Out of the Cold

Welcome to Bedtime Stories for Everyone, in which nothing much happens. You feel good, and then you fall asleep.
I'm Katherine Nicolai. I read and write all the stories you hear, and nothing much happens.

Audio Engineering is by Bob Wittersheim.

We give to a different charity each week, and this week we're giving to Howell Nature

Center.

They pride themselves in being a second home to any person who wants to heal, grow, and be wild in nature. You can learn more at the link in our show notes.
Before we dig in tonight, I just want to share something with you. I hear from so many folks who are feeling anxious, and I want to give you all the tools I can to help.
We have this show, as well as our daytime version. We have our guided meditation show.
All of those are linked in our notes. And now we've

added one more soothing aid to our offerings. It's a weighted pillow designed to rest on your chest,

your lap, or be hugged close to provide a comforting, grounded sensation to help you

relax. It uses deep pressure stimulation that encourages your body to release natural,

calming hormones while lowering stress hormones. I use one when I record.
I have it right now on my lap. So if you need extra help these days, I recommend it.
You can order it now through the link in our notes. Now, I have a story to tell you and just by listening we'll shift your brain from default mode where it can wander endlessly to task positive mode where sleep is natural and accessible and all you have to do is listen.
I'll tell the story twice, and I'll go a little slower the second time through. If you wake later in the night, often just thinking back through any part of the story that you can remember,

or replaying a sweet memory, will put you right back to sleep.

But if it doesn't, don't hesitate to turn an episode back on.

This is a kind of brain training, and it takes some time to build up the response you want our story tonight is called out of the cold and it's a story about a windy day and a place to warm up it's also about pine boughs, an open wrought iron gate, smoke rising from a chimney in the distance, a black cat, cookies and tea, and the good feeling of stepping into the warmth with a friend.

So switch off your light, slip down under your blankets, and get as comfortable as you can. take a deep breath in through your nose and sigh from your mouth again breathe in and out good out of the cold.
I was bundled up, but the wind was blowing this morning. I'd heard it blow all night as I was tucked into my bed, my thick old quilt pressing me down into my mattress.

You know that feeling when you are very glad and grateful to be safe and warm inside your house. When your bed feels like a sanctuary, and you can sense sleep about to pull you down, and you rub your feet together like a dog wagging his tail.
And the sound of the wind had only helped. Each time I'd come close to waking, the whistle of it through the eaves of my old farmhouse

had sent me right back down

into my dreams

but today

even though I was properly bundled up against it

it was making my morning walk

a bit colder than I'd expected

Thank you. up against it.
It was making my morning walk a bit colder than I'd expected. At least the sun was out, bright and golden, reflecting on the thick frost in the fields.
I was tromping down the dirt road,

breathing the cold morning air through a layer of crocheted cotton,

my warmest winter scarf.

And I could smell

only the absence of scent,

just as snow muffles sound,

the cold muffles aroma.

The landscape rolled out in front of me,

mown down fields, dotted with barns and farmhouses. A frozen over pond where two mallards waddled on the surface.
even when it is cold something about a morning walk

always Even when it is cold, something about a morning walk always sweetens my day.

It's like setting a table with your favorite dish and mug.

Every bite tastes a bit better.

So I kept going, past the crossroads, past the shuttered farm stand where I bought tomatoes and sunflowers in the summer, and past the giant willow which caused the whole road to jog a bit to the right, then correct to the left. I appreciated that little divergence from the straight and narrow.
Glad that, rather than cutting a tree down, someone a hundred years ago had just adjusted their path. I came to a long drive at the edge of the road and noticed that the evergreen garlands were up at the entrance to the inn.
The drive was framed by a tall iron gate, which always sat open.

And on either side were regal stone plinths

topped with giant urns.

In the summer, they overflowed with vines

and flowers, but now were

stuffed with pine boughs and holly branches and strung with lights. The innkeeper had been busy.
I crossed the road, eager to see how far the decorations extended,

and saw the whole drive was lined with garlands and velvety red bows. In the bright daylight, I couldn't see any lights on the inn itself, but I knew they were there

and looked forward

to driving past it all season, seeing the roofline and windows framed with light.

