Stories from the Village of Nothing Much

Originally presented as Episode 1. Our stories today center around some favorite spots in downtown Nothing Much. The bakery, the tea shop, and the coffee shop. We’ll open the Bakery as the sun is rising, then have a cup of properly made matcha at the tea shop, we’ll go back to bakery to check how the bread is rising and then take an evening stroll over to the coffee shop to people watch and sip so...

Our stories today celebrate Thanksgiving in three different ways. We’ll start with Friendsgiving, rewriting the rules of tradition, and sharing food with a table full of friends as the sweet potato pies cool in the pantry. Then we’ll pack the car and head out in Over the River and Through the Woods. Cousins and dogs, a farmhouse kitchen with a dear aunt waiting to welcome you it. Finally, we’ll bu...

Our stories today are tales about a small A-frame cabin deep in the woods. We’ll visit it as fallen leaves gather in piles around the garden, then further into autumn when chill rain begins to fall, and finally a winter visit with the first deep snow of the season. We’ll spark a fire in the grate, choose a jigsaw puzzle from the stack in the closet, eat well, and sleep deep. Unwind in mind and bod...

Our stories today take you down a woody trail, into the heart of downtown Nothing Much, and through to the park as the cold fog burns off. We’ll start with The Middle Path, remembering to let movement be a pleasure, and a walk in the brisk air be a reset to the senses. Then we’ll stop to watch the train come into the station, and carry a newly bought bunch of flowers home, in Bells and Whistles. F...

Our stories today invite you to slow down and enjoy doing very little. We’ll start with The Joy of Missing Out, where we can climb back into bed after the first cup of coffee is gone and read till our eyes won’t stay open. Then, we’ll stroll to the cafe downtown and sit at the table by the window while we study the menu. And when the rain begins to fall, we’ll be glad we’ve got a Table for One. Fi...

Our stories today take us into the warm Curios Shop on a chilly day, out to the Inn to investigate a dark knot in a tall tree in the side yard, and through the iron gate at the graveyard to read the names on the stones. We’ll sip tea, consider our dreams, find friends, and mend what is broken in Sycamore and the Gravestones parts 1, 2, & 3. Scary Stuff HappensBegin Again meditation on First This....

Our stories today take you on a journey for some special residents of the Village of Nothing Much. We’ll start in a cozy kitchen, flipping through recipes at the table when a special delivery arrives in Grandmother’s Grimoire. Then, we’ll stop to look at the moon and discover a hidden treasure along a dark street in The Curios Shop. Finally, we’ll set the kettle to boil and drop an extra stick of...

Our stories today treat you, and only maybe a little trick you, at one of the best times of the year. We’ll start with Halloween, in an Old House, listening for the bump in the attic as we toast our pumpkin seeds, and get ready for visitors at the door. Then, we’ll roll up the sleeves on our favorite flannel shirt and head out into the mowed-down hay fields to visit a friend in Scarecrow. Finally,...

Our stories today get you out into the fresh autumn air to watch the leaves turn and fall. We’ll start with The Corn Maze or the Say Yes Club, where we’ll travel with some friends out into the country and try our luck at getting lost and then found among the stalks. Then we’ll step into the garden in Rosemary for Remembrance, to cut and cure the gourds, to smell the herbs at the end of their harve...

Our stories today put the final bow on this wedding gift we have been preparing for a few weeks. We’ll start with The Big Day, as the Innkeeper makes her rounds through the corridors, calming nerves, and guiding guests down to the lake. There will be a Best Hound and a Marmalade of Honor, and rows of familiar faces waiting for the music to start. After the vows, we’ll listen to At the Reception, a...

Our stories today pick up where we left last week, as we get closer and closer to a very special event in the Village. We’ll start with Something New, a story about a bicycle ride to a secret spot, a hand-drawn map with an X to mark the spot, and the joy of watching a friend fall in love. Then, in Something Borrowed, we’ll head down into the kitchens at the Inn as the wedding cake is made; we’ll t...

Our stories today start with a find discovered at the village yard sale. We’ll spend an afternoon in a field with a friend, gathering a harvest and greeting the neighbors in The Pecan Tree. Then, in Special Delivery at Weathervane Farm, we’ll check the mailbox and add what we find in it to the fridge door. Finally, we’ll set out to find the perfect gift for the happy couple in Something Old. Begin...

