🥖 🥗 Picnic with Friends - The Slow Life Stories - Bedtime Stories for Adults - Calming Stories for Grownups and All Ages

Welcome to The Slow Life - A village filled with cozy stories for everyone. This story is called Picnic with Friends, and it’s about an interesting suggestion, the satisfying ritual of packing for a picnic, and the sweetest of centrepieces.

🇨🇦 These stories are written, edited and narrated by Jennifer Zwicker.

~~~~

Benefits of listening to cozy stories or adult bedtime stories with The Slow Life:

1. Relaxation and Stress Relief

• You want to unwind after a stressful day.

• The gentle pacing, soothing tone, and comforting narratives help calm your mind and body.

2. Help Falling Asleep

• Many people use bedtime stories as a sleep aid. We’ve been told ours help.

• A calming story distracts from anxious or racing thoughts, making it easier to drift off. Especially with a second reading as we have, because you already know what happens.

3. Comfort and Nostalgia

• You’re looking for the emotional safety and warmth that often comes with familiar or gently imaginative stories.

• Cozy stories can evoke fond childhood memories or a sense of being cared for.

4. Escape and Imagination

• A peaceful story can provide a gentle escape from reality without overstimulation.

• Listeners enjoy being transported to a calm village, a peaceful garden, or a quaint and cozy inn.

5. Mindfulness and Presence

• The slow, descriptive nature of cozy storytelling encourages a mindful focus on the present.

• It can be a form of meditative listening, grounding you, the listener, in sensory details and slow pacing.

6. Companionship and Connection

• Perhaps, for people who live alone or feel lonely, a narrator’s voice can feel like friendly company.

• It’s a quiet, non-demanding form of social presence.

🧡 Bedtime stories for grown ups

🧡 Bedtime stories for kids

🧡 Meditation story

Picnic with Friends is a story about a picnic in the park with friends. We each bring something yummy to eat and to drink. There is beauty, there is comfort. It may help put you to sleep. Calming stories to help you sleep. Relieve anxiety.

⚠️ Take care listening while driving or doing any activity that requires your full attention.

• All stories - Copyright Jennifer Zwicker 2024, 2025

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Welcome to The Slow Life, a village filled with cozy stories
for everyone. I'll read this story 2 times to
help you zone out or even fall asleep during the second
reading. This story is called Picnic with

(00:23):
Friends, and it's about an interesting suggestion, the
satisfying ritual of packing fora picnic, and the sweetest of
centerpieces. It's the day of our picnic that
some friends and I had planned weeks ago.

(00:45):
My niece arrived again this morning to help me put the
finishing touches of fruit and whipped cream on to the Pavlova
we successfully made together over the last two days.
I had told my friends that I would bring along a dessert that

(01:05):
would surprise and hopefully delight them.
Thankfully it turned out just asit was pictured and described in
the recipe we found, not even knowing what this treat was the
day prior to trying our hand at making it.
My niece has other plans for therest of the day, but as we'd

(01:30):
made 2 so that we could taste test from one of them, she
carefully loads the second masterpiece into her car to take
home to share with others. I thank her for the interesting
suggestion and of course, for helping to make it happen in
time for our lunch in the park. I turned back to the island

(01:56):
where the crown jewel sits like a cloud, topped with glossy
whipped cream and glistening fruit.
I keep it on the cake stand as it has a cover that seals it in
well enough for the short trip to the park.
Most of my other packing is doneas I didn't want this dessert to

(02:20):
sit for too long before being eaten.
I check the fancy roll of napkins the dishes for myself,
as we'll each have our own. The small bottle of lemonade
from the market is ice cold and I've remembered to put the
bottle opener in. Thank goodness a knife to cut

(02:44):
into the dessert is safely packed in as well.
It's a satisfying ritual, this gathering of items, a quick way
to check things as complete on your list for the day.
Outside, the sun is high and thebit of breeze carries the

(03:06):
lightest hint of cut grass and lilacs taking their turn to
bloom. The cake stand has a wide base
and the basket holding the rest of my supplies locks it in place
to keep it sturdy on the car floor.
