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Get more Nothing Much Happens with bonus episodes, extra long stories,
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and ad-free listening, all while supporting the show you love.
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Subscribe now. Do you ever notice how most health advice
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tells you what to do, but not how to actually
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feel better in your body? The Align podcast with Erin
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Alexander is all about reconnecting with how your body is
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meant to move, breathe, and function. Drawing from two decades
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of experience working with top performers, athletes, and CEOs, Erin
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breaks down simple principles of posture, breath, and movement that
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help you feel stronger, calmer, and more aligned in everyday life.
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Listen to the Align podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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If you're looking for something a little more lively and outspoken,
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Took's Takes might be right up your alley. LaKendra Tooks
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shares bold, unfiltered takes on reality TV and real life
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with a mix of humor and honesty that's really engaging.
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Find Tooks Takes wherever you listen. So you might know
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I'm a little, let's go with dedicated when it comes
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to skincare. I have tried so many products, body oils, butters, balms,
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you name it, and only a few actually stay in
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my routine. Osea's Ocean Body Glow Set, it has earned
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a permanent place. The body wash is my everything shower staple.
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The body oil makes my skin feel like satin. And
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the body butter, it's like your skin finally has had
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enough water, sleep, and therapy. I use both the oil
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and butter together. It really locks in the moisture so
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that my skin stays soft for a long time. That's
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my pro tip for free. Three full-size products in a
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gift-ready box, so there's one for them and one for you.
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That's 10% off your first order with code NOTHINGMUCH. That's
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O-S-E-A malibu.com. Welcome to Bedtime Stories for Everyone, in which
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nothing much happens. You feel good, and then you fall asleep.
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I'm Katherine Nicolai. I write and read all the stories
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you hear on Nothing Much Happens. Audio engineering is by
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Bob Wittersheim. We give to a different charity each week,
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and this week we are giving to the Native American
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Rights Fund. They work to hold governments accountable. They fight
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to protect Native American rights, resources, and lifeways through litigation,
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legal advocacy, and expertise. Learn more about them in our
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show notes. We have something very special coming up. our
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first live online Nothing Much Happens show. It's just a
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few days before Thanksgiving. It'll be an hour plus of stories, sound,
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seasonal magic, beautiful songs. Don't miss the music. And a
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few surprises from the village to help you slow down
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and savor this cozy time of year. I hope you'll
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join us. Follow the link in our show notes to
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get your ticket now. And as always, for ad-free and
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bonus apps, click subscribe in Spotify or Apple, or go
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to NothingMuchHappens.com. All you need to do in order for
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this to work is to listen, and listen regularly. This
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is a form of brain training, so give it some
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time to take effect. Don't try to force sleep. Just
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listen to the sound of my voice. I'll tell the
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story twice, and I'll go a little bit slower the
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second time through. If you wake later in the night,
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don't debate with yourself. Just press play again, and you'll
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drift right back off. Our story tonight is called recipe testing,
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and it's a story about a quiet afternoon at home
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preparing for the holidays. It's also about leaves raked into
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piles in the backyard, cranberries and pastry flour, the incredible
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softness of a dog's ears, soup pots and sage, and
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the comfortable feeling of your loved ones resting nearby as
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you cook. Now, it's time for one of the sweetest
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moments of the day. Get as comfortable as you can
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and let your whole body sink into your sheets. You
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are about to fall asleep. And you will sleep deeply
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all night. Breathe in through the nose. Sigh from your mouth.
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Do one more like that. Breathe in. And out. Good.
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Recipe testing. The kitchen counters were full of paper grocery sacks.
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A row of wobbly squashes leaned against a mixing bowl,
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and some rogue cranberries that had slipped their net were
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scattered among recipe books. and bunches of sage and rosemary.
