Muse

Get more Nothing Much Happens with bonus episodes, extra-long stories, and ad-free listening, all while supporting the show you love. Subscribe now. Welcome to Bedtime Stories for Everyone, in which nothing much happens you feel good and then you fall asleep I'm Catherine Nicolai I write and read all the stories 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 Animal Farm Foundation's Pet Pantry Project, collaborating with existing food pantries to help folks access essentials for every family member in one place. Learn more about them in our show notes. In our virtual village of nothing much, you can, of course, listen to all our shows ad-free, as well as take yoga and meditation classes from me, dive into courses on journaling and mindful drawing, come to live events, and hang out with your neighbors. I'd love to see you there. Find it at nothingmuchhappens.com. Bedtime stories work by giving your mind a place to rest and your body a way to feel safe. all you need to do now is listen I'll read our story twice and I'll go a little slower the second time through if you wake again in the night don't hesitate to just push play and you'll drop right back off our story tonight is called WNMH and it's a story about a Saturday morning broadcast from the radio station in downtown Nothing Much. It's also about the community calendar and cinnamon buns still warm at the bakery. A blinking light on the soundboard, a bouquet of flowers for someone special, and an ordinary morning that feels just right. For bonus enjoyment, I recommend you think of the character telling this story as our own Bob Wittersheim. If you've ever wanted to turn a hobby or an idea into a business, Shopify makes getting started a whole lot simpler.

Our storefront runs on Shopify, and one thing I appreciated right away was knowing that when someone was ready to buy, the checkout experience just worked. It was easy for our listeners, easy for returning customers, and it meant we could spend our time creating instead of worrying about the technology behind the store. As Nothing Much Happens has grown, Shopify has grown with us, making it easy to keep building what we love. With Shopify, nothing stands between your idea and a real business, so go make it one. Start your free trial at shopify.com slash nothingmuch. Go to shopify.com slash nothingmuch. That's shopify.com slash nothingmuch. It's time. Lights out. Devices down. Get the right pillow in the right spot and let everything relax. You have done enough for the day.

It is enough. There's nothing left to do but sleep.

Take a deep breath in through your nose. Let it out your mouth. Nice. One more. Breathe in. And out.

Good. WNMH. I took my headphones down from the hook beside me

and swiveled my chair toward the board. I was about 20 minutes into my Saturday morning broadcast, and while a song played through the airwave,

I'd snuck out to fill my coffee cup from the pot in the back office. It was still a bit too hot to sip, and I set it very carefully on the desktop beside the board. I closed one eye so I couldn't see the sign taped to the wall that clearly stated, no drinks allowed, in the radio booth. Well, coffee isn't really a drink. It's a lifeline, a cultural touchstone, an energizing ritual. And after all these years of broadcasting, I figured I'd earned the right to break a rule or two. The last few lines of the song were playing and I pulled the mic closer my finger on the channel fader ready to break in for the next segment. As the last notes faded out I slid the music channel down and eased my mic up. Welcome back to WNMH. It's time for your weekend weather. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and we've got more of that to look forward to. Our current temperature in downtown Nothing Much is a pleasant 78 degrees Fahrenheit or 25 degrees Celsius under blue skies. Winds at just 7 miles per hour today, but they will pick up a bit overnight. So don't leave your sheets out on the line unless you want to gather them up from down the street tomorrow. The low tonight will be a crisp 59 Fahrenheit, that's 15 Celsius, and what we call, in this neck of the woods, good sleeping weather. Winds will die back down by morning, and tomorrow we will have more sun and just a degree or two more heat. looks like we might have a rainstorm coming at the beginning of next week but if we get a good downpour you know how that goes let's all say it together sure needed this rain

