October 13th, 2018 by Gary Osberg
“What is that strange orb in the east”. Finally some sun. Here on campus, folks were taking photos by the lake this morning.
In September of 1956 I was enrolled in the eighth grade at Junior High in St. Louis Park. The previous month my mother had given birth to her sixth child and Dad was once more in trouble. My mother’s mother, Grama Laura Ramlo, drove her 1952 Chevy from Upsala to our rented bungalow at 1620 Colorado Ave in St. Louis Park, put my dad in the back seat, drove to the VA Hospital in Minneapolis and said, “Here! He is a veteran and a drunk and he is your problem, not mine”. She then took her daughter and my five siblings into her house in Upsala above Ramlo Grocery. On October 1st, I rode my Schwinn from Ramlo Grocery to the Upsala school. I had earned the money for my shiny new red bike by delivering newspapers, both morning and evening, in our St. Louis Park neighborhood. Of course, that first day, someone let the air out of the tires. That evening I removed the lamp, the tank and the fenders from my bike. No one messed with the bike the second day of school. Another plus related to this move was that I did get out of the 10 hours of detention that I had accrued at school in St. Louis Park.
The next Monday, the student body was ushered into the school auditorium to watch game five of the World Series. We watched Don Larsen pitch the only perfect game in post-season major league baseball history. He’d had a disastrous game two, lasting only two innings and allowing four runs on four walks. When he reported to the locker room that day, Larsen was astonished to see the baseball tucked into his shoe by the manager Casey Stengel. He faced 27 batters that day and not a single one made it to base.
The Live From Here show this week is a live show from St. Paul. Musical guests include the Dirty Projectors, The Sklar Brothers and Madison Cunningham. Enjoy the show.
“If you are going to expect, you must inspect” Laura Ramlo
October 10th, 2018 by Gary Osberg
Tomorrow is homecoming in Upsala. In my day it was the Upsala `Cardinals’, but some time ago Upsala football merged with Swanville and now it is the USA (Upsala Swanville Area) `Patriots’.
Some of my favorite memories of football games are those played in the mud. I was an overweight freshman on the Upsala Cardinal team in 1957. Freshmen wore the old uniforms and helmets and we did not win any fashion awards. John Atkinson, a senior running back, ran with his knees pumping up and down high and hard. He still managed to make yardage. In practice, I would simply bounce off of his knee pads. The memory of the pain is still with me. That was the year when no other team even scored on the Upsala team. Clarissa got to our three yard line, but our defense held.
A couple of years ago, the 1957 Upsala football team was inducted into the Upsala Sports Hall of Fame. I was one of nine of the twenty-nine original members of the 1957 Upsala Cardinal football team who showed up for our induction into the Sports Hall of Fame. One of the guys, Dave Chuba, came all the way from Ohio. The quarterback of the 1957 team was Bob Soltis. Bob was named All-State in 1957.
This was the second year that inductees to the Upsala Sports Hall of Fame were chosen. Bob’s brother John was a junior on the 1957 football team and he accepted an individual award for his older brother. The first year of the Hall of Fame, Bob’s brother Ralph was chosen. There were lots of Soltis boys and they all played football. No one lifted weights in those days, they just threw bales of hay all summer. Those of us who were “village kids” had a tough time keeping up with the “farm kids”.
The Live From Here show this weekend is the kick-off of the new season with a live performance from San Francisco. Special guests will be Lindsey Buckingham, Hurray for the Riff Raff and Erin Foley. Tom Papa will be reporting his usual “Out in America”. More details can be found online at livefromhere.org
“Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others.”
September 28th, 2018 by Gary Osberg
Fall is here and there is a forecast for frost tonight. The Millstream Art Festival is on Sunday in vibrant downtown St. Joseph. The event is from 11am until 5pm. There will be 55 artists and 8 authors displaying and selling their works. There will be live music and a wide variety of food available for purchase. I hope to see you there.
