Latest / Abide Meditation App / Relaxing Story for Grown Ups _ An Evening in Lavender _ Soothing Bedtime Story

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Relaxing Story for Grown Ups _ An Evening in Lavender _ Soothing Bedtime 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. As always, my name's Tom, and I'm
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: your host. Thank you so much for tuning in. Following
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: on from Monday's episode, tonight we return to Anita's cottage
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: for the end of our two-part story, Read by Heather.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: When we last saw Renita, she watered the flowers and
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: gathered some lavender. Now, we'll join her in the kitchen
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: as she makes some refreshing lavender lemon tea at the
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: end of a long day. So, let's get nice and
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: cozy in bed now. ready for another relaxing tale at
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: Anita's cottage. Cuddle into the comfort of your bed covers,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: like a caterpillar cocooning itself for a long, peaceful rest.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: And as you lay there, still and calm, just feel
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: this slow, rhythmic rise and fall of air into your
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: chest as you take a few deep inhales and long
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: leisurely exhales. Appreciate the chance to be conscious of your
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: breath which has kept you alive and moving throughout the day,
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: without need for attention. And notice that with each wave-like
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: motion of your breath, you drift farther and farther from
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: the events of your day. This is your well-deserved time
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: to let go to enjoy the simple pleasure of rest
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: and to listen to a relaxing, comforting bedtime story while
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: you gradually drift towards sleep. So let your imagination wander
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: as we travel to a quiet cottage with a beautiful garden.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: The sun is setting at the end of a long day.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: And this is where our story begins.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: It's a beautiful late summer afternoon. Just before sunset, Anita
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: dusts her fingers off as she walks down the garden
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: path towards her cottage. The breeze, which is cooler now,
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: skips lightly over her skin as she looks up and
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: shades her eyes. The sun brings her home into sharp relief,
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: the light cascading down the thatched roof. As she walks,
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: the sun seems to pull the light away, sinking rapidly
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: into the horizon. By the time she's at her front door,
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: the sky blushes a deep red. The crickets hum in
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: the bushes, but their music fades as she steps inside
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: and shuts the door behind her. Home, she thinks, looking
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: around with wonder. With the lamps off, the windows fill
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: her living room with a crimson light. Anita closes her
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: eyes and inhales. The smell of home is hard to define,
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: but if it were bottled and turned into a perfume,
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: she knows she'd recognize it anywhere. There's the smell of
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: soil she tried so hard not to track in from
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: her garden. Then there's the fragrance of the gardenia candles
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: she burns on colder nights. This is what home smells
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: like to her. Today, there's also the fresh scent of woodcleaner.
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: from when she'd tidied up the day before. And there's
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: something else, new and yet familiar. Anita opens her eyes
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: and smiles as she slips off her boots and heads
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: to the kitchen. On her way, she flicks on the
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: overhead light. The Lavender sits exactly where she left it
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: this afternoon. It's in a vase that was gifted to
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: her by the owner of the ceramic shop, which is
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: right next to Anita's gardening store downtown. The deep purple
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: body of the vase looks like an extension of the Lavender.
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: Complementing the blooms perfectly. Anita leans in and sniffs. The light,
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: woody smell of the flowers clears her head. The effect
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: stays with her long after she moves away. Lavender has
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: always been a special flower for her. The smell brings
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: back fond memories of winter nights at her grandparents' house.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: Her family always took a trip to see her grandparents
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: during the holidays. Anita laughs quietly as she thinks of
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: how excited she used to be every year. her grandmother
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: always smiled patiently at her before going to prepare her
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: some lavender tea to help her fall asleep. Even though
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: she hasn't visited her grandmother for a while, Anita remembers
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: her face as if she'd only seen her yesterday. She
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: can picture the scene in her mind's eye as her
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: grandmother sets the kettle to boil. The wrinkles on the
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: older woman's hands seem to have love etched into them.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: The memory warms Anita from within. She decides it's been
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: too long since she last had that tea. Anita reaches
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: over to the vase and pulls out the long stems
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: then she tips the water from the vase into the
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: sink nearby holding the lavender in one hand she reaches
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: into a painted teal cabinet and takes out a large
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: bowl setting it onto the counter she places the lavender
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: within it carefully so as not to crush the blooms.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: Anita then walks over to the other side of her
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: kitchen and opens a drawer. Inside are rows of fresh towels.