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Surveying all of it, and me, as I unpacked the groceries,
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was a regal but frowning orange cat. Marmalade came into
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my life a few years ago after I spotted paw
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prints she'd left in the snow on my driveway, and
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persuaded her to come in and stay a while. Though
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she came from humble beginnings, she carried herself with a
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definite air of royalty, of genteel dignity, And I could
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see that all of this clutter in her favorite room
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of the house just would not do. If she could speak,
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I imagine she'd clear her throat and using the royal we,
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pronounce we are not. I set down the bag of
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pastry flour I'd been lugging to the pantry and stepped
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over to her. We are a family of five. Two humans,
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two dogs, and one cat. But Marmalade and I belonged
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to each other in a special way. Each of us
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was alone before we found the other. And we made
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a family even when it was just the two of us.
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We were the original members of this band. So as
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I reached for her, and she pressed her soft cheek
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into my hand, I figured if anyone could soothe her,
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nudge her out of a crabby mood, it was me.
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I came closer, offering my shoulder, and she climbed from
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the perch, onto me. I had a way of holding her,
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snuggled in my arm, with her cheek pressed against mine
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and her paw braced on my back, that we'd been
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replicating since she was a kitten. Instantly, she began to purr.
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and I carried her through the living room to look
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out into the backyard. The trees were nearly bare, and
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leaves were being raked into piles by the other human
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in our family. Well, he was trying to rake them,
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but Crumb, our little brown dog, named for his resemblance,
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to what gets shaken out of the bottom of a toaster,
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was jumping into the piles as soon as they were made.
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Where Marmee was reserved, and maybe even a bit haughty,
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Crumb was gloriously goofy. Excited by just about everything he encountered,
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a cyclone of scrabbling paws. Crumb watched as leaves were
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tumbled together in a heap near the birdbath. This pile
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was three or four feet tall and as big around
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as his kiddie pool. He hopped up onto the porch.
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And for a moment, I thought he was done playing
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and wanted to come in. But he was just giving
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himself a longer runway. He backed up to the sliding doors,
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dipping his head and scratching at the deck boards like
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a runner setting up in the starting blocks of a race. Then,
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as if a flag had dropped, he raced forward, leaping
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off the edge of the deck. His body stretched out
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longer than I'd ever seen before, all four paws pointing
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and reaching as he flew into the pile of leaves.
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A cloud of them erupted into the air as he
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dropped into the depths. Marmalade watched the whole show with
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wide eyes and leaned closer to the window, waiting to
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see that he wasn't hurt. To Marmy, he might have
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been a bit of a brat. but he was still
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her little brother. I whispered to her that he was fine,
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having the time of his life, in fact, and pointed
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to some movement at the back of the flattened heap.
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A brown nose emerged, and behind it a healthy inhale, crumb,
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maple and elm leaves stuck into his fur. Marmalade relaxed
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in my arms, and I carried her over to the
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sofa where the last member of our family lay, splayed
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out and snoring softly. Birdie short for Bluebird, was a
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rescued greyhound, a giant compared to the other two, but
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calmer and more content than them both. He took up
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two-thirds of the couch cushions, and Marm and I squeezed
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in beside him. He lifted his head to see what
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had woken him, then let out a little huff and
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settled it down onto my leg. Can you understand what
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it feels like if you've never had a dog when
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one lays their head on you? First, It is a
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humbling level of trust that they are showing you. Second,
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it's simply very adorable. And third, it means you better
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not plan on getting up anytime soon. I had recipes
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to test for thanksgivings. we were hosting this year. And
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I wanted to make sure my green bean casserole and
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sweet potatoes were top tier. But nothing was in the
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oven right now. I could stay for a bit. Marmalade
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settled onto my lap and began to clean Bird's face.
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Cat's tongues are different than dogs. Theirs are built-in combs.
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They help them clear away fur with their sandpapery texture.
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And I giggled as she groomed around Bird's eyes. His
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lids lifted and stuck to her tongue for a moment.
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and there was no movement from his irises. He kept
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right on snoring. Once she was satisfied that his face
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was properly tidied, she climbed across his body and stretched
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out on his side. I knew what was coming next.
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This was part of their regular routine. And sure enough,
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a few seconds later, she began to massage him with
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her front paws, kneading him with her toes. Time to
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make the biscuits, Marmy? I cooed at her. I always
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wondered What exactly birdie made of this? Did it feel good?
