Yesterday, was just one of those perfect days of flow. Everything felt easy and light. The paddle board was loaded in my FJ an hour earlier than I had planned. A second cup of coffee was poured and enjoyed while watering my flower and vegetable gardens as the birds sang and butterflies bounced up, over and around flowers and the spray of water from the hose. A small lunch cooler filled quickly with fresh pineapple strips and cold seltzers and still, plenty of time to meet Kim for our SUP adventure on the back waters.
The first paddle board stop was a no-go…no parking available. The second paddle board stop was the same. The third stop, was, as they say, the charm. Parked, unloaded and on the water in under ten minutes. And noteworthy here is the part where neither one of us was upset by the initial “stoppers”. Could have easily frustrated us or brought our vibe down, but nope, they didn’t seem to have a chance and bounced right off.
And the good vibe…. just stayed with us. There was no one best part to our paddle….the water was the perfect refreshing temperature; the sun cast cool shadows while also putting on that fabulous sparkle show it does on water; the current was steady the entire paddle; the conversation flowed and the silence was honored equally.
We even looked cuter than usual in our pictures–ha!! We all know that’s a big deal!! No “bad” pics. Where did this magic come from?!!
We commented on the magical atmosphere and feeling all day. We kept smiling. We did chores at our respective homes, even felt tired, but kept choosing to take the actions needed to accomplish our goals. Sometimes, I forget how satisfying it is to get chores done, but not this day. I felt pleased and could have ended my day happily at that point. But, we had toyed with an idea of doing even more: why not keep this good thing going? So, we made that happen too! Kim agreed to drive and we met back up around 4, risked getting into heavy traffic, and drove an hour just to go to a Trader Joe’s and a super cool bookstore, Writer’s Block. This bookstore is charming and friendly and has unique puzzles and wonderful, beautiful books everywhere!!! I’m definitely going back and look forward to our next visit!
But Trader Joe’s was our main focus on this particular adventure and we came prepared with coolers and ice. We were greeted outside by singing employees—kid you not–and sang along to Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature”. We then walked every single aisle together once, then took our solo tours and met back up to compare items before checking out. Instead of gas money, I picked up two bottles of her favorite Garlic/Sriracha BBQ sauce cuz that’s what friends do AND because that sauce is AWESOME!! And then we got it all packed in coolers BEFORE the storm hit. Literally, drops were falling and then slowed down and waited for us to load the car, the coolers with goodies, return the carts to the return and get seat belted in and back on the main road before turning on the spigot! Even the drive home should have been stressful with the rain and heavy traffic and a sign warning of an accident ahead. But the rain stayed light, the accident never appeared, and we got back home in banner time. We even joked we still had time to head to our favorite brewery!! But alas, we went our separate ways and then called each other once home and gushed over our Trader Joe items one last time.
Such a simple day. One lived well. One filled with gratitude and friendship and appreciation and peace. And plans and goals and purpose and FUN. And, one that was sweetly topped off with a scoop of Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter Ice Cream. So….worth….the one hour drive there and back!! This little adventure will surely be repeated over and over again. And that magical vibe…ah, that will be allowed, desired and created as well. It’s just too good of a feeling not to experience as much as possible. Why live any other way?
To All: Hugs and love and simple days filled with the so-called little things that feed our souls. And one or two really good friends. They are a must. Until next time,
Annie
theanniedote.com 