Our stories today highlight some lovely spectator experiences in the Village of Nothing Much. We’ll settle into the joy of stepping back and observing. First, we’ll stroll down to the park and toss a blanket over the grass, where we can listen to the crack of the bat as the inning passes in At the Diamond. Then we’ll button up a flannel shirt, stop for a cup of hot cider, and climb to the top sect...

Our stories today start in the garden as we harvest a few tomatoes on our way to take the washing down from the line in The Last Warm Days. Then, we’ll shake off a stale mood and find a few small ways to practice joy in A Change of Scenery. Finally, we’ll roll up the cuffs on our pants and step into the sand just as the sun is setting on the lake in Bonfire. Begin Again meditation on First This.  ...

Our stories today take us through some end of the summer moments. We’ll start with Camping out, gathering kindling for the campfire, setting up the tent, and talking through our troubles till they shrink and the stars come out. Next, we’ll step out onto the dock and catch a ride to see the sunset over the river in The Main Sail. Lastly, we’ll sneak down to a secret patch of raspberry bushes just i...

Our stories today are part of a larger arc that started with the most popular residents of the Village, Marmalade the Cat, and her little brother, Crumb the Dog. I’d set out to just tell the next part of their story but found a spark that would eventually lead to love. First comes Raining Cats and Dogs, where we can listen to the thunder, shuffle around the house in the dim stormy light, and conte...

Our stories today take us through some gentle adventures for the near end of summer. We’ll start with The Potter’s Wheel, where we can dig our thumbs into the clay and see what can be created. Then, we’ll take a stroll through the aisles of The Corner Store to pick up a few things for supper, stopping to pursue the fizzy drinks and first squashes of the season. Finally, we’ll step out onto The Lab...

Our stories today celebrate some close-to-home summer pleasures. We’ll start with a Yard Sale, pulling our little red wagon along the sidewalks and browsing treasures. Then, we’ll find a shady spot to watch the wind in the branches and doze off in A Midsummer’s Afternoon Nap. Finally, we’ll pack the picnic basket and meet a couple of friends at the park a block away to share lunch and watch the cl...

Our stories today center around the Inn by the lake and a busy summer day for the Innkeeper. We’ll follow her from the moment she wakes up, up in her third floor bedroom, through her morning duties, serving coffee cake on the screened in back porch. Then we’ll join her as she fills the bird feeders and spies an unexpected visitor coming down the drive. Finally we’ll sneak up to the sleeping porch...

Our stories today get you out of the house in the warm summer weather. We’ll start with Back to the Bakery, where we’ll tip fresh bagels from the trays as they come out of the oven and box up a treat for someone special. Then, we’ll fill our water bottles and head to the shore for Beach Walk, where sandpipers race the waves, and big thoughts can help us find our place. Finally, we’ll end the day a...

Our stories today take you through the fruit orchards on the edge of town, to a sunny spot on the back porch, and eventually to dreamland after a good, quiet day. We’ll start with Stone Fruit, where we’ll pick the perfect peach. Then we’ll check the mail, in A Letter in an Envelope, and spend some time flipping through photos and sheets of stationery. Finally, we’ll close the windows as the rain c...

Our stories today lean into the romance and sentimental feelings of the summer. We’ll start with In the Kitchen, During a Storm, as the wind picks up and the Pomodoro sauce simmers on the stove. This story, by the way, mentions alcohol, in case that doesn’t work for you and you need to skip it. Then we’ll put the river on our left and roll down the windows as we visit The Turnaround; we’ll look ou...

Our stories today follow three separate villagers through a summer day to see how they spend it. We’ll start with Magic Words, a story about starting out on the right foot, a walk into town for breakfast, and the joy of following the subtle signs of the world around you on your way.  Then we’ll make a list of needful things and head out to The Hardware Store, peruse the boxes of nuts and bolts, ro...

Our stories today take us to one of the most popular spots in the Village, the Inn. We’ll start by chasing the morning mist, wading out to row boat, and watching the swans at the shore in The Lake at the Inn. Then we’ll wind our way back to the dock and enjoy a slow barefoot walk through the grass around the old house till we find a spot for a perfect summer’s day nap in From the Hammock. Finally,...

Our stories today celebrate some of the joys of being outside in the changing weather of the summer. I wrote the first one, Wind and Wildflowers, a couple of years before the second two, which are meant to be heard together as a two-part series, but I realized they feel like they are happening at the same time and since many of our storylines cross over one another, I suggest we think of these two...