Nothing Much Happens; Bedtime Stories For Grown-ups

Our stories tonight speak to the magic of the Inn on the lake, a secret space behind a hidden door, coffee cake and cat companions, getting to redo a formative moment with your present day heart and mind, music and glimpses of mid-winter sun, and the hope that comes from bravely wearing your heart on your sleeve. We give to a different charity each week and this week we are giving to ⁠The Southwest Detroit Immigrant and Refugee Center⁠. They are the largest provider of free- and low-cost legal services to Michigan's vulnerable communities. They are working for a Michigan where justice does not depend on how much money you have, and where immigrants are welcomed into our communities. It’s time to turn those “What Ifs” into “cha ching” with Shopify today. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at ⁠⁠shopify.com/nothingmuch Go to AquaTru.com now for 20% off (your purifier) using promo code NOTHINGMUCH. AquaTru even comes with a 30-day best-tasting water guarantee. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Prem

Originally aired March 4, 2024 (Season 13, Episode 19) Our story tonight is called Mudlarking on the River, Part 1, and it’s a story about a sunny morning in early spring that inspires a walk along sandy banks. It’s also about ordering your usual at the bakery counter, Canada geese and garden gloves, being gentle with yourself, and hidden treasure waiting to be unearthed. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our story tonight is called The Temperature Blanket, and it’s a story about a project inspired by a chance meeting and a yen to keep track of the days as they pass. It’s also about blank books and seashells, granny squares and garter stitches, rows of yarn blending into a account of the year, and taking a few moments each day to make something lasting and beautiful. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our stories tonight lead you through the vernal season, from the drizzly cool days of March, the on-again/off-again sunlight of April, and into the blossom filled environ of May. There will be long walks in the fresh air, seeds planted and flower beds raked, sweet treats from the bakery, trips to the cottage and the cabin, and of course, some lilacs and gentle larceny. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Originally Aired: March 5th, 2023 (Season 11, Episode 10) Our story tonight is called Catnap and it’s a story about Marmalade the cat and Crumb the dog as they find ways to play through the winter. It’s also about a spark of something sweet that begins to grow between friends, a pup cup enjoyed on a heated patio, and a suitcase ready to be packed. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our story tonight is called Paczki Day at the Bakery, and it’s a story about a bustling morning in a shop downtown. It’s also about rose hip jam and powdered sugar, wax paper and yearly traditions that have lasted for as long as anyone can remember, a line stretching down the sidewalk, generous tendencies among neighbors and the people who exist in every community, making days smoother and sweeter. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Originally Aired: February 14, 2022 (Season 9, Episode 7) Our story tonight is called Supper Club, and it’s a story about adventures in cooking and friendship. It’s also about less being more, a bubbling pandowdy, and the patience it takes to carefully fold a dumpling. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our story tonight is called The Ducks in the Middle, and it’s a story about a walk over snowy fields on a mid-winter day. It’s also about a collection of old watches in the back of the closet, stepping into a ray of sunshine and how it feels to have a friend watching out for you. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Originally Aired: February 3, 2025 (Season 15, Episode 10) Our story tonight is called Little Harmonies, and it’s a story about small bits of ordinary magic that happen everyday. It’s also about new specials at the coffee shop, tulip bulbs, and a dog met at the mailbox. Notes jotted down in a journal, and the feeling that you’ve tuned into a special frequency that you might have missed before. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our stories tonight speak to the magic of the Inn on the Lake, a secret space behind a hidden door, coffee cake and cat companions, getting to redo a formative moment with your present-day heart and mind, music and glimpses of mid-winter sun, and the hope that comes from bravely wearing your heart on your sleeve. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Originally aired February 8, 2021, Season 7, Episode 3 Our story tonight is called Keepsake, and it’s a story about stepping back through time to remember a particular rainy day. It’s also about sunflowers, the things our younger selves can teach us, and a scrap of something saved for years in a box. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our story tonight is called The Valentine in the Drawer, Part Two, and while it is connected to ⁠Part One⁠, it is actually set long before the bit we heard last week. This is actually our first ever historical Nothing Much Story, something I had much too much fun with. If you manage to hear any of it, which I doubt, as you are already very sleepy, you’ll notice it is full of village easter eggs and familiar locations. It’s a story about a cold February morning, made bright and warm by an envelope slipped into a mailbox. It’s also about fogged up windows on a streetcar, a kettle about to whistle, red roses and marbles, galoshes stepped into with haste, and a small drawer in a desk filled with love notes. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Originally presented February 12, 2024, Season 13 Episode 13 Our story tonight is called The Greenhouse, and it’s a story about flowers and vases, and the deep green scent of plants in a warm space in the winter. It’s also about a silver wine bucket, music playing while you work, pine needles and mint, and the small and big ways of building the life you want. Get better sleep with Cured Nutrition’s Sleep Bundle. It’s already 10% off, and you can stack an additional 20% off at checkout. Plus, all orders over $100 ship free. Visit ⁠curednutrition.com/NOTHINGMUCH⁠ and use code SWEETDREAMS at checkout to save. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our story tonight is called The Valentine in the Drawer, and it’s a story about a lost missive waiting to be found. It’s also about icicles and second-hand furniture, a sunny window alcove, and a coffee cup ring on a wooden desktop, hand-drawn hearts and flowers, and the residual fondness of a long-ago love. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel⁠. The first month is on us.

Originally aired January 27, 2025, Season 15, Episode 8 Our story tonight is called Sunny Skies, and it’s a story about our little village of Nothing Much, stepping back into the light after a long winter storm. It’s also about small changes adding up over time, candle ice and frost flowers, letting the sun bathe your face after several gray days, and a small adventure to keep you going till Spring. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our story tonight is called In For the Night, which is a special story I wrote for my first book many years ago, and it’s never been heard on the podcast before. It’s a story about a trip to a special shop in downtown Nothing Much. It’s also about glass jars filled with special ingredients, snowflakes landing on your eyelashes and mittened hands, the layered scents of aromatic spices, and having the space and time to calmly make and enjoy something warming and delicious. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel⁠. The first month is on us.

Originally presented January 23, 2023, as Episode 4 of Season 11 Our story tonight is called The Innkeeper’s Blanket, and it’s a story about a favorite hobby, rediscovered in the quiet of winter. It’s also about a simmering pot in the kitchen, geese gathering before they fly, and making something by hand that is perfectly imperfect. Support the Show: Subscribe to our Premium channel⁠. The first month is on us.

Our stories tonight lean into the winter season with tales of walks in the snow, time by the fire, thick blankets and hot drinks. If you’ve ever wished not so much to be warm as to be chilled first and then warmed with a blanket, these are for you. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Originally Aired: January 10, 2022 (Season 9, Episode 2) Our story tonight is called The Solarium, and it’s a story about a sunny break in a cold month. It’s also about sweet-smelling citrus, a warm, bright place to read a book, and taking the time to charge your battery all the way up. Support the show:⁠ Subscribe to our Premium channel⁠. The first month is on us.

Our story tonight is called Return to the Chalet, Part 3, and it is, for now, the last in this series. It’s a story about a trek through the snow to the home of a friend, it’s also about French Toast and roasted potatoes, a snoring dog beside the fire, bird feeders and twinkle lights, lighted windows seen from afar, and someplace safe to wait out the storm. Support the show