The Day After Thanksgiving (Encore)

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Speaker 1 The holidays can be a lot, can't they?

Speaker 1 For business owners especially, this time of year can go from cozy to chaotic. Fast.
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Speaker 1 Sign up for your free trial today at shopify.com/slash nothing much.

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Speaker 1 Welcome to bedtime stories for everyone,

Speaker 1 in which

Speaker 1 nothing much happens.

Speaker 1 You feel good,

Speaker 1 and then

Speaker 1 you fall asleep.

Speaker 1 I'm Catherine Nikolai.

Speaker 1 I write and read

Speaker 3 all the stories you hear on Nothing Much Happens.

Speaker 1 Audio Engineering is by Bob Wittersheim.

Speaker 1 We are bringing you an encore episode tonight, meaning that this story originally aired at some point in the past.

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Speaker 1 Happy holidays.

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Speaker 3 Now let me tell you a little about how to use this podcast.

Speaker 3 This podcast is designed to put you to sleep or to just help you relax.

Speaker 3 I'll tell you a story to give your busy mind a sweet place to lie down.

Speaker 3 I'll tell it twice and I'll go a little slower the second time through.

Speaker 3 Just listen to the sound of my voice and follow along with the details of the story.

Speaker 3 And before you know it, you'll be drifting into deep, restful sleep.

Speaker 3 If you wake later in the night, just think back through the bits of the story that you can remember.

Speaker 3 This puts your brain right back on track for sleep, rather than letting it wander and race.

Speaker 3 The more you listen, the more your sleep will improve, as we are training your brain for better sleep habits over time.

Speaker 3 Our story tonight is called The Day After Thanksgiving.

Speaker 3 And it's a story about enjoying the quiet after a big day,

Speaker 3 and looking forward to the season to come.

Speaker 3 It's also about being in your pajamas for as long as you like,

Speaker 3 the best way to pop popcorn, and some happy traditions.

Speaker 3 Now it's time to stop looking at and checking things.

Speaker 3 Turn off your light.

Speaker 3 Snuggle your body down into your sheets and pull your blanket up over your shoulder.

Speaker 3 Sometimes it helps to say to yourself,

Speaker 3 I'm about to fall asleep,

Speaker 3 and I'll sleep deep all night.

Speaker 3 Let's take a deep breath in through the nose

Speaker 3 and let it out of the mouth.

Speaker 3 Good.

Speaker 3 Do that one more time. Breathe in

Speaker 3 and out.

Speaker 3 Good.

Speaker 3 The day after Thanksgiving.

Speaker 3 I know some people rush out on that day after Thanksgiving at four in the morning to mob the stores and shop till they drop.

Speaker 3 But I've never felt the slightest desire to join them.

Speaker 3 In fact, I think that day after Thanksgiving is is the perfect day to lay in bed for a long time,

Speaker 3 sip coffee, and think about what kind of pie you should have for breakfast.

Speaker 3 So that's what I was doing.

Speaker 3 I was on my second cup, swaddled deep into my pillows and comforter, while the rest of the house slept late.

Speaker 3 I was half reading a book, and half remembering dinner the night before and smiling at the memories.

Speaker 3 Our Thanksgiving is a sweet mix of family and a few friends so dear and long held

Speaker 3 that they might as well be family.

Speaker 3 It starts early in the afternoon, as cars pull up and the doorbell rings.

Speaker 3 Casserole dishes carefully bundled in carriers, get passed from hand to hand.

Speaker 3 Drinks are poured, and groups form around dishes of nuts and trays of olives and pickles.

Speaker 3 Everyone helps out, stirring and tasting and laying the table.

Speaker 3 And finally, we all sit down and raise our glasses to each other

Speaker 3 and the year that's passed

Speaker 3 and to all that we have.

Speaker 3 Then the food, and passing plates, and laughing, and refilling glasses, and declarations about not being able to eat any more, and then eating a bit more.

Speaker 3 There's always that lull after the meal.

Speaker 3 Some needing to stretch out and maybe catch a little nap while football is played.

Speaker 3 The younger ones needing to blow off some steam and bundling up to play outside.

Speaker 3 Others happy to chatter and gossip while they clean and pack up leftovers and brew pots of coffee to go with the pies.

Speaker 3 That brought me back to the question at hand.

Speaker 3 What kind of pie should I have for breakfast?

Speaker 3 I padded down to the kitchen, blessedly cleaned by the group effort the night before, and considered my options.

Speaker 3 Pumpkin, apple,

Speaker 3 pecan.

Speaker 3 That was tough, and I had been known to choose the sampler option in the past.

Speaker 3 But today, I knew down deep the answer was pumpkin.

Speaker 3 I cut myself a large wedge and poured another cup of coffee from the pot.

Speaker 3 I'd tried something new this year and whipped chilled coconut milk from the can into a creamy sweet topping.

