Latest / Abide Meditation App / Cozy Bedtime Story _ A Cozy Friendsgiving _ Peaceful Sleepy Story

Transcript

Cozy Bedtime Story _ A Cozy Friendsgiving _ Peaceful Sleepy Story · Abide Meditation App

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thanks so much
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: for tuning in. Tonight, Heather will be reading to us
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: in a special story for Thanksgiving. This uniquely American holiday
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: often gives reason for big family events to be organized.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: but it's also a time to celebrate with friends. This evening,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: we'll join four neighbors in an apartment building as they
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: create their own unique gathering. Small spaces and compact kitchens
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: are no obstacle to great food or fellowship, and each
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: friend contributes something special that they grew up eating at
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: their family Thanksgivings in different parts of the country. let's
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: just take a moment to settle in and unwind like
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: we always do here on Get Sleepy. If you need
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: to adjust your position to get more comfortable, go ahead
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: and do that. Then, come to rest in calm and
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: stillness as your body sinks into the bed Just consciously
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: slow your breathing, even if it's just by a little,
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: to help relieve any stress or tension that you're holding onto.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: And with each exhale of the breath, sense yourself moving
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: deeper into relaxation and into rest. if you're noticing a
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: build-up of disruptive feelings or sensations, don't go hard on
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: yourself for that. It's quite natural for us to become
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: aware of such things when we're laying in bed at night,
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: without the distractions of the day to keep our minds occupied.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: But again, using each exhale of your breath Just give
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: permission to let those disruptive sensations dissipate. You are in
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: a place now that is safe, cozy and peaceful. So
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: just gradually allow your body and mind to embrace that
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: same aura. you too can feel safe, cozy, and peaceful.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: Grateful for the opportunity to rest as you listen along
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: to this sweet Thanksgiving story. So now, on a brisk
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: and sunny day in late November, We're transported to an
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: apartment building in the city, where there is a wonderful
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: feast in our near future. This is where our story begins.
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: Melissa awoke in mid-morning to the tantalizing aroma of coffee
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: coming from the kitchen. Rolling over in her bed, she
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: stretched luxuriously and looked out the window. The old maple
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: tree outside had lost most of its leaves at this point.
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: Without peering down, she knew there were small piles of
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: them here and there on the ground. It was always
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: fun to shuffle through them when she walked outside. The
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: sun shone brilliantly through the tree branches, through the glass,
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: and into her bedroom, making little squares on her wood floor.
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: that mimicked the pattern of the window. She reached over
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: and lightly touched the pain with her fingers. It was
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: ice cold, she thought approvingly. Sunny and brisk was the
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: perfect type of cozy weather for Thanksgiving. Pulling the soft
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: comforter aside, Melissa swung her legs down to the side
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: of the bed and worked her feet into her slippers. Then,
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: standing up, she pulled her most comfortable cardigan off the
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: cushy armchair in the corner. She made her way out
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: of the bedroom and into the main living area of
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: her apartment. slipping her arms into the sleeves one by one.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: Her faithful coffee pot was waiting for her in the
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: compact kitchenette. Choosing a mug from her favorite diner, she
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: poured herself a steaming cup. First, she needed to get
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: the pumpkin pie crust in the oven. With a happy
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: sense of anticipation, she set the oven to preheat. Then
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: she pulled an airtight metal container from the cupboard and
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: lightly floured one of her two small countertops. Digging in
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: the crowded area under the counter, she produced a large
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: rolling pin and also patted that with some flour. Then
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: she opened the fridge and removed a chilled disc of dough.
