Latest / Abide Meditation App / Bedtime Story for Grown Ups _ The Country Antiques Market _ Cozy Sleepy Story for Deep Sleep

Transcript

Bedtime Story for Grown Ups _ The Country Antiques Market _ Cozy Sleepy Story for Deep Sleep · Abide Meditation App

0:02
Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and
0:09
Speaker 1: we get sleepy. My name's Tom, and I'm your host.
0:16
Speaker 1: Thanks for being here tonight. In this evening's story, TK
0:22
Speaker 1: will be reading to us as we take a trip
0:25
Speaker 1: to the country and spend the afternoon wandering around a
0:29
Speaker 1: charming antique store. We don't know what treasures we'll find
0:34
Speaker 1: there but it's okay for you to fall asleep before
0:39
Speaker 1: you see them all. Remember you can always listen to
0:44
Speaker 1: this story again some other time. Let's settle in for
0:51
Speaker 1: a good night's rest. Begin as always by ensuring you're
0:59
Speaker 1: cozy and comfortable in bed. take a brief moment to
1:09
Speaker 1: check in with your body just noting if any tension
1:15
Speaker 1: seems to be held in certain areas and giving yourself
1:23
Speaker 1: permission to let that go bit by bit with your
1:35
Speaker 1: eyes closed Take a nice breath in through the nose.
1:44
Speaker 1: And gently breathe back out. And as you ease into
1:53
Speaker 1: a steady rhythm, just begin to visualize an open road
2:01
Speaker 1: leading you far away. from any worries, responsibilities, or problems.
2:14
Speaker 1: Driving along this road, still breathing in and out with
2:20
Speaker 1: the same relaxed rhythm, you see the smooth tarmac ahead,
2:28
Speaker 1: the painted white lines dotted along the center of the
2:36
Speaker 1: and the way the road stretches and snakes through an
2:40
Speaker 1: open landscape for miles and miles to come. Up above,
2:51
Speaker 1: the sky is clear and the sun glows with its
2:56
Speaker 1: nourishing warmth. With each deep breath and each turn of
3:04
Speaker 1: the wheels, You feel any burden of thought or worry
3:11
Speaker 1: fading and fading. Travelling on with an ever increasing sense
3:21
Speaker 1: of freedom and tranquility. As you drive down this scenic
3:31
Speaker 1: relaxing road you decide a little adventure might be nice.
3:39
Speaker 1: You have an entire afternoon ahead of you and on
3:43
Speaker 1: a day like this it promises to be a lovely one.
3:51
Speaker 1: This is where our story begins. A soft, warm breeze
4:23
Speaker 1: drifts through your car window as you turn onto the
4:29
Speaker 1: twisting two-lane highway that will take you further into the countryside.
4:40
Speaker 1: You appreciate the lazy feeling of the sunshine on your
4:46
Speaker 1: face lean back against the headrest of your seat and
4:54
Speaker 1: close your eyes. A friend of yours offered to drive
5:02
Speaker 1: and you accepted gratefully. You'd prefer to be a passenger today.
5:10
Speaker 2: And enjoy relaxing as the car passes by. tranquil country scenery.
5:24
Speaker 2: The asphalt road is quiet underneath you, slipping by with
5:32
Speaker 2: just the occasional small bump where a crack has slowly
5:39
Speaker 2: worked its way across the surface. So far, Your ride
5:47
Speaker 2: has gone smoothly, and there hasn't been any traffic to
5:54
Speaker 2: slow you down. It's shaping up to be a perfect afternoon.
6:06
Speaker 2: Opening your eyes again, you reach for your travel mug,
6:13
Speaker 2: which is snugly lodged in the cup holder. to your left.
6:21
Speaker 2: Your warm drink is finally cool enough to sip, and
6:28
Speaker 2: you smile as you take your first taste. It's just
6:35
Speaker 2: the way you like it. You turn your head to
6:42
Speaker 2: the right and watch The split rail fences go by
6:49
Speaker 2: outside your partially open window. They seem to move slightly
6:59
Speaker 2: up and down with the rise and fall of the road.