I'll be back after this next song with village events and a few birthdays to mention if there's something you'd like to hear well, I can't guarantee I'll play it but you can still give me a call and see if you can talk me into it I faded out the mic and the next song started up I shifted my headphones one ear cup on and one off and reached for my coffee which was now the perfect temperature The big picture window in the booth looked right out onto Main Street and from where I sat I could see people streaming into the bakery and eating outdoors at the cafe It was one of my favorite things about our radio station that we were situated right in the heart of town. A few years before, a bigger building had come up for sale out by the interstate. It was modern and spacious, plenty of parking and no leaky pipes, but we'd all agreed we'd rather make do with our cramped office and our gotta-jiggle-the-handle bathroom to stay where we were. To watch our town move about its day on the street in front of us. I reached for my clipboard as the song wound down and patted my breast pocket for my reading glasses. I was just slipping them on as I faded the mic back up. Lots to do around town this weekend if you're looking for some trouble to get into. The farmer's market has overflowed its banks. So much produce rolling in right now that they have a second location set up in the village green. I leaned forward in my chair and squinted down the street to the right, just making out the stalls where they were set up. It looks like it's been a good year for tomatoes, so if you're thinking about doing some canning, bring a pickup truck and haul some away. Over at the inn tonight, playing in the ballroom is a really great band, The Porch

Lights. That's at 9 p.m. Dinner and drinks also available as you enjoy the music. There is a puzzle exchange at the library going on all weekend. A beekeeping demonstration out at the Lavender Farm tomorrow at 2. No sign-up required. Just buzz on over. Sorry about that. Classic movie marathon all day today at the Downtown Theater if you need a break from all this sunshine. Ooh, this looks good. A local author is reading a chapter of her new book, on the street where you live at the bookshop this Tuesday. There is a cat adoption fair every Saturday through the end of the summer or until all the cats get adopted, whichever comes first, out at Weathervane Farm. I glanced up and saw the baker waving at me from inside her front window. She balanced a tray of cinnamon rolls on one palm and pointed at it. She must have had her radio tuned to our station, because when I said, this just in, a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls, have just come out of the oven at the bakery on Main Street, she gave me a thumbs-up and turned to slide the platter into the pastry case. We must have been playing over the speaker at the flower shop as well, because I watched the woman who worked there peek out of her door and make a beeline for the bakery. A flashing light on my board caught my attention, and I glanced down to see a call was coming in. From the number on the screen, I had a feeling I knew who was on the line and decided to take the call on air. I pressed the button and said, Yes, chef. Happy Saturday, they drawled. How's it looking at the inn this morning, I asked. Busy. Listen, the porch is full of guests, so I only have a second. But two things. Go ahead. The porch lights play at 8 p.m. tonight, not 9. My apologies, I chuckled. And it's the innkeeper's birthday today. It sounded like they had their hand wrapped around the mouthpiece of the phone,

and I imagined them looking around to make sure she wasn't nearby. She's pouring coffee right now, so she can't hear this. But how about everybody who comes to hear the band or for dinner tonight? Why don't you bring her a flower, and we'll make up a nice birthday bouquet. Oh, here she comes. Gotta go. I smiled at the click on the line and leaned into the mic to say, all right you've got your orders folks we'll get back to the music for a bit but if you've misplaced anything this week listen up at the half hour for our regular lost and found segment and there's some good stuff in the bin this week if you don't claim it i might I faded out the mic and started

I started up a song. Leaning back in my chair and sipping at the last of the coffee in my cup, I watched a few bike riders cycle past. A window in an apartment on the second floor above the cafe opened, and a dust cloth was shaken out into the air. the grandfathers who gathered at the coffee shop each morning rounded the corner already arguing about something with newspapers tucked under their arms someone tacked a garage sale flyer to the telephone pole down the street

another call flashed on the board and I smiled as I pressed the button. WNMH I took my headphones

down from the hook beside me and swiveled my chair toward the board. I was about 20 minutes into my Saturday morning broadcast and while a song played through the airwaves

I'd snuck out to fill my coffee cup from the pot in the back office it was still a bit too hot to sip

and I set it very carefully on the desktop beside the board I closed one eye so I couldn't see the sign taped to the wall that clearly stated No drinks allowed in the radio booth. Well, coffee isn't really a drink. It's a lifeline, a cultural touchstone, an energizing ritual. and after all these years of broadcasting I figured I'd earned the right to break a rule or two. The last few lines of the song were playing and I pulled the mic closer my finger on the channel fader.

ready to break in for the next segment.

As the last notes faded I slid the music channel down

and eased my mic up. Welcome back to WNMH.

It's time for your weekend weather.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and we've got more of that to look forward to. Our current temperature

In downtown nothing much Is a pleasant 78 degrees Fahrenheit Or 25 degrees Celsius Under blue skies Winds at just 7 miles per hour today but they will pick up a bit overnight so don't leave your sheets out on the line unless you want to gather them up from down the street tomorrow

the low tonight will be a crisp fifty-nine Fahrenheit.