The drive to the park is short and I take it very slowly to

(03:30):
keep our sweet creations safe. Other folks are owed around on
this beautiful spring day. The bicycle lanes and paths are
being used and appreciated by all.
Once I've parked there isn't fair to walk.
I see two of my friends are there, lounging at the picnic

(03:53):
table they've chosen. They sit surrounded by willows,
tendrils swaying gently near thewater, a perfect shaded spot by
the small river. They wave happily when they see
me running over to help me with my delicate package.

(04:14):
It's a beautiful spot wherein speckled with sunlight peeking
through with the river curving around the edge and the grass
soft with butter. Cups a duck through the willows
branches and set the basket on the table.
Then pause to drop my shoulders and look around at where we are

(04:37):
in relaxation. One of them has already laid out
a classic checkered tablecloth and the other is cutting slices
of homemade brown bread. There's the thermos of coffee
between them and a cloth coveredplate they tell me is cheese and

(04:59):
herbs scones. I arrange my things, enjoying
the process, starting with the unfurling of two quilts over the
bench seats for comfort. Shortly after, our other friend
arrives, waving with one hand and balancing a round tin under

(05:21):
the other arm. As promised, she's brought
something warm from the oven. We say our hellos, and she tells
us it's a tray of roasted vegetable tartlets, smelling
richly of thyme and sweet pepper.
We rearrange the table to make room, every one nudging plates

(05:45):
and baskets and bottles until itlooks like a meal.
A springtime feast, really. We take our seats, ready to
sample what's in front of us. We each take a little of
everything, layering flavours onsmall plates.
Someone produces a jar of olivesthey'd almost forgotten they had

(06:10):
another, a bowl of cherries. With everything set, we open our
individual drinks. We've provided mine the bottle
of lemonade, still cold as desired, and we toast with the
clinking of mismatched bottles and mugs to this picnic we're so

(06:31):
lucky to be having together. The conversation flows
immediately afterwards, carried along by the refilling of plates
and jars and other dishes passedacross the table.
Eventually, we decide to save room for the dessert course.

(06:53):
We sip our drinks and even play a game of cards, working around
the array of goodies on the table.
Just a couple of simple games, nothing with too much strategy.
As today is about keeping thingslight, now it's time for
something sweet. I reach for the Pavlova and

(07:17):
place it in the middle of it allwith care, lifting the glass
cover, revealing it like a magician's final trick.
The others lean forward, almost in unison.
I explained briefly how my nieceand I made it together, how the
meringue whipped into glossy peaks, how we layered the fruit

(07:42):
with careful hands. There's an appreciative pause,
followed by whispers of interest.
Then they're reaching for platesagain, spoons tapping softly,
the first cut breaking through crisp meringue to the soft,
marshmallowy centre as bytes aretaken.

(08:06):
The verdict is immediate and unanimous.
It's the most interesting thing on the table.
One friend makes a quiet, pleased sound.
Another is already talking abouther second slice.
When this one is finished, I feel a quiet warmth rising

(08:27):
inside me, a soft note of satisfaction.
Not just that it tastes good, but that's something made with
so much joy is now being shared with others.
I make an unnecessary mental note to tell my niece how well

(08:47):
it went over, and I can already picture her delight that our
laughter and pride in the kitchen carried in to this
moment Here under the Willow trees beside the river.
Picnic with Friends It's the dayof our picnic that some friends

(09:15):
and I had planned weeks ago. My niece arrived again this
morning to help me put the finishing touches of fruit and
whipped cream on to the Pavlova we successfully made together
over the last two days. I had told my friends that I

(09:37):
would bring along a dessert thatwould surprise and hopefully
delight them. Thankfully it turned out just as
it was pictured and described inthe recipe we found, not even
knowing what this treat was the day prior to trying our hand at
making it. My niece has other plans for the

(10:01):
rest of the day, but as we'd made 2 so that we could taste
test from one of them, she carefully loads the second
masterpiece into her car to takehome to share with others.
I thank her for the interesting suggestion and of course, for

(10:21):
helping to make it happen in time for our lunch in the park.
