July 12th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
The 34th annual Hagstrom Osberg golf tournament
was wonderful. No, the MING team did not win this year either. We
came in at one over par in the best-ball game. The winning team was
made up of a young grandson Adam, two grandsons in law, Corey and Matt and a
son in law Kelly of my sister Kathie Kimpling. They came in at 4
under par. Her husband Duaine shared in the limelight. My
granddaughter Kaylin brought T shirts for everyone so that next year, at the
big 35th, we can do the group photo again. I am hoping
to talk my friend Denise into coming once more to shoot a few rolls of film.
If you need T shirts for your group photo, simply check out
RealZygoatian.com
Walleye Willie is now giving lessons on how to catch
catfish. If you want the link to the YouTube video, just ask.
Live from Here this week is another
rebroadcast. Next Saturday they will be live from the Green Music Center
in Rohnert Park, CA.
“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without
vision is a nightmare.” Japanese Proverb.
July 5th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
Tomorrow is the 34th annual Hagstrom/Osberg Golf Open. 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 sisters there are 10 of us 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. Not so
much anymore.
There was a time when you had to use at least one drive and
one putt for each of the team members. Now there are no such rules. There is a
traveling trophy with the names of each year’s winning team engraved on a brass
plate. Kevin and I are due. It has been a while. After golf we will gather at
brother Bill’s house near the golf course for a picnic and the award ceremony.
We are fortunate to have a number of traditions in our family.
I trust that your Fourth of July Celebration was a safe
one. I decided to escape the fireworks in St. Joe and spent the night before
the 4th here on campus at the Abbey Guesthouse. I highly
recommend it. Very peaceful. The supper was awesome.
Simply call Brother David at 320-363-2573.
Live from Here
this week is a rebroadcast of an old show. The next live show is in two
weeks at Green Music Center in Rohnert Park, CA. You can check it out at
livefromhere.org
“What we do upon 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
July 1st, 2019 by Gary Osberg
A few weeks ago I told you the story about Emie Hippe and
her tavern on Cedar Lake west of Upsala. As I mentioned, her tavern was
the source for candy and ice cream for us youngsters who were swimming at the
American Legion Memorial Park beach. That part of the story was about the
Coke bottles and their demise.
The rest of the story picks up when the American Legion
decided that too may folks were sneaking into the park and not paying for the
privilege of boating and swimming at one of the nicest beaches in central
Minnesota. The decision was made to put up a high fence around the
park. Unfortunately this cut off easy access to the candy store.
Emie was very upset. So much so that she decided to deed her property to
the DNR so that there would be a boat landing, free to the public. No
need for folks to pay the fee to launch their boat at the Memorial Park and
Camp Ground. That is why when you pass the entrance to the Legion
Park the next sign is “Hippe Landing”. I had asked the county to
put up a sign saying “Hippe’s Landing”, but close enough. Thanks to my
old friend Gene Merriam who was the DNR Commissioner at the time.
The Live from Here show this week is a
rebroadcast. The next live show is on July 20th. I for one
enjoy the encore performances. I love the young musicians that Chris
features.
“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.
June 21st, 2019 by Gary Osberg
I was unable to make the Camp Confidence Fishing Tournament
last Saturday, so my son Erik asked one of Walleye Willie’s friends to fill in
for me. Cooper is also 10 years old. They had to get up before 5am
and drive to Madden’s Resort. They headed out with about 60 other boats
at 8am. Most of the boats were owned by professional fishing guides who
had volunteered to take two paying guests to try for either 3 walleye, 3
Northern or three largemouth bass. You could also choose to enter a mixed
bag of one of each species. They fish until 2pm and then they have a
weigh in. “Team Wadena” tied for second place in the mixed bag
category and took first place for the “Lunker Walleye”. A 27 ¾ inch
fish. Erik caught the walleye and the two boys each caught one of the
other two.
The bad news is I have been replaced by Cooper. Oh
well, I could buy a bigger boat and go along to take pictures. A photo is
attached.
Live from Here this week is a
rebroadcast. You can check out the tour schedule at livefromhere.org
Enjoy the show.
“It’s widely known that among salesmen; as among fishermen,
about 25 percent of them wind up with about 75 percent of the winnings.
And evidently it’s not so much the flashy presentation of the persuasive
personality that brings in the big money as it is the systematic perseverance
in finding and following up leads.” University of Chicago’s
Industrial Relations Center.
June 14th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
The Osberg Fishing Trip was one of the best. It rained
hard on Saturday during the night, but the guide showed up on the dock at 7
o’clock as planned on Sunday morning. Brothers Brian and Geoff got
to fish with Randin Olson of Lock Jaw Guide Service. Randin lives in the
area and he put them on fish. They caught about 20 walleye and brought 11
in for the feast planned for that evening. Brother Craig and his son
Grayson arrived Sunday afternoon and they brought the deep fryer and the Smude
Oil. It is a wonderful way to cook fish. Brother Bill did an
awesome job of serving up omelets for brunch each day after the morning
fishing. My son Erik and Walleye Willie and I got into a school of
Rock Bass and Willie caught an 11 inch “red eye”. We must have
caught over 50 in a short time. Holly’s Resort and www.lockjawfishing.com make for a
terrific time. Check them out.
Next year we hope to add some fellows from my sister’s
family. Cabin number 14 has been remodeled and there are nine beds
including 3 in a loft suited for younger folks. Hollysresort.com
Live from Here this week is a live show from
Tanglewood in Lenox, MA. Special guests include Ben Folds, I’m
With Her and comedian Tig Notaro. Enjoy the show.
“Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that’s
the stuff Life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
June 7th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
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 10 to 75. 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 live show from the Iroquis Amphitheater in Louisville, KY.
Special guests include Bruce Hornsby, Lucius, Ron Funches and Sara
Watkins. Enjoy the show.
“It’s not about having time, it’s about making time.”
Erik Osberg
May 30th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
Tomorrow is planting time in
Upsala, so this is going out early. After I finish planting in the garden,
I plan on visiting “Hippe Landing” west of Upsala near the American Legion
Memorial Park on Cedar Lake. They have one of the best swimming beaches
in central Minnesota. There are camping spots also, but I understand
there is a long waiting list.
There
used to be an old store without any signage located west of the park. 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 live show from Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia.
Special guests include Guster, Adia Victoria, Matt Braunger and Madison
Cunningham. Clips from old shows are online at livefromhere.org.
“In
the best organizations, promises are kept no matter what the cost in agony and
overtime.” David Ogilvy
May 24th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
When I was a youngster in Upsala, we always had a Memorial Day
service in the school gym, followed by a parade down Main Street. Sometime
after I graduated in 1961, the practice died out. Then in the 80’s, Lorna Koehn,
a member of the American Legion Auxiliary brought back the Memorial Day
Celebration in Upsala. I can still picture her marching in front of a group of
children, each holding a bunch of lilac flowers. The parade ends at the City
Park, where the children still wait in anticipation for the chance to collect
the spent brass shells after the 21 gun salute. They make good whistles. After
that, the `Upsala First Responders’ serves a picnic lunch including “Bee Bop A
Ree Bop Rhubarb Pie”. Be sure to take the time to honor those that you know who
have served. If you meet a service member, simply put our your hand and say
“Thank you for serving”. They deserve our respect.
The Veterans Educational Historic Monument art project is nearing completion. The Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps paintings are hanging in the Committal Hall of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls. The Air Force painting is almost completed and the dedication is planned for September 15th . The Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery Memorial Day service will be this Sunday starting with The Richfield Symphonic Band at 1:30 pm followed by the program at 2 pm. The MC is my brother Bill. Hopefully you can make it.
Live
from Here
this week is a live broadcast from the Powell Symphony Hall in St. Louis,
MO. Special guests include Anais Mitchell, Ian Edwards, Rachael
Price and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Videos from old shows and
other news can be found at livefromhere.org
“My
fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do
for your country.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy
May 17th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
Yesterday was a perfect 10. I was
able to get the Yukon Golds in the ground this week, in between the rain. A
real “truck farmer” told me to just plant them whole. No need to cut them
and let them heal for a few days. It cost more, but the result is worth
the added expense. I get my seed potatoes from Wood’s Farmer Seed and
Nursery. Tell Tom Woods that I recommended him.
The annual Osberg fishing trip is 3 weeks
from tomorrow. The opener was last Saturday and I did not participate. I have
never been one for getting up early and getting out there before the sun comes
up. I prefer to fish in the late afternoon and early evening.
My interest in fishing is only because of my son Erik and his son Walleye Willie. When we purchased a lake place 46 years ago I bought a fishing license for the first time in my life. Erik was not even two years old the first summer, but his Uncle Duaine made a special short fishing rod for him and soon we were casting for Bass from our sail boat.
Earl Benson, the warehouse
manager at General Office Products was the one that taught me how to fish for
Bass. Erik hated the process of putting a live frog on a number 2 hook with a
slip sinker, but it did produce fish. Today it is almost impossible to find
frogs anywhere . Minnows, leeches and night crawlers seem to work best for
walleye. Erik is going to chair the committee for the Governor’s fishing
opener next May. He is an “ambassador” for Otter Tail County, which has more
lakes than any other county in Minnesota.
Live from Here is a rebroadcast of a show. You can check out
the schedule and watch clips from old shows at livefromhere.org
“Remembering that you are
going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have
something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to
follow your heart.” Steve Jobs
May 10th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
My Dad served in the Pacific during the
war. His brother-in-law, my Uncle El, served there also. One of the photos that
I had restored is a picture of Dad and Uncle El smoking cigars on an island
after V-J Day. You can tell by the look on his face that the canteens did not
have water in them. Later on Dad enlisted in the Army and we ended up in
Vienna, Austria. One of the items that Ma brought back was a very old statue, a
warrior with a breast plate and a sword on his hip. She had her neighbor Harold
convert it into a lamp and gave it to us as a wedding gift in 1965.
It ended up broken and in three pieces in
a box in the basement of The Parsonage in Upsala. Ickler Company in St. Cloud
soldered it back together and through my connections at The Paramount Center
for the Arts, I found a “bronzer” in Howard Lake, INNOCAST Execuline, to
refinish it. It turned out that the tip of the shaft and the feather were gold
leaf.
When I was in Germany a few weeks ago I purchased a BMW model car to add to the collection of Vienna items. The monkey in a top hat was a 25th anniversary gift dated 1923. The inscription, which is in German, states “What a monkey my lover is, like an illness or a fever”.
The show this week is another
rebroadcast. The next live show is from St. Louis, MO on May 25th.
Details can be found at livefromhere.org
“Don’t take anything
personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What other say and do is a
projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the
opinion and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.” This is the
second agreement from “The Four Agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz
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