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: She had made it yesterday so that it would be
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: ready and waiting for her this morning. She unwrapped it
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: and set it on the surface. Then, working methodically, she
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: rolled and pushed, rolled and pushed the dough outward from
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: the center, doing her best to create a round shape
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: with an even thickness. When the pie crust was big enough,
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: she laid it carefully in the glass pie plate, and
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: shaped it firmly into the bottom, carefully pushing the edges
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: into pretty indentations. When the entire plate was full of dough,
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: she trimmed the extra edges carefully with a knife. Placing
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: some parchment paper in the center, She weighed it down
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: with dried beans and put it in the preheated oven
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: to bake briefly. The beans would weigh down the center
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: of the crust and keep it from inflating in the oven.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: The apartment soon began to fill with the comforting smell
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: of warm pie crust. Inhaling the bready smell deeply, she
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: wrapped her hands appreciatively around her warm mug and surveyed
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: the room. Today, she would be hosting a potluck meal.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: In the true sense of the holiday, she and her
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: three neighbors would be pooling their resources and gathering in
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: her apartment. to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner together. Since each
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: of them lived in separate ones. units in Melissa's building,
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: they would have to get creative to fit. Nobody minded.
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: They were just glad to be having a meal together.
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: Melissa looked at the drop-leaf wooden table she kept in
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: the nook by the kitchen. Normally, she had the sides
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: folded down to conserve space. Today, however, she would pull
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: it into the center of the room and put the
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: leaves up. That way, she would definitely be able to
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: seat four people for dinner. Her kitchen counter space was
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: also limited, so they would have to figure out where
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: to lay out all the food. But the important thing
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: was that they were going to have a fun afternoon together.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: Since she was hosting everyone, In addition to her pumpkin pie,
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: Melissa had offered to make the turkey and the gravy.
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: She couldn't imagine Thanksgiving without fresh cranberry relish, so she
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: had already prepared some of that as well. It had
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: been an easy condiment to make in advance, and it
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: would keep nicely in the refrigerator until the dinner hour
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: came around. Her next-door neighbor, Nikki, was contributing some important
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: side dishes. Being from the Upper Midwest, she insisted that
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: they couldn't have Thanksgiving without a green bean casserole. In
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: addition to that, She had promised buttery mashed potatoes and
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: an apple pie. Dan, who lived downstairs from Melissa, had
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: been excited about making the stuffing. He hadn't revealed what
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: type of recipe it would be. However, since he was
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: a vegetarian, they all knew it would be something delicious
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: and and meat-free. He was also making a corn casserole
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: that was apparently a staple in his family. Lastly, he
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: had promised a salad. The others had been a little
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: surprised at the inclusion of a salad in their Thanksgiving spread.
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: but Dan insisted it was extremely common where he grew
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: up on the West Coast. The fourth person was Lila.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: She lived downstairs next to Dan. Lila was from South Carolina,
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: and she insisted that it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without if
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: she didn't bring homemade macaroni and cheese. She had also
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: eagerly offered to make a pecan pie, which had always
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: been a staple at her family Thanksgivings growing up. With
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: three pies planned, Melissa had joked that they might want
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: to eat dessert first. The timer went off, bringing Melissa's
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: focus back to her pie. She carefully removed the crust
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: from the oven. It was half done. She got a
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: fork out of the silverware drawer. Then she carefully removed
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: the parchment paper and the dried beans and set them aside.
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: After removing them, she lightly pricked the uncooked center of
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: the pie with the fork. She knew this would keep
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: it from puffing up now that the pie weights were gone.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: Then she returned the pie crust to the oven to
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: finish baking. It would be ready soon. Satisfied with her
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: progress so far, Melissa chose some music to listen to
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: and then refilled her mug. She walked into the living
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: space and surveyed the room. Setting down her coffee, she
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: gently pulled the drop-leaf table away from the wall. It
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: was on wheels, so it rolled very quietly across the
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: room until she had it centered in an open area.
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: She lifted the table leaves. Yes, she thought, this size
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: will do nicely. Opening up the storage chest that she
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: used as a coffee table, she carefully moved items around
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: until she found a stack of pretty linen napkins she
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: saved these for special occasions. Closing the lid of the chest,
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: she took the napkins to the table and laid them
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: out flat. She removed the first one from the pile
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: and spread it out. Folding it into a series of
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: clever triangles, she created a little tent that would stand
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: on the plate. Fancy napkin folding was one of the
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: oddly useful skills she'd learned as a server in a restaurant.
