Nothing Much Happens; Bedtime Stories For Grown-ups

Our stories tonight carry us into the bright days of Spring, with stories about time spent in gardens and neighborhood streets, enjoyable chores and small adventures, seeds and shovels, and the joy of growing sunlight. Subscribe to our ⁠Premium channel.⁠ The first month is on us. 

Originally aired April 15, 2024 (Season 13, Episode 31) Our story tonight is called Piano Lessons, and it’s a story about a well-loved upright piano and the boy who plays it. It’s also about a little cottage where ivy grows up the bricks, middle C, lesson books, and metronomes, and finding the things that feel like they were always meant for you. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Our story tonight is called Connect the Dots, and it’s a story about a moment carved out of the afternoon and a method to reorder a busy mind. It’s also about raindrops and a birdbath, a clear spot at the kitchen table with enough light to see by, dots and lines and not having to decide. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us.

Originally aired April 5, 2021 (Season 7, Episode 7) Our story tonight is called Toast and Marmalade, and it’s a story about the first few months of a lifelong friendship. It’s also about a collar with a bell on it, letting go of what-ifs, and the joy of watching someone discover a year of firsts. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us. 

Our story tonight is called Crayons and Grains of Sand, and it’s a story about a quiet morning at home on the cusp of a new season. It’s also about a warm patch of sunlight on the wood floor, a clementine peeled in one long curling piece, a full box of crayons, and building peace inside as things change. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium channel.⁠⁠⁠ The first month is on us. 

Originally aired March 24, 2025 (Season 15, Episode 24) Our story tonight is called Rain on the Lake, and it’s a story about a sudden arrival of drops and dark clouds on a spring afternoon. It’s also about a brooch in a jewelry box, the smell of rain mixing with lake water, mist and lamps lit in the darkness, memories of rainbows and rowboats, and taking rest as showers move across the horizon. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us.

Our story tonight is called Soap Bubbles and Sidewalks, and it’s a story about some spring cleaning done in the fresh air. It’s also about a curtain shifting near an open window, a hose and bucket, old CDs in the glovebox, clean that goes all the way into the corners, and the energy that returns when the spring does. Subscribe to our Premium channel. The first month is on us.

Originally aired March 11, 2024 (Season 13, Episode 21) Our story tonight is called Mudlarking on the River, Part 2, and it’s a story about a search for ordinary treasures in the sand on a bright spring morning. It’s also about a coin with a hole through its center, the red and white pole of a barber shop, forsythia stems, curiosity, and imagination, and seeing the things around us with new eyes. 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. 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.