Rainy Day Rituals

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Speaker 1 Welcome to Bedtime Stories for Everyone,

Speaker 1 in which nothing much happens.

Speaker 1 You feel good, and then you fall asleep.

Speaker 1 I'm Catherine Nikolai. I create everything you hear on Nothing Much Happens

Speaker 1 with Audio Engineering by Bob Wittersheim.

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Speaker 1 Now,

Speaker 1 I have a story to tell you. And just by listening, we'll train your brain to respond more reliably,

Speaker 1 to fall asleep, and to return to sleep quickly and easily.

Speaker 1 I'll tell the story twice, and I'll go a little slower the second time through.

Speaker 1 If you wake later in the night, don't hesitate to restart a story.

Speaker 1 Our story tonight is called Rainy Day Rituals.

Speaker 1 And it's a story about small tasks attended to as a storm blows through.

Speaker 1 It's also about a fuzzy radio playing in the background, terry cloth and tidally folded towels, thunder and lightning, flickering lights and candle flames,

Speaker 1 and allowing yourself to do less and enjoy more.

Speaker 1 So lights out,

Speaker 1 devices down.

Speaker 1 You have looked at a screen for the last time today.

Speaker 1 Relax your jaw.

Speaker 1 Soften your shoulders.

Speaker 1 And feel your whole body dropping heavy into the bed.

Speaker 1 You are safe.

Speaker 1 And I will be here,

Speaker 1 guarding you with my voice as you sleep.

Speaker 1 Draw a deep breath in through your nose

Speaker 1 and release from your mouth.

Speaker 1 Do that again. Breathe in

Speaker 1 and sigh.

Speaker 1 Good.

Speaker 1 Rainy Day Rituals

Speaker 1 It was a stormy day at the cottage,

Speaker 1 and I didn't mind it.

Speaker 1 The week had been hot and humid,

Speaker 1 and I'd been soaking up as much sun as I could,

Speaker 1 wanting to store it away in my cells to tide me over

Speaker 1 in winter.

Speaker 1 But I'd also been a little worn out by it.

Speaker 1 My eyes were tired of squinting at the sun.

Speaker 1 I was tired of sweating through my t-shirts

Speaker 1 and wanted a day to spend inside

Speaker 1 without feeling like I was missing out.

Speaker 1 Of course, we are never really missing out.

Speaker 1 Just seeing other spaces,

Speaker 1 living different moments.

Speaker 1 So even before I'd opened my eyes this morning,

Speaker 1 I'd already given myself permission

Speaker 1 to spend the whole day inside.

Speaker 1 Reading books in a room with the blinds drawn or watching movies on the sofa,

Speaker 1 even if it was sunny and hot out,

Speaker 1 when I'd heard the rumble of thunder

Speaker 1 and the drumming rain on the roof.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 it had made the decision all the sweeter.

Speaker 1 I tuned the dial of the radio on the porch as I sipped my coffee,

Speaker 1 listening in for the forecast.

Speaker 1 Pack your umbrellas, they suggested.

Speaker 1 A perfect day if you're a duck, they quipped.

Speaker 1 I chuckled to myself

Speaker 1 as I sat wrapped in my robe,

Speaker 1 watching a stream of water pour from the gutter spout.

Speaker 1 That smell of summer rain,

Speaker 1 especially when lightning was crackling through the sky,

Speaker 1 petrichor

Speaker 1 and ozone,

Speaker 1 earthy,

Speaker 1 sweet, and slightly crisp and metallic.

Speaker 1 It was refreshing,

Speaker 1 energizing.

Speaker 1 I found that my need for a day of rest

Speaker 1 was being replaced with a yen for a day of quiet, quiet, satisfying activity.

Speaker 1 I strolled over the uneven floors of the old cottage,

Speaker 1 considering what tasks might feel rewarding,

Speaker 1 not too taxing,

Speaker 1 and those that I might especially wish I had seen to when the heat and humidity returned.

Speaker 1 There were just a few dishes in the sink,

Speaker 1 and I had them washed up and drying in the rack.

Speaker 1 The whole kitchen wiped down and returned to factory settings within a few minutes.

Speaker 1 I moved on to the bedroom, where I made the bed

Speaker 1 and changed into soft terry cloth pants and a tee.

Speaker 1 Something about terrycloth

Speaker 1 always reminds me of coming in from a day swimming when I was a kid.

Speaker 1 I must have had a few matched sets back then.

