June 9, 2018 • 16 mins
Our story tonight is called “Afternoon Nap” and it’s a story about the best kind of nap, the one you didn’t think you had time for. It’s also about enjoying small luxuries and the serendipity of unexpected free time.
So get cozy and ready to sleep.
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome too. Bedtime stories for grown ups in which nothing
much happens, you feel good, and then you fall asleep.
All stories are written and read by me, Catherine Nikolay,
with audio engineering by Bob Wittersheim. Let me tell you
(00:26):
a little about how to use this podcast. I'm about
to tell you a bedtime story to help you relax
and drift off to sleep. The story is simple and
not much happens in it, and that's kind of the idea.
(00:47):
It's just a cozy place to rest your mind. I'll
read the story twice, and I'll go a little bit
slower the second time through. If you find yourself still
awake at the end of the second telling, don't worry.
That's sometimes how it goes. Relax, walk yourself back through
(01:12):
whatever bits of the story you can remember, lean into them,
and before you know it, you'll be waking up tomorrow
feeling refreshed and calm. This is a kind of brain training.
We're training your brain to follow along with the shape
of the story, like an upturned leaf floats along on
(01:36):
the surface of a river. Each time you use a
story to settle your mind, it will happen more quickly
and with more ease, so have some patience. If you're
new to this, Now it's time to settle in. Switch
(01:57):
off your light, put down all of your devices. You've
looked at a screen for the last time today. Stretch
deep into your sheets, and settle yourself into your favorite
sleeping position. Send a signal to your mind and body
(02:18):
that it's time to turn everything off. Take a slow
breath in through your nose and sigh it out of
your mouth. Nice. Let's do that again. Breathe in and out.
(02:48):
Our story tonight is called afternoon Nap, and it's a
story about the best kind of nap, the one you
didn't think you had time for. It's also about enjoying
small luxuries and the serendipity of unexpected free time. Afternoon Nap.
(03:15):
I'd rushed home from work and figured that if I
could be really quick, I could feed the dog and
get back on the road and just make it to
my appointment. My dog was glad to see me, she
always is. Dogs are really too good for humans. We
(03:36):
don't deserve them. She jumped around me as I hustled
her outside, then back in, and we went straight to
the kitchen to fill her bowl. I was pouring out
kibble and looking at my watch, wondering if I had
enough time to change my clothes before I had to
(03:56):
get back in my car. When I heard my phone
buzz in my pocket. Sorry for the inconvenience, but can
we reschedule you for another day? A wide smile spread
across my face. My afternoon had just opened up, and
(04:17):
I felt like a kid finding out about a snow day. Yes,
no problem, I texted back. I giggled to myself and
squatted down to scratch my dog's ears. What should we do, Darlin,
I asked, as she flipped over to let me rub
her belly. Well, you finish your snack first, then let's
(04:39):
go outside. I poured myself a big glass of fizzy
water with a lime squeezed in, picked up a stack
of magazines that had been sitting for a while as
I hadn't had the time to look through them, and
when the crunching stopped, we walked out onto our sunny
front p our house was an old farmhouse, but long
(05:07):
ago the farm had become a neighborhood, so we looked
out at streets of other homes cozily set into gardens.
It was our favorite time of day to be on
the porch as kids were walking home from school and
sometimes being met by moms and dads walking more dogs.
(05:31):
We had an old porch swing that caught the afternoon sun,
and I helped my Pucci up and sat down next
to her. I pulled my feet up under me, set
my water and magazines down on a side table, and
we watched the kids and families go by. I didn't
(05:52):
have a thing to do. I mean, there's always work
to do. If I went looking for it, I could
find something, but right now there was no deadline or
urgent task nagging at me. So we just sat. I
(06:14):
turned the pages of a magazine. I scratched my dog's
head every now and then she'd jumped down to barket
another dog, and I'd help her back up the street.
Traffic was dying down, and my eyelids were suddenly getting
(06:35):
very heavy. I considered my options. I could nap here.
The sun certainly felt lovely, but the swing was a
bit cramped to stretch out on. Or I could go
for what we in our household called the full Churchill.
(06:57):
Winston Churchill had been a master of napping and took
one nearly every day, and He didn't just curl up
on the sofa for twenty minutes. He took his naps seriously.