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Did he even notice? I knew he was too good-natured
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to ever complain if it didn't. I reached for a
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throw pillow, and like Indiana Jones, reaching for treasure perched
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atop a booby trap, carefully swapped it for my leg,
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tucking it under the greyhound's head. His ear was flipped
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inside out, and I returned it to its factory setting,
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then draped it over his eyes like a sleep mask.
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I've never felt anything as soft as Bertie's ears. They're
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like velvet, if velvet were also a feather. I stood
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and left them happy on the couch. Marmalade wasn't the
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only one who needed to make some biscuits. I washed
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my hands at the sink and tied on my apron.
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The house was quiet. as I put the groceries away.
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Every now and then, I'd hear a bark from crumb
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or a car passing on the street. One of my
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favorite things to do, one that fills my cup to
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the brim with contentment, is to cook something delicious. while
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my family moves about nearby. like planets orbiting the same sun.
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I took a pot from the shelf, onions, celery, carrot
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from the fridge. I had other things to test and make,
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but first, soup. Recipe testing. The kitchen counters were full
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of paper grocery sacks. A row of wobbly squashes leaned
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against a mixing bowl. And some rogue cranberries that had
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slipped their net were scattered among recipe books and bunches
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of sage and rosemary. Surveying all of it and me
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as I unpacked the groceries, was a regal but frowning
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orange cat. Marmalade came into my life a few years
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ago after I spotted paw prints she'd left in the
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snow on my driveway and persuaded her to come in.
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and stay a while. Though she came from humble beginnings,
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she carried herself with a definite air of royalty, of
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genteel dignity. And I could see that all of this
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clutter in her favorite room of the house, just would
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not do. If she could speak, I imagined she'd clear
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her throat, and using the royal we, pronounce we are
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not amused. I set down the bag of pastry flour
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I'd been lugging to the pantry and stepped over to her.
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We are a family of five. Two humans, two dogs,
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and one cat. But Marmalade and I belong to each
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other in a special way. Each of us was alone
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before we found the other. And we made a family,
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00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:30.980
even when it was just the two of us. We
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00:23:31.059 --> 00:23:39.720
were the original members of this band. So as I
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00:23:39.819 --> 00:23:45.240
reached for her, and she pressed her soft cheek into
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00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:54.309
my hand, I figured if anyone could soothe her, nudge her,
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00:23:55.630 --> 00:24:04.569
out of a crabby mood, it was me. I came closer,
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offering my shoulders. And she climbed from the perch onto me.
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00:24:17.130 --> 00:24:22.890
I had a way of holding her, snuggled into my
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00:24:23.089 --> 00:24:31.099
arm with her cheek pressed against mine and her paw
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00:24:31.779 --> 00:24:38.799
braced on my back that we'd been replicating since she
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was a kitten. Instantly, she began to purr and I
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00:24:49.390 --> 00:24:55.809
carried her through the living room to look out into
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00:24:55.849 --> 00:25:06.019
the backyard. The trees were nearly bare and leaves were
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00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:15.509
being raked into piles by the other human in our family. Well,
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00:25:17.369 --> 00:25:24.000
he was trying to rake them. But Crumb, our little
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00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:32.359
brown dog, named for his resemblance to what gets shaken
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00:25:32.779 --> 00:25:38.480
out of the bottom of a toaster, was jumping into
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00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:46.740
the piles as soon as they were made. where Marmee
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00:25:47.220 --> 00:25:59.369
was reserved, maybe even a bit haughty. Crumb was gloriously goofy,
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00:26:01.730 --> 00:26:09.450
excited by just about everything he encountered. A cyclone of
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00:26:09.509 --> 00:26:20.619
scrabbling paws. Crumb watched as leaves were tumbled together into
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00:26:20.680 --> 00:26:29.470
a heap near the birdbath. This pile was three or
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00:26:29.690 --> 00:26:37.829
four feet tall and as big around as his kiddie pool.
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00:26:40.589 --> 00:26:48.250
He hopped onto the porch. And for a moment, I
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00:26:48.329 --> 00:26:52.970
thought he was done playing and wanted to come in.
