Valentine's at the Inn, Part 2

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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 Nicolai.

Speaker 1 I create everything that you hear on Nothing Much Happens

Speaker 1 with Audio Engineering by Bob Wittersheim.

Speaker 1 We give to a different charity each week. And this week we are giving to Stray Dog Incorporated.

Speaker 1 Stray Dog provides every rescue, a healthy, happy life until a forever home is found. Learn more about them in our show notes.

Speaker 1 If our show brings you some comfort,

Speaker 1 some good sleep, some benefit, and you wonder how you can support us,

Speaker 1 a free way to do that is just to listen to our ads.

Speaker 1 We are grateful to the companies that sponsor our show,

Speaker 1 and we want them to be successful.

Speaker 1 And since I talk so slowly,

Speaker 1 those ads are often just about the right amount of time to brush your teeth. Dentist approved.

Speaker 1 Another way, of course, is to subscribe to our premium feed.

Speaker 1 You are keeping us alive, folks, and we thank you for it.

Speaker 1 Links to everything in our notes.

Speaker 1 Now,

Speaker 1 in order to keep your brain from wandering

Speaker 1 so that we can lull it to sleep, we need to give it a point of focus.

Speaker 1 And that's the story.

Speaker 1 Just listen.

Speaker 1 Let the sound of my voice ease you

Speaker 1 into a sleepy place.

Speaker 1 This is a form of basic conditioning,

Speaker 1 So know that results will improve with regular use.

Speaker 1 You'll fall asleep faster

Speaker 1 and return to sleep more easily

Speaker 1 over time.

Speaker 1 I'll tell the story twice

Speaker 1 and I'll go a little bit slower the second time through.

Speaker 1 Our story tonight

Speaker 1 is called

Speaker 1 Valentine's Valentine's at the Inn, Part 2.

Speaker 1 And it continues from last week, a tale of a little romance and a lot of coziness by the lake.

Speaker 1 It's also about cinnamon and cardamom, crepe paper streamers

Speaker 1 decorating the ballroom,

Speaker 1 and the excitement of a properly planned event about to start.

Speaker 1 Okay,

Speaker 1 time to turn off the lights. Put away anything you are looking at or working on.

Speaker 1 You are safe, and I will be here,

Speaker 1 watching over you with my voice. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose

Speaker 1 and sigh.

Speaker 1 Do that again, fill it up

Speaker 1 and let it out.

Speaker 1 Good.

Speaker 1 Valentine's

Speaker 1 at the Inn.

Speaker 1 Part two

Speaker 1 Up in the ballroom on the second floor,

Speaker 1 things were nearly ready.

Speaker 1 It was Valentine's weekend at the inn,

Speaker 1 and we had a nearly full house of love birds and sweethearts

Speaker 1 ready to clink glasses and wander into the lonely corners of our vast rooms.

Speaker 1 Today we'd served breakfast in the dining room and drawing room

Speaker 1 with fires burning in the grates

Speaker 1 and flowers on each table.

Speaker 1 Chef had made our famous coffee cake

Speaker 1 as well as cinnamon rolls

Speaker 1 and cardamom buns.

Speaker 1 We poured cup after cup of coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Speaker 1 There was a light snow falling,

Speaker 1 the kind with tiny thin flakes,

Speaker 1 and the sun came out now and then

Speaker 1 to sparkle on the frozen lake.

Speaker 1 It was

Speaker 1 romantic.

Speaker 1 There was no argument there.

Speaker 1 But tonight

Speaker 1 was going to top it

Speaker 1 our guests were encouraged to visit town for lunch

Speaker 1 we'd put out some soup and sandwiches in the dining room

Speaker 1 self-service style

Speaker 1 but we'd highlighted the excellent cafes and bistros downtown

Speaker 1 the shops and sights that were perfect for idling away a winter afternoon

Speaker 1 and thankfully

Speaker 1 most of them took us up on it

Speaker 1 because

Speaker 1 i was a bit

Speaker 1 like a parent

Speaker 1 who needed the kids out from under my feet for a bit

Speaker 1 so that

Speaker 1 I could set up the ballroom.

Speaker 1 I'd had an idea.

