Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Relaxing Day at the Flea Market

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, for the best Get Sleepy experience, be sure to check out our supporters feed Get Sleepy Premium for our free listening weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire catalogue. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make the free version of this show possible. Good evening and welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. As always, I'm your host, Tom. Thanks for tuning in. Tonight's story was written by Alicia and will be read by Arif. On a nice day, an outdoor market can be a ticket to relaxation. For those who also enjoy browsing for bargains, a flea market is a time-honoured venue where one can ramble about in search of all kinds

Starting point is 00:01:07 of treasures. Tonight, we'll ride along with Mark and Daddy as they explore an outdoor flea market on a beautiful spring day. If you're enjoying the show and would love to hear even more episodes, plus listen to everything completely add free. Why not try our supporters' feed, get sleepy premium. When you first sign up you get a 7 day free trial to try it out and make sure you're happy. You'll have access to our entire catalogue of well over 500 episodes. Plus, you'll receive our weekly bonus episodes each and every Thursday.

Starting point is 00:01:55 Tomorrow's story is one you won't want to miss. We'll be taking a trip to the Musee du Orsay in Paris, witnessing some of the most breathtaking and renowned artwork the world has ever seen. I know you'll love this one. And remember, everything is ad and promo free. So, to hear tomorrow's story and everything else on Get Sleepy Premium, go to GetSleepy.com slash support, or follow the link in the show notes for more information. Thanks so much for your support. Now then, let's prepare for tonight's story by just reminding ourselves of how it feels to have a great night's sleep. Take a deep breath in, hold at the top and slowly exhale back out. As you continue to breathe at a relaxed pace, I want you to try

Starting point is 00:03:15 thinking back to a time when you recall having a really great night's sleep. One of those sleeps that just comes without effort and makes you feel full of life the following morning. Think about where you were when you experienced this good night's sleep. Was there something special about the bed or the space around you that made you feel deeply relaxed and comfortable? Perhaps it was the events of your day that had left you with that luxuriously calm and sleepy feeling. In your mind, take yourself back to that time.

Starting point is 00:04:27 Try to reconnect with that sense of deep relaxation. And remember how you felt when you woke up after that great sleep. Perhaps you continued to feel deeply relaxed and you approached the morning slowly and calmly. Or, you may have felt full of life, ready to make the most of the day ahead. That's the power of a good night's sleep, and though not all of us experience it as often as we might like, when we do sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed, the experience is something that we can truly cherish and appreciate. I wish you a really good night's sleep tonight. As you sink into your mattress, start to visualize a sparkling morning with blue skies up above. You have no responsibilities and all the time in the world to do as you like. At the flea market that awaits us, finding just about any kind of treasure is possible. And this is where our story begins. When Eddie pulled into the driveway in his green pickup truck. Mark was ready. Carefully balancing to travel

Starting point is 00:07:09 cups of coffee in the crook of his right arm, driver's window to hand one to Eddie. After thanking him for the unexpected gift, Eddie asked if he was ready to do some treasure hunting. I sure am. Mark said with a wink and a grin. Walking around to the passenger side, he pulled the creaky door open and took his place next to Eddie in the front seat. He had a feeling they were going to find something great today at the flea market. As the truck backed out of Mark's driveway, he leaned his face toward the open window, enjoying the freshness of the air. The winter had felt long this year, but spring had finally made its appearance in the last week or so.

Starting point is 00:08:36 It seemed like overnight all the trees had about it and the earliest blooming ones were bursting into flower everywhere he looked. As the truck rattled down the streets of Mark's neighborhood, white and pink petals drifted gently across the road. Mark took a slow sip of his coffee and pushed the buttons on Eddie's car radio. The only station he seemed to get was airing a talk show. Leaning back, Mark listened idly to the pleasant voices of the people in the studio. He was soothed by their conversation even though he wasn't really paying attention. Instead, he gazed at the road ahead, which was mostly free of traffic at this early hour of the morning. All the good bargain hunters knew that coming early was the way to find the best treasures

Starting point is 00:10:02 at the country flea market. It was a huge event, happening only a few weekends per year at the fairgrounds. Eddie and Mark were lucky to live close by, but there would be people driving in for much farther away. Part of the fun of this event was that the vendors and their wares were so numerous and so diverse. It seemed like finding nearly anything was possible. The two friends drove in companionable silence, enjoying the warm sunshine that filled the cab of the truck. The neighborhoods of the suburbs gave way to rolling green fields as the truck approached the fairgrounds.