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00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:05.240
But he was just giving himself a longer runway. He
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00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:13.559
backed up to the sliding doors, dipping his head and
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scratching at the deck boards, like a runner setting up
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in the starting blocks of a race. Then, as if
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a flag had dropped, he raced forward, leaping off the
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edge of the deck. His body stretched out longer and longer,
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than I'd ever seen before. All four paws pointing and
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reaching as he flew into the pile of leaves. A
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cloud of them erupted into the air as he dropped
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into the depths. Marmalade watched the whole show with wide
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eyes and leaned closer to the window, waiting to see
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that he wasn't hurt. To Marmy, he might have been
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a bit of a brat, but He was still her
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little brother. I whispered to her that he was fine,
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having the time of his life, in fact, and pointed
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to some movement in the back of the flattened heap.
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A brown nose emerged, and behind it, a healthy and
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hale crumb. Maple and elm leaves stuck in his fur.
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Marmalade relaxed in my arms, and I carried her over.
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to the sofa, where the last member of our family lay,
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which played out and snoring softly. Birdie, short for Bluebird,
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was a rescued greyhound. a giant compared to the other two,
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but calmer and more content than them both. He took
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up two-thirds of the couch cushions, and Marm and I
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squeezed in beside him. He lifted his head to see
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what had woken him, then let out a little huff
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and lay it down onto my leg. Can you understand
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what it feels like if you've never had a dog
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when one lays their head on you First, it is
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00:31:10.950 --> 00:31:18.480
a humbling level of trust they are showing you. Second,
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00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:29.150
it's simply very adorable. And third, it means you better
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00:31:29.369 --> 00:31:38.450
not plan on getting up anytime soon. I had recipes
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00:31:38.609 --> 00:31:46.319
to test for Thanksgiving. We were hosting this year. And
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00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:50.539
I wanted to make sure my green bean casserole and
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00:31:50.759 --> 00:31:57.460
sweet potatoes were top tier. But nothing was in the
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00:31:57.569 --> 00:32:08.789
oven right now. I could stay for a bit. Marmalade
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00:32:08.869 --> 00:32:14.839
settled onto my lap and began to clean Bird's face.
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00:32:19.140 --> 00:32:28.289
Cats' tongues are different than dogs'. They have built-in combs.
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00:32:30.869 --> 00:32:36.309
They help them clear away fur with their sandpapery texture.
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00:32:38.849 --> 00:32:46.019
and I giggled as she groomed around Bird's eyes. His
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00:32:46.099 --> 00:32:51.079
lids lifted and stuck to her tongue for a moment,
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and there was no movement from his irises. He kept
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right on snoring. Once she was satisfied, that his face
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was properly tidied. She climbed across his body and stretched
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out on his side. I knew what was coming next.
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This was part of their regular routine. Sure enough, A
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00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:45.690
few seconds later, she began to massage him with her
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00:33:45.750 --> 00:33:54.549
front paws, kneading him with her toes. Time to make
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the biscuits, Marmy? I cooed at her. I always wondered
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what exactly Bertie made of this. Did it feel good?
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Did he even notice? I knew he was too good-natured
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to ever complain if it didn't. I reached for a
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throw pillow. And like Indiana Jones, plucking a treasure perched
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atop a booby trap, carefully swapped it for my leg,
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tucking it under the greyhound's head. His ear was flipped
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inside out, and I returned it to its factory setting,
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then draped it over his eyes like a sleep mask.
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I've never felt anything as soft as Birdie's ears. They
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are like velvet, if velvet were also a feather. I
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stood and left them happy on the couch. Marmalade wasn't
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the only one who needed to make some biscuits. I
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washed my hands at the sink and put on my apron.
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The house was quiet as I put the groceries away.
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Every now and then, I'd hear a bark from Crumb.
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or a car passing on the street. One of my
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favorite things to do, one that fills my cup to
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00:36:20.469 --> 00:36:29.289
the brim with contentment, is to cook something delicious while
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00:36:29.329 --> 00:36:36.230
my family moves about nearby, like planets orbiting the same
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sun I took a pot from the shelf, onions, celery,
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carrot from the fridge. I had other things to test
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and make, but first, soup. Sweet dreams.