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: It never failed to impress her friends. After folding all
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: four napkins into crisp little decorations, she retrieved some dinner
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: plates and silverware from the kitchen cabinet. These actually did
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: not match. She had the remaining pieces of several sets
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: of both dishes and the cutlery she'd inherited from friends
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: and family. Nonetheless, it made a festive table setting, especially
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: when she took a few different votive candles from the
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: bookshelf and placed them in the middle of the table. Perfect.
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: Melissa took a notepad and pen from the kitchen drawer
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: and sipped her coffee while making a simple to-do list.
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: She would put together her pumpkin pie filling next and
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: get that pie back in the oven. It would take
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: about an hour to bake. After that, the preparation and
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: roasting of the turkey would be the last thing she completed.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: In the meantime, she was free to get dressed and
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: maybe even visit her friends to peek at their own
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: cooking projects. As she set down her list The timer
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: notified her that her pie crust was done. She pulled
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: it from the oven and admired it. It was lightly
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: toasted all over and looked perfect. She set the baked
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: pie shell on the opposite counter and prepared to mix
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: up her pumpkin filling. First, she arranged all her ingredients
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: on the counter. Using a large mixing bowl and a whisk,
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: she started by putting together pureed pumpkin, eggs, and brown sugar.
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: After that, she added milk and several spices, including delicious-smelling cinnamon,
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: which was her favorite. When the filling was well blended,
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: she carefully poured it into the warm crust, making sure
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: not to overfill the pie. Once she was satisfied that
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: the pie was filled properly, she placed it back in
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: the oven and set the timer again. It would be
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: ready in a bit under an hour. Taking her coffee
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: back to her room, Melissa opened up her closet. She
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: and her three friends had all agreed to make this
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: a very casual affair. So she selected a nice pair
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: of jeans and her favorite soft, cozy sweater. Then, still
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: feeling comfy in her slippers, she decided to go next
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: door and visit Nikki while the pumpkin pie was in
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: the oven. Melissa stepped out into the carpeted hallway and
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: closed her front door. She walked down one apartment and
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: paused at Nikki's place. A tantalizing smell of warm apple
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: pie was wafting into the hallway, and Melissa could hear
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: Nikki singing as she cooked. She smiled to herself, knowing
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: that Nikki loved some good karaoke, and that she probably
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: didn't care if the entire apartment building heard her. Melissa
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: knocked on the door and the singing stopped. Nikki pulled
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: it open and greeted her warmly, telling her to come in.
• 21:51
  Speaker 2: What luck, she continued. You are here just in time
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: to witness the preparation of the green bean casserole. Indeed,
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: Melissa had never seen anyone make a green bean casserole,
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: although she had heard about them for many years. She
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: followed Nikki through her apartment, which was a mirror image
• 22:22
  Speaker 2: of Melissa's own place, but filled with mismatched collection of
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: homey furniture she'd taken from her parents' house when she
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: moved out. The effect was warm and cheerful. Melissa always
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: enjoyed coming over here. The preparations in the kitchen were
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: well underway. A large casserole dish sat on the counter.
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: Next to it was a colander full of bright blanched
• 23:02
  Speaker 2: green beans. There was also a can of mushroom soup,
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: some milk, pepper, and a can of fried onions. With
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: great flourish, Vicki spread the mushroom soup, milk, pepper, and
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: some of the onions in the casserole and mixed them
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: all together. Then she put the green beans into the
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: soup mixture and gently stirred it to combine. With that,
• 23:44
  Speaker 2: she turned to Melissa, and put her hands in the air.
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: It's almost done, she said with a smile. I just
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: have to bake it right before I come over, and
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: add the extra crispy onion topping. Then, Covering the dish
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: with plastic wrap, she slid it into the refrigerator for later.