Speaker 1 I'd be tired from all my cannon balls and doggy paddling,

Speaker 1 all my sprints up and down the break wall,

Speaker 1 all the sunshine I'd drunk in,

Speaker 1 and I'd trade my damp swimsuit

Speaker 1 for fresh, clean clothes,

Speaker 1 a terrycloth set,

Speaker 1 which would feel so good against my sun-kissed skin.

Speaker 1 Then,

Speaker 1 nearly without fail,

Speaker 1 I'd fall asleep on the porch swing or sofa,

Speaker 1 and eventually be woken up when dinner was ready.

Speaker 1 Oh, to be a child,

Speaker 1 sitting down at the table, rubbing the sleep from your eyes

Speaker 1 as your plate was filled with favorite foods,

Speaker 1 and knowing you could do it all again to morrow.

Speaker 1 I smiled to myself as I hung my robe on the bathroom door,

Speaker 1 thinking that the grown-up version of that might be takeout

Speaker 1 delivered at the end of your nap.

Speaker 1 Not a bad idea for later today.

Speaker 1 I noticed a full laundry basket heaped with clean towels and washcloths beside the dryer.

Speaker 1 Remembering that I'd emptied it before bed the night before,

Speaker 1 but hadn't had the energy to fold and put the things away.

Speaker 1 That felt like the perfect kind of chore for me today.

Speaker 1 And I would take my time

Speaker 1 and fold them right,

Speaker 1 not just shaking them out

Speaker 1 as I stood in front of the shelf,

Speaker 1 trying to flip them into thirds.

Speaker 1 I carried the basket to the kitchen table,

Speaker 1 freshly wiped down from my quick reset,

Speaker 1 and laid the first one over the surface.

Speaker 1 Now I've found over the years

Speaker 1 that bath towel folding can be

Speaker 1 highly personal.

Speaker 1 Many of us tend to have very strong feelings

Speaker 1 about rolled versus flat,

Speaker 1 spa style versus retail,

Speaker 1 or even just the way my dad did it versus the way your mom did.

Speaker 1 Luckily, I was queen of my own cupboard, and shape and stacking style were all up to me.

Speaker 1 I'd tried the spa rolls before,

Speaker 1 and I have to admit, they were appealing.

Speaker 1 I loved the way they looked on the stool beside my tub when I'd stack one crossed over another.

Speaker 1 as if my bathroom were about to be photographed for a magazine.

Speaker 1 But they didn't stack well in the linen cupboard.

Speaker 1 Several times I'd reached for one.

Speaker 1 The fuzzy material caught on two others and pulled them out to land in an unrolled pile on the floor.

Speaker 1 Since then, I'd gone to the retail fold.

Speaker 1 One that stacked neatly and reminded me of the piles of new towels in a fancy shop.

Speaker 1 I folded that first towel in half widthwise,

Speaker 1 then in thirds lengthwise,

Speaker 1 and once more in half

Speaker 1 from top to bottom.

Speaker 1 It left me with a tidy rectangle,

Speaker 1 no tag hanging out, and flat and even for stacking.

Speaker 1 As I worked my way through the basket,

Speaker 1 I listened to the hum of the radio in the background,

Speaker 1 the soft hush of steady rain,

Speaker 1 and the occasional crackle of thunder.

Speaker 1 Just as I was pulling the last towel from the basket, a bright branch of lightning

Speaker 1 sliced through the sky,

Speaker 1 And a moment later,

Speaker 1 the lights went out around me.

Speaker 1 I stood still,

Speaker 1 held the towel in my hands, and waited.

Speaker 1 I've always found this moment, the moment when the power goes out,

Speaker 1 just a bit exciting.

Speaker 1 My stomach took a little flip,

Speaker 1 and I let myself imagine an afternoon without electricity.

Speaker 1 I'd light a few candles,

Speaker 1 reach for the book on the top of my to be red stack,

Speaker 1 and settle in on the porch glider,

Speaker 1 the cool stormy air blowing through the screens,

Speaker 1 and the quiet of the street

Speaker 1 like a balm on my nerves.

Speaker 1 I'd keep the fridge closed to preserve the cold inside

Speaker 1 and would have no choice but to order myself my favorite meal from the restaurant on the other side of the river,

Speaker 1 where I could see that the lights still shone.

Speaker 1 Just then,

Speaker 1 the lights flickered and came back on.

Speaker 1 The radio buzzing back to life,

Speaker 1 and the oven giving a friendly beep, as if marking itself present in class.

Speaker 1 I shook out the towel

Speaker 1 and laid it on the table, folding and stacking it on the others.

Speaker 1 Ah, well, I thought,

Speaker 1 as I carried them to the cupboard and put them away,

Speaker 1 I can just pretend.

