Nothing Much Happens: Rainy Morning (Encore)

Host: Kathryn Nicolai
Date: November 3, 2025
Podcast: Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep
Episode Theme: Finding comfort and rest on a quiet, rainy morning dedicated to savoring the last chapters of a good book from the warmth of bed.

Episode Overview

This encore episode, Rainy Morning, is a soothing, cozy narrative designed to usher listeners into deep rest. Kathryn Nicolai invites listeners to imagine luxuriating in a quiet house on a rainy morning, staying in bed to finish a good book, and gently reflecting on dreams, the changing season, and the pleasures of simple routines. The story is told twice: first at a relaxed pace, then repeated more slowly, reinforcing a sense of calm and safety.

Key Discussion Points & Story Progression

1. The Ritual of Bedtime and Storytelling

• Kathryn explains the episode’s structure: a bedtime story told twice, with the intention of steering the listener’s mind away from anxiety and into calm.
  • "Just like a child being tucked in for bed, you're about to hear a story to send you off to dreamland." (04:23)
  • Guidance to settle in and let go of the day’s thoughts through breathing and comfort.

2. A Slow Rainy Start

• The narrator describes waking up on a rainy day and making the conscious decision to stay in bed, finishing a novel that had captivated their mind the night before (06:52).
  • The struggle to keep reading despite tiredness:
    • "The book kept slipping out of my hands and the third time it hit me on the forehead. It was suggested that I give up the ghost and turn out the light." (06:56)
  • Reflection on vivid dreams trying to resolve the story left unfinished, and the curious way dreams feel logical at night but nonsensical by morning.
    • "Dreams must be a different world, one we understand without explanation when we're in it, but fall out of sync with when we're not." (07:38)

3. Morning Rituals

• Padding down to the kitchen for coffee, observing the wintery rain, and noting the preparations for winter outside (08:05).
  • Observing azaleas and rhododendrons wrapped in burlap "looked a bit like tiny evergreens swathed in snow." (08:25)
  • Savoring the solitude with the house emptied by a loved one’s departure.

4. Reading in Bed

• Returning to bed with coffee, the narrator relishes the opportunity to read in silence, plumping pillows, and retreating into the book.
  • "Reading my book in bed...I slid into the still warm sheets, plumping my pillows and getting as comfortable as possible." (08:55)
• Amusing self-awareness at attempting to read through exhaustion:
  • “It’s silly to be stubborn in those moments, to persist in reading when sleep is knocking on your door. At least in my experience, when my blinks get longer, there is no going back.”—(09:47)

5. The Joy—and Bittersweetness—of a Good Ending

• The last chapter brings both thrill and sadness, mourning the first-read experience.
  • "Every once in a while you get to the end of a book and grieve that you will never be able to read it for the first time again." (10:56)
  • The satisfaction of a well-crafted mystery with entwined stories.

6. Lingering in Reverie

• After finishing, the narrator dozes off in contentment, lingering in a dreamy, liminal space between story and reality.
  • “Not quite sleeping but dozing between worlds, thinking of the characters I would miss now that I was done.” (12:13)

7. Looking Forward: Book Club and the Next Read

• The rain stops; the day brightens. Anticipation grows for the evening’s book club meeting.
  • Details of the book club: alternating genres, warm hospitality, and the pleasure of new literary discoveries (13:04).
• The excitement of voting for the next biography, with three enticing options described for the upcoming selection.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Dreams must be a different world, one we understand without explanation when we're in it, but fall out of sync with when we're not.” — Kathryn Nicolai (07:38)
• “Every once in a while you get to the end of a book and grieve that you will never be able to read it for the first time again, and this was that sort of book.” — Kathryn Nicolai (10:56)
• “Not quite sleeping but dozing between worlds, thinking of the characters I would miss now that I was done.” — Kathryn Nicolai (12:13)
• Description of the cozy book club:
  “We met in the back room of the bookshop on the first and third Wednesday of every month and alternated between classics, cozy mysteries, and biographies. The bookshop owner hosted us graciously with pots of tea, and we took turns bringing snacks, fresh fruit, toasted nuts, scones, and muffins.” (13:14)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:17 — Start of the bedtime story segment
• 04:23 — Introduction to the episode theme and sleep guidance
• 06:52 — Beginning of "Rainy Morning" story
• 07:38 — Reflection on dreams and reality
• 08:25 — Description of the rainy scene, winter preparations
• 08:55 — Getting comfortable to read in bed
• 09:47 — Amusing self-awareness about reading while tired
• 10:56 — Bittersweet feeling of finishing a beloved book
• 12:13 — Dozing in the liminal space after reading
• 13:04 — Describing the book club and anticipation for the next read

Tone and Style

The episode is imbued with warmth, nostalgia, and kindness, drawing comfort from everyday rituals. Kathryn Nicolai’s gentle voice and serene storytelling cadence foster a safe space for listeners to unwind, reflecting the feeling of being cared for, like being tucked into bed with a good story on a rainy morning.

Takeaway

This episode offers reassurance in the ordinary: a rainy morning, a quiet house, books and book clubs, the slow transition from sleep to waking and back again. Nicolai’s gentle narration soothes anxiety and encourages listeners to find rest—reminding them that in this story, nothing much needs to happen for comfort and joy to be found.