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A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

The View From Mrs. Sundberg's Window
In this feature, regular listener Mrs. Sundberg shares her thoughts about Saturday's show.

October 30, 2006


What Scares Me

Listened to the show Saturday and it was not bad. I'd declared Saturday "Family Fun Day" for the first time in a long while. Which means that we all stay home and bake and watch old horror movies and just be together with candles lit and a few good things to eat and nowhere to go until Sunday. Well, my intentions were good, anyway.

The weather was about as perfect as it gets with an admirable wind blowing and sun and nearly sixty degrees at noon. There were leaves all the heck over and I thought Mr. Sundberg would spend the afternoon raking but instead he called up his friend Earl and got out his chainsaw and took off just after lunch to go thin out the trees with Earl out on the edge of the property. "Back for dinner," he said, and I waved from the kitchen until he was gone. The kids were restless and picking at each other so I gave them each a rake and a Hefty bag and sent 'em out and said, Don't come back until your bag is full.

So I mixed up some dough for cutouts and rolled it out and cut six dozen pumpkin-shaped cookies and baked them and lay them out to cool. Then I made a double batch of buttermilk pancake mix for dinner. There really is nothing as good as a pile of pancakes and some pork sausage fried dark on a Saturday evening at home. Then I mixed up some powdered sugar frosting and was putting in the orange food coloring when I heard screams and the kids came barreling through the door. "There's something out there," they said. "We heard it crashing in the brush by the road. Our bags are at least half full so can we please stay in?" Oh, all right, I said, and they kicked off their shoes and piled onto the couch and I put in the old version of Frankenstein which I thought they'd enjoy and then I went out onto the porch and listened and heard nothing at all but the wind.

Well, the show had started and the pork sausage was frying and it was getting a bit dark outside. I was dancing around the kitchen when there they were - all three kids standing there staring at me. "We're scared," they said. "Can we help you and finish the movie later?" Sure, I said, and gave them each a butter knife and a pile of pumpkin-shaped cookies. I set the bowl of frosting down in the middle of the table and told them to have at it and they did and we got to talking about scary things and what we're afraid of more than anything. The kids said they're afraid of things like monsters and sharks and sounds from the basement. They mentioned aliens, too, and cornfields at night, and kidnappers. They asked me what scares me, and I had to think about that for a good while. Well, I said, I'm not much afraid of any of the things you're afraid of. That's what growing up does to a person; it changes your fears. Makes some disappear and makes others come alive. What scares me mostly are things you can't see or touch. Ideas. Like what if I lost you. That kind of thing. (I didn't mention my fear of losing my mind. Too much to explain.) I did tell them that when I was young what scared me most was that some oddball would one evening just walk up to the window and press his face against the glass and simply stare at me without blinking.

Well, we finished the cookies and in no time at all I set a big plate of pancakes in front of them and there was butter and blueberry syrup and refills of milk and I made more pancakes and turned up the radio and sat down with them. I was about to ask them what their plans were for Halloween when their eyes got big and they put down their forks. Their eyes were fixed behind me. I turned to look, and there it was. A face in the window above the kitchen sink. A man's face pressed against the glass. My heart raced. Oh, my, I said. The face disappeared, and a moment later the side door opened, and Mr. Sundberg came in, laughing to beat all getout. Oh, for God's sake, I said. He smiled at me. "Any pancakes left?" he asked, and looked at the kids. "Boo," he said. "Did I scare ya?" The kids shook their heads. "Nice try, though," they said. We sat there together until the sun had set and the show was over and the very last pancake was gone.

Flapjacks Supreme

4 eggs
2 t sugar
2 cups buttermilk
2 T melted butter
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 cups flour

Separate eggs into two medium-sized bowls - whites in one, yolks in the other. Beat whites until stiff; set aside. Beat yolks. Add buttermilk and melted butter. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; add to buttermilk mixture. Blend well. Fold in whites. Refrigerate until you're all set. Pour 1/4 cup or so of batter onto lightly greased, hot griddle. Flip when light brown. Serve with maple or blueberry syrup and butter. Enjoy!

Mrs. Sundberg's Archives

June 2, 2008
Put a Sock In It

May 27, 2008
Look Out Your Window Now and Then

May 19, 2008
Oh, My

May 12, 2008
To Everything a Season

May 5, 2008
Tenderness

April 28, 2008
The Big List

April 21, 2008
Home Is a Fleeting Thing

April 14, 2008
Spring Came Just in Time This Year

April 7, 2008
A List, Some Cash and a Tank Full of Gas

March 31, 2008
April Fool's Day Possibilities

March 24, 2008
Something Good for No Real Reason

March 17, 2008
An Old Farmer to Thank

March 10, 2008
There Are a Bazillion Ways to be Together

March 4, 2008
Time for "Plan B"

February 26, 2008
An Ordinary Life

February 19, 2008
No Strings. No Conditions.

February 11, 2008
I Know When to Haul Out the Snow Pants

February 4, 2008
Three Extraordinary Things

January 28, 2008
A Few Precautionary Measures

January 22, 2008
Seven Surefire Ways to Stay Warm

January 14, 2008
'Bout as close to flying as a person can get

January 7, 2008
Emergency Curtains. Just In Case.

