Living on Lake Wobegon

By D. Daniel, Globe Staff, 03/03/02

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It was nothing like a quiet week in Lake Wobegon.

Somerville neighbors Jeanne Mockard and Barb Siftar spent two frigid days in St. Paul last month as guests of the very first "Wobegon Weekend." Mockard had won two slots on a trip to "a simpler place and time," where the women would attend a church supper, join a sing-along, and go ice fishing, all part of the routine in the famous fictional town. The invitation came from Garrison Keillor, host of "A Prairie Home Companion," who announced the event to his 3 million listeners on Public Radio International (and National Public Radio). Only 300 guests could be accommodated and they had to be from various regions of the country. The 100 East Coast slots sold out first, within hours.

Mockard says one friend reacted to her plans by saying, "I'd rather stick pins in my eyes." But to Mockard, 38, a portfolio manager at Putnam Investments, and Siftar, 42, a unit manager in outpatient psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, it was "a wonderful escape to a life of simpler times," Mockard says. Siftar explains their affection for the show: "It really hooks you in with how funny, homey, and pleasant everything is, without dumbing down." In fact, the two had visited St. Paul five years ago to attend a broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater, the roving show's home base.

The weekend, which cost $350 each, not including air fare, started Friday afternoon with a surprise invitation to attend a rehearsal of the Saturday show.

The official kickoff was a church supper that evening in the basement of Immanuel Lutheran Church. "On the way to the church, Garrison got on our bus. He was narrating a little tour of St. Paul," says Siftar, a folksinger, who couldn't resist leading the passengers in a round of "Powdermilk Biscuits."

Mockard, the "resident Lutheran," says "going to a Lutheran church supper was like I was 12 years old and back in time. The actual congregation put this thing on and had a great time poking fun at themselves," she says. "They made all the hot dishes. Tater Tot casserole was the big hit."

But what most impressed them was dessert.

"Each table had its own Jell-O mold in different colors, covered with Cool Whip out of the can," Mockard says.

After dinner, the group packed into the upstairs sanctuary for a hymn sing, accompanied by "Prairie Home" regulars Robin and Linda Williams and Mollie O'Brien, who had attended the supper.

At the end, Keillor surprised his staff by inviting the crowd to follow him on a walk back to the hotel, about 4 miles away. Mockard joined the 50 or so people willing to brave the cold (buses continually picked up dropouts).

"He took us down Summit Avenue, where F. Scott Fitzgerald's house and Jesse Ventura's governor's mansion are," she says.

Keillor bade goodnight by saying, "I'm going to go home and write the news from Lake Wobegon."

At the hotel that night, they found not a bonbon on their pillows, but a can of Spam.

The next morning, they took a "gangsters tour" of the city by bus. "A Prairie Home Companion" was performed that afternoon. "There were a lot of inside jokes about the weekend, and he made one reference to us during the show," Mockard says.

A reception with Keillor and cast members, who were with the group all weekend, was held later in the hotel lobby. Mockard had Keillor autograph a recipe card for tuna casserole.

On Sunday, the mostly middle-aged crowd bundled up to go ice fishing on White Bear Lake. Mockard and Siftar fished for 30 minutes and don't expect to do it again. Mockard describes the setting as "a county fair on the ice."

"When we got back and packed up and went to the lobby, Garrison was still standing there talking to people," Siftar says. "He was a very gracious host."

Send suggestions for "Where they went" to ddaniel@globe.com.