Speaker 1 A little cheesy, maybe,

Speaker 1 but I hoped it would prove to be

Speaker 1 both romantic and fun.

Speaker 1 We were hosting a little grown-up prom

Speaker 1 for our guests tonight.

Speaker 1 The ballroom was decorated

Speaker 1 with streamers and balloons,

Speaker 1 flowers and bowls of chocolates.

Speaker 1 I was up on a ladder

Speaker 1 in the far corner behind the piano,

Speaker 1 twisting the last of the crepe paper streamers into place,

Speaker 1 while my cat sycamore chased a red balloon under a table.

Speaker 1 I'd been telling him about my own prom

Speaker 1 many years before

Speaker 1 how it had been

Speaker 1 mostly a letdown

Speaker 1 a night that had been overhyped for years

Speaker 1 and could not have lived up to all that I'd expected.

Speaker 1 That,

Speaker 1 in the end,

Speaker 1 I'd wished I'd danced more,

Speaker 1 cared less about my hair and dress,

Speaker 1 and just had fun.

Speaker 1 Well, that's why we're having a do-over,

Speaker 1 called a voice from the hall.

Speaker 1 I smiled to myself as I climbed down from the ladder.

Speaker 1 Sycamore and I

Speaker 1 had been alone at the inn

Speaker 1 for a few months now.

Speaker 1 And I'd forgotten that we could,

Speaker 1 ahem,

Speaker 1 be overheard.

Speaker 1 Chef came through the door,

Speaker 1 their hands full of a large tray of desserts.

Speaker 1 I went over to help them set out the tarts and cakes

Speaker 1 on the buffet by the window.

Speaker 1 Did you like your prom?

Speaker 1 I asked.

Speaker 1 They paused, smiling down at the the sweets.

Speaker 1 Oh, come on.

Speaker 1 I knew it.

Speaker 1 You had a blast, didn't you?

Speaker 1 You probably had a line of people waiting to dance with you.

Speaker 1 What can I say?

Speaker 1 I've always been popular, they laughed,

Speaker 1 as they tucked the empty tray under an arm

Speaker 1 and and headed back to the kitchens for more.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 tonight,

Speaker 1 everyone would have fun,

Speaker 1 would dance

Speaker 1 as much as they liked,

Speaker 1 be fed wonderful food,

Speaker 1 celebrate,

Speaker 1 and hopefully

Speaker 1 fall even deeper in love with their person.

Speaker 1 Sycamore and I

Speaker 1 kept at it through the afternoon.

Speaker 1 And just as I was lighting the candles on the tables,

Speaker 1 I started to hear guests

Speaker 1 coming through the entryway downstairs.

Speaker 1 Shoes clapping against the slate floor.

Speaker 1 I checked my watch

Speaker 1 and realized the band would be here soon.

Speaker 1 We closed the double doors to the ballroom as we left,

Speaker 1 not wanting guests to come peeping till we were ready.

Speaker 1 We followed the sweeping curved staircase down into the entryway,

Speaker 1 saying hello to guests as we passed them.

Speaker 1 The sun was setting

Speaker 1 and sending her rose red glow through the windows.

Speaker 1 It burnished the dark wood of the banisters

Speaker 1 and caught the silvery sparkles

Speaker 1 and Sycamore's black coat

Speaker 1 On the central table at the bottom of the stairs,

Speaker 1 beside the giant fern I'd kept alive for three winters now

Speaker 1 were urns of coffee and hot tea.

Speaker 1 Guests who needed a pick-me-up

Speaker 1 were filling mugs,

Speaker 1 and we wove past them to the front office,

Speaker 1 where I'd spotted the members of the band we'd hired.

Speaker 1 There was a piano player

Speaker 1 and singer

Speaker 1 who would serenade us during dinner,

Speaker 1 and then a drummer and guitar player,

Speaker 1 who would join in

Speaker 1 to get folks dancing afterwards.

Speaker 1 Sycamore loves music

Speaker 1 and had heard the band play for our Halloween party.

Speaker 1 He rushed toward them,

Speaker 1 rubbing against their legs and instrument cases.

Speaker 1 I followed and greeted them, taking their coats

Speaker 1 and leading them down to the library,

Speaker 1 where they could relax and nosh on the snack plates Chef had prepared for them before they took the stage.