So when you nap like Winston, it means under the covers,
lights out, and no pants. I remembered that I had
(07:18):
put fresh sheets on the bed the day before, sheets
that had dried out on the line and smelled like
fresh air, and that sealed the deal. We headed inside
and up the stairs to the bedroom. I lowered the blinds,
but cracked the windows a bit so I could hear
the sounds of the neighborhood kids playing a lawnmower way
(07:44):
off in the distance, a slow car passing by. I
slid out of my work clothes and slipped into bed.
To have the whole bed to yourself on a side
in the afternoon, it felt indulgent, and I let myself
(08:05):
enjoy it. I slid my legs around under the sheets,
plumped up my pillows, and pulled a book from my
bedside table. In her dog bed beside me, I watched
my little girl turn around a few times and plopped
down with a dog sigh. I opened my book and
(08:31):
started to read. I knew I would only make it
through a page or two, and that was fine. I
smelled the fresh air coming in from the window and
heard my neighbors chatting as they walked under it. A
dog barked in the distance. I watched the leaves shifting
(08:53):
in the breeze. I was so relaxed, my body was
so comfortable. There was nothing to do but drift away.
(09:15):
Afternoon nap. I'd rushed home from work and figured that
if I could be really quick, I could feed the
dog and get back on the road and just make
it to my appointment. My dog was glad to see me,
(09:42):
she always is. Dogs are really too good for humans.
We don't deserve them. She jumped around me as I
hustled her outside, then back in, and we went straight
to the kitchen to fill her bowl. I was pouring
(10:06):
out kibble and looking at my watch, wondering if I
had time to change my clothes before I had to
get back in my car when I heard my phone
buzz in my pocket. Sorry for the inconvenience, but can
(10:28):
we reschedule you for another day? A wide smile spread
across my face. My afternoon had just opened up, and
I felt like a kid finding out about a snow day. Yes,
(10:49):
no problem, I texted back. I giggled to myself and
squatted down to scratch my dog's ears. What should we do, darling,
I asked, as she flipped over to let me rub
her belly. Well, you've finished your snack first, then let's
(11:12):
go outside. I poured myself a big glass of fizzy
water with the limes squeezed in, picked up a stack
of magazines that had been sitting for a while as
I hadn't had the time to look through them, and
when the crunching stopped, we walked out onto our sunny
(11:34):
front porch. Our house was an old farmhouse, but long
ago the farm had become a neighborhood, so we looked
out at streets of other homes cozily set into gardens.
It was our favorite time of day to be on
(11:55):
the porch, as kids were walking home from school and
sometimes being met by moms and dads walking more dogs.
We had an old porch swing that caught the afternoon sun,
and I helped my poucci up and set down next
to her. I pulled my feet up under me, set
(12:21):
my water and magazines down on a side table, and
we watched the kids and families go by. I didn't
have a thing to do. I mean, there's always work
to do. If I went looking for it, I could
(12:43):
find something, But right now there was no deadline or
urgent task nagging at me. So we just sat. I
turned the pages of a magazine. I scratched my dog's
head every now and then she'd jumped down to barket
(13:07):
another dog, and I'd help her back up the street.
Traffic was dying down, and my eyelids were suddenly getting
very heavy. I considered my options. I could nap here.
(13:28):
The sun certainly felt lovely, but the swing was a
bit cramped to stretch out on. Or I could go
for what we in our household called the full Churchill.
Winston Churchill had been a master of napping and took
(13:49):
one nearly every day. And he didn't just curl up
on the sofa for twenty minutes. He took his naps seriously.
So when you nap like Winston, it means under the covers,
lights out, and no pants. I remembered that I'd put
(14:14):
fresh sheets on the bed the day before, sheets that
had dried out on the line and smelled like fresh air,
and that sealed the deal. We headed inside and up
the stairs to the bedroom. I lowered the blinds, but
(14:36):
cracked the windows a bit so I could hear the
sounds of the neighborhood kids playing a lawn mower off
in the distance, a slow car passing by. I slid
out of my work clothes and slipped into bed. To
(15:00):
have the whole bed to yourself on a sunny afternoon,
it felt indulgent, and I let myself enjoy it. I
slid my legs around under the sheets, plumped up the pillows,
and pulled a book from my bedside table. In her
(15:22):
dog bed beside me, I watched my little girl turn
around a few times and plopped down with a dog sigh.
I opened my book and started to read. I knew
I would only make it through a page or two,
and that was fine. I smelled the fresh air coming
(15:44):
in from the window and heard my neighbors chatting as
they walked under it. A dog barked in the distance.
