate and recover the mitten. I still remember starting my walk
across the large yard toward the two “Boxers”. They greeted me by jumping up and
knocking me to the ground. They proceeded to chew on my arms and legs until an
Austrian man who we referred to as the “fireman”, (he took care of the furnace
in our apartment building) came in and pulled the dogs off of me.
I walked home nearly naked and my mother fainted when she
opened the door. I spent about 6 weeks in the army hospital. It took me a while
to get over my fear of dogs. The occupant of the estate was a Colonel in the
U.S. Army and they gave me a new winter coat.
In April of last year I returned to Vienna and I was able
to take a cab ride to 41 Gregor Mendel Street. We had lived in an
apartment on the second floor. I told the cab driver to wait for me and I
approached the front door. A resident was getting into his car and he asked me
if I needed help. I shared with him that I had lived here as an Army brat in
the fifties and was hoping to see the apartment. He told me to push the button
for Benedict, the owner of the building. Someone buzzed me in and I walked
up to the second floor. The lobby looked very familiar. The
elevator was new. The faucet which provided water for the flower garden
was still there. (photo attached). The guy that let me in was a
live in boyfriend of the owner, Verena Benedict. He let me in but he
would not allow me to take pictures. I would love to return to Vienna to
take Marcus and Verena out for dinner. I love it when a plan comes
together.
Live from Here
this week is a live show from the Town Hall in New York City. Special
guests include Nathaniel Rateliff, Haley Heynderickx, Aoife O’Donovan, Rachel
Syme & Josh Gondelman. Last weeks show was one of the best I have
ever heard. You can enjoy this week’s show on the radio, on your computer
or smart phone or you can watch it on YouTube.
The St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra is performing “Horizons”
Saturday night at 7:30 at Ritsche Auditorium on the campus of St. Cloud State
University. Tickets at the door or at www.stcloudsymphony.com
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test
a man’s character, give him power” Abraham Lincoln
February 14th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
It is still winter and I for one am growing weary of it
all. The days are getting longer but I have not heard any Cardinals singing
their songs looking for love.
Today is Saint Valentine’s Day, “an annual holiday
celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.” (Wikipedia) The
day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine,
established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD.
Some claim that the first recorded association of
Valentine’s Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules by Geoffrey
Chaucer who wrote: “For this was sent on Valentine’s Day, when every bird
cometh there to choose his mate.” This poem was written in 1382 to honor the
first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of
Bohemia both of whom were 14 years old.
The sending of “Valentines” probably started in Great
Britain. Esther Howland developed a successful home-based business in
Worcester, Massachusetts making Valentine cards based on British models. The US
Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines
are sent each year worldwide, second only to Christmas. There are many ways to
demonstrate affection to those that you feel love towards. Gifts of music is
one.
If it is romance that you are looking for, check out Melody
Gardot’s “One and Only Thrill”. I have a close personal friend that unwittingly
revealed his unique love for his wife. He is a retired business man who has a
cell phone, but the only person that has his cell phone number is his wife.
Every time his cell phone rings he knows that it is the love of his life who is
calling him. Now that is romantic.
Live from Here
this week is a live show from Town Hall in New York City. Special guests
include Indigo Girls, Ken Burns, Real Estate, Lewis Black and Amanda
Brown. Lewis Black on public radio? Edgy.
February 7th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
I celebrated my tenth birthday on a ship crossing the
Atlantic Ocean. My mother along and with her four children were returning from
a stint as US Army dependents stationed in Vienna, Austria. My Dad was held
over in Vienna and when he arrived in Upsala a few weeks later, Ma along with
my brother Brian age 2, were in New Ulm visiting her cousin Helen. Dad borrowed
a brand new 1954 Chevy from Uncle Duke who owned Hagstrom Chevrolet in Upsala
and my brother Bill and I rode with him to New Ulm.
I was napping in the back seat and I woke up
when our car was broadsided by a dump truck. I had a broken leg. I still can
remember the pain when they were putting me on the X-Ray table at the hospital
in Cokato. The cast was from my toes to my crotch. I was in the hospital for a
few weeks and when it came time to transport me back to Upsala, Dad took me to
Uncle Elmer’s. Uncle Elmer and his wife Ethyl owned the Dokken Funeral Home in
Cokato. I had to spend the night on a cot on the main floor of the funeral
home. There were coffins in the next room.