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00:00:01.100 --> 00:00:05.799
Get more Nothing Much Happens with bonus episodes, extra long stories,
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and ad-free listening, all while supporting the show you love.
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Subscribe now. Do you ever notice how most health advice
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of experience working with top performers, athletes, and CEOs, Erin
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breaks down simple principles of posture, breath, and movement that
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help you feel stronger, calmer, and more aligned in everyday life.
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to skincare. I have tried so many products, body oils, butters, balms,
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you name it, and only a few actually stay in
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and butter together. It really locks in the moisture so
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that my skin stays soft for a long time. That's
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That's 10% off your first order with code NOTHINGMUCH. That's
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O-S-E-A malibu.com. Welcome to Bedtime Stories for Everyone, in which
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nothing much happens. You feel good, and then you fall asleep.
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I'm Katherine Nicolai. I write and read all the stories
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you hear on Nothing Much Happens. Audio engineering is by
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00:02:55.020 --> 00:03:00.319
Bob Wittersheim. We give to a different charity each week,
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00:03:01.270 --> 00:03:04.409
and this week we are giving to the Native American
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00:03:04.669 --> 00:03:09.770
Rights Fund. They work to hold governments accountable. They fight
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00:03:09.870 --> 00:03:16.090
to protect Native American rights, resources, and lifeways through litigation,
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00:03:16.550 --> 00:03:21.189
legal advocacy, and expertise. Learn more about them in our
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00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:27.889
show notes. We have something very special coming up. our
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00:03:27.949 --> 00:03:32.789
first live online Nothing Much Happens show. It's just a
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few days before Thanksgiving. It'll be an hour plus of stories, sound,
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seasonal magic, beautiful songs. Don't miss the music. And a
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few surprises from the village to help you slow down
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and savor this cozy time of year. I hope you'll
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join us. Follow the link in our show notes to
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00:03:56.180 --> 00:04:00.379
get your ticket now. And as always, for ad-free and
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00:04:00.430 --> 00:04:05.009
bonus apps, click subscribe in Spotify or Apple, or go
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00:04:05.030 --> 00:04:11.870
to NothingMuchHappens.com. All you need to do in order for
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00:04:11.909 --> 00:04:18.639
this to work is to listen, and listen regularly. This
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00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:21.939
is a form of brain training, so give it some
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00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:27.639
time to take effect. Don't try to force sleep. Just
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00:04:27.740 --> 00:04:32.319
listen to the sound of my voice. I'll tell the
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story twice, and I'll go a little bit slower the
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00:04:37.569 --> 00:04:41.750
second time through. If you wake later in the night,
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don't debate with yourself. Just press play again, and you'll
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drift right back off. Our story tonight is called recipe testing,
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and it's a story about a quiet afternoon at home
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preparing for the holidays. It's also about leaves raked into
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piles in the backyard, cranberries and pastry flour, the incredible
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softness of a dog's ears, soup pots and sage, and
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the comfortable feeling of your loved ones resting nearby as
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you cook. Now, it's time for one of the sweetest
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moments of the day. Get as comfortable as you can
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and let your whole body sink into your sheets. You
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are about to fall asleep. And you will sleep deeply
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all night. Breathe in through the nose. Sigh from your mouth.
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Do one more like that. Breathe in. And out. Good.
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Recipe testing. The kitchen counters were full of paper grocery sacks.
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A row of wobbly squashes leaned against a mixing bowl,
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and some rogue cranberries that had slipped their net were
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scattered among recipe books. and bunches of sage and rosemary.