Starting point is 00:11:10 Mark was lulled into a peaceful days by the rhythm of the wheels bumping over the road. Here and there on the roadside, clusters of da of Davidils waved cheerfully in the breeze. Mark wondered who had first planted them there. It was like a random act of beautification, establishing clusters of perennial bulbs where the public could enjoy them. Just as Mark was getting to the bottom of his coffee, Eddie slowed down the truck and turned into a large dirt parking lot. The place was already about halfway full of vehicles and trailers.

Starting point is 00:12:08 People were clustered in pairs and small groups near their cars, chatting. It seemed like the flea market was a social meeting place for like-minded bargain hunters. Mark and Eddie climbed out of the truck and stretched their arms lazily before shutting their doors. Squinting a bit in the bright sun, they looked They looked around the lot for the entrance. Eddie spotted it first. There were a couple of women at a table who seemed to be answering questions. One of them appeared to be selling raffle tickets. He and Mark took note of where they had parked the car and headed for the gate. It took a moment to get their bearings once they were standing inside. To both the right and left and off into the distance. Many tables and booths stretched in long rows. Because it was not a permanent location, every vendor had to bring their own pop-up

Starting point is 00:13:38 storefront, and each seller had their own style. The result was a hodgepodge of wares. Glothing vendors stood next to antique furniture dealers. Record collectors had set up shop near artists. Each avenue of the flea market was a new adventure. They had to start somewhere. It didn't take long for Mark to amble over to a stall where a woman had a table full of vintage kitchenware.

Starting point is 00:14:31 From stacks of green mixing balls to piles of random cutlery, a person could really have gotten most of their kitchen essentials there in one stop. He was especially tempted by a pile of mellamine plates. They appeared to be from the 70s because they were decorated with yellow and brown flowers. An orange butterfly completed the earthy scene. It reminded him of sitting at the kitchen table when he was a kid eating pancakes. Eddie drew him away from the plates by holding up a set of drinking glasses, emblazoned with a series of fast food mascots. fast food mascots. Mark remembered when he used to collect things like that. It had been a challenge to go to a restaurant enough times to get the full set. This group of four Your glasses was certainly the result of a very determined diner. Next to the kitchen vendor, there was a woman with a table covered in large compartmentalized

Starting point is 00:15:56 trays. Drawing closer, they saw that each one contained buttons. There were porcelain buttons and mother of pearl buttons, ivory buttons and buttons in every possible size and color. The button lady herself was very interesting. She sat behind the table calmly knitting. Her shirt was clearly one of her own making. It was resplendent with decorative buttons of its own. As they strolled on, Mark's mind was inventing all

Starting point is 00:16:49 kinds of new ways that buttons could be repurposed into other projects. The first food vendor they came upon was a man who made spices. He had a large selection that ranged from things like basil and oregano which were commonly used to more exotic peppers and spice blends. Each one was neatly packaged in a little zipper bag and labeled. For those who needed spices in bulk, he had jars lined up behind him. Each one with a scoop nearby. These could be portioned out by the owner and weighed on a scale. Mark thought to himself that he must take an inventory of his spice cabinet at home and introduce some new and exciting flavors as the outdoor entertaining season commenced. Mark saw that Eddie had wandered across the way and

Starting point is 00:18:09 was examining a completely different collection of wares. This stall was run by an artist who elaborate pictures and ornaments by cutting paper into detailed designs. His sign explained that it was the art of Sharon Schnitta. The two friends were amazed at the level of detail the paper artist was able to achieve. detail the paper artist was able to achieve. His pictures ranged from woodland scenes to cat portraits. Some of them were simply beautiful geometric designs that he had framed. Mark took one of the man's business cards. He thought he might look him up next time he needed a special gift for someone artistic. Not far from the paper artist, they found a woman selling a wide variety of statuary and lawn ornaments. Several lions were sitting up front. Mark had seen

