Rainy nights and HELLS yes!

I am stretched out on a squeaky twin bed in a rental house in St. Simons Island, GA.  My little girl is in the twin bed beside mine, having finally exhausted her seemingly endless stream-of-consciousness chatter and dropped into an even-breathed sleep. The rain is hitting the rooftops of this old, charming house in a steady, solid rhythm that I find soothing and sleep-Inducing.  Our friend and her dog are both asleep in the other room, their presence a reminder of the lovely people we are lucky to have in our world.   The four of us piled in the car and drove a rainy five hours from Atlanta to the Georgia coast hoping for sunshine, but it looks like we may only have tiny slices of that particular commodity.  That's ok.  Rain or shine, I'm grateful for the time away from my day-to-day and time to spend with my little one and my friend.  And rain or shine, I'm certain some small adventures will be found this weekend, in this beautiful coastal place. That seems to be what happens with this particular cast of characters.

On the drive here, and more so tonight as I sit listening to the rain, I've been thinking about what it takes to say "yes" to living the life I want for myself and my Girl.  About how I've had to say no to some things in order to say yes to something I want more or be strategic about where I put my energy so there is enough to carry me through the yeses.  I've been thinking about those times the yes was hard to hear and about the other times it wasn't just a yes, but a loud, deep and resounding " oh HELLS yes!"  I love the HELLS Yeses. The chance to travel, especially when it involves seeing friends and family and exploring new places is almost always a "HELLS Yes!" for me.  And even when if doesn't go as well as hoped, I've found that when I'm answering the call of yes, the rainy drives and cold ocean water don't disappoint me as much as ignoring what I truly desire would. 

So tonight I'm making a promise to myself to keep finding ways to say yes to the big yeses, the real yeses, and most certainly the "HELLS yeses."  I'm not sure what that means yet, but that's ok.  It's enough to know I'm working on setting up camp permanently in the land of yes.   It seems that, for me, it's the only place to live. 

Yes.

Today, I'm saying yes to:

Lilacs are my favorite springtime flower!

*creating my own clothes, with my own hands
*clean house and organized closets
*evening "blossom and bug adventures" with my Girl
*a kitchen full of fruits and vegetables (seriously, I love Bountiful Baskets!)
*running 3 plus miles with no hip flexor or broken toe pain (been a while since I could say that!)
*sushi with G-love
*no sugar zucchini brownies (still tweaking this - adapted from this recipe)
*ignoring what annoys me
*long, rambling walks through my neighborhood
*flip flops
*finding enough "me" time
*library visits
*lunchtime bike rides
*staying in tune with my priorities
*watching favorite old movies (Hello - Overboard and Practical Magic!)
*learning more about financial planning
*more time with people who add to my whole
*shopping for new toe nail polish
*early bedtimes
*walking wherever/whenever it's feasible
*making my first quilt

What are you saying 'yes' to these days?

Saying Yes

I'm saying "yes" to:

-blue toenail polish
-turning my phone off
-lighting candles
-new clothes
-simple living
-after-dinner explorations
-prayer
-lots of water
-embracing my curves
-jeans and flip-flops
-leaps of faith
-creative mojo
-letting go
-enjoying my quirks
-evenings on the roof
-learning to sew
-obligation free weekends
-long walks
-vegetables at every meal
-coconut lotion
-playing with my edges
-french braids
-learning new things
-polka dots
-early bedtimes
-farmers markets
-day dreaming
-watching the sun rise
-plenty of exercise
-hot showers
-open windows
-classical music
-saying 'i love you'
-re-reading old favorites
-early morning bike rides
-possibility
-opportunity

*this post inspired by the lovely jolie. Thanks for the idea, girl.