7:08
Speaker 2: You are traveling through peaceful, open countryside, Thanks to abundant rains,
7:20
Speaker 2: the grass is a vibrantly lush shade of green in
7:27
Speaker 2: all directions. You pass quaint roadside signs advertising the occasional
7:39
Speaker 2: farm stand. Once in a while, a small church where
7:47
Speaker 2: the little steeple will appear. These modest rural chapels all
7:55
Speaker 2: look as if they've been there for a hundred years.
8:02
Speaker 2: They're a familiar part of the scenery. As countless fields
8:10
Speaker 2: go by, you see horses cantering behind low fences. You
8:22
Speaker 2: and your friend drive past a brightly painted red barn
8:28
Speaker 2: that's not set too far back from the road. It
8:35
Speaker 2: must have been here when this byway was nothing but
8:40
Speaker 2: a track for horse carts. The barn has a lovely
8:47
Speaker 2: small pond next to it, and the owners have taken
8:53
Speaker 2: the trouble to build a decorative arch bridge over the water.
9:03
Speaker 2: You can see a mother duck paddling in the water,
9:08
Speaker 2: with five or six ducklings happily following behind her. Two
9:17
Speaker 2: goats are grazing calmly nearby. Up ahead, you see that
9:27
Speaker 2: you're approaching an elementary school. As you get closer, you
9:35
Speaker 2: notice there are people outside, setting up a number of
9:41
Speaker 2: booths and hanging banners between the trees. The signs say
9:49
Speaker 2: things like dunking booth and ring toss. A small fenced
9:58
Speaker 2: area in the shade. has a sign that says Petting Zoo.
10:08
Speaker 2: It looks as if a local fair may be taking
10:12
Speaker 2: place here soon. In your mind's eye, you see a
10:20
Speaker 2: roll of paper tickets that read, Admit Won. You smile
10:28
Speaker 2: to yourself. It could be fun to go to the
10:33
Speaker 2: fair and roam around with those tickets, trying your hand
10:40
Speaker 2: at all the games. And then, the school is in
10:48
Speaker 2: the rearview mirror you and your friend are approaching your destination,
10:57
Speaker 2: the Country Antiques Market. It's not even in a town
11:06
Speaker 2: as much as a house and grounds, sitting at the
11:12
Speaker 2: intersection of two roads with a stoplight. In fact, the
11:21
Speaker 2: market almost appears to be its own town. A large,
11:30
Speaker 2: rambling house. It's surrounded by outdoor stalls. The house has
11:40
Speaker 2: a huge wraparound porch that is piled with old furniture.
11:49
Speaker 2: Behind the house, and all the market stalls is an
11:55
Speaker 2: unpaved parking lot. You turn at the stoplight and carefully
12:04
Speaker 2: coast into that area. Because it's a late summer weekday,
12:15
Speaker 2: the market is fairly quiet, which is just how you
12:22
Speaker 2: like it. While other people are at work or perhaps
12:31
Speaker 2: off on a vacation, you will take the chance to
12:37
Speaker 2: wander through the charming old house and the market stalls
12:43
Speaker 2: without any plan at all. If you're lucky, you may
12:51
Speaker 2: find an unexpected treasure that inspires you to take it home.
13:02
Speaker 2: You don't have anything particular in mind, but that's half
13:09
Speaker 2: the fun. With so much to discover, it's hard to
13:17
Speaker 2: know where to begin. You and your friend head across
13:26
Speaker 2: the parking lot toward the rambling antique house. It's covered
13:34
Speaker 2: in wooden shingles that have been painted a soothing forest green.