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: The scent of her dryer sheets rises from them. Anita
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: pulls out a towel and then opens her everything drawer
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: as she calls it. Inside, there are bits and bobs
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: that have no other home. There's a bit of old
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: netting from a pair, pens with too little ink to
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: put by her desk, and keys to her old front door.
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: She roots around a bit, and then pulls out a
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: long-stemmed lighter. Carrying everything over to the dining room table,
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: she places her bowl and towel down on the wooden surface. Then,
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: Anita reaches over and lights the candles she keeps here
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: for nights like this. When she presses down on the lighter,
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: a flame appears at its tip and touches the wick
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: slowly lighting it. The fire seems to bloom instantly. Anita
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: sets the candle down and lights another. These candles, white
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: and luminescent, waft sweet notes of gardenia as they burn.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: These were gifts from her shop neighbor, Eileen. who makes
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: them by hand. Anita treasures them. She can still remember
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: Eileen's warm welcome when she first opened her garden store.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: To thank her, Anita gave Eileen some of her leftover gardenias.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: And in return, Eileen had surprised her with a gift
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: couple of scented candles made from the flowers. Every time
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: Anita lights the candles, she thinks of Eileen and her
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: kind smile. Eileen's job suits her perfectly. It's as if
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: this warm, loving person was destined to make candles, bringing
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: warmth and light into people's lives. Anita decides that tomorrow
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: she'll go into Eileen's store and thank her again. Sighing happily,
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: she takes the lavender and places it on the towel.
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: As the fabric darkens with moisture, she sifts through the
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: blooms separating one stem from the rest. Holding it over
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: the empty bowl, Anita runs her fingers over the purple buds,
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: picking them lightly from the stem and letting them drop.
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: They rest brightly against the stark white porcelain, looking like
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: small purple grains of rice. When she's done with one stalk,
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: she moves to the next and then takes up yet another.
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: Soon the thin oil of the lavender coats her fingers.
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: The woody floral fragrance wafts through the kitchen. The scent
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: is rich and fresh. And with the repetitive motion of
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: her hands, Anita finds her mind beginning to calm. Every
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: fleeting thought seems like a ripple in a pond. As
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: she works, she lets herself watch those thoughts pass by.
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: It's like letting the ripple spread out before the water
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: stills again. Thoughts of her work, her shop, and her
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: garden no longer concern her. In this moment, she feels
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: content and her worries seem dim and far away The
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: sun has set completely now, and the house is cocooned
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: in darkness. The single light turned on in her kitchen
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: casts a warm yellow glow over the cabinets. It fades
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: and diffuses as it reaches the dining room, which is
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: lit by the candles. Anita notes the gentle gradation of
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: the shadows. The windows were bright when they framed the sunset,
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: but now they're dark, awaiting the stars to make them shine.
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: Even though dusk has long since passed and night has arrived,
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: it seems as if a piece of twilight has remained
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: in this room. Anita's fingers grasp at the towel beside her,
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: only to find it empty. It seems this stage has
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: come to an end. She gathers up the empty stocks
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: beside her on the table and places them onto the towel.
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: Her bowl is almost half full now. The pile of
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: bright lavender buds seem to shine in the candlelight. Grasping
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: the bowl carefully with one hand, she scoops up the
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: stalks and makes her way to the kitchen. Here, she
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: sets the towel by the sink and places the bowl
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: by the stove. It's time, she thinks, smiling at the
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: thought of the sweet lavender syrup that will grace her
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: future drinks and baked goods. The syrup needs two main things,
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: a cup of sugar and a cup of water. Perhaps
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: she'll also add a squeeze of lemon to complement the
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: sweet taste once it's cooled down. Anita moves around her kitchen,
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: humming softly to herself. She opens the spice cupboard and
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: takes the sugar out before going in search of her
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: measuring cups. Strange, she thinks. They've disappeared again. Anita usually
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: likes to find them right away, but this evening, a
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: sense of calm has settled over her, and she knows
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: that it's alright. Tonight, she's going to make lavender syrup,
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: and a missing measuring cup won't change that. Humming still,
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: Anita opens up the cupboard that holds all her crockery. Here,
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: she finds dinner plates, dessert plates, soup bowls, and mugs.
