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
January 17th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
When the family moved from St. Louis Park to Upsala in
1956, I did get out of having to do “detention” at Park Junior High school. My
rebellious nature had already kicked in. That fall I started hanging out with
other “town kids”. Note: The Upsala school population was divided into “farm
kids” and “town kids”. For some reason one of us decided to steal a gas cap off
of a parked car. I am not sure which “genius” came up with this idea, but in
any case the prank turned into a project. Everyone in town was talking about it
and I am sure that old man Miller printed a story in the local press. Earl
Metzger was the local police and in time one of the “gas cap gang” confessed to
his parents and we all got busted.
We were gathered up and forced to reveal the
hiding place for the gunny sack of gas caps. All of those who were missing
their gas cap were told to come to Earl’s garage and sort through the lineup of
gas caps. We appeared in front of the Justice of The Peace in the backroom of
the fire hall. Justice Bernard Lunder sentenced us all to “six months of church
attendance”. Many years later I would visit Bernard at the nursing home and we
would talk about the “separation of church and state”. He simply laughed
and said he thought we would benefit. Not all of us learned our lesson.
The “Black Knights Car Club” was born a few years later.
The Live from Here show this week
is a rebroadcast. You can listen to old shows and check out what is in
store for future shows by going to www.livefromhere.org
and clicking on “Tickets”.
“It is unwise to pay too much, but it’s also
unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much, all you lose is a little
money, but when you pay too little you stand a chance of losing everything
because the thing you bought is incapable of doing what you bought it to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.
It just can’t be done. So, when you deal with the low bidder, it is wise to put
a little something aside to take care of the risk you run. And, if you do that,
you can afford something better.” John Ruskin
January 10th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
Many years ago my Dad went to work as a dishwasher at Little Sisters of the Poor in
St. Paul. His boss was a woman named Maxine. They became real good friends and
her family referred to him as Grandpa Bill. Maxine and Dad never lived
together, but they ended up living in the same high rise apartment building
next to St. Paul Ramsey Hospital on University Avenue. When Maxine died, I
attended the funeral and Dad surprised me by asking me to sing “The Lord’s
Prayer” and “Amazing Grace” during the service. There was no piano, so I had to
sing “a Capella”. It was ok.
One of the pieces of furniture that Dad brought
with him when he moved into my house in Upsala was a corner unit with glass
shelves and a glass door that had belonged to Maxine. Her family had given it
to him.
After Dad passed in 2005, I had to clean out his room. One
of the items in the cabinet was a small green egg with silver decorations and a
seam abound the middle. I was curious to see what treasure was inside, but when
I pried it open, expecting to find a doll, what came out were ashes!
“OH MY GOD! IT WAS MAXINE”. I spilled a little in my haste
to put it back together and I quickly put it back in the curio.
A few years later, it happened again to someone
that was helping me to clean house. After that I decided to dig a hole
next to my Dad’s grave and bury the “egg”.
Live from Here
this week is a rebroadcast. The next live show is February 8th
from New York City.
“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
January 10th, 2020 by Gary Osberg
My son Erik is the “Rural Rebound Initiative Coordinator”
for Otter Tail County. His job is to help spread the word about the
benefits of living and working in Otter Tail County, the county in Minnesota
with more lakes than any county in the state of Minnesota, maybe even the
nation. Last year he was invited to share his formula with rural folks in
Maine and North Dakota.
Two years ago the Super Bowl was held in Minneapolis, so
Erik came up with the idea for a party on the ice on Ottertail Lake. Last
year even I was drawn to the event. I booked a room in Thumper Pond in
Otter Tail and hopped on a shuttle bus to the party. Somewhere on
Facebook is a picture of me in my Mad Bomber cap yelling from the front row in
front of the stage.
This year the dates are Friday, January 31st and Saturday,
February 1st. Year three of the event promises to be bigger and
better than ever. The headliner is the Tiger Lilys (photo attached)
They are adding an official MN Special Olympics Polar Plunge on
Saturday, Feb. 1st www.otconice.com And here is a roll their socks down video. https://youtu.be/niOzcZg4gD8
Live from Here this week is a
rebroadcast. The next live show is February 8th from Town Hall
in New York City.
“It is not about having time, it is about making
time”. Erik Osberg
December 27th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
In April of 1977, I went on a retreat at the Cenacle
Retreat House in Wayzata, Minnesota. Sister Ten-Tie Saniel presented “Effective
Living” a seminar based on John Boyle’s “Omega Seminar”. They taught us the
importance of affirmations, “stating future goals in the present tense”.