Speaker 1 I liked this part.

Speaker 1 Everything was coming together.

Speaker 1 Before I'd been an innkeeper, I'd never organized anything more complicated than a brunch reservation.

Speaker 1 But now

Speaker 1 I'd overseen weddings and parties,

Speaker 1 busy holiday weekends,

Speaker 1 and summer fates.

Speaker 1 Tonight, I was sure,

Speaker 1 would be magical

Speaker 1 with dinner, music,

Speaker 1 and dancing cheek to cheek.

Speaker 1 This old place had seen lots of magic

Speaker 1 over the years

Speaker 1 and this would be

Speaker 1 another night for the books

Speaker 1 valentine's

Speaker 1 at the inn

Speaker 1 part two

Speaker 1 Up in the ballroom

Speaker 1 on the second floor,

Speaker 1 things

Speaker 1 were nearly ready.

Speaker 1 It was Valentine's weekend at the inn,

Speaker 1 and

Speaker 1 we had a nearly full house of lovebirds and sweethearts,

Speaker 1 ready to clink glasses

Speaker 1 and wander

Speaker 1 into the lonely corners

Speaker 1 of our vast rooms

Speaker 1 Today

Speaker 1 we'd served breakfast

Speaker 1 in the dining room and drawing room

Speaker 1 with fires burning in the grates

Speaker 1 and flowers on each table

Speaker 1 Chef had made

Speaker 1 our famous coffee cake,

Speaker 1 as well as cinnamon rolls

Speaker 1 and cardamom buns.

Speaker 1 We poured cup after cup of coffee

Speaker 1 and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Speaker 1 There was a light snow falling,

Speaker 1 the kind with tiny thin flakes,

Speaker 1 and the sun came out now and then

Speaker 1 to sparkle

Speaker 1 on the frozen lake.

Speaker 1 It was

Speaker 1 romantic.

Speaker 1 There was

Speaker 1 no argument there,

Speaker 1 but tonight

Speaker 1 was going to top it.

Speaker 1 Our guests were encouraged to visit town

Speaker 1 for lunch.

Speaker 1 We'd put out some soup and sandwiches

Speaker 1 in the dining room,

Speaker 1 self-service style.

Speaker 1 But we'd highlighted the excellent cafes and bistros downtown

Speaker 1 the shops and sights

Speaker 1 that were perfect

Speaker 1 for idling away

Speaker 1 a winter afternoon

Speaker 1 and

Speaker 1 thankfully

Speaker 1 most of them took us up on it

Speaker 1 because

Speaker 1 I was a bit

Speaker 1 like a parent

Speaker 1 who needed the kids out from under my feet for a bit

Speaker 1 so that I could set up the ballroom.

Speaker 1 I'd had an idea,

Speaker 1 a little cheesy, maybe,

Speaker 1 but I hoped it would prove to be

Speaker 1 both

Speaker 1 romantic

Speaker 1 and fun.

Speaker 1 We were hosting a little

Speaker 1 grown-up prom

Speaker 1 for our guests tonight.

Speaker 1 The ballroom was decorated with streamers and balloons,

Speaker 1 flowers,

Speaker 1 and bowls of chocolates.

Speaker 1 I was up on a ladder

Speaker 1 in the far corner

Speaker 1 behind the piano,

Speaker 1 twisting the last of the crepe paper streamers

Speaker 1 into place.

Speaker 1 While my cat, Sycamore,

Speaker 1 chased a red balloon under a table.

Speaker 1 I'd been telling him about my own prom

Speaker 1 many

Speaker 1 years before.

Speaker 1 How it had mostly been a letdown,

Speaker 1 a night that had been

Speaker 1 overhyped for years,

Speaker 1 and simply could not have lived up

Speaker 1 to all that I'd expected.

Speaker 1 That in the end,

Speaker 1 I'd wished I'd danced more,

Speaker 1 cared less

Speaker 1 about my hair

Speaker 1 and my dress,

Speaker 1 and just

Speaker 1 had fun.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 that's why we are having a do-over,

Speaker 1 called a voice from the hall.

Speaker 1 I smiled to myself

Speaker 1 as I climbed down from the ladder.

