Our story tonight is called Rain on the Lake, and it’s a story about a sudden arrival of drops and dark clouds on a spring afternoon. It’s also about a broach in a jewelry box, the smell of rain mixing with lake water, mist, and lamps lit in the darkness, memories of rainbows and rowboats, and taking rest as showers move across the horizon. We give to a different charity each week, and this week, we are giving to United 24, which works to Unite the world around supporting Ukraine in an effort to protect, save, and rebuild. Visit moonbird.life/nothingmuchhappens to save 20% Right now, Nothing Much Happens listeners can save 30% on their first order! Just head to cornbreadhemp.com/NOTHINGMUCH and use code NOTHINGMUCH at checkout. Visit our partner page to learn about the products featured in our ads. NMH merch, autographed books and more! Subscribe for ad-free, bonus, and extra-long episodes now, as well as ad-free and early episodes of Stories from the Village of Nothing Much! Search for the NMH Premium channel on Apple podcasts or follow this link. Listen to our daytime show, Stories from the Village of Nothing Much, on your favorite podcast app. Join us tomorrow morning for a meditation
Chapter 1: What is the purpose of Nothing Much Happens podcast?
Welcome to Bedtime Stories for Everyone, in which nothing much happens. You feel good, and then you fall asleep. I'm Katherine Nicolai.
Chapter 2: How does Katherine Nicolai support charities through the podcast?
I create everything you hear on Nothing Much Happens. Audio engineering is by Bob Wittersheim. We give to a different charity each week. And this week we are giving to United24, which works to unite the world around supporting Ukraine in an effort to protect, save, and rebuild. You can learn more in our show notes. Thanks to some recent premium subscribers. Thank you, Aiden. Thank you, Karna.
Kyle and Mary, thank you. Your support means so much to us. As always, you can subscribe to our premium for ad-free and bonus episodes. It's super affordable. It's literally about a dime a day. And the links are in our show notes. I have a story to tell you. It is a soft place to rest your mind.
And just by listening, you'll condition a reliable response in your nervous system to fall asleep and return to sleep easily. This is a form of brain training. So be patient if you are new to this. I'll read the story twice. and I'll go a little slower the second time through. If you wake again later in the night, think back through any part of the story you can remember, or just push play again.
Chapter 3: What is the story 'Rain on the Lake' about?
Our story tonight is called Rain on the Lake.
And it's a story about a sudden arrival of drops and dark clouds on a spring afternoon.
It's also about a brooch in a jewelry box, the smell of rain mixing with lake water.
Mist and lamps lit in the darkness, memories of rainbows and rowboats, and taking rest as showers move across the horizon. I was a full-time yoga teacher for over 20 years, and I know the power of intentional breathing. It's why our two deep breaths have been part of our bedtime routine since episode one. And that's why I want to introduce you to Moonbird.
Chapter 4: How does Moonbird help with relaxation and sleep?
Moonbird is a handheld breathing device designed to comfortably fit in the palm of your hand. When you shake it, it will start inflating and deflating. So in your hand, it will feel like you're holding a little bird that is breathing in and out. The only thing you need to do is breathe along with it. When Moonbird inflates, you breathe in When Moonbird deflates, you breathe out.
Simple, intuitive, and takes all the effort and thinking out of your breathing exercises. It's the perfect companion to your bedtime ritual. Or use it when you're meditating, when you're stuck in traffic, anytime you need an assist in feeling calm and focused. Listen, I know how to breathe to feel better, but still I use Moonbird.
Because when my mind is racing or wandering, I need a little guidance. And it makes my deep breathing more effective. So when you wake in the middle of the night, don't reach for your phone unless it's to restart your bedtime story. That's fine. Reach for Moonbird. Visit moonbird.life slash nothingmuchhappens to save 20%. We've got it linked in our show notes.
I'm not as young as I once was, but I care a lot about maintaining my physical and mental wellness. Cornbread, hemp, CBD gummies are a huge piece of my wellness plan. In fact, I've already reordered several of their products on my own dime. They are that good. And I've gifted two of their peppermint and arnica CBD balms to friends who tell me how much it has helped them too.
Chapter 5: Why does Katherine Nicolai recommend Cornbread Hemp CBD products?
Their gummies are formulated to help relieve discomfort, stress, and sleeplessness. And right now, Nothing Much Happens listeners can save 30% on their first order. Just head to cornbreadhemp.com slash nothingmuch and use code nothingmuch at checkout. That's cornbreadhemp.com slash nothingmuch and use code nothingmuch.
Now, Lights out campers. It's time.
Snuggle down and get as comfortable as you can. Tuck yourself in with care. You, as much as any other soul in the universe, deserve rest and relaxation to feel safe and cared for.
So let my voice be a sort of guardian. My stories will watch over you as you sleep.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and let it out. Do one more. Breathe in and release it.
Rain on the lake. I thought all I wanted was sunshine. After a long, monochrome winter, the ice and snow and sky all mirroring each other.
I thought I only wanted to see bright, golden sunbeams.
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Chapter 6: How does childhood memory influence the story of 'Rain on the Lake'?
and velvety green yards and bluebirds. But when I heard the rain falling on the roof this afternoon and felt the clouds closing in, I softened, relaxing in a way I hadn't lately. I'd been pottering around the house, following one small chore to another. A sweater laid over the back of a dining room chair led me up to the closet, where I'd started to sort through a jewelry box.
I'd found a broken brooch and a watch in need of a new battery. they'd led me back downstairs to stash them in my purse in the hopes I'd remember to take them to the repair shop on my next trip into town. In the kitchen, I tipped the dregs of the last pot of coffee down the drain and rinsed the carafe
then wandered into the living room with a dust cloth to wipe down the bookshelf and framed photos on the mantle. That's when the light began to change and the rain sounded on the roof. I walked over to the window with a frame and a cloth still in hand and looked down toward the lake.
The bright colors of spring were shaded over by thick clouds, but rather than dimming my mood, it felt like a relief, like a cool cloth over tired eyes. More than a sprinkle, not quite a storm. A solid shower was spreading over the lake, and I became mesmerized, watching the surface of the water ripple and shimmer as it came down.
I remembered swimming in the rain as a kid, on days that had started out as hot and sunny, when a sudden shift of clouds would block out the bright day when raindrops fell all around me. One summer, we'd had a little inflatable boat, just big enough for me and my friend from down the street to fit into.
We'd paddle around in the shallow water, pretending to be explorers, adventurers discovering unknown species of fish and fowl.
On days that the rain came, we'd bail out of the boat and flip it over.
We'd swim under it, our heads poking up into the bubble of air trapped beneath the inverted seats.
Our voices echoed funnily in the small space, and we'd been full of jokes that only made sense to us.
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