13:45
Speaker 2: The roof and all the shutters are blacked. there's a
13:53
Speaker 2: stone courtyard in front of the porch that has been
13:57
Speaker 2: turned into a cafe area. A bakery truck stands off
14:07
Speaker 2: to the side, offering a tantalizing menu of treats, as
14:15
Speaker 2: well as coffee. You and your friend proceed through the courtyard,
14:26
Speaker 2: walking between small round tables of people chatting over a
14:33
Speaker 2: snack and a drink. When you reach the wraparound porch,
14:41
Speaker 2: you realize that you'd like to look at some of
14:45
Speaker 2: the furniture there before going inside. you are immediately drawn
14:55
Speaker 2: to a lovely sideboard. In the center, it has three
15:04
Speaker 2: deep drawers. On the far right and left sides, there
15:13
Speaker 2: are doors that swing open to reveal storage space inside.
15:22
Speaker 2: the original pendant-style pulls are still there on the drawers
15:29
Speaker 2: and the cabinet doors. The sideboard stands elegantly on carved legs,
15:41
Speaker 2: as if it might come to life, like a character
15:47
Speaker 2: from Alice in Wonderland. bounce a little on its bowed legs,
15:54
Speaker 2: and wander off. Smiling to yourself, you move across the porch.
16:06
Speaker 2: You pass a set of six wooden dining chairs with
16:12
Speaker 2: woven cane seats that are stacked on each other. Some upright,
16:22
Speaker 2: and others upside down on top. As you round the
16:30
Speaker 2: corner of the porch, there is a row of pie cuppers.
16:37
Speaker 2: Some of them have glass, and others have punched-in inserts
16:43
Speaker 2: in their doors. You imagine all the special things you
16:51
Speaker 2: would put inside if you had such a cupboard at home.
16:58
Speaker 2: A bit further on, you come to an area with
17:03
Speaker 2: multiple dining tables. Some of them have heavy, elaborately carved legs.
17:15
Speaker 2: whereas others look like they might have been used just
17:20
Speaker 2: for ordinary meals in someone's kitchen nook. Your favorite ones
17:29
Speaker 2: are the small tables with drop leaves. They can be
17:35
Speaker 2: opened to seat more guests and then closed again to
17:40
Speaker 2: save space. What a clever idea that was, you think?
17:52
Speaker 2: You stop to open and close the leaf of a
17:56
Speaker 2: nearby table and test the hardware underneath to see if
18:03
Speaker 2: it still works.
18:07
Speaker 3: It does.
18:09
Speaker 2: And the fading red paint is so charming you imagine
18:15
Speaker 2: the table set for breakfast in a sunny bay window
18:21
Speaker 2: and slowly stroll on. Coming to the end of this
18:29
Speaker 2: expansive porch, you encounter a whole stack of leaning iron bedsteads.
18:40
Speaker 2: Most of them were originally painted white, That paint is
18:46
Speaker 2: now chipping and flaking, giving them a distressed look. Some
18:52
Speaker 2: of them appear to be brass. Those pretty golden frames
19:00
Speaker 2: would shine right up with a good polish, you think?
19:07
Speaker 2: You run your fingers over a twin bed that has
19:11
Speaker 2: curlicues and daisies, elegantly twining their way across it. It
19:21
Speaker 2: would be just perfect with a fluffy white down comforter
19:27
Speaker 2: and big soft pillows. Having reached the end of the porch,
19:38
Speaker 2: you look back at your friend who is also admiring
19:43
Speaker 2: the iron beds. Then you motion with a knife toward
19:51
Speaker 2: the doorway, indicating that you'd like to enter the house.
20:00
Speaker 2: Your friend smiles and follows you as you pull the
20:05
Speaker 2: door open carefully and step inside you are in a
20:14
Speaker 2: large room that was probably some sort of living room
20:20
Speaker 2: or salon at one time. The wood floors have very
20:27
Speaker 2: wide planks and look quite worn, as if hundreds and
20:33
Speaker 2: hundreds of people had walked across them. In the center
20:41
Speaker 2: of the ceiling, There is a plaster ceiling rosette, and
20:46
Speaker 2: a chandelier hangs gracefully beneath it. Around the room, other
20:55
Speaker 2: chandeliers are suspended from the ceiling. They are not lit,
21:04
Speaker 2: which tells you they are on display for purchase. The
21:12
Speaker 2: entire space is filled with tables that are covered in
21:17
Speaker 2: a variety of wares. China cupboards stand here and there,
21:25
Speaker 2: dividing the room into sections. Almost everything you see in
21:34
Speaker 2: this room is for sale. Begin at the table nearest
21:42
Speaker 2: to you. It is absolutely covered in piles of vintage
21:50
Speaker 2: napkins and tablecloths. Many of them are white, with some
21:57
Speaker 2: sort of lace or crochet edging in white or in
22:02
Speaker 2: elegant pastels. Most of these fine linens have yellowed modestly
22:12
Speaker 2: with age, which only increases their charm. There are also
22:21
Speaker 2: some cheerful floral prints to be found. You pick up
22:27
Speaker 2: a set of napkins that are light orange with white
22:32
Speaker 2: and pink flowers on them. The cotton is lovely and heavy.