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Surveying all of it, and me, as I unpacked the groceries,
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was a regal but frowning orange cat. Marmalade came into
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my life a few years ago after I spotted paw
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prints she'd left in the snow on my driveway, and
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persuaded her to come in and stay a while. Though
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she came from humble beginnings, she carried herself with a
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definite air of royalty, of genteel dignity, And I could
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see that all of this clutter in her favorite room
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of the house just would not do. If she could speak,
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I imagine she'd clear her throat and using the royal we,
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pronounce we are not. I set down the bag of
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pastry flour I'd been lugging to the pantry and stepped
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over to her. We are a family of five. Two humans,
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two dogs, and one cat. But Marmalade and I belonged
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to each other in a special way. Each of us
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was alone before we found the other. And we made
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a family even when it was just the two of us.
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We were the original members of this band. So as
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I reached for her, and she pressed her soft cheek
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into my hand, I figured if anyone could soothe her,
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nudge her out of a crabby mood, it was me.
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I came closer, offering my shoulder, and she climbed from
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the perch, onto me. I had a way of holding her,
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snuggled in my arm, with her cheek pressed against mine
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and her paw braced on my back, that we'd been
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replicating since she was a kitten. Instantly, she began to purr.
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and I carried her through the living room to look
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out into the backyard. The trees were nearly bare, and
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leaves were being raked into piles by the other human
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in our family. Well, he was trying to rake them,
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but Crumb, our little brown dog, named for his resemblance,
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to what gets shaken out of the bottom of a toaster,
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was jumping into the piles as soon as they were made.
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Where Marmee was reserved, and maybe even a bit haughty,
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Crumb was gloriously goofy. Excited by just about everything he encountered,
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a cyclone of scrabbling paws. Crumb watched as leaves were
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tumbled together in a heap near the birdbath. This pile
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was three or four feet tall and as big around
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as his kiddie pool. He hopped up onto the porch.
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And for a moment, I thought he was done playing
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and wanted to come in. But he was just giving
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himself a longer runway. He backed up to the sliding doors,
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dipping his head and scratching at the deck boards like
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a runner setting up in the starting blocks of a race. Then,
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as if a flag had dropped, he raced forward, leaping
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off the edge of the deck. His body stretched out
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longer than I'd ever seen before, all four paws pointing
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and reaching as he flew into the pile of leaves.
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A cloud of them erupted into the air as he
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dropped into the depths. Marmalade watched the whole show with
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wide eyes and leaned closer to the window, waiting to
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see that he wasn't hurt. To Marmy, he might have
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been a bit of a brat. but he was still
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her little brother. I whispered to her that he was fine,
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having the time of his life, in fact, and pointed
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to some movement at the back of the flattened heap.
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A brown nose emerged, and behind it a healthy inhale, crumb,
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maple and elm leaves stuck into his fur. Marmalade relaxed
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in my arms, and I carried her over to the
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sofa where the last member of our family lay, splayed
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out and snoring softly. Birdie short for Bluebird, was a
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rescued greyhound, a giant compared to the other two, but
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calmer and more content than them both. He took up
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two-thirds of the couch cushions, and Marm and I squeezed
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00:14:46.220 --> 00:14:53.049
in beside him. He lifted his head to see what
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had woken him, then let out a little huff and
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00:14:59.950 --> 00:15:06.460
settled it down onto my leg. Can you understand what
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00:15:06.500 --> 00:15:12.899
it feels like if you've never had a dog when
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00:15:13.059 --> 00:15:19.370
one lays their head on you? First, It is a
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00:15:19.490 --> 00:15:26.929
humbling level of trust that they are showing you. Second,
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00:15:27.500 --> 00:15:34.980
it's simply very adorable. And third, it means you better
146
00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:43.299
not plan on getting up anytime soon. I had recipes
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00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:51.539
to test for thanksgivings. we were hosting this year. And
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00:15:51.580 --> 00:15:56.250
I wanted to make sure my green bean casserole and
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00:15:56.309 --> 00:16:03.389
sweet potatoes were top tier. But nothing was in the
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00:16:03.470 --> 00:16:11.139
oven right now. I could stay for a bit. Marmalade
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00:16:11.379 --> 00:16:16.850
settled onto my lap and began to clean Bird's face.
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00:16:19.970 --> 00:16:27.990
Cat's tongues are different than dogs. Theirs are built-in combs.
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00:16:29.970 --> 00:16:35.080
They help them clear away fur with their sandpapery texture.