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: The mugs sit bunched together on one shelf. There are
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: all kinds. Tall and short, stout and thin, old and new,
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: Memories of years gone by are gathered here on this
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: one shelf. Her eyes trace the familiar chip in the
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: indigo mug she got on a family vacation to India
• 19:15
  Speaker 2: when she was younger. Then there's the mug from a
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: local downtown ceramic store. Its pitted red surface still glossy.
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: Anita closes her eyes and brushes her fingers over each mug,
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: noting how some are sleek while others are more worn.
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: It feels as if I can touch time long past
• 19:51
  Speaker 2: she thinks. Smiling serenely she opens her eyes and picks
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: the mug her fingers land on last. In a stroke
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: of luck It's the mug her grandmother gave her two
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: summers ago. It was a housewarming gift for Anita's move
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: to the cottage. Bright yellow, like sunflowers in the summer,
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: the mug is one of her favorites. It's unusually shaped,
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: almost like a ceramic tanker. The mug's curved handle is
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: a deeper orange-yellow, setting it apart from the rest of
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: the body. Anita touches a dark spot at the base,
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: where she once accidentally sat it down on the stove
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: when it was still hot. The mug is as bright
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: in her kitchen as her grandmother's smile. It warms her
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: to think of their close, loving relationship. Anita takes the
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: mug and a bowl from the same cupboard and sets
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: both beside her sugar tin. Reaching below her, she opens
• 21:29
  Speaker 2: the cabinets to reveal a variety of cookware. Nestled at
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: the very back is a small saucepan. It's the perfect size.
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: So she takes it out and places it on the stove. Finally,
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: she heads to the pantry. Apart from the usual food,
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: she also stores old bottles and jars here the jams
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: and syrups they once held long cleaned out. One of
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: these would be perfect to hold the lavender syrup. The
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: bottle she chooses is frosted, with hairline scratches on its
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: neck from when she used a knife to take the
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: plastic off the top. she picks at the gummy residue
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: left on its body and fondly remembers the delicious Italian
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: lemon drink this bottle once held. It was a gift
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: from a friend who lived in Florence. The sweet, zesty
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: taste comes back to her now. After the contents were emptied,
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: She'd never found another drink quite like it. Now, this
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: bottle will have a new life. Anita searches for a
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: cork that fits into the mouth, then backs out of
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: the pantry and goes over to the stove. Her ingredients
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: are all ready. Methodically, Anita pours the sugar into the
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: mug and then empties it all into the bowl. She
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: does it once more before taking the mug and saucepan
• 23:48
  Speaker 2: over to the sink. Next, she sets the saucepan carefully
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: to the side and then runs the water, checking with
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: her fingers... to make sure it's cool. She dips the
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: mug under the stream, filling it until the water is
• 24:11
  Speaker 2: bubbling up and over the edge. After pouring it into
• 24:19
  Speaker 2: the pan, Anita returns the mug to the sink, where
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: she fills it with more water. Having poured this into
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: the pan as well, she turns the mug over on
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: the dish rack. Then she puts the saucepan on the stove.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: Medium heat should do, she thinks as she turns the
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: stove on. Bright flames bloom from the deep within the burner,
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: licking the base of the pan. Leaving the water to
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: heat up, Anita takes the empty bottle over to the sink. Here,
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: she rinses it thoroughly, letting the water run deep inside
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: before stoppering the bottle with her thumb and shaking it.
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: She empties the bottle and then refills it once more.
