Slow down with Quiet Autumn Stories, a collection of tales that invite you to savor peaceful moments—from cozying up with a book to enjoying a solo cafe visit. Settle in, relax, and stay tuned for book recommendations and gentle musings.

Our stories today take us into the warm Curios Shop on a chilly day, out to the Inn to investigate a dark knot in a tall tree in the side yard, and through the iron gate at the graveyard to read the names on the stones. We’ll sip tea, consider our dreams, find friends, and mend what is broken in Sycamore and the Gravestones parts 1, 2, & 3. Scary Stuff HappensBegin Again meditation on First This.Follow us on Instagram! Save over $100 on Kathryn’s hand-selected wind-down favorites with...

Our stories today take you on a journey for some special residents of the Village of Nothing Much

Our stories today treat you, and only maybe a little trick you, at one of the best times of the year.

Our stories today get you out into the fresh autumn air to watch the leaves turn and fall.

Our stories today put the final bow on this wedding gift we have been preparing for a few weeks.

Tonight’s stories, Something New, Borrowed, & Blue, continue our journey toward a special event in the Village. Join us for a bicycle ride to a secret spot, the making of a wedding cake in the Inn’s kitchen, and a heartwarming memory up in the sycamore treehouse.

Relax with Kathryn Nikolai as she shares enchanting stories from the Village of Nothing Much. From a special yard sale find to a harvest gathering and selecting a perfect wedding gift.

Join Kathryn Nikolai for a calming episode of "Stories from the Village" featuring three serene stories from the Village of Nothing Much. Relax with tales of watching a baseball game, enjoying cider, and waiting for the harvest moon.

Our stories today start in the garden as we harvest a few tomatoes on our way to take the washing down from the line in The Last Warm Days. Then, we’ll shake off a stale mood and find a few small ways to practice joy in A Change of Scenery. Finally, we’ll roll up the cuffs on our pants and step into the sand just as the sun is setting on the lake in Bonfire. Begin Again meditation on First This.   Follow us on Instagram. Save over $100 on Kathryn’s hand-selected wind-down favorites with...

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

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

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

Our stories today celebrate some close-to-home summer pleasures. We’ll start with a Yard Sale, pulling our little red wagon along the sidewalks and browsing treasures. Then, we’ll find a shady spot to watch the wind in the branches and doze off in A Midsummer’s Afternoon Nap. Finally, we’ll pack the picnic basket and meet a couple of friends at the park a block away to share lunch and watch the clouds shift in Summer Feast. Follow us on Instagram! Save over $100 on Kathryn’s hand-selected...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our stories today have a bit of magic in them. Whether it is the mundane sort, like minnows swimming in schools beside the shore, or the more unexplainable type, like millions of fireflies blinking in unison. We’ll start at one of the favorite locations in the Village, with the original story of the Innkeeper, as she looks out from the porch and guests begin to stir up in their rooms. Then, we’ll head out with our trowel and net to find some small treasures in the sand in The Beachcomber....

Our stories today are about finding the right gift for a special moment and letting your imagination wander along the way. We’ll start with a red envelope waiting in the mailbox (it was delivered just one episode back in Daydreamer) and the party it announces in Housewarming. Then, we’ll step into the stationary shop downtown and pursue the pencil aisle in Housewarming pt 2. Finally, we’ll deliver a lovingly wrapped gift and step out onto the patio with the perfect chilled glass of tart and...

Our stories today are about some of the delights of late spring and early summer. I should say, if you are new here, that all of our stories take place in the same universe, and sometimes you’ll recognize a narrator from a previous tale or see some overlap of storylines. We’ll see that today. We’ll start with The Lilac Thief as she pulls off a heist on a dusty country road. Then we’ll step out onto the porch and enjoy the gloaming in Strawberry Moon. Finally, we’ll revisit the reformed thief...