I squinted to look closer and saw a bit of smoke rising out of the chimney and decided to drop in and see how she, the innkeeper, was doing. The inn closed for the season each autumn, and though there had been a big Halloween party, it had otherwise been very quiet over here.
They would open again at the end of the year for the holidays, be booked with guests over Christmas and New Year's, and then spend another couple of months empty and hushed. As a neighbor, I'd known her

and her staff for years

and knew that it worked well for all of them

this rhythm of on again

off again

I hoped a visit would be welcome

and not an interruption of her solitude

the inn

Thank you. I hoped a visit would be welcome and not an interruption of her solitude.
The inn sat on a large plot of land, and the drive curved first one way and then the other, showing off the gardens and tall trees. I noticed bird feeders hung in branches

and guessed this was one of the ways

she kept busy over the winter.

Hospitality must be built into her bones.

When her guests were gone,

she took care of the birds.

As I got closer,

I started to glimpse the lake

out past the house

while the pond I'd spotted earlier was frozen over, the lake was too big for that this early in the season. There was a rim of white at its edge, but the water was still moving, whipped up a bit by the wind, and sparkling like diamonds in the sun.
The row of trees along one side of the house looked strange without their hammocks. Though I'd been there myself

to help her put them away. looked strange without their hammocks,

though I'd been there myself to help her put them away in September.

Chef's garden was tilled over,

only a few of the last hearty stems of kale and cabbage

still glinting with frost

Thank you. of the last hardy stems of kale and cabbage, still glinting with frost.
I could hear music playing as I crossed the circle drive where guests unloaded their cars and stepped to the front door. That usually meant she was cleaning.
And when I pressed the doorbell and heard the chimes ringing through the giant old place, I wasn't surprised to see her poke her head out into the hall, a scarf tied over her hair and a feather duster in her hand. Sycamore, her black cat, shot down the long hall and bounced around the foyer like a pinball.

He was obviously excited to see a guest.

I pulled my scarf down and waved a mittened hand

and she smiled as she recognized me

and rushed forward to open the door.

Come in out of the cold, she urged, and ushered me through the entryway. I hope you don't mind an impromptu visit, I said,

as I unwound my scarf and pulled off my hat.

The inn was cozy and warm,

and I could smell wood polish and breakfast tea and lemon.

No, I'm so glad you stopped by.

I've got the kettle on.

And Cy wants a break anyway, she laughed.

I followed her down the hall to the library,

where a fire was going in the grate,

and the just-finished record was spinning on the turntable.

I stepped over to the window seat as she fixed a cup of tea for me and looked out past the yard and down to the lake. Sycamore jumped up onto the seat and rubbed his head against my hand.
I scratched between his ears and down his back. It would be another long, windy walk back home, but I was so glad to stop in and see these friends, to be asked in out of the cold, to sit by the fire with tea and windmill cookies and stories to catch up on.
Out of the Cold I was bundled up, but the wind was blowing this morning. I'd heard it blow all night as I was tucked into my bed, my thick old quilt pressing me down into my mattress.
You know that feeling when you are very glad and grateful to be safe and warm inside your house.

When your bed feels like a sanctuary

and you can sense sleep about to pull you down

and you rub your feet together like a dog wagging his tail.

And the sound of the wind had only helped.

Each time I'd come close to waking,

the whistle of it

through the eaves of my old farmhouse

We'll be right back down into my dreams. but today even though I was

properly bundled up against it

it was making my mourn even though I was properly bundled up against it.

It was making my morning walk a bit colder than I'd expected.

At least the sun was out, bright and golden,

reflecting on the thick frost in the fields I was tromping down the dirt road breathing the cold morning air through a layer of crocheted cotton, my warmest winter scarf, and I could smell only the absence of scent. Just as snow muffles sound, the cold muffles aroma.
The landscape rolled in front of me, mown-down fields, dotted with barns and farmhouses,

a frozen over pond where two mallards waddled on the surface.