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: In contrast to the very simple casserole, Nikki's apple pie
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: appeared to be a work of art. It sat cooling
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: on a rack, smelling absolutely heavenly. The top was covered
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: with an artful lattice pattern. Melissa was truly impressed. She
• 24:41
  Speaker 2: asked Nikki what type of apples she used. Granny Smith,
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: Nikki answered very seriously. Then she added, it's what my
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: grandma always used. Nikki nodded with appreciation. she couldn't wait
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: to try this pie. Looking around the kitchen, Melissa realized
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: one of Nikki's dishes was missing. Where are the potatoes?
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: Melissa asked. Nikki winked at her and pointed to a
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: large pot sitting on the stove. Peeking inside, Melissa saw
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: a huge mound of peeled yellow potatoes submerged in water.
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: Nikki explained that as long as they were under the
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: salt water, they wouldn't get brown. They were all ready
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: for her to boil and whip up right before dinner.
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: Since Nikki's preparations seemed to be pausing for now, Melissa
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: asked her if she wanted to go downstairs and visit Lila.
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: Nikki thought it was a wonderful idea. She washed up,
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: hanging the dish towel over the oven handle, and said
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: she was ready. leaving the mouth-watering scent of apple pie
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: behind them, they both entered the hall and closed Nikki's
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: door firmly behind them. It took but a moment to
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: go down the stairwell, down to Lila's apartment, which was
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: directly underneath Nikki's. They knocked on the door, and heard
• 26:56
  Speaker 2: Lila speaking to someone as she approached. When she opened it,
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: they saw that she was on the phone. She seemed
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: to be wishing someone a happy Thanksgiving. She was wearing
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: an apron covered in flour, and a dish towel was
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: slung over her shoulder. Smiling broadly, she stood aside and
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: motioned to the two friends to come inside. They stepped
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: into her living area, which was furnished in a very
• 27:38
  Speaker 2: elegant style. The couch was velvet and faux fur pillows
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: were lined on it and around the floor. Melissa always
• 27:53
  Speaker 2: loved coming to Lila's place. It felt like a palace.
• 28:01
  Speaker 2: A tall stockpot steamed on the stove in the kitchen,
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: and a box of elbow macaroni stood next to it.
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: Sitting on a nearby cutting board was a cheese grater.
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: It was surrounded by mountainous piles, of grated yellow cheese
• 28:26
  Speaker 2: Lila noticed her guest staring at it and grinned it's
• 28:32
  Speaker 2: 24 ounces total she said with delight she showed them
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: a smaller pot on the stove where she would be
• 28:43
  Speaker 2: making all of it into a decadent cheese sauce that
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: started with milk and flour Nikki pointed to a pie
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: plate that was resting on the other counter. The pie
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: crust was already pressed into it, with pretty fluted edges,
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: and the bottom was filled with chopped pecans. It looks
• 29:12
  Speaker 2: like you're almost ready to bake your pie, she commented.
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: Lila nodded and agreed. She explained that the only remaining
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: step was to pour in the liquid ingredients and put
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: it in the oven. The dough is the hardest part
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: with the pecan pie, honestly, she said. The rest is
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: pretty simple. Melissa could see that they were keeping Lila
• 29:45
  Speaker 2: from important prep work, so she wished her luck with
• 29:50
  Speaker 2: her dishes and said she was looking forward to seeing
• 29:54
  Speaker 2: Lila at dinner time. Displaying the whisk with determination, Lila
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: smiled and began slowly blending her cheese sauce on the
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: stovetop as the water in the stockpot came to a simmer.
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: Leaving Lila to her cooking, Melissa and Nikki let themselves
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: out into the carpeted hallway. Nikki indicated, she was going
• 30:28
  Speaker 2: to head back upstairs and see everyone soon. Melissa waved
• 30:36
  Speaker 2: goodbye and watched her friend slip into the stairwell. Melissa
• 30:44
  Speaker 2: had a little more time to wait before her pie
• 30:47
  Speaker 2: would be done and she could get the turkey going,
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: so she stopped nearby and knocked on Dan's door. she
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: would see what goodies he was preparing, she thought. As
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: she stood outside his door, waiting for him to open it,
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: she inhaled the delectable aroma of something frying in a pan.