Speaker 1 I flicked the light switches off as I walked through the house,

Speaker 1 struck a match and lit my candle,

Speaker 1 and carried my book to the porch.

Speaker 1 Rainy Day Rituals

Speaker 1 It was a stormy day

Speaker 1 at the cottage,

Speaker 1 and I didn't mind it.

Speaker 1 The week had been hot and humid,

Speaker 1 and I'd been soaking up as much sun as I could,

Speaker 1 wanting to store it away in my cells

Speaker 1 to tide me over in winter.

Speaker 1 But I'd also been

Speaker 1 a little worn out by it.

Speaker 1 My eyes were tired of squinting at the sun.

Speaker 1 I was tired of sweating through my t-shirts

Speaker 1 and wanted a day to spend inside

Speaker 1 without feeling like I was missing out.

Speaker 1 And of course, we are never really missing out,

Speaker 1 just seeing other spaces,

Speaker 1 living different moments.

Speaker 1 So even before I'd opened my eyes this morning,

Speaker 1 I'd already given myself permission to spend the whole day inside,

Speaker 1 reading books in a room with the blinds drawn

Speaker 1 or watching movies on the sofa,

Speaker 1 even

Speaker 1 if it was sunny and hot out.

Speaker 1 When I'd heard the rumble of thunder

Speaker 1 and drumming of rain on the roof.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 it had made the decision all the sweeter.

Speaker 1 I turned the dial of the radio on the porch as I sipped my coffee,

Speaker 1 listening in for the forecast.

Speaker 1 Pack your umbrellas, they'd suggested.

Speaker 1 A perfect day if you're a duck, they'd quipped.

Speaker 1 I chuckled to myself

Speaker 1 as I sat wrapped in my robe,

Speaker 1 watching a stream of water

Speaker 1 pour from the gutter spout

Speaker 1 That smell of summer rain

Speaker 1 especially when lightning was crackling through the sky,

Speaker 1 petrichor

Speaker 1 and ozone,

Speaker 1 earthy, sweet,

Speaker 1 slightly crisp and metallic.

Speaker 1 It was refreshing,

Speaker 1 energizing.

Speaker 1 And I found that my need for a day of rest

Speaker 1 was being replaced

Speaker 1 with a yen for a day of quiet, satisfying activity.

Speaker 1 I strolled over the uneven floors

Speaker 1 of the old cottage,

Speaker 1 considering what tasks

Speaker 1 might feel rewarding,

Speaker 1 not too taxing,

Speaker 1 and those that

Speaker 1 I might especially wish I had seen to

Speaker 1 when the heat and humidity returned.

Speaker 1 There were just a few dishes in the sink,

Speaker 1 and I had them washed up and drying in the rack,

Speaker 1 the whole kitchen wiped down

Speaker 1 and returned to factory settings

Speaker 1 within a few minutes.

Speaker 1 I moved on to the bedroom,

Speaker 1 where I made the bed

Speaker 1 and changed into soft terry cloth pants and a tee.

Speaker 1 Something about terry cloth

Speaker 1 always reminds me

Speaker 1 of coming in from a day of swimming when I was a kid.

Speaker 1 I must have had a few matched sets back then.

Speaker 1 I'd be very tired

Speaker 1 from all my cannonballs

Speaker 1 and doggy paddling,

Speaker 1 all my sprints up and down the break wall,

Speaker 1 all the sunshine I'd drunk in

Speaker 1 And I'd trade my damp swimsuit

Speaker 1 for fresh, clean clothes,

Speaker 1 a terrycloth set,

Speaker 1 which would feel

Speaker 1 so good against my sun-kissed skin.

Speaker 1 Men,

Speaker 1 nearly without fail,

Speaker 1 I'd fall asleep on the porch swing or sofa

Speaker 1 and eventually be be woken up

Speaker 1 when dinner was ready.

Speaker 1 Oh, to be a child,

Speaker 1 sitting down at the table,

Speaker 1 rubbing the sleep from your eyes

Speaker 1 as your plate was filled with favorite foods,

Speaker 1 and knowing

Speaker 1 you could do it all

Speaker 1 to morrow.

Speaker 1 I smiled to myself

Speaker 1 as I hung my robe on the bathroom door,

Speaker 1 thinking that

Speaker 1 the grown-up version of that

Speaker 1 might be

Speaker 1 takeout

Speaker 1 delivered

Speaker 1 at the end of your nap.

Speaker 1 Not a bad idea

Speaker 1 for later today.

Speaker 1 I noticed a full laundry basket heaped with clean towels and washcloths beside the dryer.