Starting point is 00:19:31 these types of austere cats flanking the stairways of very fancy houses. Some of them were a little worse for the wear, having lost an ear or suffered a chip. Eddie said he thought they looked better that way, having acquired some vintage charm. A wide array of bird baths was also available, as well as every type of figure a garden could boast. Fairies, gnomes, and even imitations of classic Greek figures could be seen arranged in groups. Mark and Eddie watched as a customer purchased one of the bird baths and then lugged it onto a wheelbarrow and pushed it toward the parking lot. Luckily, just when they were getting hungry for a late morning snack, Mark and Eddie came

Starting point is 00:20:44 upon a food truck. It served a wide variety of handheld waffles, ranging from those lightly dusted, with powdered sugar, to more inventive sandwich versions that were stuffed with ham and cheese. Eddie felt this was a brilliant way to have a little walking brunch, and they each ordered something to snack on. The waffle sandwiches were handed over in wax, paper sleeves, smelling delicious. Mark had chosen one with breakfast, sausage, and an egg, whereas Eddie had indulged his sweet tooth and gone with a jam-filled version. They savored their waffles as they strolled by a few more booths. As they made

Starting point is 00:21:51 their way down the length of the field, they began to hear the strains of banjo music playing in another corner of the market. It was very catchy and Mark found himself tapping his toes. He looked forward to finding the source of the music in a little while and staying for a song or two. In the meantime, just hearing it from afar lifted his spirits. The musicians completed a melody and he heard whistles and clapping in the distance. The coolness of the spring morning was giving way to a golden warmth as the sun moved to its highest position in the sky. The sunlight streaming down gave the jumbled collection of flea market stalls a sparkling

Starting point is 00:23:03 feeling of magic. One thing Mark was hoping to find was a new wreath for his front door. He tried to keep his wreaths changing with the seasons. He was yarning for something floral and elegant to replace his evergreen wreath from the winter. With that in mind, he was delighted to come upon a vendor who displayed a variety of large wreaths, skillfully woven out of branches and dried flowers. Asking Eddie's opinion, he finally made a choice. The woman who ran the booth said she could hold the wreath there for him until he was leaving, so he wouldn't have to carry it around.

Starting point is 00:24:10 He gratefully accepted the offer, paid, and went on his way. He was planning to come back when they returned to the truck. While Mark was buying his wreath, Eddie had moved to the next row of booths, his friend found him examining a collection of vintage furniture. There were chairs and tables, dining tables, and coffee tables to choose from. Eddie noticed a collection of stools and walked over to look at them. They had an industrial look, with metal legs, a metal rimmed seat, and a pressed wood insert. The owner came over and told them that they had been taken from an art classroom at a school. All the seating had been replaced in the art lab. As a result, he had managed to get his hands on several of these sturdy stools from the 1950s. Peering at them more closely, Mark could could see what he was talking about. Each stool showed some colorful paint splatters.

Starting point is 00:25:49 He imagined generations of kids perching on them and accidentally making their mark while creating art. Eddie was charmed by these metal art room relics. He negotiated the price down in a good-natured exchange with the vendor, who was obviously used to this back and forth before a sale. Landing on a price that satisfied both parties, Eddie made his purchase and asked if he could circle back for it a bit later. The man nodded and put a sign on Eddie's treasures. It said, sold. Mark and his friend were feeling happy and successful now, having each found something special. They proceeded down the row of vendors and were both drawn to a woman selling stained

Starting point is 00:27:02 glass. She didn't limit herself to just one size for her creations. A display rack was draped with small hanging designs that could best be described as ornaments. as ornaments. Mark could easily imagine one dangling inside his kitchen window, sending red and blue colored, sunlit rectangles and triangles across the white tile. The large vintage glasspains the artist offered, however, really ignited his creativity. He thought how amazing some of them would look if properly installed in a door or a living room or bedroom. Windows like that just weren't commonly found anywhere, but they added so much to the personality of a house.