But even when it's cold,

something about a morning walk always sweetens my day.

It's like setting a table with your favorite dish and mug.

Every bite tastes a bit better.

So I kept going past the crossroads, past the shuttered farm stand where I bought tomatoes and sunflowers in the summer, and past the giant willow, which caused the whole road to jog a bit to the right and then correct to the left. I appreciated that little divergence from the straight and narrow.
Glad that rather than cutting down a tree, someone a hundred years ago had just adjusted their path. I came to a long drive at the edge of the road and noticed that the evergreen garlands were up at the entrance to the inn.
the drive was framed

by a tall iron gate, which always sat open, and on either side were regal stone plinths topped with giant urns.

In the summer, they overflowed with vines and flowers,

but now were stuffed with pine boughs and holly branches

and strung with lights.

The innkeeper had been busy.

I crossed the road, eager to see how far the decorations extended,

and saw the whole drive was lined with garlands and velvety red bows. In the bright daylight, I couldn't see any lights on the inn itself, but I knew they were there and looked forward to driving past it all season, seeing the roofline and the windows framed with light.
I squinted to look closer and saw a bit of smoke rising out of the chimney and decided to drop in and see how she, the innkeeper, was doing.

The inn closed for the season each autumn,

and though there had been a big Halloween party,

it had otherwise been very quiet over here.

They would open again at the end of the year for the holidays, be booked with guests over Christmas and New Year's, and then spend another couple of months empty and hushed. As a neighbor, I'd known her and the staff for years, and knew that it worked well for all of them, this rhythm of on again, off again.
My hope to visit would be welcome, and not an interruption of her solitude. The inn sat on a large plot of land,

and the drive curved first one way and then the other,

showing off the gardens and tall trees.

I noticed bird feeders hung in branches and guessed this was one of the ways she kept busy over the winter. Hospitality must be built into her bones.

When her guests were gone, she took care of the birds. As I got closer, I started to glimpse the lake out past the house.

While the pond I'd spotted earlier had been frozen over,

the lake was too big for that this early in the season.

There was a rim of white at its edge, though.

The water was still moving, whipped up a bit by the wind and sparkling like diamonds in the sun. The row of trees along one side of the house looked strange without their hammocks, though I'd been here myself

to help her put them away in September.

Chef's garden was tilled over,

only a few hardy stems of kale and cabbage, still glinting with frost. I could hear music playing as I crossed the circle drive, where guests unloaded their cars and stepped to the front door.
Music usually meant she was cleaning, and when I pressed the doorbell and heard the chimes ringing through the giant old place.

I wasn't surprised to see her poke her head out into the hall, a scarf over her hair, and a feather duster in her hand. Sycamore, her black cat, shot down the hall and bounced around the foyer like a pinball.
He was obviously excited to see a guest. I pulled my scarf down and waved a mittened hand, and she smiled as she recognized me and rushed forward to open the door.
Come in, out of the cold, she urged and ushered me through the entryway. I hope you don't mind an impromptu visit, I said, as I unwound my scarf and pulled off my hat.
The inn was cozy and warm, and I could smell wood polish and breakfast tea. And lemon.

No, I'm so glad you stopped by.

I've got the kettle on.

And Sai wants a break anyway.

I followed her down the hall.

To the library.

Where a fire was going in the grate

and a just finished record

was spinning on the turntable.

I stepped over

to the window seat

as she fixed a cup of tea for me

and looked out past the yard and down toward the lake. sycamore jumped up

onto the seat

and Sycamore jumped up onto the seat

and rubbed his head against my hand.

I scratched between his ears and down his back.

It would be another long, windy walk back home. But I was so glad to stop in and see these friends to be asked in out of the cold,

to sit by the fire with tea and windmill cookies

and stories to catch up on.

Sweet dreams.