Prairie Home Companion

As Husband-person will attest, I will try most things once if you can convince me it's worth while (except theme parks, you will never convince me of the value of these. Also Steve Irwin.) but am a woman of reasonably specific passions: food, massages, swimming and snorkeling, music, things I can make with my sewing machine, the internet, Joss Whedon productions, all my muji friends and family...

I have to recognize that I have added a new enthusiasm of late - listening to the back catalog of A Prairie Home Companion while pottering around in my sewing room. For the uninitiated, this is a weekly variety radio program presented by Garrison Keilor, a notable American author/humorist (This is not the greatest description but finding it hard to describe him in a more accurate way). Thanks to the internet and my wireless card in my laptop, I can plug in my speakers and stream old episodes to entertain me while I sew, quilt, unpick... My mother actually got me onto this - she has been providing me the 'Lake Wobegon' monologues for years now (my parents used to listen to the original show when we lived in the US), and recently gave me a couple of full episodes... and I have been addicted ever since. Thanks, Big J!

They are about 2 hours long and feature amusing radio plays, fake ads (for catchsup, powdermilk biscuits, rhubarb pie), lots of folk, bluegrass, old-time, gospel and (occasionally) country music, interesting local guests, and of course, the weekly update from Lake Wobegon. It's generally enough variety to interest me and not so much country music that it will completely ruin my street cred (although singing the Powdermilk biscuit theme song in the shower has got me some funny looks from Husband-person). I have to admit, though, I probably am enjoying all that banjo work on the bluegrass tracks a bit much.

They have been excellent for my textile-y output, as they give my brain something to do while I am working, and I am enjoying them enough they motivate me to get off the internet and actually start doing something (which is usually my sticking point with crafty stuff).

So, if you need about 2 hours of entertainment and people aren't going to talk over the top of it so you don't miss the funny bits, I would thoroughly recommend trying an episode or two. The back catalog goes back to 1996, plus some shows from 1985, so there is plenty to choose from. I only have to listen to 1996 to March this year and then I will be up to date!