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00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:43.059
And I giggled as she groomed around Bird's eyes. His
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00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:47.659
lids lifted and stuck to her tongue for a moment.
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and there was no movement from his irises. He kept
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right on snoring. Once she was satisfied that his face
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was properly tidied, she climbed across his body and stretched
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00:17:10.859 --> 00:17:15.579
out on his side. I knew what was coming next.
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00:17:17.779 --> 00:17:23.019
This was part of their regular routine. And sure enough,
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00:17:24.619 --> 00:17:30.480
a few seconds later, she began to massage him with
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00:17:30.529 --> 00:17:38.349
her front paws, kneading him with her toes. Time to
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make the biscuits, Marmy? I cooed at her. I always
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wondered What exactly birdie made of this? Did it feel good?
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Did he even notice? I knew he was too good-natured
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to ever complain if it didn't. I reached for a
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throw pillow, and like Indiana Jones, reaching for treasure perched
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atop a booby trap, carefully swapped it for my leg,
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tucking it under the greyhound's head. His ear was flipped
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inside out, and I returned it to its factory setting,
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then draped it over his eyes like a sleep mask.
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I've never felt anything as soft as Bertie's ears. They're
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like velvet, if velvet were also a feather. I stood
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and left them happy on the couch. Marmalade wasn't the
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only one who needed to make some biscuits. I washed
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my hands at the sink and tied on my apron.
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The house was quiet. as I put the groceries away.
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Every now and then, I'd hear a bark from crumb
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or a car passing on the street. One of my
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favorite things to do, one that fills my cup to
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the brim with contentment, is to cook something delicious. while
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my family moves about nearby. like planets orbiting the same sun.
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I took a pot from the shelf, onions, celery, carrot
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from the fridge. I had other things to test and make,
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but first, soup. Recipe testing. The kitchen counters were full
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of paper grocery sacks. A row of wobbly squashes leaned
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against a mixing bowl. And some rogue cranberries that had
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slipped their net were scattered among recipe books and bunches
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of sage and rosemary. Surveying all of it and me
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as I unpacked the groceries, was a regal but frowning
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orange cat. Marmalade came into my life a few years
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ago after I spotted paw prints she'd left in the
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snow on my driveway and persuaded her to come in.
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and stay a while. Though she came from humble beginnings,
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she carried herself with a definite air of royalty, of
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genteel dignity. And I could see that all of this
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clutter in her favorite room of the house, just would
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not do. If she could speak, I imagined she'd clear
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her throat, and using the royal we, pronounce we are
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not amused. I set down the bag of pastry flour
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I'd been lugging to the pantry and stepped over to her.
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We are a family of five. Two humans, two dogs,
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and one cat. But Marmalade and I belong to each
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other in a special way. Each of us was alone
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before we found the other. And we made a family,
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even when it was just the two of us. We
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were the original members of this band. So as I
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reached for her, and she pressed her soft cheek into
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my hand, I figured if anyone could soothe her, nudge her,
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out of a crabby mood, it was me. I came closer,
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offering my shoulders. And she climbed from the perch onto me.
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I had a way of holding her, snuggled into my
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arm with her cheek pressed against mine and her paw
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braced on my back that we'd been replicating since she
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was a kitten. Instantly, she began to purr and I
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carried her through the living room to look out into
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the backyard. The trees were nearly bare and leaves were
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being raked into piles by the other human in our family. Well,
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he was trying to rake them. But Crumb, our little
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brown dog, named for his resemblance to what gets shaken
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out of the bottom of a toaster, was jumping into
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the piles as soon as they were made. where Marmee
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was reserved, maybe even a bit haughty. Crumb was gloriously goofy,
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excited by just about everything he encountered. A cyclone of
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scrabbling paws. Crumb watched as leaves were tumbled together into
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a heap near the birdbath. This pile was three or
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four feet tall and as big around as his kiddie pool.
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He hopped onto the porch. And for a moment, I
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thought he was done playing and wanted to come in.