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: The stream of water is steady, and as it descends,
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: small bubbles appear inside the bottle. The frosted glass blurs
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: the motion, and the bubbles are like vague spots in
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: the water. Then, Anita tips it over and lets the
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: water flow out. As she does this, she becomes aware
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: of the gentle sounds of boiling water behind her. Shaking
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: the now empty bottle over the sink, Anita turns toward
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: the stove. Steam rises from the saucepan. The surface of
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: the water is tempestuous, and Anita decides... the perfect time
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: for the sugar to be added. Taking the bowl from
• 26:33
  Speaker 2: beside the stove, she grasps it with both hands and
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: shakes it lightly, sending the sugar down in an even stream.
• 26:47
  Speaker 2: Almost done, she thinks happily and reaches over to the
• 26:52
  Speaker 2: larger bowl. Inside, The lavender is bright and its heady
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: scent wafts up. Anita waves a hand over the bowl,
• 27:06
  Speaker 2: sniffing lightly. She knows that very soon, her whole house
• 27:13
  Speaker 2: will be suffused with this fragrance. She empties the bowl
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: into the saucepan as she tucks a stray hair behind
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: her ear. she breathes in the lovely woody scent of
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: the lavender. Next, Anita picks up a ladle and stirs
• 27:38
  Speaker 2: the mixture until the water swirls, with its bubbles disrupted
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: and the lavender buds floating lazily in the whirlpool. Anita
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: places the ladle down in a dish by the stove
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: Then she walks over to her junk drawer. Rifling through,
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: she finds an egg timer in the shape of a
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: crab and sets the dial to 30 minutes. This little
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: crab reminds Anita of her old high school friend who'd
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: gone to the coast for her summer vacations. Her friend
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: had bought the crab there and then given it to
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: Anita as a gift when they were back at school.
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: It's a dear memory, and Anita makes a mental note
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: to call her friend soon. With ten minutes to wait
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: before the mixture is thick enough, Anita decides to clean
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: up as much as she can. she takes the used
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: bowl to the sink and gives it a good rinse,
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: taking her time as the warm water runs down the
• 29:06
  Speaker 2: sides and over her hands. When she's satisfied, she turns
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: the tap off again and places the bowl onto the
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: dish rack. The bowl shines dimly in the light. A
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: droplet of water traveling down the side. And then it pauses. Entranced,
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: Anita marvels at how water shatters the scene behind it.
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: into blurred fractals. The light from the candles on her
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: dining room tables shines onto the bowl. The droplet slides
• 29:54
  Speaker 2: further down, gaining speed. Anita watches as the reflection of
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: the candle within the droplet blurs and swirls as the
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: water hastens its journey downwards. And then, with a faint plop,
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: it splatters into the dish rack. Next, Anita picks up
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: the neatly wrapped bundle of lavender stalks. Using a pair
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: of kitchen scissors, she cuts the stalks cleanly into thirds
• 30:36
  Speaker 2: until they're short and compact. She then bends down and
• 30:44
  Speaker 2: opens the cupboards under the sink. This is where she
• 30:49
  Speaker 2: keeps a small teal bucket. Her composting bin is a
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: treasure she found in a store downtown, Inside is a
• 31:03
  Speaker 2: piece of charcoal lining and a green biodegradable bag. Anita
• 31:11
  Speaker 2: places the lavender stalks inside the bucket, then snaps the
• 31:17
  Speaker 2: lid closed. In the cupboard, there's also a wire basket
• 31:24
  Speaker 2: filled with old rags. It was a good idea to
• 31:31
  Speaker 2: save all those used-up pieces of cloth to clean with,
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: she thinks. She takes an old dish towel from the basket,
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: dampens it under the tap, and gets to work. The
• 31:50
  Speaker 2: cloth glides smoothly over the countertops, lending them an easy
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: shine in the faint light. As she nears the stove,
• 32:03
  Speaker 2: she smells the lavender and glances at the timer. It
• 32:10
  Speaker 2: shows there are still a few minutes on the clock,
• 32:15
  Speaker 2: so she continues cleaning. Next, she folds the towel over
• 32:25
  Speaker 2: and takes the unsoiled cloth to the rest of her kitchen.
• 32:31
  Speaker 2: When she's satisfied, she goes over to the sink once more,
• 32:38
  Speaker 2: wetting the cloth and wringing it out again. Then she
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: hangs the towel over the tap and gets another rag.