I turned back to the island where the crown jewel sits like
a cloud, topped with glossy whipped cream and glistening
fruit. I keep it on the cake stand as

(10:42):
it has a cover that seals it in well enough for the short trip
to the park. Most of my other packing is done
as I didn't want this dessert tosit for too long before being
eaten. I check the fancy roll of
napkins the dishes for myself, as we'll each have our own.

(11:07):
The small bottle of lemonade from the market is ice cold and
I've remembered to put the bottle opener in.
Thank goodness a knife to cut into the dessert is safely
packed in as well. It's a satisfying ritual, this
gathering of items, a quick way to check things as complete on

(11:32):
your list for the day. Outside, the sun is high and the
bit of breeze carries the lightest hint of cut grass and
the lilacs taking their turn to bloom.
The cake stand has a wide base and the basket holding the rest
of my supplies locks it in placeto keep it sturdy on the car

(11:56):
floor. The drive to the park is short
and I take it very slowly to keep our sweet creations safe.
Other folks are owed around on this beautiful spring day.
The bicycle lanes and paths are being used and appreciated by

(12:17):
all. Once they've parked there, isn't
far to walk, I see two of my friends are there, lounging at
the picnic table they've chosen.They sit surrounded by willows,
tendrils swaying gently near thewater, a perfect shaded spot by

(12:38):
the small river. They wave happily when they see
me running over to help me with my delicate package.
It's a beautiful spot wherein speckled with sunlight peeking
through with the river curving around the edge and the grass
soft with butter. Cups a duck through the willows

(13:02):
branches and set the basket on the table.
Then pause to drop my shoulders and look around at where we are
in relaxation. One of them has already laid out
a classic checkered tablecloth and the other is cutting slices
of homemade brown bread. There's the thermos of coffee

(13:27):
between them and a cloth coveredplate they tell me is cheese and
herbs scones. I arrange my things, enjoying
the process, starting with the unfurling of two quilts over the
bench seats for comfort. Shortly after, our other friend

(13:49):
arrives, waving with one hand and balancing a round tin under
the other arm. As promised, she's brought
something warm from the oven. We say our hellos, and she tells
us it's a tray of roasted vegetable tartlets, smelling

(14:09):
richly of thyme and sweet pepper.
We rearrange the table to make room, every one nudging plates
and baskets and bottles until itlooks like a meal.
A springtime feast, really. We take our seats, ready to
sample what's in front of us. We each take a little of

(14:33):
everything, layering flavours onsmall plates.
Someone produces a jar of olivesthey'd almost forgotten they had
another, a bowl of cherries. With everything set, we open our
individual drinks. We've provided mine the bottle

(14:54):
of lemonade, still cold as desired, and we toast with the
clinking of mismatched bottles and mugs to this picnic we're so
lucky to be having together. The conversation flows
immediately afterwards, carried along by the refilling of plates

(15:16):
and jars and other dishes passedacross the table.
Eventually, we decide to save room for the dessert course.
We sip our drinks and even play a game of cards, working around
the array of goodies on the table.
Just a couple of simple games, nothing with too much strategy.

(15:40):
As today is about keeping thingslight, now it's time for
something sweet. I reach for the Pavlova and
place it in the middle of it allwith care, lifting the glass
cover, revealing it like a magician's final trick.

(16:01):
The others lean forward, almost in unison.
I explained briefly how my nieceand I made it together, how the
meringue whipped into glossy peaks, how we layered the fruit
with careful hands. There's an appreciative pause,
followed by whispers of interest.

(16:24):
Then they're reaching for platesagain, spoons tapping softly,
the first cut breaking through crisp meringue to the soft,
marshmallowy centre as bytes aretaken.
The verdict is immediate and unanimous.
It's the most interesting thing on the table.

(16:47):
One friend makes a quiet, pleased sound.
Another is already talking abouther second slice.
When this one is finished, I feel a quiet warmth rising
inside me, a soft note of satisfaction.
Not just that it tastes good, but that's something made with

(17:09):
so much joy is now being shared with others.
I make an unnecessary mental note to tell my niece how well
it went over, and I can already picture her delight that our
laughter and pride in the kitchen carried in to this

(17:30):
moment. Here under the Willow trees
beside the river. I wish you sweet dreams.