The next day they hauled me to Upsala in a black Studebaker
hearse. That explains a lot, huh! I was placed on a cot in the dining
room. I gained 30 pounds due to Gram’s over feeding and no activity.
Live from Here this week is a live show from
the Town Hall in New York City. Guests include Andrew Bird, Bedouine,
Sarah Jarosz, Jia Tolentino and Tom Papa. Enjoy the show on your radio,
smartphone or computer.
Tomorrow night there is a very special event at the St.
Cloud Country Club. The St. Cloud Symphony is hosting their fundraiser, Duets!
There are still tickets available. Simply go to www.stcloudsymphony.com
“Any idiot can face a crisis; it is the day-to-day living
that wears you out”. Chekov
January 31st, 2020 by Gary Osberg
I choose to come to work by the “back door”. I take County
Rd 51 to County Rd 159 and drive past Lake Sagatagan. This morning it was
like a Currier & Ives print. Hoar frost on all the trees.
Tonight is the first night of music, food and beer at the third
annual Otter Tail County on Ice. This year my son Erik and his crew moved
the tent to the parking lot of Thumper Pond in Otter Tail. Too much snow
created bad ice. You can still get tickets by going to www.otconice.com
If you want to participate in a fishing tournament, simply
download a free app, “Fishdonkey” , search for the tournament OTC ON ICE
and register. I just did it and if I can master it, so can you.
What is special about this tournament is you can fish on any body of water in
Otter Tail County. There are prizes for largest Blue Gill, Crappie, Walleye and
Northern. My grandson, Walleye Willie is in third place for
Crappie. The Outdoor Report will be giving a $500
check to someone. Everyone that catches and registers a walleye on any
lake in Otter Tail County will have their name put into a hat and there will be
a drawing. An 8 inch Walleye could win $500.
The headliner is Tigirlily. They are from North Dakota
and they are an awesome act. Enjoy.
Live from Here this weekend is a
rebroadcast. Next Saturday the show will be live from Town Hall in New
York City.
“ I love it when a plan comes together.” Me
January 29th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
Two days ago we celebrated the 53rd anniversary
of the first broadcast on KSJR 90.1 from here on the third floor of Wimmer
Hall. The first words uttered by engineer Dan Rieder were, “Heed my words,
Earth People. You have 10 minutes to live.” The first concert aired was a
pre-recorded concert by the Cleveland Orchestra. What began as Minnesota
Education Radio became Minnesota Public Radio on January 1, 1975.
This is a version of the story of how Bill Kling was
selected to lead the creation of what has become the largest network of public
radio stations in the United States. It was written by our first intern, Ellen
Newkirk. Ellen now lives in St. Joseph and works for the College of St. Benedict.
“The
Saint John’s University monks chose Bill Kling to help start their public radio
station, Minnesota Education Radio because of his “bright mind” – literally.
SJU graduate Marty Mahowald told Ellen the story of Bill Kling’s selection as
the station’s leader as told by his professor Fr. Gunther Rolfson.
Fr. Gunther
told Marty that in the 1960s, Saint John’s had a mandatory lights-out policy at
10pm when the faculty residents would flip a switch that turned off all power
on each floor of the residence halls. However, one evening, during walk around
campus , Fr. Gunther noticed a light illuminating from a single room in Benet
Hall. The next day, Fr. Gunther used a master key to enter the room and found a
system rigged to keep the power on after the switch was flipped each night. The
room belonged to Bill Kling. Eventually, the monks decided Kling’s innovative
and determined spirit was just what they needed for their new endeavor.
According to Mahowald, “Fr. Gunther said that they knew that starting a new
campus radio station would present struggles, budget challenges and many other
issues to deal with and it would take someone with a lot of moxie to lead it
through to success.”
It turned out to be a very good decision; Kling served as
president of Minnesota Public Radio until 2010 and created one of the greatest
public radio station networks in the country. “ Ellen Newkirk, CSB, Class
of 2013.
Live from Here this week is a compilation of
warmups and encores. Special guests include Nathaniel Rateliff, Sarah
Jarosz, The Sklar Brothers and more. Enjoy the show on radio or by
streaming it on www.livefromhere.org
or on the MPR Radio app for your smartphone.
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close
the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t
dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or
any of your space.” Johnny Cash
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