• 31:17
  Speaker 2: It smelled like butter and onions. After a moment, she
• 31:25
  Speaker 2: heard him tell her to just come in, so she
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: pushed the door open and stood in his living area.
• 31:35
  Speaker 2: The layout was the same as all the other apartments,
• 31:40
  Speaker 2: but this one was furnished with a cool contemporary vibe.
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: All the furniture was gray and had simple straight edges.
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: The coffee table was black. Peering into the kitchen, she
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: saw Dan in the middle of sauteing something on the stovetop.
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: I'm making the stuffing, he said, motioning her over. Melissa
• 32:14
  Speaker 2: approached the stove and saw he had butter, onions, celery,
• 32:20
  Speaker 2: and mushrooms in the pan. She could also detect a
• 32:25
  Speaker 2: delicate garlic scent next to him on the counter there
• 32:31
  Speaker 2: was a large bowl of bread cubes she could see
• 32:35
  Speaker 2: from an empty nearby package that it was sourdough as
• 32:43
  Speaker 2: she watched Dan took a measuring cup of broth and
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: poured a little bit in the pan scraping up delicious
• 32:52
  Speaker 2: looking browned bits Then he poured the rest of the
• 32:58
  Speaker 2: broth into the bread and transferred the buttery contents of
• 33:03
  Speaker 2: the frying pan to the bowl as well. He stirred
• 33:10
  Speaker 2: it gently with a large wooden spoon to combine. Now
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: for the parmesan and the artichokes, he said. as he
• 33:24
  Speaker 2: retrieved a nearby measuring cup full of grated cheese. The Parmesan, too,
• 33:32
  Speaker 2: went into the bowl. Then he took a container filled
• 33:39
  Speaker 2: with chopped marinated artichokes from the fridge and added those
• 33:45
  Speaker 2: as well. He sprinkled the entire bowl with some type
• 33:52
  Speaker 2: of seasoning that had been combined in a custard dish nearby. Lastly,
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: he cracked an egg in a small bowl, beat it lightly,
• 34:07
  Speaker 2: and added it to the bread mixture. He gently folded
• 34:14
  Speaker 2: it over and over to combine. Once this was finished,
• 34:22
  Speaker 2: He carried the bowl to a casserole dish that waited
• 34:27
  Speaker 2: on the opposite counter and carefully spread all the stuffing
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: into the dish. All done, he said, ready to bake.
• 34:43
  Speaker 2: With that, he covered the dish in foil and slid
• 34:47
  Speaker 2: it into the refrigerator. As he opened and closed the fridge,
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: Melissa caught a glimpse of a bowl full of bright
• 34:59
  Speaker 2: green salad inside. He told her the salad had apples
• 35:06
  Speaker 2: and walnuts in it, which sounded perfect for the season.
• 35:13
  Speaker 2: The corn casserole, which was his last dish, would only
• 35:18
  Speaker 2: take a few minutes to put together. and it would
• 35:22
  Speaker 2: bake for an hour with the stuffing. It sounded like
• 35:28
  Speaker 2: Dan had his contributions to dinner well under control. Melissa
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: couldn't wait to try all of it. Having paid a
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: visit to everyone, Melissa knew it was time to go
• 35:47
  Speaker 2: upstairs and finish her own preparations. she told Dan she
• 35:55
  Speaker 2: looked forward to seeing him later, and he waved goodbye
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: as she slipped out of his apartment. Back in the hallway,
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: she was pretty sure she could smell the lovely aroma
• 36:12
  Speaker 2: of the baking pecan pie emanating from Lila's apartment. Inhaling deeply,
• 36:22
  Speaker 2: she padded across the soft carpeting and through the stairwell door.
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: When she arrived at her own apartment, she pushed the
• 36:34
  Speaker 2: door open with a sense of delightful anticipation. With her
• 36:42
  Speaker 2: pie just moments from being finished, the entire place was
• 36:48
  Speaker 2: filled with the mouth-watering smell of the pumpkin and spices.