Starting point is 00:28:17 He briefly considered finding a way to put one in his garden and resolved to think about it some more. Maybe he could find a stained glass window at his next flea market. Eddie was a fan of pop culture artifacts so he couldn't pass up the vendor who was selling a variety of old gas station signage. Various brands of fuel were represented in a range of sizes. Some of the signs were informational, such as free air or pay cash inside. free air or pay cash inside. Mark knew that his friend was imagining how great one of these signs would look in a room with the vintage stools he had just bought. The pair carefully looked over all the signs together, debating the appeal of the different logos

Starting point is 00:29:29 and looking at the prices. Eddie finally settled on one and happily negotiated the final price with the owner. He had some new ideas shaping up for his den at home. As before, he asked if he could swing by later and pick the sign up, and the vendor gladly placed it off to the side for him to retrieve on the way out. By the time Eddie's transaction was done, Mark had delved into the racks of a nearby vintage clothing vendor. He was finding so many things that he loved. finding so many things that he loved. Pushing through a row of jackets dredged up his nostalgia.

Starting point is 00:30:41 He stopped and examined biker jackets, patched denim jackets, sleek leather jackets and athletic track suit jackets. Mark loved how this vintage outerwear had an easy broken in appeal to it. They cost less than things he could buy new, but they felt more comfortable and looked like he had owned them forever. Eddie stood nearby, looking at vintage t-shirts. There were concertes that dated back more than a decade. Some of the t-shirts were for old intramural sports leagues, or businesses that didn't exist anymore. the past through T-shirt history. In the end, Eddie couldn't resist one of the concert T-shirts. He paid the $5 the vendor had requested and carried it away in a small bag.

Starting point is 00:32:09 As they walked on, they found themselves reflected in a wall of mirrors. One of the dealers there had a huge array of them available in every possible style of frame. Some of them had contemporary metal edges in sleek metal finishes. Mark was more interested in those that looked vintage or antique. There were a few that appeared to have been removed at some point from large side boards. They now sat on the ground as separate pieces, and most had wood frames that appeared to be oak. One particularly fanciful piece caught his eye. It was framed with some type of the frame had some chips and imperfections. Mark loved its fading glamour.

Starting point is 00:33:37 He liked surrounding himself with things that had a history to tell. This gold-framed mirror certainly hinted at some interesting tales. As they left the mirror collection behind, they saw that they had finally reached the small stage where the music was playing. A blue grass band was doing a set. They had attracted an enthusiastic audience of people who welcomed the chance to sit down on the hay bales in front of the grandstand. Everyone wanted to rest their feet for a few minutes. Mark lost himself in the music, tapping his feet to the rhythm. He was so interested in the band that he didn't even notice Eddie slipping away to buy a snack. He was surprised when his friend handed him a crumbly, warm lemon bar and gesture to a nearby

Starting point is 00:35:00 seat. As they relaxed there, Mark stretched his legs out in front of him, turning his face to the early afternoon sun. He felt like this must truly be the perfect temperature, not too hot, not too cold, and with a light breeze sending refreshing air through the fairgrounds. The tangy lemon bar was the perfect combination of tart and sweet. Mark was surprised by how hungry he had gotten, just shopping in the spring sunshine. Closing his eyes, he could smell the unique mixture of clean hay, grass, and baked goods all around him. When the band finished their show, the two friends stood and stretched. They were starting to wear out, but they would see a little bit more of the flea market see a little bit more of the flea market before returning to retrieve the purchases they had put on hold.

Starting point is 00:36:31 They found themselves at a record dealer next. Eddie had a turntable at home, so he was always looking for fun used records to add to his collection. He started by flipping through the $1 records. Even though they tended to have scratches, sometimes he couldn't resist the odd and interesting albums he found in those bargain bins. There was nothing that caught his eye today in the $1 bin though. Once he had made it through the clearance collection, he moved on to the rock and jazz sections. Mark found himself thumming through the holiday music. He chuckled at the cheesy graphics on some of the covers from decades ago.