22:43
Speaker 2: They would wash up beautifully and probably not even need ironing.
22:53
Speaker 2: You smooth your hand across the napkins and set them
22:57
Speaker 2: carefully back on the table. As you circle the room,
23:05
Speaker 2: you look at the dishware displayed within the standing cabinets.
23:14
Speaker 2: There is so much talk nowadays about how people don't
23:19
Speaker 2: want to bother with fancy dishes anymore. But these plates, cups,
23:26
Speaker 2: and saucers exude such charm. They inspire you to consider
23:34
Speaker 2: hosting a dinner party. or having friends over for tea
23:39
Speaker 2: and cake. Some of the plates feature the traditional blue
23:46
Speaker 2: and white pattern so many people associate with fine china.
23:55
Speaker 2: But there are other patterns that are much more colorful.
24:03
Speaker 2: You see floral motifs edged with gold, as well as
24:08
Speaker 2: demure white-on-white plates that have platinum edging. Nearby, a round
24:18
Speaker 2: table is set with a purposely mismatched grouping of dishware.
24:27
Speaker 2: Your friend tells you that they've been inspired to revisit
24:32
Speaker 2: the odds and ends in the cabinet at home and
24:36
Speaker 2: put together some new table settings. This visit to the
24:44
Speaker 2: antique store is giving you both some great ideas. One
24:53
Speaker 2: cabinet contains numerous charming vintage salt and pepper shakers. Some
25:03
Speaker 2: are in elegant porcelain patterns while others look more like
25:09
Speaker 2: cartoon animals or even pieces of fruit. You spot a
25:18
Speaker 2: small pair of decorative glass ones that would be perfect
25:23
Speaker 2: on the red drop-leaf table you just saw on the
25:27
Speaker 2: porch outside. A person could furnish an entire kitchen in
25:36
Speaker 2: this place. Your friend is right behind you as you
25:44
Speaker 2: go through the doorway into a small adjoining room. The
25:53
Speaker 2: entire space is filled with segmented bins that contain drawer
26:00
Speaker 2: pulls and doorknobs. Like a magnet, you are drawn to
26:09
Speaker 2: the sparkling glass knobs, which appear to come in every
26:15
Speaker 2: color of the rainbow. Most of the kitchens you have
26:23
Speaker 2: seen have ordinary knobs in white or a silver color.
26:31
Speaker 2: But seeing these lovely glass ones reminds you that it's
26:37
Speaker 2: very easy to change out your cabinet knobs. You ponder
26:46
Speaker 2: the possibilities as you sort through the bins. You find
26:53
Speaker 2: glass knobs in blue, pink, and amber, and turn them
27:00
Speaker 2: in a sunbeam to see the light refract on the
27:04
Speaker 2: wall The large doorknobs are also intriguing. Some are plain
27:17
Speaker 2: and round and others are more octagonal. They come in
27:24
Speaker 2: different finishes and are for different types of doors. Your
27:32
Speaker 2: friend points out that you could choose three or four
27:37
Speaker 2: and mount them on a board on the wall rack
27:41
Speaker 2: as a coat rack. Exiting the small room, you find
27:48
Speaker 2: you are in what was once the entryway. There's a
27:55
Speaker 2: front desk there, and two people are behind it, ringing
28:00
Speaker 2: up purchases and chatting with customers. Next to the desk
28:08
Speaker 2: is a narrow set of stairs that leads to the
28:12
Speaker 2: next level of the house. You step carefully up the stairs,
28:22
Speaker 2: running your hand along the smooth, white, wooden rail. You
28:31
Speaker 2: notice that someone has painted one word on each stair riser.
