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 support a meaningful non-profit organization. Explore the causes we've contributed to in past episodes.

 
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Trick or Treat (Encore)

Our story tonight is called “Trick or Treat,” and it’s a story about roaming the streets on All Hallows’ Eve. It’s also about a gust of wind that turns you around, lit porch lights, and making memories with the people you love.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Chef and the Ghost Light

Our story tonight is called Chef and the Ghost Light, and it’s a story in which, fine, I’ll admit, something happens. The jig is up. It’s even a little spooky, friends. So if that isn’t your cup of sleepy-time tea, please skip this episode and dive into one of the hundreds of others I’ve written for you. We’ll return to your regular programming next week. This is a story about Halloween Night at the Inn, as party guests dance and cavort. It’s also about lightning over the lake, whirring in the walls, a piece of Village lore rediscovered, and a lone light shining in the darkness.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Behind the Curtain (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Behind the Curtain, and it’s a story about two friends meeting for the first time. It’s also about a copper kettle simmering on the stove, a gentle approach to tip people toward kindness, and cinnamon sticks and sliced apples. 

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Gatekeeper Tree

Our story tonight is called The Gatekeeper Tree, and it is ever-so-gently a spooky bedtime story. I know that’s not for everyone, so if it’s not for you, the good news is that we have hundreds of other episodes to listen always at your fingertips. This story is about a late-night expedition, the flickering light of a lantern in the woods, tree roots that might trip you up, or make way, depending on whether or not you ought to be there, a fox kit and a fairy circle, and the prize found at the journey’s end.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Curios Shop (Encore)

Our story tonight is called The Curios Shop, and it’s a story about a little shop in downtown Nothing Much, that takes the right set of circumstances to be found. It’s also about creaky wood floors, an old book covered in velvet, and a small grey cat with yellow eyes.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Rosewater and Witch Hazel

Our story tonight is called Rosewater and Witch Hazel, and it’s a story about reclaiming your sparkle on a moonlit night. It’s also about a grey cat and a friendly neighborhood shop for needful things, flower petals and vanilla pods, brown paper and an ink pad, and taking time to pamper yourself, just as you deserve.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Leaf House (Encore)

Our story tonight is called The Leaf House, and it’s a story about an autumn day spent working in the yard. It’s also a game remembered from childhood, a spider’s web spun on a chrysanthemum, and different ways to think about home.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Autumn at the Inn, Part 4

Our story tonight is called Autumn at the Inn, Part Four, and for now, it’s the last in this series. It’s a story about a new routine that heals as it unfolds, a morning cup of tea drunk from a window seat on the second floor, a room full of interesting objects, and stories waiting to be heard.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Porch Steps (Encore)

Our story tonight is called The Porch Steps, and it’s a story about tending to a satisfying chore on a cool day. It’s also about acorns falling on the sidewalk, the scent of a wood fire on a cool night, a daydream about the wind, and stepping back to take in a job well done.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Autumn at the Inn, Part 3

This is a story about arriving somewhere you've never been, but where you feel instantly at home. It's also about eucalyptus and chamomile, a thick blanket at the foot of the bed, ducks on the lake, meeting a new friend, and a meal shared in the moonlight.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Chef and Sycamore (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Chef and Sycamore, and it’s a story about an afternoon in the kitchens at the Inn, as jars of pickles are lowered into the canner. It’s also about sheets of labels ready to add to the jars, the view of the hammocks in the side yard, and a kitty waiting not-so-patiently to play. 

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Autumn at the Inn, Part 2

Our story tonight is called Autumn at the Inn, Part 2, and this is a story about a train ride through changing fields, an old station wagon packed full of pies, a sketch of the moon on the pages of a journal, wind and waves, and a week full of adventure ahead.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Thunder and Lightning (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Thunder and Lightning, and it’s a story about slowing down and getting comfortable as the rain comes down. It’s also about cinnamon and clove, a candle’s flame reflected in a window pane, a sofa turned into a nest for afternoon napping, and the calm and quiet that comes when Mother Nature takes over.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Autumn at the Inn, Part 1

Our story tonight is called Autumn at the Inn, Part One, and it’s a story written for all of you who have ever dreamt of taking a little trip to the Village of Nothing Much. It’s about a faded business card passed from friend to friend, an address of an Inn on a lake far away, geese flying overhead, a black cat, rustling leaves, and the start of an adventure taken when it is needed most.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Librarian (Encore)

Our story tonight is called The Librarian. It’s a story about the quiet of the closed-up library at the end of the day. It’s also about the books that sometimes get overlooked on the top shelf, a string of lights over an outdoor table, and knowing what your next book will be.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Autumn World

Our story tonight is called Autumn World, and it’s a story about a morning with the windows open and fresh fall air blowing through the house. It’s also about crows cawing in a field, coffee and brown sugar, yesterday’s raindrops falling from the trees, a record playing on the turntable, and the feeling of renewal that comes as summer ends.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Sleeping Weather (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Sleeping Weather, and it’s a story about a break from the heat and humidity. It’s also about the view from the porch swing at night, deer walking quietly through the corn fields, and clearing your mind with paper and pen, and the end of the day.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

The Swim Platform

Our story tonight is called The Swim Platform, and it’s a story about one of the last swims of the season. It’s also about remembered cues from long ago diving lessons, the sound of water lapping against boards, swans and sidestrokes, the smell of varnish and the feel of sun on chilled skin, and a unhurried perfect moment savored before the fall.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

Summer Harvest (Encore)

Our story tonight is called Summer Harvest, and it’s a story about the result of a season’s worth of hard work and planning. It’s also about telling time like a farmer would, a red popsicle eaten under a maple tree, and rows of canned tomatoes neatly lined up in the pantry.

Read More
Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai Season 16 Kathryn Nicolai

New Path

Our story tonight is called New Path, and it’s a story about a late-summer stroll through high grasses and shaded glens. It’s also about coneflowers and crushed stone, lifting the hair from the back of your neck to feel the breeze, an eagle’s nest lined with moss, a cool creek to wash your hands in, and feeling welcomed and at home in the wild.

Read More