Speaker 3 Some went onto the pie and some in my coffee.

Speaker 3 As I ate and sipped, I slid around in my socks and peered out through the windows.

Speaker 3 No snow yet,

Speaker 3 but the leaves had a crunchy hard frost on them,

Speaker 3 and the air looked cold through the sunlight.

Speaker 3 I saw a bird,

Speaker 3 a bright red northern cardinal, with a black face and red beak at the feeder,

Speaker 3 and on a branch beside him a silvery grey tufted tit mouse, with a patch of blush peach on his side and belly.

Speaker 3 They ate well from our feeders, but also pecked around at the shrubs and trees, finding a few leftover berries.

Speaker 3 That made me think of the bowl of washed cranberries ready in the fridge that I'd forgotten to do anything with the day before.

Speaker 3 I clicked my tongue.

Speaker 3 Oh well, nobody really eats the cranberries anyway.

Speaker 3 I'd string them instead, with popcorn for the Christmas tree. Perfect.

Speaker 3 I added an old green sweater to my pajamas and socks ensemble, buttoning it up as I headed to the closet to find my sewing needles and thread.

Speaker 3 They weren't really mine.

Speaker 3 I'd inherited an old case of supplies from an aunt who was a keen seamstress.

Speaker 3 When her eyes had gotten a bit too bad to keep working, she'd passed it to me, hoping I might take up the hobby.

Speaker 3 I hadn't, really, but I loved her case and took a moment to set it out on a table and go through some of her things.

Speaker 3 She had a fine pair of long silver scissors.

Speaker 3 I remembered as a child that they couldn't be borrowed for any other purpose than sewing.

Speaker 3 An old red pincushion that was fashioned like a tomato but with a tiny strawberry hanging from it, still pricked with her needles and pins.

Speaker 3 And a glass jam jar full of buttons.

Speaker 3 I poured some out into my hand and poked through them,

Speaker 3 wondering what dress or suit jacket or fancy heeled shoe they'd come from.

Speaker 3 I took some strong thread and the pincushion with needles. I packed up the rest and put it away.

Speaker 3 I took out my bowl of cranberries and brought out the popcorn pan from the cupboard.

Speaker 3 I added oil and dropped in just three kernels of corn and put it on the stove.

Speaker 3 Listen, I'm about to tell you a secret about popcorn.

Speaker 3 Wait for those three kernels to pop,

Speaker 3 and once all three have, add the rest, and you'll pop every one in the pot by the time you're done, without burning.

Speaker 3 I don't know how it works,

Speaker 3 but it does.

Speaker 3 I guessed that the smell of fresh popcorn and hot coffee would mean I would have company soon, and that sounded fine to me.

Speaker 3 I poured the popcorn into a huge bowl and salted it.

Speaker 3 I set myself up on the sofa,

Speaker 3 a long string of black thread, a needle, my bowls, and another one to catch the strung garland.

Speaker 3 I ate a piece and strung a piece and worked like that for a while.

Speaker 3 till I heard shuffling slippers on the stairs and a cup being filled in the kitchen.

Speaker 3 Sleepy eyes watched me over the rim as I threaded the berries and the corn.

Speaker 3 Where's the Christmas music?

Speaker 3 And we should have a fire.

Speaker 3 I smiled, knowing we had the whole day to do more of this.

Speaker 3 Yes, please, I said.

Speaker 3 The day after Thanksgiving

Speaker 3 I know some people rush out on that day after Thanksgiving at four in the morning to mob the stores

Speaker 3 and shop till they drop.

Speaker 3 But I've never felt the slightest desire to join them.

Speaker 3 In fact, I think that day after Thanksgiving is the perfect day to lay in bed for a long time,

Speaker 3 sip coffee,

Speaker 3 and think about which kind of pie you should have for breakfast.

Speaker 3 So that's what I was doing.

Speaker 3 I was on my second cup,

Speaker 3 swaddled deep in my pillows and comforter,

Speaker 3 while the rest of the house slept late.

Speaker 3 I was half reading a book, and half remembering dinner the night before,

Speaker 3 and smiling at the memories.

Speaker 3 Our Thanksgiving is a sweet mix of family, and a few friends so dear and long held that they might as well be family.

Speaker 3 It starts early in the afternoon

Speaker 3 as cars pull up and the doorbell rings.

Speaker 3 Casserole dishes, carefully bundled in carriers, get passed from hand to hand.

Speaker 3 Drinks are poured,

Speaker 3 and groups form around dishes of nuts and trays of olives and pickles.

Speaker 3 Everyone helps out, stirring and tasting and laying the table.

Speaker 3 And finally, we all sit down and raise our glasses to each other

Speaker 3 and the year that's past

Speaker 3 and to all that we have.