I watched the leaves shifting in the breeze. I was
so relaxed, my body was so comfortable, and there was
(16:06):
nothing to do but drift away sweet dreams.
Welcome too. Bedtime stories for grown ups in which nothing
much happens, you feel good, and then you fall asleep.
All stories are written and read by me, Catherine Nikolay,
with audio engineering by Bob Wittersheim. Let me tell you
(00:26):
a little about how to use this podcast. I'm about
to tell you a bedtime story to help you relax
and drift off to sleep. The story is simple and
not much happens in it, and that's kind of the idea.
(00:47):
It's just a cozy place to rest your mind. I'll
read the story twice, and I'll go a little bit
slower the second time through. If you find yourself still
awake at the end of the second telling, don't worry.
That's sometimes how it goes. Relax, walk yourself back through
(01:12):
whatever bits of the story you can remember, lean into them,
and before you know it, you'll be waking up tomorrow
feeling refreshed and calm. This is a kind of brain training.
We're training your brain to follow along with the shape
of the story, like an upturned leaf floats along on
(01:36):
the surface of a river. Each time you use a
story to settle your mind, it will happen more quickly
and with more ease, so have some patience. If you're
new to this, Now it's time to settle in. Switch
(01:57):
off your light, put down all of your devices. You've
looked at a screen for the last time today. Stretch
deep into your sheets, and settle yourself into your favorite
sleeping position. Send a signal to your mind and body
(02:18):
that it's time to turn everything off. Take a slow
breath in through your nose and sigh it out of
your mouth. Nice. Let's do that again. Breathe in and out.
(02:48):
Our story tonight is called afternoon Nap, and it's a
story about the best kind of nap, the one you
didn't think you had time for. It's also about enjoying
small luxuries and the serendipity of unexpected free time. Afternoon Nap.
(03:15):
I'd rushed home from work and figured that if I
could be really quick, I could feed the dog and
get back on the road and just make it to
my appointment. My dog was glad to see me, she
always is. Dogs are really too good for humans. We
(03:36):
don't deserve them. She jumped around me as I hustled
her outside, then back in, and we went straight to
the kitchen to fill her bowl. I was pouring out
kibble and looking at my watch, wondering if I had
enough time to change my clothes before I had to
(03:56):
get back in my car. When I heard my phone
buzz in my pocket. Sorry for the inconvenience, but can
we reschedule you for another day? A wide smile spread
across my face. My afternoon had just opened up, and
(04:17):
I felt like a kid finding out about a snow day. Yes,
no problem, I texted back. I giggled to myself and
squatted down to scratch my dog's ears. What should we do, Darlin,
I asked, as she flipped over to let me rub
her belly. Well, you finish your snack first, then let's
(04:39):
go outside. I poured myself a big glass of fizzy
water with a lime squeezed in, picked up a stack
of magazines that had been sitting for a while as
I hadn't had the time to look through them, and
when the crunching stopped, we walked out onto our sunny
front p our house was an old farmhouse, but long
(05:07):
ago the farm had become a neighborhood, so we looked
out at streets of other homes cozily set into gardens.
It was our favorite time of day to be on
the porch as kids were walking home from school and
sometimes being met by moms and dads walking more dogs.
(05:31):
We had an old porch swing that caught the afternoon sun,
and I helped my Pucci up and sat down next
to her. I pulled my feet up under me, set
my water and magazines down on a side table, and
we watched the kids and families go by. I didn't
(05:52):
have a thing to do. I mean, there's always work
to do. If I went looking for it, I could
find something, but right now there was no deadline or
urgent task nagging at me. So we just sat. I
(06:14):
turned the pages of a magazine. I scratched my dog's
head every now and then she'd jumped down to barket
another dog, and I'd help her back up the street.
Traffic was dying down, and my eyelids were suddenly getting
(06:35):
very heavy. I considered my options. I could nap here.
The sun certainly felt lovely, but the swing was a
bit cramped to stretch out on. Or I could go
for what we in our household called the full Churchill.
(06:57):
Winston Churchill had been a master of napping and took
one nearly every day, and He didn't just curl up
on the sofa for twenty minutes. He took his naps seriously.
So when you nap like Winston, it means under the covers,
lights out, and no pants. I remembered that I had
(07:18):
put fresh sheets on the bed the day before, sheets
that had dried out on the line and smelled like
fresh air, and that sealed the deal. We headed inside
and up the stairs to the bedroom. I lowered the blinds,
but cracked the windows a bit so I could hear
the sounds of the neighborhood kids playing a lawnmower way
(07:44):
off in the distance, a slow car passing by. I
slid out of my work clothes and slipped into bed.
