Scott Alarik, Stevie Beck, Greg Brown, Philip Brunelle, Butch Thompson Trio, Charlie Devore, Bill Hinckley, Garrison Keillor, Judy Larson, Lieberman Fogel & Bay, Vern Sutton. Pop Wagner,
Santa Claus is coming to town (Butch Thompson Trio , Lieberman Fogel & Bay ) Jingle bell rock (Butch Thompson Trio , Lieberman Fogel & Bay ) Technicolor Christmas (Butch Thompson Trio , Lieberman Fogel & Bay ) Hoist house ( Bill Hinckley , Judy Larson ) Belfast hornpipe ( Bill Hinckley , Judy Larson ) Young people's gypsy Christmas ( Philip Brunelle , Vern Sutton ) Star in the East ( Philip Brunelle , Vern Sutton ) The holy child ( Philip Brunelle , Vern Sutton ) Me and my drum ( Stevie Beck ) Away in a manger ( Scott Alarik , Garrison Keillor ) Minnesota winter love ( Greg Brown ) The Cheapest Kind ( Greg Brown ) Walkin my baby back home ( Pop Wagner ) Oh come all you faithful ( Garrison Keillor ) Silent Night ( Garrison Keillor ) Oh little child of Bethlehem ( Garrison Keillor )
Bertha's Kitty Boutique Chatterbox Cafe Krebsbach, Carl Krebsbach, Lyle Lake Wobegon Lutheran Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility Powdermilk Biscuits Sidetrack Tap Skoglund's Five and Dime Sons of Knute
At 30 below, things like water in pipes and cars want to slow down and stop. Cars give a low moan. Every one has jumper cables. Kids get them as graduation presents. It's a matter of pride to have a car that starts, like having a good kid. Some people lie about their easy starting cars. Carl Krepsbach's old Chevy always starts with a roar every morning. The sound depresses Lyle Jansky, Carl's brother. Lyle's old Chevy just gives a low moan. Carl helps Lyle to start his car. Sometimes Carl doesn't even need jumper cables. Lyle can't really accept winter. Carl is very cheerful even in the coldest weather. One cold morning, Lyle got up to find that the pipes were frozen. He made coffee and then he heard Carl's car start with a roar. Lyle's car wouldn't start. He got a bag of charcoal, lit it and put it under the engine. Carl called the fire engine. People asked how it happened and thought, 'This man is teaching our children science.' Carl said, 'You should have called me.' Lyle thawed the water pipe with a hair dryer. Marlis said, 'Honey you did it.' Now there's just the storm window to fix. He's up on the ladder with the heavy 40-pound storm window. The ladder has one rung missing and it's resting on glare ice. / It was bitterly cold in Lake Wobegon this week. Thirty below and cars wouldn't start. Everyone in Minnesota has jumper cables. Kids even get them in decorator colors as graduation gifts. If cars don't start, they use the cables to spell SOS in the snowbank. In Lake Wobegon it is a matter of pride if your car starts in cold weather, though people stretch the truth about it. Monday morning Lyle woke up feeling extra cold in his bedroom; there was a sheet of ice on the window and his water pipes were frozen. His car wouldn't start and he had the bright idea to light charcoal and place it under his engine. Well, the garage was saved but not the car. Lyle's brother-in-law, Carl, is the one that has the car that starts and is able to fix everything so it's embarrassing to make these mistakes, though he does know that Carl would be there in a moment if needed.
Barn animals barn talk on Christmas eve. Third chapter of the gospel of Ed for Minnesotans. Don't spin your wheels or wear light clothes. Rock the car slowly. Birds on the empty bird feeder. Stevie Beck's 'King John's Christmas.' Dept. of Folk Songs. Latin Jingle Bells. Baby's stocking. Lord of the Dance.
1983.12.24 Berkshire Eagle / Rebroadcast on Dec 26, 1987
Archival contributors: Frank Berto