28:41
Speaker 2: As you ascend, it says, more to see up here.
28:50
Speaker 2: You reach the landing at the top and find you
28:54
Speaker 2: are in a hallway with four spaces that must have
28:59
Speaker 2: once been bedrooms. Entering the first, you see you have
29:07
Speaker 2: found the display of vintage clothing. Hanging on rolling racks,
29:18
Speaker 2: you see dresses and skirts covered in faded lace. There's
29:26
Speaker 2: also a clothing bar with some fur coats and well-worn
29:32
Speaker 2: leather purses. on a shelf nearby. you note there are
29:41
Speaker 2: bold vintage bracelets hanging in a row on one shelf,
29:49
Speaker 2: and beneath it, some clip-on earrings and elegant-looking narrow belts.
30:00
Speaker 2: Over by the window, you see a collection of vintage hats.
30:10
Speaker 2: You can't resist stopping near some pillbox-style ones with blusher veils.
30:21
Speaker 2: You pick up one that is yellow silk and turn
30:26
Speaker 2: it around in your hands. Your friend suggests with a
30:33
Speaker 2: smile that its owner probably wore a triple-strand pearl necklace
30:41
Speaker 2: as well. Leaving the room of hats and dresses, you
30:49
Speaker 2: proceed through a door to an adjoining area that is
30:54
Speaker 2: full of books. Only a few of them are classics
31:02
Speaker 2: you recognize. Others appear to be grammar primers for long-ago
31:12
Speaker 2: students or cookbooks you've never heard of. One professes to
31:21
Speaker 2: be the book of manners for children. Over by the window,
31:29
Speaker 2: there is a bin containing vintage magazines. Each one is
31:38
Speaker 2: protected by a smooth plastic sleeve. You look through half
31:45
Speaker 2: of the stack and marvel at the cover stories from
31:50
Speaker 2: decades ago. They cover topics ranging from fashion to to
31:59
Speaker 2: current events. It's strange to see history playing out as
32:07
Speaker 2: a headline on each of the news magazines. You hadn't
32:15
Speaker 2: even noticed that your friend had disappeared until they stick
32:21
Speaker 2: their head through the doorway from the next room and
32:26
Speaker 2: tell you to come look at something. You put the
32:33
Speaker 2: magazines back in order and walk into the next room,
32:39
Speaker 2: which is full of toys. There are numerous wind-up robots
32:47
Speaker 2: and cars. You gingerly turn the knob on one little
32:54
Speaker 2: vehicle and release it. briefly on a table. It drives
33:03
Speaker 2: merrily across and stops after going a few inches. On
33:12
Speaker 2: a shelf nearby there is a wooden duck that clacks
33:17
Speaker 2: when you pull it with a string. There are a
33:22
Speaker 2: few more books here, Most of them are fairy tales
33:28
Speaker 2: or children's stories. In the corner is a well-loved wooden
33:35
Speaker 2: rocking horse with an antique teddy bear seated on its back.
33:43
Speaker 2: The entire room is a reminder of a simpler time,
33:50
Speaker 2: and being in it makes you feel happy. The fourth
33:58
Speaker 2: room on this floor is full of dressers and mirrors.
34:07
Speaker 2: Some of the dressers are recently refinished, and others could
34:13
Speaker 2: use a good coat of paint. Full and half-length mirrors
34:21
Speaker 2: stand here and there, reflecting each other. The effect is
34:31
Speaker 2: to create a feeling of infinite doorways and infinite numbers
34:38
Speaker 2: of dressers. You watch yourself multiply as you step from
34:46
Speaker 2: one place in the room to another. After leaving this
34:55
Speaker 2: room of reflections... Your friend suggests that since the entire
35:02
Speaker 2: third floor is more furniture, the two of you, instead,
35:09
Speaker 2: go outside to see what's in the vendor stalls. You agree.