December 31, 2007
No Regrets

December 26, 2007
A Lovely Version of Chaos

December 18, 2007
There's frozen pizza in the kitchen. Have at it.

December 10, 2007
Dipped in Vigor and Rolled in Vim

December 3, 2007
I Did Not Win the Pillsbury Bake-Off.

November 26, 2007
It's cold outside and warm in here

November 19, 2007
Grief and Novocain

November 12, 2007
Your Life Does Have Meaning

November 5, 2007
Keep a Short Story Short

October 30, 2007
Night Shopping

October 22, 2007
Too Bad No One Was There to Witness It

October 15, 2007
Lord Help those within Earshot

October 8, 2007
A Fine and Stormy Evening

October 2, 2007
And Did It Ever Rain

September 24, 2007
Because I Could

September 17, 2007
Such a Perfect Day

September 10, 2007
Feeling Catapulted and a Bit Off

September 4, 2007
Convictions, I think they call 'em

August 29, 2007
Roses in my arms and tears in my eyes

August 21, 2007
The Second Story of My Life

August 13, 2007
Just me and the radio

August 6, 2007
Comfort Is A Good Word

July 30, 2007
Our Barefoot Days Are Numbered

July 26, 2007
Jet Lagged and Lagging

July 16, 2007
A Postcard from Mrs. S.

July 9, 2007
A Real Gem

July 2, 2007
Vacating Your Comfort Zone

June 25, 2007
Growing up is harder than learning how to fly

June 18, 2007
I feel pretty lucky, too

June 11, 2007
Give me a good thunderboomer

June 4, 2007
Perfection is reserved for very few things

May 29, 2007
When a Moment of Silence is in Order

May 21, 2007
Nothing like a good party

May 14, 2007
Every plate was a work of art

May 8, 2007
One heck of a fine time

April 30, 2007
Out there is where the kites are

April 23, 2007
Memorable, to say the least

April 16, 2007
Things are a bit different now

April 10, 2007
A Good Heart and a Full Pantry

April 2, 2007
We Tried to Sculpt a Sunrise

March 26, 2007
...And a Mighty Fine One at That

March 19, 2007
More of a Happy Secret

March 12, 2007
I Could Think of Worse...

March 5, 2007
The importance of having a plan

February 27, 2007
I've Driven in Worse than This

February 20, 2007
They Always Come Back

February 12, 2007
Buck Up and Go About Your Business

February 5, 2007
I really haven't risked much

January 29, 2007
What if they come to our house?

January 22, 2007
Heap coals of kindness

January 16, 2007
Decadence Doesn't Have to be Pricey

January 8, 2007
Repeat the Entire Process

January 2, 2007
The Good Old Days

December 26, 2006
I'll figure it out along the way

December 18, 2006
And all the while you smile

December 11, 2006
Patience Can Be Cultivated

December 4, 2006
There's Just so Much

November 27, 2006
In the Spirit of Gathering

November 20, 2006
Buy one, get one. Free.

November 13, 2006
Sometimes you give when you take

November 6, 2006
Being good takes some work

October 30, 2006
What Scares Me

October 23, 2006
Both Lovely and Strange

October 16, 2006
It's going to be a fine week

October 9, 2006
Resist Prohibition

October 2, 2006
When Solitude Presents Itself

September 27, 2006
Surprise! No Cheese

September 21, 2006
A Solid Routine

July 6, 2005
Good To Be Home

June 29, 2005
Something About Candlelight

June 23, 2005
The Meaning of "Mojo"

June 16, 2005
Plain and Simple

June 9, 2005
A Whistle And A Song

June 1, 2005
Go Play in the Rain

May 26, 2005
Bring Me a Little Water

May 19, 2005
What You Hold Onto

May 13, 2005
An Ordinary Mother's Day

May 5, 2005
The Boomerang Principle

April 29, 2005
Silence Left Behind

April 18, 2005
A Trip All Its Own

April 7, 2005
Forgiveness

March 31, 2005
Earth's the Right Place For Love

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Nothing Like a Good Road Trip

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How Time Passes

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A Kind of Balance

February 23, 2005
Not a Trivial Pursuit

February 15, 2005
Long-Time Friends

February 9, 2005
The Last Word

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That's The Story Of Love

January 25, 2005
Found Out

January 19, 2005
You Just Never Know

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The Things We Need

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New Year's Wishes

December 23, 2004
Dreaming at Christmastime

December 14, 2004
A Perfect Pair

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A Wonderful Life

November 30, 2004
Mr. Sundberg's Christmas Gift

November 22, 2004
Shine Its Ever-Lovin' Light

November 17, 2004
"Crazy" Can Be a Good Thing

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There’s Hope In Laughter

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Hot Coffee For Your Vote

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More Biscotti, Please

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A Voice Like a Hammock

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Like Pie Heaven

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Wish You Were Here

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Like Words to a Song

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People Are Very Much Like Icebergs

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You Love What You Love

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Alone in a Crowd

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What There Is to Be Afraid Of

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Goddess Victory Squat

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Best Mom in the World

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A Music Bath

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Tin Washtubs and Hay Mows

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It Was a Wonderful Thing

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The Waiting Room for Paradise

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A Missionary in a Turquoise Polyester Dress

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A Mother-Poet Version of Paul Bunyan

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