• 32:53
  Speaker 2: Anita's dry rag soon becomes damp as she wipes away
• 32:58
  Speaker 2: the moisture. buffing her countertops to a greater shine. The
• 33:05
  Speaker 2: back and forth motion seems to guide her into a
• 33:10
  Speaker 2: trance-like state and puts her mind at ease. Little things
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: like cleaning or freshening up her room always put her
• 33:24
  Speaker 2: in a better mood. Slowly, Anita works from one end
• 33:31
  Speaker 2: of the room to the other until her kitchen is sparkling.
• 33:39
  Speaker 2: The smell of lavender has pervaded the room now, even
• 33:45
  Speaker 2: reaching the far corners and escaping into the dining room.
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: She wonders if the syrup is almost ready. And then,
• 33:58
  Speaker 2: as if on cue, her timer makes a light ringing sound.
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: Slinging the used towel over the sink, Anita goes to
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: the timer and clicks a small button on the side,
• 34:15
  Speaker 2: turning it off. She tucks it away in her junk
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: drawer and then turns to the syrup. It's bubbling gently
• 34:29
  Speaker 2: which means that it's nearly ready. After turning off the heat,
• 34:37
  Speaker 2: Anita dips the ladle into the syrup, stirring gently. When
• 34:46
  Speaker 2: she lifts the ladle, the syrup drips off the side
• 34:51
  Speaker 2: and into the saucepan. As it cools, The remaining syrup
• 34:58
  Speaker 2: on the ladle flows at a lethargic pace. Perfect, she thinks.
• 35:09
  Speaker 2: She takes the saucepan off the burner and sets it
• 35:13
  Speaker 2: to the side. Then, she reaches into one of the
• 35:19
  Speaker 2: cupboards above her head and takes out a funnel set.
• 35:26
  Speaker 2: After rifling through the set Anita fits the largest one
• 35:32
  Speaker 2: into the mouth of the bottle making sure it rests snugly.
• 35:40
  Speaker 2: She carefully tilts the saucepan over the funnel so the
• 35:45
  Speaker 2: syrup pours into the bottle. The purple syrup is slow
• 35:52
  Speaker 2: in its descent and as it falls the glass is
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: tinted a lavender shade. When the bottle catches the light,
• 36:05
  Speaker 2: it casts a purple shadow onto the countertop like a
• 36:10
  Speaker 2: stained glass window. Shadows from the suspended lavender buds break
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: the purple light as they slowly sink downwards. The bottle
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: fills slowly until the flow of syrup gradually stops. A
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: few droplets and pieces of stray lavender still remain in
• 36:41
  Speaker 2: the pan, but Anita knows that there's only enough left
• 36:47
  Speaker 2: for a mug of tea and not much else, so
• 36:51
  Speaker 2: she places the pan back onto the stove. Clear and sweet,
• 37:00
  Speaker 2: the syrup is her prize at the end of this endeavor.
• 37:06
  Speaker 2: Anita gently places it on the counter so it can cool.
• 37:12
  Speaker 2: No sense in rushing it, she thinks. Steam rises from
• 37:20
  Speaker 2: the mouth of the bottle as she carries the saucepan
• 37:24
  Speaker 2: over to the sink. Here, she takes the mug on
• 37:29
  Speaker 2: the dish rack and fills it with water, tipping the
• 37:33
  Speaker 2: mug over to fill the saucepan once more. Then, she
• 37:41
  Speaker 2: puts the saucepan on the stove. Leaving it to heat up,
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: Anita opens her fridge and takes a bottle of lemon
• 37:52
  Speaker 2: juice from the shelf. Freshly squeezed juice is always better
• 37:58
  Speaker 2: she thinks but tonight this will do she carefully pours
• 38:06
  Speaker 2: a capful into her mug then she shuts the bottle
• 38:11
  Speaker 2: with a snap and it goes back to its rightful
• 38:15
  Speaker 2: place in the fridge Anita opens another drawer which contains
• 38:22
  Speaker 2: an assortment of kitchen items She searches until she finds
• 38:30
  Speaker 2: a small round strainer. It fits perfectly in her mug,
• 38:39
  Speaker 2: ready to catch any stray lavender buds. Steam rises from
• 38:46
  Speaker 2: the saucepan now, so she turns off the heat and
• 38:52
  Speaker 2: carefully pours the liquid into the mug. The strainer catches
• 39:00
  Speaker 2: all the lavender buds left behind, and the mug slowly
• 39:05
  Speaker 2: fills up with tea. The liquid reaches the bottom of
• 39:11
  Speaker 2: the strainer and then rises above it, suspending the loose
• 39:16
  Speaker 2: buds in its eddies. Anita carefully fishes the strainer out, and,
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: unwilling to waste any of the precious lavender. carefully scrapes
• 39:31
  Speaker 2: the remaining buds into the syrup. Noticing now that the
• 39:39
  Speaker 2: steam curls seem to be all but dissipated, she stoppers
• 39:44
  Speaker 2: the bottle and places it in the fridge. The mug
• 39:50
  Speaker 2: of tea is hot to the touch. After a moment
• 39:56
  Speaker 2: of consideration, she decides to leave the mug where it
• 40:00
  Speaker 2: is and wait for it to cool down a bit.