I have to leave early to drive up to Breezy Point for our fall retreat. One of the cabins that is available is the 11 bedroom Fawcett House. It was Breezy Point Resort’s founder Captain Billy’s personal residence. My mother, Bernice Larson was a nanny for the grandchildren of Captain Billy Fawcett in the 1930s. She had a bedroom in the Fawcett House and spent the winters in Los Angeles with Captain Billy’s son Gordon Fawcett, his wife Vivian and their two children, Gordon Jr. and Dennis.
Wilford Fawcett, better known as Captain Billy, was a millionaire publisher from Robbinsdale, Minnesota. His most famous publication was the Capt. Billy’s Whiz Bang magazine. The book “Humor Magazines and Comic Periodicals” noted that “Few periodicals reflect the post-WW I cultural change in American life as well as Capt. Billy’s Whiz Bang. For much of the 1920’s Capt. Billy’s was the most prominent comic magazine in America.”
Captain Billy purchased Breezy Point in Pelican Township, from Fred LaPage in 1920 and soon the main lodge was built along with his personal residence. The original lodge was destroyed in a fire in June of 1959. Of course he rebuilt the lodge and the “Fawcett House” still stands. With 11 bedrooms it is perfect for large family reunions. It was recently renovated. For details on rates and golf packages, go to breezypointresort.com
This week Live From Here airs the final summer repeat, originally from Ravinia back in June, with Parker Millsap, The Secret Sisters, and Hawktail. Plus: Tom Papa reads a few excerpts from his book Your Dad Stole My Rake, including a proposal for new restaurants sure to please both kids and parents. Chris Thile’s Song of the Week, “Best Life”; Gaby Moreno’s “Fronteras”; and the radio actors present a lesson on Chicago-style food from Chef Mike Katz.
“Make up your mind that no matter what comes your way, no matter how difficult, no matter how unfair, you will do more than simply survive. You will thrive in spite of it.”
September 24th, 2018 by Gary Osberg
Well the highlight of my week has to be Walleye Willie landing a 46 ½ inch muskie on “Secret Lake” in Otter Tail County. There are 1,048 lakes in Otter Tail County, more than any county in the United States. Wednesday night Willie and his dad went fishing with a guide, Randin Olson. It was almost three years ago, in October of 2015, that Willie caught his first muskie. That year he had made a list of fish species that he wanted to catch and the muskie was the last one on his bucket list of 10 fish. Willie is 9 years old and he wants to be a fishing guide when he grows up. I have attached a picture and there is a video on YouTube. Let me know if you want the link.
Live From Here this week is just two weekends away from brand-new episodes! With the penultimate rebroadcast of the summer break, you will revisit the May stop at Wolf Trap with Kacey Musgraves, Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles, and comedian Sheng Wang. Plus: Chris Thile’s Song of the Week encourages us to “Power Off and Carry On”; Sarah Jarosz sings “Morning” and joins Chris and the band on Vampire Weekend’s “Unbelievers”; we congratulate the graduating class of ’47 — that’s 1347; and our traveling correspondent Tom Papa checks in with a report from San Francisco.
“Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that is the stuff Life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
September 13th, 2018 by Gary Osberg
It has been five years since Auntie passed. There are many stories to tell about Auntie, but my favorite came from her son Kevin. They had been visiting Kevin’s uncle in Alexandria and Kevin told Auntie that he wanted to get back to Upsala so he could watch the Preakness horse race on television. The speed limit on County Road 17 is 55, so Kevin was doing 60. Auntie said, “You drive slow Kevin”. Kevin stepped it up a bit and a little while later, Auntie spoke up again. “We’ll never get there at this speed.”. Kevin responded: “Ma, I don’t want to get a ticket.” , but he dutifully stepped it up again. There was silence for a while and then: “ Kevin, why don’t you just pull over and let me drive”. Kevin owns a four wheel drive pickup. Auntie was 90 years young at the time. We miss you Auntie. Auntie is on the right side on the picture of the Larson sisters.