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But he was just giving himself a longer runway. He
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backed up to the sliding doors, dipping his head and
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scratching at the deck boards, like a runner setting up
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in the starting blocks of a race. Then, as if
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a flag had dropped, he raced forward, leaping off the
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edge of the deck. His body stretched out longer and longer,
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than I'd ever seen before. All four paws pointing and
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reaching as he flew into the pile of leaves. A
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cloud of them erupted into the air as he dropped
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into the depths. Marmalade watched the whole show with wide
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eyes and leaned closer to the window, waiting to see
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that he wasn't hurt. To Marmy, he might have been
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a bit of a brat, but He was still her
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little brother. I whispered to her that he was fine,
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having the time of his life, in fact, and pointed
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to some movement in the back of the flattened heap.
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A brown nose emerged, and behind it, a healthy and
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hale crumb. Maple and elm leaves stuck in his fur.
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Marmalade relaxed in my arms, and I carried her over.
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to the sofa, where the last member of our family lay,
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which played out and snoring softly. Birdie, short for Bluebird,
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was a rescued greyhound. a giant compared to the other two,
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but calmer and more content than them both. He took
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up two-thirds of the couch cushions, and Marm and I
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squeezed in beside him. He lifted his head to see
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what had woken him, then let out a little huff
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and lay it down onto my leg. Can you understand
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what it feels like if you've never had a dog
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when one lays their head on you First, it is
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a humbling level of trust they are showing you. Second,
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it's simply very adorable. And third, it means you better
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not plan on getting up anytime soon. I had recipes
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to test for Thanksgiving. We were hosting this year. And
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I wanted to make sure my green bean casserole and
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sweet potatoes were top tier. But nothing was in the
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oven right now. I could stay for a bit. Marmalade
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settled onto my lap and began to clean Bird's face.
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Cats' tongues are different than dogs'. They have built-in combs.
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They help them clear away fur with their sandpapery texture.
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and I giggled as she groomed around Bird's eyes. His
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lids lifted and stuck to her tongue for a moment,
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and there was no movement from his irises. He kept
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right on snoring. Once she was satisfied, that his face
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was properly tidied. She climbed across his body and stretched
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out on his side. I knew what was coming next.
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This was part of their regular routine. Sure enough, A
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few seconds later, she began to massage him with her
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front paws, kneading him with her toes. Time to make
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the biscuits, Marmy? I cooed at her. I always wondered
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what exactly Bertie made of this. Did it feel good?
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Did he even notice? I knew he was too good-natured
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to ever complain if it didn't. I reached for a
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00:34:26.619 --> 00:34:37.510
throw pillow. And like Indiana Jones, plucking a treasure perched
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00:34:37.650 --> 00:34:44.269
atop a booby trap, carefully swapped it for my leg,
284
00:34:46.750 --> 00:34:54.820
tucking it under the greyhound's head. His ear was flipped
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00:34:54.880 --> 00:35:00.639
inside out, and I returned it to its factory setting,
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00:35:02.780 --> 00:35:05.980
then draped it over his eyes like a sleep mask.
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00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:19.679
I've never felt anything as soft as Birdie's ears. They
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00:35:19.699 --> 00:35:28.090
are like velvet, if velvet were also a feather. I
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00:35:28.150 --> 00:35:38.360
stood and left them happy on the couch. Marmalade wasn't
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the only one who needed to make some biscuits. I
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00:35:45.219 --> 00:35:50.179
washed my hands at the sink and put on my apron.
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The house was quiet as I put the groceries away.
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Every now and then, I'd hear a bark from Crumb.
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or a car passing on the street. One of my
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00:36:14.969 --> 00:36:20.429
favorite things to do, one that fills my cup to
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00:36:20.469 --> 00:36:29.289
the brim with contentment, is to cook something delicious while
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00:36:29.329 --> 00:36:36.230
my family moves about nearby, like planets orbiting the same
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00:36:36.289 --> 00:36:44.489
sun I took a pot from the shelf, onions, celery,
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00:36:44.750 --> 00:36:50.559
carrot from the fridge. I had other things to test
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and make, but first, soup. Sweet dreams.
