From the village of nothing much

Let's get sleepy

Bedtime stories are like a soft landing spot for your mind. Rather than letting your brain race through the same thoughts you’ve been chasing all day, we are taking a detour to a calm and comfy place. We tell the story twice and go a bit slower the second time. Each week we donate to a non-profit. View past episode and charity list.

 

Unwind like never before with the Nothing Much Happens Wind-Down Box—a curated selection of Kathryn’s favorite relaxation essentials! 

Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

The Potter’s Wheel

Our story tonight is called The Potter’s Wheel, and it’s a story about the pleasures of making something with your own two hands. It’s also about laundry drying on the line, a little room that is just for you, and initials etched into the bottom of a vase.

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Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

Beach Walk

Our story tonight is called Beach Walk, and it’s a story about meeting the morning light where the water meets the land. It’s also about the first step into the cool water, a dog chasing a stick into the waves, and a beach towel laid out neatly in the sand.

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Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

Fireflies on a Summer Night ENCORE

Our story tonight is called “Fireflies on a summer night,” and it’s a story about the magic language of lighting bugs. It’s also about the cool, quiet feeling of being all by yourself in the moonlight, words that start with the letter G, and a persistent enduring belief in magic.

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Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

Summer at the Inn, Part 3

Our story tonight is the last installment in our Summer at the Inn series, at least for now. It’s a story about a book waiting to be picked up and read. It’s also about a cool sleeping porch, empty and quiet in the afternoon, a cup of sweet espresso, and having a bit of time all to yourself.

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Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

Summer at the Inn, Part 2

Our story tonight is taking us back to the Inn for part 2 in this series. It’s a story about a busy afternoon for the innkeeper. It’s also about watermelons, ripe and ready to cut, a dinner bell ringing on the porch, and how good it feels to care for and be cared for. So get cozy and ready to sleep.

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Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

Summer at the Inn

Our story tonight is called Summer at the Inn and it’s a story about a morning by the lake at the great old house. It’s also about setting a table with care, a blue jay sitting at a feeder, and how to borrow someone else’s joy and wear it as your own. So get cozy and ready to sleep.

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Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

Hummingbird

Our story tonight is called Hummingbird and it’s a story about the calm after the storm. It’s also about a cool glass of iced coffee drunk on the front steps, a visitor to the helenium flowers, and making a habit out of noticing when things are good.

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Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

Rain and Shine

Our story tonight is called “Rain and Shine” and it’s a story about a solid day’s effort in the garden followed by a long shower and dinner as the storm clouds roll in. It’s also about the way the rain sounds falling on the roof, walnuts and pumpkin seeds and a night of excellent sleeping weather.

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Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai Season 10 Kathryn Nicolai

At the Drive-in

Our story tonight is called At the Drive-In and it’s a story about a chance meeting on a summer evening. It’s also about bubbles and whirligigs, stretching out on a blanket as the screen flickers to life, and the fun that can come when you stop overthinking and just say yes.

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Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai

The Canoe

Our story tonight is called The Canoe and it’s a story about sunny days spent near and on the water. It’s also about a journal to write about the best parts of the day in, falling asleep in crisp cool sheets, and the way sunlight reflects on the water.

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Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai

Road Trip

Our story tonight is called Road Trip and it’s a story about riding down the interstate with the windows down on a sunny day. It’s also about a little town down the road to explore, a plaque on a park bench, and the first of the summer strawberries.

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Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai

Petrichor

Our story tonight is called Petrichor and it’s a story about things getting greener as the spring rain falls. It’s also about a record player with a favorite album on the turntable, deer dozing in the grass, and making a habit out of enjoying yourself.

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Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai

Flower day at the market

Our story tonight is called Flower Day at the Market and it’s a story about the signs of summer showing up in parks and gardens and the market. It’s also about sidewalk sales, a guitar being tuned, and fresh growing things as far as the eye can see.

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Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai

The Bicycle Shop

Our story tonight is called The Bicycle Shop and it’s a story about a dream that finds its time and place to come true. It’s also about shiny chrome bumpers, a mug of coffee drunk in the quiet of the shop in the morning, and what can happen when you stop waiting to feel ready.

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Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai

The Front Door and the Back Door

Our story tonight is called The Front Door and the Back Door and it’s a story about a bit of Spring Cleaning inside and outside the house. It’s also about butterflies drawn in chalk on the sidewalk, a message arriving at just the right moment, and seedlings waiting for their chance to grow.

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Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai

The Weathervane

Our story tonight is called The Weathervane and it’s a story about a few acres out in the country. It’s also about the smell of fresh hay on a warm morning, mud boots for getting chores done, and a pocketful of carrots for the donkeys in the last stall of the barn.

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Season 9 Lindsey Season 9 Lindsey

The Pantry

Our story tonight is called “The Pantry” and it’s a story about a chore that becomes a sort of meditation. It’s also about neat rows of cans with their labels all turned the same way, the satisfaction of a job well done, and taking care of little you, even once you’re all grown up.

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Season 9 Lindsey Season 9 Lindsey

Dog Walk

Our story tonight is called Dog Walk and it’s a story about a daily excursion out into the neighborhood streets. It’s also about games played through the fence, walking with a spring in your step and a window seat where you can watch the street.

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Season 9 Lindsey Season 9 Lindsey

Spring Cleanup

Our story tonight is called Spring Cleanup and it’s a story about one of the first warm sunny days of the year. It’s also about bird feeders full of seed hanging in the branches, a vintage Tupperware box full of treats, and the simple idea that many hands make light work.

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Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai Season 9 Kathryn Nicolai

Begin Again

Our story tonight is called Begin Again and it’s a story about a reset scheduled for the equinox. It’s also about sunrise watched from an open hatchback on a road outside of town, birds and squirrels ringing in the spring, and making your own rituals to mark a moment.

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