Speaker 1 Sycamore and I

Speaker 1 had been alone at the inn

Speaker 1 for a few months now,

Speaker 1 and

Speaker 1 I'd forgotten that

Speaker 1 we could,

Speaker 1 ahem

Speaker 1 be overheard.

Speaker 1 Chef came through the door,

Speaker 1 their hands full of a large tray of desserts.

Speaker 1 I went over to help them set out the tarts and cakes

Speaker 1 on the buffet by the window.

Speaker 1 Did you like your prom?

Speaker 1 I asked.

Speaker 1 They paused, smiling down at the treats.

Speaker 1 Oh, come on.

Speaker 1 I knew it.

Speaker 1 You had a blast, didn't you?

Speaker 1 You probably had a line of people waiting to dance with you.

Speaker 1 What can I say?

Speaker 1 I've always been popular.

Speaker 1 They laughed as they tucked the empty tray under an arm

Speaker 1 and headed back to the kitchens for more.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 tonight,

Speaker 1 everyone would have fun,

Speaker 1 would dance as much as they liked,

Speaker 1 and be fed wonderful food,

Speaker 1 celebrate,

Speaker 1 and hopefully

Speaker 1 fall even deeper in love

Speaker 1 with their person.

Speaker 1 Sycamore and I kept at it through the afternoon

Speaker 1 And just as I was lighting the candles on the tables,

Speaker 1 I started to hear guests

Speaker 1 coming through the entryway

Speaker 1 downstairs.

Speaker 1 Shoes

Speaker 1 clapping against the slate floor.

Speaker 1 I checked my watch

Speaker 1 and realized the band would be here soon.

Speaker 1 We closed the double doors to the ballroom as we left,

Speaker 1 not wanting guests to come peeping till we were ready.

Speaker 1 We followed the sweeping curved staircase

Speaker 1 down into the entryway,

Speaker 1 saying hello to guess

Speaker 1 as we passed them.

Speaker 1 The sun was setting

Speaker 1 and sending her rose-red glow through the windows.

Speaker 1 It burnished the dark wood of the banisters

Speaker 1 and caught the silvery sparkles

Speaker 1 in Sycamore's black coat

Speaker 1 on the central table

Speaker 1 at the bottom of the stairs,

Speaker 1 beside the giant fern

Speaker 1 I'd kept alive for three winters now

Speaker 1 were urns of coffee and hot tea.

Speaker 1 Guests who needed a pick-me-up

Speaker 1 were filling mugs

Speaker 1 and we wove past them

Speaker 1 to the front office

Speaker 1 where I'd spotted the members of the band we'd hired.

Speaker 1 There was a piano player

Speaker 1 and singer

Speaker 1 who would serenade us during dinner

Speaker 1 and then

Speaker 1 a drummer

Speaker 1 and guitar player

Speaker 1 who would join in

Speaker 1 to get folks dancing afterwards

Speaker 1 sycamore loves music

Speaker 1 and

Speaker 1 had heard this band play

Speaker 1 at our halloween party

Speaker 1 he rushed toward them

Speaker 1 rubbing against their legs

Speaker 1 and instrument cases.

Speaker 1 I followed and greeted them,

Speaker 1 taking their coats

Speaker 1 and leading them down to the library

Speaker 1 where they could relax

Speaker 1 and nosh on the snack plates

Speaker 1 Chef had prepared for them

Speaker 1 before they took the stage.

Speaker 1 I liked this part.

Speaker 1 Everything

Speaker 1 was coming together.

Speaker 1 Before I'd been an innkeeper,

Speaker 1 I'd never organized anything more complicated

Speaker 1 than a brunch reservation.

Speaker 1 But now

Speaker 1 I'd overseen weddings and parties

Speaker 1 busy holiday weekends

Speaker 1 and summer fates

Speaker 1 Tonight

Speaker 1 I was sure

Speaker 1 would be magical

Speaker 1 with dinner

Speaker 1 music

Speaker 1 and dancing cheek to cheek.

Speaker 1 This old place

Speaker 1 had seen lots of magic

Speaker 1 over the years,

Speaker 1 and this would be another night

Speaker 1 for the books,

Speaker 1 sweet dreams.