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: It immediately brought back so many happy memories from her childhood,
• 37:02
  Speaker 2: when her parents would make pumpkin pie every holiday season.
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: Even better, she knew her small kitchen would soon be
• 37:15
  Speaker 2: filling the home with the delicious scent of roasting turkey.
• 37:24
  Speaker 2: Melissa opened the oven and carefully tested the pie. It
• 37:29
  Speaker 2: needed just a few more moments. She closed the oven
• 37:36
  Speaker 2: door and set up a baking rack on the opposite counter.
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: She would let the pie cool there while she got
• 37:45
  Speaker 2: the turkey ready to roast. Slipping a checkered apron over
• 37:53
  Speaker 2: her head, she prepared for the main event. Her prep
• 38:00
  Speaker 2: space had to be nice and clean, and her ingredients
• 38:04
  Speaker 2: needed to be at hand. In a few moments, she
• 38:10
  Speaker 2: had a roasting pan, butter, fresh thyme, garlic, onion, and
• 38:18
  Speaker 2: lemon ready to go. Pausing briefly to deposit her beautiful
• 38:25
  Speaker 2: pie on the cooling rack, she lowered the heat. Then,
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: following instructions on a battered recipe card from her parents,
• 38:38
  Speaker 2: she prepared the turkey to roast. setting it on top
• 38:43
  Speaker 2: of a bed of vegetables in the pan. When her
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: work was complete, she was very proud of herself. The
• 38:56
  Speaker 2: oven chimed to let her know it was at the
• 38:59
  Speaker 2: right temperature, and she slid the heavy roasting pan into
• 39:04
  Speaker 2: the oven, setting the built-in timer for two and a
• 39:09
  Speaker 2: half hours. While the turkey was roasting, Melissa made a
• 39:16
  Speaker 2: few more preparations. She put her two kitchen chairs, her
• 39:24
  Speaker 2: desk chair, and a small armchair around the table. Then
• 39:32
  Speaker 2: she opened her desk drawer and found four place cards
• 39:37
  Speaker 2: she had printed yesterday. Each one had a turkey on
• 39:42
  Speaker 2: it and the name of one of the four dinner attendees.
• 39:49
  Speaker 2: She placed these at the top of the plates around
• 39:53
  Speaker 2: the table. Returning to the kitchen, she opened the cupboard
• 40:01
  Speaker 2: and selected four of her fanciest drinking glasses. They were
• 40:09
  Speaker 2: real crystal. She had found them in a second-hand store
• 40:13
  Speaker 2: years ago. She also fetched the gravy boat. She only
• 40:20
  Speaker 2: got to use it once or twice a year, but
• 40:24
  Speaker 2: she loved having it on the table for special occasions.
• 40:31
  Speaker 2: One by one, she positioned the glasses by the plates,
• 40:36
  Speaker 2: and then she set the gravy boat on the counter.
• 40:40
  Speaker 2: She could fill it when her gravy was ready later.
• 40:47
  Speaker 2: At this point, Melissa realized she had a little time
• 40:52
  Speaker 2: to relax. The turkey would need basting, but there was
• 40:59
  Speaker 2: nothing to stop her from putting her feet up and
• 41:03
  Speaker 2: getting in a bit of reading. She pulled the apron
• 41:09
  Speaker 2: off and hung it on a hook near the kitchen. Then,
• 41:15
  Speaker 2: taking a soft blanket from the arm of the couch
• 41:19
  Speaker 2: she snuggled into the cushions of her sofa and picked
• 41:24
  Speaker 2: up her latest novel. The apartment was silent, except for
• 41:32
  Speaker 2: the occasional small noises coming from the radiator and the oven.