35:18
Speaker 2: You certainly aren't planning on returning home with any large
35:23
Speaker 2: furniture today. You carefully descend the front stairs, past the
35:31
Speaker 2: front desk, and exit the house through the front door.
35:40
Speaker 2: Once you get to the bottom of the porch steps,
35:45
Speaker 2: you pass back through the cafe courtyard. You cross it.
35:53
Speaker 2: and find yourselves following an enticing path of irregularly shaped
36:00
Speaker 2: stone pavers to a large, open greenhouse. Inside the greenhouse
36:10
Speaker 2: is a wide variety of vintage outdoor decorations. there is
36:19
Speaker 2: a pair of stately stone lions to your right. One
36:26
Speaker 2: of them has a chipped paw, but they are otherwise
36:31
Speaker 2: very grand-looking. As you circle the greenhouse, you are relieved
36:40
Speaker 2: to sit down on an inviting stone bench. Your friend
36:48
Speaker 2: stops next to you, and you both gaze appreciatively around
36:54
Speaker 2: the area, taking in carved stone birdbaths, elegant fountains, and
37:05
Speaker 2: hanging wind chimes. The fragrant afternoon breeze is drifting gently
37:15
Speaker 2: through the garden area, causing the chimes to play a soothing,
37:23
Speaker 2: ethereal tune. The fresh air is lovely after the old
37:33
Speaker 2: wood scent in the interior of the house. Almost reluctantly,
37:41
Speaker 2: you rise from the bench and walk around the other
37:46
Speaker 2: side of the greenhouse, admiring large stone planters along the way.
37:58
Speaker 2: There is a coat tree that has been hung with
38:01
Speaker 2: all types of artificial wreaths. Some are very summery, and
38:11
Speaker 2: others hint more at autumn, or the holiday season. Better yet,
38:21
Speaker 2: a little way ahead, you see a troop of whimsical
38:26
Speaker 2: garden gnomes. They have all been gathered by the owners
38:33
Speaker 2: of the shop to offer an easy selection for any
38:39
Speaker 2: lawn ornament enthusiasts. One of the gnomes stands proudly with
38:47
Speaker 2: a large walking stick. Another one, with a red hat,
38:54
Speaker 2: stands simply with his feet wide and his hands behind
38:59
Speaker 2: his back. A third one is wearing a green hat
39:07
Speaker 2: and lies sleeping on a spotted toadstool. You almost yawn
39:15
Speaker 2: just looking at him. A nap sounds lovely, you think?
39:26
Speaker 2: You've seen the entire garden house. so you head toward
39:32
Speaker 2: the outdoor stalls to see what treasures you'll find there.
39:41
Speaker 2: As you near this long, open-air aisle of three-walled rooms,
39:48
Speaker 2: you pass... a long line of wooden doors in different
39:52
Speaker 2: sizes and colors. They are leaning against a fence, just
40:02
Speaker 2: waiting for the right buyer to select the perfect one.
40:11
Speaker 2: Some are stained wood, while others are in various stages
40:17
Speaker 2: of peeling paint there is a red door that is
40:24
Speaker 2: showing white paint underneath. Next to it is a blue
40:32
Speaker 2: door with white trim around the insets. Your favorite one
40:41
Speaker 2: is a very fancy-looking red door with ironwork covering a
40:48
Speaker 2: large glass window. there is an elaborate design carved on
40:57
Speaker 2: the solid lower half of the door. It looks like
41:05
Speaker 2: it came from a grand old Victorian mansion. While you've
41:13
Speaker 2: been admiring the doors, your friend has wandered ahead and
41:20
Speaker 2: is examining a small area It contains two antique typewriters,
41:30
Speaker 2: a bookshelf, a large farmhouse sink, and a metal medicine cabinet.