That's

15 Celsius and what we call in this neck of the woods good sleeping weather. Winds will die back down by morning and tomorrow we will have more sun and just a degree or two more heat. Looks like we might have a rainstorm coming at the beginning of next week. But if we get a good downpour, you know how that goes. Let's all say it together. Sure needed this rain. I'll be back after this next song with village events and a few birthdays to mention. If there's something you'd like to hear, well, I can't guarantee I'll play it. but you can still give me a call and see if you can talk me into it. I faded the mic out and the next song started up. I shifted my headphones. One ear cup on and one off. and reached for my coffee, which was now the perfect temperature. The big picture window in the booth looked right out on Main Street. And from where I sat, I could see people streaming into the bakery and eating outdoors at the cafe. It was one of my favorite things about our radio station that we were situated right in the heart of town. a few years before a bigger building had come up for sale out by the interstate it was modern and spacious plenty of parking

and no leaky pipes but we'd all agreed we'd rather make do with our cramped office and our gotta-jiggle-the-handle bathroom to stay where we were. To watch our town move about its day on the street in front of us. I reached for my clipboard as the song wound down and patted my breast pocket for my reading glasses. I was just slipping them on as I faded the mic back up. Lots to do around town this weekend if you're looking for some trouble to get into. The farmer's market has overflowed its banks. So much produce rolling in right now that they have a second location set up in the village green. I leaned forward in my chair and squinted down the street to the right, just making out the stalls as they were set up. It looks like it's been a good year for tomatoes, so if you're thinking about doing some canning, bring a pickup truck.

and haul some away.

Over at the inn tonight, playing in the ballroom, is a really great band, The Porch Lights. That's at 9 p.m. Dinner and drinks also available as you enjoy the music. There's a puzzle exchange at the library going on all weekend A beekeeping demonstration out at the lavender farm tomorrow at 2 No sign-up required, just buzz on over Sorry about that classic movie marathon all day today at the downtown theater if you need a break from all this sunshine oh this looks good a local author is reading a chapter of her new book on the street where you live at the bookshop this Tuesday. There's a cat adoption fair every Saturday through the end of the summer or until all the cats get adopted, whichever comes first,

out at Weathervane Farm. I glanced up and saw the baker waving at me

from inside her front window. She balanced a tray of cinnamon rolls on one palm and pointed at it. She must have had her radio tuned to our station because when I said, this just in, a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls have just come out of the oven at the bakery on Main Street. She gave me a thumbs up and turned to slide the platter

into the pastry case. We must have been playing over the speaker at the flower shop as well. Because I watched the woman who worked there peek out of her door and make a beeline for the bakery. A flashing light on my board caught my attention, and I glanced down to see a call was coming in.

From the number on the screen, I had a feeling I knew who was on the line and decided to take the call on the air. I pressed the button and said, Yes, chef. Happy Saturday, they drawled. How's it looking at the inn this morning? I asked. Busy. Listen, the porch is full of guests, so I only have a second. But two things. Go ahead.

The porch lights play at 8 p.m. tonight, not 9. My apologies, I chuckled. and it's the innkeeper's birthday today.

It sounded like they had their hand wrapped around the mouthpiece of the phone and I imagined them looking around to make sure she wasn't nearby. She's pouring coffee right now so she can't hear this, but how about everybody who comes to hear the band or for dinner tonight? Why don't you bring her a flower and we'll make up a nice birthday bouquet. Oh, here she comes.

Gotta go. I smiled at the click on the line and leaned into

the mic to say, all right, you've got your orders, folks. We'll get back to the music for a bit. But if you've misplaced anything this week, listen up at the half hour for our regular Lost and Found segment. There's some good stuff in the bin this week, and if you don't claim it, I might.

I faded out the mic and started up a song. Leaning back in my chair

and sipping at the last of the coffee in my cup. I watched a few bike riders cycle past. A window in an apartment on the second floor above the cafe opened, and a dust cloth was shaken out into the air. The grandfathers, who gathered at the coffee shop each morning, rounded the corner. already arguing about something with newspapers tucked under their arms someone tacked a garage sale flyer to the telephone pole down the street another call flashed on the board and I smiled as I pressed the button

sweet dreams We'll be right back.