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
May 3rd, 2019 by Gary Osberg
The trip of a lifetime. Three years ago the art
teacher at Upsala High School started working on a tour of Europe. Miss P
(Kara Poissant) pulled it off. Twenty students, age 15 to 18, and 12 adults
including myself did it. We visited seven cities in five countries in 11
days. London, Paris, Zurich, Lucerne, Munich, Salzburg and Vienna.
When my daughter Kerry showed me the brochure, I noticed that the last day
before returning home included Weiner Schnitzel dinner in Vienna. I
booked it that day.
I did get back to the apartment that we lived in from 1951
to 1953. I took a cab from downtown Vienna and asked the cab driver to
wait for 15 minutes. No problem. As I approached the front door, a
man asked if he could help me. Markus pointed out which button was for
the owner and said, “push it”. The buzzer rang and I was admitted to the
lobby and was transported back 66 years. The old elevator had been
replaced, but the water faucet in the lobby, which was to be used to water
flowers, was still there. The owner lives in the same apartment that we
used. The owner, a granddaughter of the owner that we displaced in 1951,
was not home, but her room mate let me in. He would not let me take pictures,
but he did give me a tour. He let me take a photo of the view from the
balcony. I would like to return to Vienna and take them out for
dinner sometime.
It is never too late to “make time for what you can
dream”. Now I have to find a photo album that will hold 392 pictures
taken with an iPhone 6.
Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast of an old
show. You can check the tour by visiting livefromhere.org
“Trust your crazy ideas” Dan Zadra
April 12th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
I use Waze, an app on my iPhone, to get directions to places
that I want to go to. This morning I entered 41 Gregor Mendel Strasse, Vienna,
Austria. My dad was in the Fifth Army, and he was stationed in Vienna in
the early fifties. I celebrated my 10th birthday on the ship
coming back stateside on August 30, 1953. According to Waze my
destination is 5,410 miles from here. Two weeks from today, I will be
going to see the apartment that we lived in.
Next Tuesday, I will be leaving on a tour of five cities
in Europe along with 22 students from Ms. Poissant’s art class in Upsala
and 8 other adults. One of the students is my granddaughter,
Chrissy. I plan on staying with the group every day except Friday the 26th.
That day I will be going back to the apartment that we lived in for three
years. My younger brother Brian was born in Vienna and he and his wife
have visited the apartment.
They met with the current owner and his family owned the
building in 1951. They were moved to the attic and our family had an
apartment with two marble faced fireplaces, a baby grand piano and crystal
chandeliers.
I will be back in my office on Monday April 29th.
Live from Here this week is a live show from
The Town Hall in New York City. Special guests include Sara Bareilles, The
Milk Carton Kids, Aparna Nancherla and Madison Cunningham. Enjoy
the show.
“Live all you can; it’s a mistake not to.” Henry James
April 5th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
24 years ago today, Kaylin Marie Osberg came into the world.
She was the first of my five grandchildren and life has not been the same
since. My daughter was working her way through school and so when Kaylin
was a small child, most weekends, I took care of Kaylin in my bachelor pad in
Upsala. We did a lot of pancakes at the Uptown Café on Saturday
morning and a lot of washing her hair in the kitchen sink on Sunday
morning before church. There was much wailing and thrashing about.
Getting her to sleep in her crib at night required my singing “It’s Summer
Time” over and over again while she struggled to stay awake.
After many years, she finally said, “Grandpa, please stop
singing that song!”. Now Kaylin is co-owner of a promotional products
company, Zygoatian LLC. She owns a small home close to Lake
Mille Lacs in Wahkon. I have attached a photo of her and the bass that
she caught last summer. If you need a T Shirt or coffee mug, give
her a call. Simply Google Zygoatian.
Live from Here this week is a live show from
Dallas, Texas. Special guests include The Head and The Heart,
Esperanza Spalding, Jamie Lee and Nora McInerny. Enjoy the show.
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, art is
knowing which ones to keep.” Scott Adams
March 30th, 2019 by Gary Osberg
The warm up has been slow, but the snow piles are
receding. Be careful if you go for a walk in the morning, the melt is
freezing overnight. It will be sunny and cool today, but still much
improved.
The High School Art Exhibition is back at the Paramount
Center for the Arts. The closing reception is tonight, so if you have not
already seen the great artwork created by high school students, hopefully, you
will get a chance to attend tonight. The event is from 5:30 to
8. One of the sponsors of this year’s exhibit is Zygoatian
LLC, a promotional products company co-founded by my granddaughter
Kaylin Osberg. Their motto is that “they print on almost anything”.
They also create website ads, should you need one to post on the Minnesota
Public Radio website. If you are interested, I will send you a sales
sheet for MPR website ads.
For over 40 years the High School Art show was presented by
Visual Arts Minnesota. My daughter Kerry Osberg, Kaylin’s mother,
was the Executive Director for many years and so there is a lot of
history for our family with this wonderful event. Over the years I was
able to purchase a number of very special pieces at the show. It is not
often that the artist is willing to sell their work, but you may find something
tonight that you will love. Related web sites are paramountarts.org
and realzygoatian.com
Live from Here this week is a rebroadcast of a
previous show. Next Saturday there will be a live show from Dallas,
Texas.
“Caution! The left-brained world want you to “be realistic,
quit dreaming, be more like us, get your head out of the clouds and your feet
on the ground.”
To advance and prosper, steadfastly ignore that advice.”
Marilyn Grey
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