41:40
Speaker 2: These outdoor spaces are much more jumble, because each booth
41:47
Speaker 2: belongs to a single cellar. Your friend carefully opens and
41:55
Speaker 2: closes the medicine cabinet, as if they're imagining it in
42:01
Speaker 2: their bathroom at home. If they did want to refurbish
42:09
Speaker 2: their bathroom, they'd also have a selection of clawfoot tubs
42:15
Speaker 2: to choose from nearby. There are two. One is white
42:24
Speaker 2: all over and has silver-colored legs. The other has been
42:31
Speaker 2: painted a bronze shade on the outside. Both tubs look
42:39
Speaker 2: like they would be extremely heavy to transport. Your friend
42:47
Speaker 2: suggests that either one would make a fantastic garden planter
42:54
Speaker 2: and you agree. You step into another nearby stall and
43:03
Speaker 2: gaze at a large collection of glass bottles. Some of
43:11
Speaker 2: them are clear and some are blue. Some have no
43:18
Speaker 2: lid and others are have a stopper attached. Next to them,
43:26
Speaker 2: on a table, is an old-fashioned kitchen scale. You press
43:34
Speaker 2: it lightly with your hand and watch the dial swing gently,
43:43
Speaker 2: and then return to its resting place. Moving on, next
43:53
Speaker 2: to the scale, you find an umbrella stand with a
43:57
Speaker 2: few beautifully carved wooden walking sticks standing in it. You
44:06
Speaker 2: pick up each walking stick in turn, admiring their smooth curves.
44:16
Speaker 2: One is a natural honey color, and the other two
44:22
Speaker 2: are a richer, darker brown. You carefully replace them. Ducking
44:32
Speaker 2: into the next booth, you see your friend examining a
44:37
Speaker 2: bucket of old metal house numbers. Most of them are
44:45
Speaker 2: black and weathered. and some of them are tangled together.
44:54
Speaker 2: Your friend laughs as they pick up a string of numbers,
44:59
Speaker 2: all hanging from each other like keys on a ring.
45:06
Speaker 2: You scan the rest of the booth and spot a
45:10
Speaker 2: trusty little red wagon in the corner. It has some
45:18
Speaker 2: minor rust on it now, but you can imagine how
45:23
Speaker 2: it once must have made its little owner proud. It
45:31
Speaker 2: probably carried around all manner of things, like stuffed bears,
45:38
Speaker 2: colorful wooden blocks, and dolls. Above the metal wagon There
45:47
Speaker 2: is a square of stained glass hanging from a support
45:52
Speaker 2: beam in the ceiling. It has a red and blue
45:59
Speaker 2: geometric pattern and is about eight by eight inches across.
46:08
Speaker 2: You are oddly charmed by this pretty piece of glass.
46:16
Speaker 2: and stand there pondering where you might hang it at home.
46:25
Speaker 2: You can imagine a few places, but you're not sure. Still,
46:35
Speaker 2: you have that feeling you get when you just know
46:39
Speaker 2: you'll regret passing up something you love. That settles it.
46:49
Speaker 2: This stained glass is going home with you. Your friend
46:57
Speaker 2: helps you remove the hook from the low-hanging rafter in
47:02
Speaker 2: the ceiling, and you decide you will take it inside
47:07
Speaker 2: the house and pay for it. You and your friend
47:14
Speaker 2: Take a leisurely stroll back to the entryway with the
47:19
Speaker 2: cash register and wait while the people at the counter
47:25
Speaker 2: carefully wrap your stained glass treasure and put it in
47:30
Speaker 2: a bag. They smile broadly at you and thank you
47:38
Speaker 2: for coming. You find yourself gladly nodding your thanks in response.
47:48
Speaker 2: You find your friend wandering the porch, and both agree
47:53
Speaker 2: that you could use a snack. Luckily, there's no line
48:02
Speaker 2: at the bakery truck you saw earlier. You head over
48:09
Speaker 2: to the truck and examine the menu, each settling on
48:14
Speaker 2: an iced coffee and deciding to split an enormous chocolate
48:20
Speaker 2: chip muffin. While you wait for your order, you look
48:27
Speaker 2: around for a good place to sit. There are plenty
48:34
Speaker 2: of empty tables. Since the afternoon, is growing late. You
48:44
Speaker 2: choose a spot under a sweet little trellis in the corner.