• 40:07
  Speaker 2: The saucepan, now sticky from the tea, waits for her
• 40:12
  Speaker 2: in the sink along with the strainer. So she runs
• 40:18
  Speaker 2: the tab once again The water is warm as she
• 40:23
  Speaker 2: adds soap to the sponge. She gently scrubs at the saucepan,
• 40:31
  Speaker 2: taking care not to scratch it, but rubbing firmly enough
• 40:36
  Speaker 2: to remove any residual stickiness. The handle gets the same
• 40:44
  Speaker 2: treatment before she moves on to the strainer. Soap gathers
• 40:50
  Speaker 2: inside it as she scrubs the outside. Then she runs
• 40:57
  Speaker 2: the saucepan under the water. When the water runs clear,
• 41:03
  Speaker 2: she moves on to the strainer. Satisfied that both are clean,
• 41:11
  Speaker 2: Anita turns her attention to the sponge. When it's free
• 41:15
  Speaker 2: of suds, she wrings it out. and leaves it to dry.
• 41:23
  Speaker 2: At last, Anita turns to her mug. It sits there
• 41:30
  Speaker 2: on her clean counter, as if it's been waiting patiently
• 41:34
  Speaker 2: for her to finish. Steam rises upwards, swirling through the air.
• 41:44
  Speaker 2: When she cups the mug between her fingers... It's warm
• 41:48
  Speaker 2: instead of hot, and she knows the tea is good
• 41:53
  Speaker 2: to drink. Ah, finally, she thinks. Anita feels tired as
• 42:04
  Speaker 2: she walks out of the kitchen, around the dining table,
• 42:09
  Speaker 2: and towards the comfy armchair in her living room. It's
• 42:16
  Speaker 2: a good sort of tiredness, though, the kind of feeling
• 42:20
  Speaker 2: that comes after a long day of hard work. When
• 42:28
  Speaker 2: she sits down, she sighs happily. She nestles back into
• 42:35
  Speaker 2: the warmth of her favorite armchair, then reaches over to
• 42:41
  Speaker 2: turn on the lamp on the table beside it. There's
• 42:47
  Speaker 2: a book there, which she returns to year after year.
• 42:55
  Speaker 2: She puts her lips to the mug. The sweetness of
• 42:59
  Speaker 2: the lavender is cut by the tangy lemon juice. The
• 43:05
  Speaker 2: taste fills her with nostalgia. It's as if the memories
• 43:12
  Speaker 2: of her grandmother are distilled into this warm drink, Content
• 43:20
  Speaker 2: at last, Anita settles in and opens her book to
• 43:26
  Speaker 2: the page where the bookmark rests. She's looking forward to
• 43:33
  Speaker 2: a cozy night ahead, and as she drinks this soothing
• 43:39
  Speaker 2: lavender tea, she knows she'll sleep well tonight. Good night.
• 43:55
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: You This is the first time that I have seen
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: this kind of thing. This is the first time that
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: I have seen something like this.
• 48:37
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you.