• 41:39
  Speaker 2: Through her thick windowpane, she could see the remaining leaves
• 41:45
  Speaker 2: dancing in the brisk November breeze outside. Every few seconds,
• 41:54
  Speaker 2: one of them would separate from its branch and circle
• 41:58
  Speaker 2: downward in a lazy spiral. It was a cozy feeling
• 42:06
  Speaker 2: to be inside looking out on autumn's final show. When
• 42:14
  Speaker 2: the right amount of time had passed, Melissa opened the
• 42:19
  Speaker 2: oven door to baste the turkeys It was just beginning
• 42:24
  Speaker 2: to brown and the aromas floated into the room while
• 42:29
  Speaker 2: she was doing her work. Closing the door again, she
• 42:36
  Speaker 2: returned to the couch and set her watch to remind
• 42:40
  Speaker 2: her when another half hour had passed. Snuggling under her
• 42:49
  Speaker 2: blanket on the sofa, Melissa didn't even notice that she
• 42:54
  Speaker 2: had dropped her book and dozed off. She drifted back
• 43:02
  Speaker 2: out of her catnap to the tune her watch used
• 43:05
  Speaker 2: for the alarm. It was time to baste the turkey again. Yawning,
• 43:15
  Speaker 2: she stretched and smiled. A tiny nap. was all she
• 43:21
  Speaker 2: had needed to feel reinvigorated and ready to host. This time,
• 43:29
  Speaker 2: the turkey was looking lovely and brown. She checked the
• 43:35
  Speaker 2: temperature and saw it was about half done. This was perfect,
• 43:43
  Speaker 2: since her friends would be arriving soon. They would have
• 43:49
  Speaker 2: time to settle in and enjoy a beverage before she
• 43:53
  Speaker 2: needed to make gravy and serve. Melissa put away her
• 44:00
  Speaker 2: book and then neatly folded her blanket and put it
• 44:06
  Speaker 2: back on the arm of the couch. Making a circuit
• 44:12
  Speaker 2: around the room, she saw everything was in place. the
• 44:18
  Speaker 2: final touch was to light her votive candles and turn
• 44:23
  Speaker 2: on some soft background music. While she was leaning over
• 44:30
  Speaker 2: the candles, she heard a knock on the door. It
• 44:35
  Speaker 2: was Nikki. She wanted to ask if Melissa could prop
• 44:40
  Speaker 2: the door open so she could come back with her
• 44:43
  Speaker 2: hot green bean casserole. and then follow up with the pie.
• 44:51
  Speaker 2: Melissa realized everyone would have their hands full, so she
• 44:56
  Speaker 2: agreed that this was an excellent suggestion. Using a heavy
• 45:04
  Speaker 2: book as a doorstop, they let the door stand wide
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: so that all the delicious arrivals could begin. As promised,
• 45:18
  Speaker 2: Nikki was back momentarily with a long rectangular dish covered
• 45:24
  Speaker 2: in foil. Melissa pointed to the kitchen counter and suggested
• 45:31
  Speaker 2: Nikki leave it there. Then, before Melissa could say anything else,
• 45:41
  Speaker 2: Nikki had left again to fetch her mashed potatoes and
• 45:46
  Speaker 2: and apple pie. While she was gone, Dan appeared. He
• 45:53
  Speaker 2: had a large serving dish that was also covered in foil.
• 46:01
  Speaker 2: Melissa knew this must be the sourdough stuffing. The parmesan
• 46:07
  Speaker 2: smelled incredible. She pointed to a spot on the counter
• 46:14
  Speaker 2: where next to the green bean casserole, and Dan gently
• 46:19
  Speaker 2: set it down. He told her he'd be back in
• 46:25
  Speaker 2: a minute with the salad and the warm corn casserole.
• 46:33
  Speaker 2: He and Nikki laughed as they almost bumped into each
• 46:37
  Speaker 2: other in the hallway. Nikki had returned with a bowl
• 46:42
  Speaker 2: of buttery mashed potatoes cradled in one arm and an
• 46:48
  Speaker 2: apple pie in her other hand. Looking around the kitchen,
• 46:56
  Speaker 2: Melissa realized they were going to run out of space.
• 47:04
  Speaker 2: Let's put the pies on the coffee table, she suggested.