48:53
Speaker 2: The two of you sit down and divide the muffin
48:58
Speaker 2: between you. Grateful to be off your feet after your
49:06
Speaker 2: long wanderings Through the antique market. You take slow bites
49:15
Speaker 2: through the light coating of sugar crystals on the cross.
49:20
Speaker 2: muffin and savor the semi-sweet chocolate hidden inside. It's exactly
49:32
Speaker 2: the kind of treat you were looking for. The sun
49:39
Speaker 2: is getting lower in the sky, but you feel as
49:44
Speaker 2: if the entire world has slowed down as the day progresses.
49:54
Speaker 2: From where you are sitting, you can see some people
49:59
Speaker 2: working to carry a table down the front steps of
50:03
Speaker 2: the porch. They are laughing as they turn the table
50:09
Speaker 2: this way and that, trying not to inconvenience each other
50:16
Speaker 2: or run into the porticos. Behind them, a couple of
50:23
Speaker 2: friends each carry two chairs. It looks like they may
50:30
Speaker 2: have purchased an entire dining set. You lean back in
50:37
Speaker 2: your chair and take a deep breath, smelling the scent
50:45
Speaker 2: of fresh-cut grass and delicate blooms that fills the air
50:51
Speaker 2: around you. You stretch your legs out long in front
50:58
Speaker 2: of you and tilt your face back. It meets the
51:06
Speaker 2: dappled sunshine that filters down through the trellis above. You
51:15
Speaker 2: feel as if you could stay here forever. Listening to
51:24
Speaker 2: the gentle hum of conversation... After a long and companionable silence,
51:37
Speaker 2: you and your friend both stir. Your muffin has been eaten,
51:47
Speaker 2: and you realize you should probably get on the road.
51:55
Speaker 2: So you rise, carrying what's left of your refreshing iced coffee,
52:03
Speaker 2: and your bag with the stained glass diamond. Strolling ever
52:10
Speaker 2: so slowly, you make your way back to the car.
52:19
Speaker 2: You pull onto the two-lane road and head in the
52:24
Speaker 2: direction of home. The cubes of your drink rattle ever
52:33
Speaker 2: so slightly in the cup holder next to you, as
52:39
Speaker 2: the car, once again, drives lightly over the cracks in
52:45
Speaker 2: the road. The wheels make a hypnotic bumping sound. It's
52:55
Speaker 2: even more soothing combined with the birdsong You hear through
53:01
Speaker 2: your half-open window. You lean your head back on the
53:09
Speaker 2: headrest and turn your face to the side, watching the
53:17
Speaker 2: rolling pastures unfold next to you. Your mind wanders as
53:27
Speaker 2: the miles slip by. and you ponder where you might
53:36
Speaker 2: hang your stained glass diamond. Perhaps over the sink in
53:46
Speaker 2: the kitchen, so you could look at it while you
53:50
Speaker 2: were cooking. Or maybe it would be lovely in the
53:57
Speaker 2: bedroom window, After a while, you realize you are too
54:05
Speaker 2: sleepy to give this matter any serious thought. So you
54:13
Speaker 2: resolve to settle it tomorrow. Your friend switches on the
54:22
Speaker 2: radio and turns it to a classical music station. A
54:30
Speaker 2: string quartet is playing a soothing piece that you can't
54:36
Speaker 2: quite place, but it's so lovely. With your eyes still closed,
54:47
Speaker 2: you breathe the floral-scented air deeply, and then exhale it.
54:58
Speaker 2: feeling totally relaxed. With the sun on your face and
55:07
Speaker 2: the humming of the car all around, you slowly drift
55:15
Speaker 2: off to sleep.
55:22
Speaker 3: Thank you for watching. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
57:34
Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for watching! Thank you. Thank you.
59:35
Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you for watching.
1:00:54
Speaker 3: Thank you.