To have the whole bed to yourself on a side
in the afternoon, it felt indulgent, and I let myself
(08:05):
enjoy it. I slid my legs around under the sheets,
plumped up my pillows, and pulled a book from my
bedside table. In her dog bed beside me, I watched
my little girl turn around a few times and plopped
down with a dog sigh. I opened my book and
(08:31):
started to read. I knew I would only make it
through a page or two, and that was fine. I
smelled the fresh air coming in from the window and
heard my neighbors chatting as they walked under it. A
dog barked in the distance. I watched the leaves shifting
(08:53):
in the breeze. I was so relaxed, my body was
so comfortable. There was nothing to do but drift away.
(09:15):
Afternoon nap. I'd rushed home from work and figured that
if I could be really quick, I could feed the
dog and get back on the road and just make
it to my appointment. My dog was glad to see me,
(09:42):
she always is. Dogs are really too good for humans.
We don't deserve them. She jumped around me as I
hustled her outside, then back in, and we went straight
to the kitchen to fill her bowl. I was pouring
(10:06):
out kibble and looking at my watch, wondering if I
had time to change my clothes before I had to
get back in my car when I heard my phone
buzz in my pocket. Sorry for the inconvenience, but can
(10:28):
we reschedule you for another day? A wide smile spread
across my face. My afternoon had just opened up, and
I felt like a kid finding out about a snow day. Yes,
(10:49):
no problem, I texted back. I giggled to myself and
squatted down to scratch my dog's ears. What should we do, darling,
I asked, as she flipped over to let me rub
her belly. Well, you've finished your snack first, then let's
(11:12):
go outside. I poured myself a big glass of fizzy
water with the limes squeezed in, picked up a stack
of magazines that had been sitting for a while as
I hadn't had the time to look through them, and
when the crunching stopped, we walked out onto our sunny
(11:34):
front porch. Our house was an old farmhouse, but long
ago the farm had become a neighborhood, so we looked
out at streets of other homes cozily set into gardens.
It was our favorite time of day to be on
(11:55):
the porch, as kids were walking home from school and
sometimes being met by moms and dads walking more dogs.
We had an old porch swing that caught the afternoon sun,
and I helped my poucci up and set down next
to her. I pulled my feet up under me, set
(12:21):
my water and magazines down on a side table, and
we watched the kids and families go by. I didn't
have a thing to do. I mean, there's always work
to do. If I went looking for it, I could
(12:43):
find something, But right now there was no deadline or
urgent task nagging at me. So we just sat. I
turned the pages of a magazine. I scratched my dog's
head every now and then she'd jumped down to barket
(13:07):
another dog, and I'd help her back up the street.
Traffic was dying down, and my eyelids were suddenly getting
very heavy. I considered my options. I could nap here.
(13:28):
The sun certainly felt lovely, but the swing was a
bit cramped to stretch out on. Or I could go
for what we in our household called the full Churchill.
Winston Churchill had been a master of napping and took
(13:49):
one nearly every day. And he didn't just curl up
on the sofa for twenty minutes. He took his naps seriously.
So when you nap like Winston, it means under the covers,
lights out, and no pants. I remembered that I'd put
(14:14):
fresh sheets on the bed the day before, sheets that
had dried out on the line and smelled like fresh air,
and that sealed the deal. We headed inside and up
the stairs to the bedroom. I lowered the blinds, but
(14:36):
cracked the windows a bit so I could hear the
sounds of the neighborhood kids playing a lawn mower off
in the distance, a slow car passing by. I slid
out of my work clothes and slipped into bed. To
(15:00):
have the whole bed to yourself on a sunny afternoon,
it felt indulgent, and I let myself enjoy it. I
slid my legs around under the sheets, plumped up the pillows,
and pulled a book from my bedside table. In her
(15:22):
dog bed beside me, I watched my little girl turn
around a few times and plopped down with a dog sigh.
I opened my book and started to read. I knew
I would only make it through a page or two,
and that was fine. I smelled the fresh air coming
(15:44):
in from the window and heard my neighbors chatting as
they walked under it. A dog barked in the distance.
I watched the leaves shifting in the breeze. I was
so relaxed, my body was so comfortable, and there was
(16:06):
nothing to do but drift away sweet dreams.
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