Speaker 1 Remembering that I'd emptied it before bed

Speaker 1 the night before,

Speaker 1 but hadn't had the energy

Speaker 1 to fold and put the things away.

Speaker 1 And that felt like the perfect kind of chore for me to day.

Speaker 1 And I would take my time

Speaker 1 and fold them right,

Speaker 1 not just shaking them out as I stood in front of the shelf,

Speaker 1 trying to flip them into thirds.

Speaker 1 I carried the basket

Speaker 1 to the kitchen table,

Speaker 1 freshly wiped down

Speaker 1 from my quick reset

Speaker 1 and laid the first one over the surface.

Speaker 1 Now, I've found over the years

Speaker 1 that bath towel folding

Speaker 1 can be

Speaker 1 highly personal.

Speaker 1 Many of us

Speaker 1 tend to have very strong feelings

Speaker 1 about

Speaker 1 rolled

Speaker 1 versus flat

Speaker 1 spa style

Speaker 1 versus retail,

Speaker 1 or even just

Speaker 1 the way my dad did it

Speaker 1 versus the way your mom did.

Speaker 1 Luckily,

Speaker 1 I was queen of my own cupboard,

Speaker 1 and shape and stacking style

Speaker 1 were all up to me

Speaker 1 i'd tried the spa rolls before

Speaker 1 and i have to admit they are appealing

Speaker 1 i loved the way they looked on the stool beside my tub

Speaker 1 when i'd stack one crossed over another

Speaker 1 as if my bathroom

Speaker 1 were about to be photographed

Speaker 1 for a magazine,

Speaker 1 but

Speaker 1 they didn't stack well in the linen cupboard.

Speaker 1 Several times

Speaker 1 I'd reached for one,

Speaker 1 and the fuzzy material

Speaker 1 caught on two others

Speaker 1 and pulled them out to land

Speaker 1 in an unrolled pile

Speaker 1 on the floor.

Speaker 1 Since then

Speaker 1 I'd gone to the retail fold,

Speaker 1 one that stacked neatly

Speaker 1 and reminded me of the piles of new towels

Speaker 1 in a fancy shop.

Speaker 1 I folded that first towel

Speaker 1 in half widthwise,

Speaker 1 then in thirds lengthwise,

Speaker 1 and once more in half from top to bottom.

Speaker 1 It left me with a tidy rectangle,

Speaker 1 no tag hanging out,

Speaker 1 and flat,

Speaker 1 uneven for stacking.

Speaker 1 As I worked my way through the basket,

Speaker 1 I listened to the hum of the radio in the background,

Speaker 1 the soft hush of steady rain,

Speaker 1 and the occasional crackle of thunder.

Speaker 1 Just as I was pulling the last towel from the basket,

Speaker 1 a bright branch of lightning sliced through the sky.

Speaker 1 And a moment later, the lights went out around me.

Speaker 1 I stood still,

Speaker 1 held the towel in my hands,

Speaker 1 and waited.

Speaker 1 I've always found

Speaker 1 this moment,

Speaker 1 the moment when the power goes out,

Speaker 1 just a bit exciting.

Speaker 1 My stomach took a little flip

Speaker 1 and I let myself imagine

Speaker 1 an afternoon

Speaker 1 without electricity.

Speaker 1 I'd light a few candles,

Speaker 1 reach for the book on the top of my to be red stack,

Speaker 1 and settle on the porch glider,

Speaker 1 the cool stormy air blowing through the screens,

Speaker 1 and the quiet of the street,

Speaker 1 like a balm on my nerves.

Speaker 1 I'd keep the fridge closed

Speaker 1 to preserve the cold inside,

Speaker 1 and would have no choice

Speaker 1 but to order myself my favorite meal

Speaker 1 from the restaurant on the other side of the river

Speaker 1 Where I could see that lights still shone

Speaker 1 Just then

Speaker 1 the lights flickered

Speaker 1 and came back on

Speaker 1 the radio buzzing to life,

Speaker 1 and the oven giving a friendly beep,

Speaker 1 as if marking itself present in class.

Speaker 1 I shook out the towel

Speaker 1 and laid it on the table,

Speaker 1 folding

Speaker 1 and stacking it on the others.

Speaker 1 Ah, well,

Speaker 1 I thought

Speaker 1 as I carried them to the cupboard

Speaker 1 and put them away.

Speaker 1 I can just pretend.

Speaker 1 I flicked the light switches off as I walked through the house,

Speaker 1 struck a match,

Speaker 1 and lit my candle,

Speaker 1 and carried my book

Speaker 1 to the porch.

Speaker 1 Sweet dreams.