Speaker 3 Then the food

Speaker 3 and passing plates

Speaker 3 and laughing

Speaker 3 and refilling glasses

Speaker 3 and declarations about not being able to eat any more,

Speaker 3 and then eating a bit more.

Speaker 3 There's always that lull after the meal.

Speaker 3 Some needing to stretch out

Speaker 3 and maybe catch a little nap while football is played.

Speaker 3 The younger ones needing to blow off steam and bundling up to play outside.

Speaker 3 Others happy to chatter and gossip while they clean and pack up leftovers and brew pots of coffee to go with the pies.

Speaker 3 That brought me back to the question at hand.

Speaker 3 What kind of pie should I have for breakfast?

Speaker 3 I padded down to the kitchen, blessedly cleaned by the group effort the night before,

Speaker 3 and considered my options.

Speaker 3 Pumpkin, apple,

Speaker 3 pecan.

Speaker 3 That was tough.

Speaker 3 I had been known to choose the sampler option in the past.

Speaker 3 But today,

Speaker 3 I knew down deep the answer was pumpkin.

Speaker 3 I cut myself a large wedge and poured another cup of coffee from the pot.

Speaker 3 I'd tried something new this year and whipped chilled coconut milk from the can

Speaker 3 into a creamy sweet topping.

Speaker 3 Some went onto the pie,

Speaker 3 and some in my coffee.

Speaker 3 As I ate and sipped, I slid around in my socks and peered out through the windows.

Speaker 3 No snow yet,

Speaker 3 but the leaves had a crunchy hard frost on them, and the air looked cold through the sunlight.

Speaker 3 I saw a bird,

Speaker 3 a bright red northern cardinal, with a black face and red beak at the feeder.

Speaker 3 In a branch beside him, a silvery grey tufted titmouse,

Speaker 3 with a patch of blush peach on his side and belly.

Speaker 3 They ate well from our feeders, but also pecked around at the shrubs and trees, finding a few leftover berries.

Speaker 3 That made me think of the bowl of washed cranberries, ready in the fridge, that I'd forgotten to do anything with the day before.

Speaker 3 I clicked my tongue.

Speaker 3 Oh well,

Speaker 3 nobody really eats the cranberries anyway.

Speaker 3 I'd string them instead with popcorn for the Christmas tree. Perfect.

Speaker 3 I added an old green sweater to my pajamas and socks ensemble,

Speaker 3 buttoning it up as I headed to the closet to find my sewing needles and thread.

Speaker 3 They weren't really mine.

Speaker 3 I'd inherited a case of supplies from an aunt who was a keen seamstress.

Speaker 3 When her eyes had gotten a bit too bad to keep working, she'd passed it to me, hoping I might take up the hobby.

Speaker 3 I hadn't, really,

Speaker 3 but I loved her case,

Speaker 3 and I took a moment to set it out on the table and go through some of her things.

Speaker 3 She had a fine pair of long silver scissors.

Speaker 3 I remembered as a child, they couldn't be borrowed for any other purpose than sewing.

Speaker 3 An old red pincushion that was fashioned like a tomato, but with a tiny strawberry hanging from it,

Speaker 3 still pricked with her needles and pins,

Speaker 3 and a glass jam jar full of buttons.

Speaker 3 I poured some out into my hand and poked through them,

Speaker 3 wondering what dress or suit jacket or fancy heeled shoe they'd come from.

Speaker 3 I took some strong thread and the pincushion with needles, and packed up the rest and put it away.

Speaker 3 I took out my bowl of cranberries and brought out the popcorn pan from the cupboard.

Speaker 3 I added oil and dropped in just three kernels of corn

Speaker 3 and put it on the stove.

Speaker 3 Listen,

Speaker 3 I'm about to tell you a secret about popcorn.

Speaker 3 Wait for those three kernels to pop,

Speaker 3 and once all three have, add the rest,

Speaker 3 and you'll pop every one in the pot by the time you're done, without burning.

Speaker 3 I don't know how it works,

Speaker 3 but it does.

Speaker 3 I guessed that the smell of fresh popcorn and hot coffee would mean I would have company soon.

Speaker 3 And that sounded fine to me.

Speaker 3 I poured the popcorn into a huge bowl and salted it.

Speaker 3 I set myself upon the sofa.

Speaker 3 A long string of black thread, a needle, my bowls, and another one to catch the strung garland.

Speaker 3 I ate a piece and strung a piece,

Speaker 3 and worked like that for a while,

Speaker 3 till I heard shuffling slippers on the stairs, and a cup being filled in the kitchen.

Speaker 3 Sleepy eyes watched me over the rim as I threaded the berries and the corn.

Speaker 3 Where's the Christmas Christmas music?

Speaker 3 And we should have a fire.

Speaker 3 I smiled, knowing we had the whole day

Speaker 3 to do more of this.

Speaker 3 Yes, please, I said.

Speaker 3 Sweet dreams.