Starting point is 00:37:48 One or two of these albums were ones he remembered playing on the turntable when he was a kid. He used to have the job of sitting next to the record player on Christmas morning, so he could keep the music going. Those were good memories. The music vendor also had a section where he was displaying bins of old magazines and vintage advertising posters. Each of these paper items was carefully preserved in a plastic sleeve with a piece of cardboard to hold it flat. Mark flipped through publications that were as much as 50 years old, enjoying seeing what they featured on their covers. It was such a candid view into the past, discovering what

Starting point is 00:38:50 was front page news at the time. The clear rectangular sleeves flipped smoothly forward As he ticked his way to the back of the box, each landed quietly on the one in front of it with a soft thud. When he reached the back, he slowly pushed them all upright again and left them perfectly aligned for the next shopper. Eddie rejoined Mark with a record album under his arm. After their early start, the two friends were getting a little weary. a little weary. It was almost time to call it a day. However, Mark wanted to look at one more thing. An artist nearby was selling wind chimes. In fact, he had been looking for just the right set of wind chimes for his backyard for some time. What type of song played on the chimes was, of course, the most important detail.

Starting point is 00:40:19 Mark wanted something very soothing and mellow, it would be the perfect accompaniment to a small fountain he had installed recently. Running water and wind chimes would be the ideal sound scape for a relaxing backyard escape. Mark and Eddie carefully strolled around the displays, lightly testing out the large variety of chimes that were displayed there. Ding, dong, ding, dong. The little accessories saying, they were all so appealing that Mark felt he might not be able to choose. However, when he found a chime with a slightly mournful and far off song, like a buoy in the harbor. He knew it was the one. Very carefully removing the perfect one from its hook, he carried it to the artist who owned the booth.

Starting point is 00:41:49 who owned the booth. With a happy flurry of chime song, Mark's new garden addition was carefully packed away and paid for. He was really looking forward to trying those out at home later. With their small treasures in hand, Mark and Eddie slowly retraced their steps. As they did so, they stopped to pick up the items they had paid for and left behind. While they progressed, the music from the soundstage started up again, and a crowd of onlookers cheered the strains of a fiddle. The last pieces they returned for were the stools, and the two of those were all Eddie could manage to carry by himself. Luckily, Mark was able to shoulder Eddie's other small items, along with his own wreath for the front door. They laughed at each other as they awkwardly moved toward the front gate, laden with flea market bargains. Having too much to carry was a good problem to have when leaving and leaving a place like this. All their items fit easily into the truck

Starting point is 00:43:29 and Eddie secured them properly before getting back in the driver's seat. Mark slid in the passenger's side next to him, enjoying the mild warmth that had built up in the cab from the spring sun. They rolled down the windows and as Eddie slowly pulled out of the parking lot, the midafternoon air flowed through the truck, carrying with it the perfume of the blossoming fruit trees and the grass. The two friends were quiet on the ride home, lulled into contemplation by the rhythm of the road and the laziness that comes after outdoor exertion.

Starting point is 00:44:31 By the time the old green truck pulled into Mark's driveway, he was drowsy. He found it took some effort to climb out of the cab and retrieve his wreath from the back. However, with the wind shines in one hand and the wreath draped over the other arm, he waved at Eddie and thanked him for a great day at the flea market. A while later, Mark leaned back in the comfortable reclining chair in his quaint backyard. The garden beds around him were bursting with tulips and shades of pink, yellow, and white. The birds chirped sweetly from the blossoming tree in the corner of the courtyard, and

Starting point is 00:45:38 a bee made its way cheerfully passed him. He noticed, gladly, that it was pursuing the flowers blooming in the pollinator garden. Sipping on a tall glass of iced tea, he closed his eyes appreciatively. The bubbling sound of his fountain carried his thoughts away and put him in a deep state of relaxation. As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, Mark sailed off on a sea of dreams, hearing the song of his wind chimes on the breeze. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Relaxing Day at the Flea Market

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