• 47:10
  Speaker 2: Nikki gently set the pie down, and then continued to
• 47:15
  Speaker 2: the kitchen to deposit the mashed potatoes. Moments later, Lila
• 47:22
  Speaker 2: appeared in the doorway, carrying a very warm tray of
• 47:27
  Speaker 2: decadent macaroni and cheese. Smiling, she set it on the
• 47:34
  Speaker 2: top of the stove and removed her oven mitts. Nikki
• 47:41
  Speaker 2: made a delightful noise and gingerly lifted the foil on
• 47:46
  Speaker 2: top to reveal a molten level of garlicky breadcrumbs and cheddar.
• 47:55
  Speaker 2: It smelled wonderful. Without ceremony, Lila turned around and said
• 48:05
  Speaker 2: she'd be right back with the pecan pie. Most of
• 48:12
  Speaker 2: the meal was here now, especially once Dad reappeared with
• 48:16
  Speaker 2: the salad bowl cradled in one arm and a square
• 48:21
  Speaker 2: dish of warm corn casserole deftly balanced on a potholder.
• 48:30
  Speaker 2: Leaning slightly, he placed the salad on the table and
• 48:35
  Speaker 2: then set the corn casserole in the last space on
• 48:39
  Speaker 2: the counter in the kitchen While he was doing that
• 48:46
  Speaker 2: Melissa got her little bowl of cranberry relish out of
• 48:51
  Speaker 2: the fridge and nestled it into the corner of the
• 48:55
  Speaker 2: dining table with a serving spoon. Just at this moment
• 49:03
  Speaker 2: Lila arrived with her lovely sugar-scented pie and shut the
• 49:09
  Speaker 2: door behind her. In her other hand She held a
• 49:15
  Speaker 2: can of some type of food. the others looked at
• 49:20
  Speaker 2: her with puzzlement what's that? Melissa asked it's cranberry sauce
• 49:29
  Speaker 2: Lila responded you may like that fancy New England relish
• 49:36
  Speaker 2: but my family always ate it out of a can
• 49:41
  Speaker 2: and that's as it should be she winked teasingly at
• 49:47
  Speaker 2: Melissa who handed her a plate and invited her to
• 49:52
  Speaker 2: liberate the cranberry sauce from its container they all watched
• 49:59
  Speaker 2: in amusement as the can shaped gel emerged wiggled and
• 50:06
  Speaker 2: settled into the dish As is the case with the
• 50:12
  Speaker 2: time-honored green bean casserole, Thanksgiving food isn't always pretty, Nikki joked.
• 50:23
  Speaker 2: A while later, the four friends sat happily around the
• 50:27
  Speaker 2: little table, each with a plate piled high with delicious food.
• 50:35
  Speaker 2: For each one of them, some of the dishes were familiar,
• 50:41
  Speaker 2: and others were destined to become new favorites. Music played
• 50:48
  Speaker 2: softly in the room, and toasts were exchanged. Each person
• 50:54
  Speaker 2: at the table recounted funny tales and good memories from
• 50:58
  Speaker 2: Thanksgiving's past. Whether they were spent in Massachusetts, Minnesota, California,
• 51:08
  Speaker 2: or the Carolinas, Melissa reflected on how wonderfully the meal
• 51:16
  Speaker 2: had come together. Having each person take on part of
• 51:23
  Speaker 2: the work was so much easier and four times as fun. Plus,
• 51:33
  Speaker 2: as Nikki pointed out, there would be much more leftover
• 51:37
  Speaker 2: pie this way. The sun set on their gathering, and, outside,
• 51:47
  Speaker 2: the twilight filled with the hallmark chill of the season.
• 51:55
  Speaker 2: The last of the brown leaves whispered in the November evening,
• 52:00
  Speaker 2: bidding their branches farewell and spinning lazily to the earth.
• 52:10
  Speaker 2: And inside the four walls of a city apartment building, Melissa, Nikki, Lila,
• 52:20
  Speaker 2: and Dan were content.
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: Thank you for watching.
• 53:11
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: Thank you for watching.
• 54:31
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you.
• 57:21
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 58:18
  Speaker 2: You