Rainy Day Indulgences: Thistle & Shamrock & Vicar of Dibley

When I miss Scotland (always) I listen to NPR's wonderful Thistle & Shamrock. Hosted and produced by Fiona Ritchie, this long-running, much-awarded program celebrates Celtic music traditions. She also offeres the program as a free podcast, Thistlepod. 

It pairs perfectly on an extended washed-out weekend with an old comfort that makes me think of snuggling on the couch at Howe Street with Zaza: The Vicar of Dibley. For those unfamiliar, it's a bit of an institution in the UK (one of Richard Curtis's early successes): a playful comedy about a female vicar in a small and eccentric country parish. Of all British comedies, The Vicar of Dibley is matched/exceeded only by Monarch of the Glen in its warm-fuzziness. (Also, in hotties. The show eventually featured Johnny Depp and the smokin Richard Armitage.) Americans, you get Dawn French & Co in all their absurd and delightful Britishness here with The Vicar of Dibley's Immaculate Collection. Below, is the pilot for your viewing pleasure. 

Bundle up with either of these things, skip the coffee and go straight for the tea, and you'll have your rainy afternoon set.