APHC

David and I had the great good fortune to be able to attend a live performance of "A Prairie Home Companion" in Spokane when he (David) and his family were up here on a visit.

I've been listening to APHC on NPR for decades, and I'm glad that my love for it has rubbed off on at least one of my kids. It is a throwback to a less stressful, more peaceful time in our country and Garrison Keillor and his staff (Guy Noir, Fred Newman, Tim Russell, Sue Scott, Dusty and Lefty, The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band, etc.) seem like old friends. Garrison is a master story teller and I never tire of hearing what he has to say.

I remember once, a bunch of years ago, in his "News From Lake Woebegone" segment, he talked about driving home after Thanksgiving dinner when he was a kid. Seated in the back seat, his sister next to him, the lights of oncoming cars whizzing past, he mused at what Thanksgiving meant to him and how warm it made him feel. Then his sister leaned over and put her head on his shoulder to sleep the rest of the way home.

That story moved me, because it could have been me, and it could have been Karen and I have all those same feelings.

A new (to me) singer that he has had on his last few shows is Andra Suchy, and I must say that I was very impressed with her. She had a good range, and interesting voice and was so clear that you could understand every word she sung. I look forward to hearing more from her.

Saturday's performance was the fastest 2 hours I've ever spent.

No Cousins?

I heard an article on NPR that talked about the consequences of China's Only One Child policy that has been in place for the last 30 years. In other words, more than a generation.

The effect that really chilled me was that not only do today's kids not have any brothers or sisters, they also don't have any first or second, and maybe even third cousins.

I like my cousins! I've even gotten to live close enough to a couple of them to have a relationship, though I have neglected most of them for all too long. But my life definitely would have been poorer without them.