I have formed the habit of repeating these affirmations every morning as I walk from my car to the office. It has made a big difference in my life. The six basic affirmations are:
- I am loved; therefore, I like myself, unconditionally as I was created. (Repeat five times)
2. I never devalue myself with destructive self-criticism. (Envision yourself doing something that you are very proud of)
3. I see love in others and have warm regard for all persons at all times. (Envision yourself doing something nice for somebody else)
4. I am easily able to relax and with every affirmation I become physically and mentally healthier. (Envision yourself doing something relaxing)
5. I am completely self-determined, inner directed by the spirit of love and allow others the same privilege. (Repeat five times)
6. I accept total responsibility for the consequences of my actions and reactions. (Repeat five times) You can add up to 5 more “goal specific” affirmations.
This week Live from Here is a
rebroadcast. The next live performance is February 8th at The
Town Hall in New York City.
“It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls
while they are still rolling.” Mark Twain
December 20th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
Five 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 move from our home in St. Louis Park due to Dad’s inability to handle
alcohol. Her mother, Grandma Laura Ramlo, drove her 1952 Chevy from Upsala to
St. Louis Park, put Dad in the back seat and drove him to the VA Hospital in
south Minneapolis. She told them, “He is a veteran, he is a drunk and he is now
your problem, not mine”. She took us all back to Upsala to live above the
Ramlo Grocery in Upsala.
I am not sure what the reason was for our
ending up living in an apartment in Little Falls in December. It had something
to do with getting financial aid. 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
was 13 years old and brother Bill was 10. We played with them no-stop. 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 Upsala High
School class of ’37. Dewey’s cousin 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”.
Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast. The next live
show will be from The Town Hall in New York City of February 8th.
“Peace on Earth, good will to
men.” Angel
December 13th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
In December of 1984 I was employed at Dayton’s Commercial
Interiors in downtown Minneapolis. My family was still at the home
that we had built on Cedar Lake west of Upsala. My daughter Kerry was 16
years old and her art teacher in Upsala was pushing her to produce a lot of
work. For Christmas that year Kerry presented me with a pencil drawing of
a Golden Retriever with a pheasant in its mouth. She had an uncanny
ability to make the eyes so very lifelike. She had reworked one of the
eyes to the point that there was almost no paper left.
I took it to Vern Carver Frame Shop near our office in
LaSalle Court across from the Dayton’s department store. One of my
co-workers begged me to have Kerry draw another one so that he could present it
to a client as a gift. Kerry tried but finally we had my friend Dave
Oswald print 130 copies and we sold them as limited edition prints for $25 or
$95 framed matted and glazed. I simply carried the original in my trunk
and if someone was interested, I would go back out and bring it in to show
them. We sold most of them. I have the original hanging in my
office.
In 2002, Kerry’s first born, Kaylin Marie, created a picture
of an angel blowing a horn. Kaylin was 7 years old at the time. I marvel
how she was able to capture the puffed up cheek on the angel. It
was a gift for Kerry’s mother Marcia. I borrowed it from Marcia and that
year I sent out the very first “Angel Christmas Card”. ( pdf
attached)
In 2008, Kaylin’s younger sister Christen created her first
“Angel card”. She was 5 years old. I have attached a jpg of this
year’s angel card drawn by Christen age 16. Merry Christmas and Happy
Holidays to you and yours.
Live from Here this week is once again live
from Town Hall in New York City. Special guests include Sara Bareilles,
Los Lobos, Sarah Jarosz, performers from West Side Story , Maria Bamford and
Dave Hill. Enjoy the show
“You must not think that feeling is everything. Art is
nothing without form.” Gustave Flaubert
December 13th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
Good chilly morning from Collegeville,
It looks like the ice on the pond is here to stay for a
while. Do not go out there unless you are with a buddy and be sure to
check the ice often. We used to drag race cars across Cedar Lake west of
Upsala when we were teenagers. To my knowledge, no one ever went through
the ice, but we got away with a lot of stupid things as kids. One winter
we made a game of standing on the hood of a DeSoto, using it as a giant
snowboard as we were towed in the ditch behind a car.
My sister and one of my classmates both ended up in casts
after a toboggan run down a steep hill in the Burtrum Hills. After a
heavy snow we would make a party by driving into the Burtrum Hills with our old
cars and just try to get stuck. These were not SUVs, simply rear wheel
drive cars with a bunch of boys and snow shovels.
Here is one way to enjoy the winter and the ice in a safe
environment. https://youtu.be/iNuCXUkp2DE
Live from Here this week is a live show from
the Town Hall in New York City. Special guests include Pixies, Black
Pumas, Crooked Still, Aoife O’Donovan, Anthony Veneziale, Aneesa Folds
and Chris Sullivan of Freestyle Love Supremes. You can listen on
your radio, smart phone or watch it on YouTube.
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.” Seneca
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