This week Live From Here is a look back to May and a show in Atlanta with Father John Misty, Neko Case, and Rory Albanese. Plus: Chris Thile, Madison Cunningham and the band have “The New Delta Blues”; Madison sings “Something to Believe In”; Bertrand Falstaff Heine takes in a minor league baseball game; and Tom Papa heads to Detroit, Michigan, where he experiences the city’s newfound optimism. Tune in on your radio or on your smart device. Remember, the show is no longer broadcast on our Classical Music network. If you want a map showing the frequency of your MPR News station, just ask.
“I was born to have fun!” Leone Larson Hagstrom 1922-2013
September 7th, 2018 by Gary Osberg
The note this week was cut and pasted from my son Erik’s website theoutdoorreport.com. He posted it in September of 2013.
“In our family, Labor Day weekend means a trip to Uncle Brian’s Cabin. It’s our way of saying goodbye to summer and one last weekend dedicated to feeling Minnesota. What I mean by that is a celebration of why we live here, sky blue waters, great food, fantastic fishing and family fun. This year, the weekend began with temperatures in the mid 80’s which lead to perfect swimming weather. Eventually the temperatures dropped far enough to make fishing the favorite activity. “The Cabin” is a gorgeous log cabin nestled in the woods on a small environmental lake near Aitkin, MN. It’s a great place to get away from it all, and the warm orange glow inside the cabin has a way of refreshing your soul.
This little lake doesn’t have much in the way of BIG fish, but it does have a healthy trout population. We’ve never really tried to fish for trout over Labor Day weekend, however, this year my son Willie demanded we give it a shot. Uncle Brian took Willie & I out in his 14 foot boat powered by an electric motor. We trolled the deep water with small crankbaits and “cow bell” rigs with crawler harnesses. Sometimes keeping it simple makes for a more enjoyable day on the water. No electronics, no big boat, no big motors. Just three guys trolling around hoping to feel the heavy strike on the end of the line. Low & behold, it worked. We managed to catch 3 nice eater sized trout that made the annual Labor Day feast even more memorable.
Keep in mind, just because Labor Day has come and gone, and it feels like summer is over, that doesn’t mean we are going to stop “feeling Minnesota”. Fall brings some of the best fishing of the year and hunting is going to be in full swing soon.
As always, remember “It’s not about having time, it’s about making time!”
Erik
Live From Here this week is a rewind to May and a show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium with Courtney Barnett, David Rawlings, and comedian Neal Brennan. Plus: Chris Thile’s Song of the Week, “Tic Tac”; music from Madison Cunningham, including her tune “Remember, Remember”; the MPR radio acting company takes us on a tour of the Ingleview Elephant Sanctuary and chats with the mighty star Arcturus; and Tom Papa ponders life lessons from author Jim Harrison while visiting Springfield, Massachusetts.
August 31st, 2018 by Gary Osberg
Using a football analogy, today is the first day of the 4th quarter of my life. I came into this world at St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls late on the afternoon on August 30, 1943. The chances of my getting into “overtime” are not great, however my mother’s mother, Grandma Ramlo, lived to the ripe old age of 98 and she did not have the health care that I have had. She never did smoke or drink alcohol, but I don’t think she lifted weights either. Yesterday I got a step closer to owning a lake lot on a natural environmental 53 acre trout lake in Aitkin County. I hope to close the deal on September 21st. Now I have even more reason to keep on doing this job that I love. I may want to spend some money on improving this wooded lot that has never been improved on, ever. There is so much hardwood, both standing and fallen, that it is hard to get to the lake. At least if I built a cabin with a wood stove, I would not run out of fuel. Wish me luck.
For some reason, there is no information on the Live From Here website about tomorrow’s show. The big news is that tomorrow will be the last time that you will be able to listen to Live From Here on your classical station. The show will be on all of the MPR News stations and on your smart device.
If you want a coverage map showing where all of the MPR News, Classical and The Current stations are broadcast from, simply ask. I will send you a handy 5 x 7 map.
“Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find a way.” Abraham Lincoln
August 24th, 2018 by Gary Osberg
My granddaughter, Kaylin Marie, is a partner in a new venture that provides promotional products. T shirts and stuff. Zygoatian LLC is located on Main Street in Isle, Minnesota. On Tuesday I left the cabin in Aitkin and traveled on a road that I had never traveled on before to visit the store. I was very impressed. In fact, I purchased a table that her father had crafted out of solid walnut. Photo attached.
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 got for supporting our triple A radio station, The Current, during the last pledge drive. When I took a seat next to him, 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”. The power of promotional products.
Live From Here this week is an April rebroadcast from New York City with Sufjan Stevens, pianist Jonathan Biss. U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, and comedian Colin Quinn. Plus: Chris Thile’s Song of the Week celebrates an NYC icon, Rue St. Denis; Gaby Moreno sings “Down in Reverie”; we head gently to Funkytown with a few Breathy Acoustic Covers of Disco Songs; and our traveling correspondent Tom Papa succumbs to Twinkie-related emotion in Atlantic City. 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.
August 10th, 2018 by Gary Osberg
I am a recovering entrepreneur. I couldn’t work for the man, I had to be the man. Every one of my attempts failed. Early in my career, I read an article in an in-flight magazine. I learned that 25% of the population are “risk-takers”. All of the entrepreneurs come out of this group as do all of the criminals. I am not sure where I inherited the trait since neither of my parents were entrepreneurs, but my mother’s brother Eldon was. I was a juvenile delinquent. My first attempt was Draftech, Inc. a contract drafting service run out of my basement in our home in Coon Rapids. It was not long before I went to work selling office furniture for General Office Products. My second attempt was an energy management company “Office Environmental Systems”. My office was in the Allstate building behind the car wash on Division Street in St. Cloud. I was probably the only one in the State of Minnesota out there on straight commission trying to sell computerized energy management systems to owners of large office buildings. I sold three systems in three years and then I went back to selling office furniture.
I have a collection of business cards that fills a ring binder. I started working here in Wimmer Hall in 1999. I just received delivery of another box of calling cards for Minnesota Public Radio. I go through a box of cards every couple of years. I hope to go through a few more before I call it quits.
This week Live From Here is a look back to the beginning of April and a broadcast from the State Theatre in Minneapolis with Shakey Graves, Dessa, and comedian Rachel Feinstein. Plus: Chris Thile and the band play “And Now a Word from Our Sponsor”. The gang will close things out with “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,”. The radio acting company explores a batch of new colloquial sayings and dives into the world of Forensic Foley investigation, and Tom Papa chats with an amiable taxi driver in Phoenix. Tune in on your radio or your smart device.
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust
August 3rd, 2018 by Gary Osberg
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On Monday I will be in a foursome at the Bob Nicol Memorial in Richmond. This week we buried a member of “The Greatest Generation”. Bob lived to celebrate his 103rd birthday in April. He was the founder of the St. Cloud Sertoma Club, serving as its first President. He faithfully attended weekly meetings until a few months ago. Every year, Bob sold more Fruit Cakes than any member. He entered the Army as a commissioned officer through the ROTC and spent 21 months in Europe during WWII. He was a member of the St. Cloud Country Club for 70 years and shot his age at 74. He had five holes in one. Bob will be greatly missed by many. I took this picture of Bob teeing off at age 96 in the annual Sertoma Golf Tournament, now the “Bob Nicol Memorial”.
This week, Live From Here is a look back to a March broadcast from Tempe, AZ with The Wood Brothers, Phoebe Bridgers, and Bobcat Goldthwait. Plus: they will open things up with a celebration of Cactus League baseball and Frank Lloyd Wright, and an instrumental Song of the Week, “Dancing About Architecture”. Madison Cunningham delivers her stunning song “Trouble Found Me.” All that plus, Tom Papa’s notes from a trip to Indianapolis, and the acting company’s journey into the world of “Moms Who’ve Left Facebook”.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Albert Schweitzer
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