It’s been awhile since I’ve done a “Love,” and usually it is Friday Love, but I’m feeling particularly amorous today. So here is what I’m lovin’ this fine Wednesday.

Rainy Days. Mondays might get me down, but rainy days NEVER do. I think it is one of my favorite ways to wake up. After the initial panic of thinking there is running water somewhere in the house, and once I realize it is rain, RAIN(!) on our Spanish-tiled roof, then I snuggle down under the covers to listen to it for just a few more minutes and it always makes me smile. Even better is when I wake up early and realize it is raining AND I still have a few hours left to sleep, and then I can fall back to sleep listening to the rain.

It is still so bizarre to hear native Californians complain about the weather. “One day it is 80, the next day it is 60 degrees and SO cold! And then it rains!” Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Um, yes. That is kinda the best weather you are going to find anywhere…should not be spending time fretting over it. But I guess people have to have something to talk/complain about. Anyhow, I enjoy the break, and we always really need the rain.

Gardens Planted. Addie and I worked all Easter afternoon on the gardens. I’ll have to catch some photos of it to show you our handiwork. We have a very good start and now the plants are all enjoying our rainy day, too!

New Wipers. Okay, this might be a little bit odd, but bear with me. I just ran out to take the recycling in and I sort of absent-mindedly flicked on my windshield wipers as it started to rain. You cannot imagine my immense joy at wipers that actually work – and work well! “Aaaaaahhhh!” I think I actually heard angels sing as a golden beam shone through my windshield!  I have had my Volvo for 5-years – in fact as a “yeah! we paid you off” gift to the car, I took it in last week for the 30K mile checkup. I was very good in the beginning about taking it to the dealer for oil changes (um, they were free in the beginning!) but when I had to start paying for them, I quickly found cheaper alternatives.

Apparently Volvo has really weird wipers that are expensive – and need a special “Volvo tool” to put on. Over the years, I’ve “tried changing them myself” several times to no avail and at every oil change I ask them to try, but nobody has been able to do it for me.  You can imagine how crummy my wipers were starting to be after 5-years of baking in the California sun. When it DID rain, I would just not use them because the wipers were making it worse! So last week, ‘lo and behold, when I took it to a Volvo service center they were finally able to switch them out. They were expensive, but with no car payment now and the happiness I felt this morning….it was oh, so worth it!

Fruits & Vegs. Every other Wednesday we get a CSA box from a local farm with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. Each time I open the box it feels a little like opening a special surprise gift. You never know what you are going to get, but we are always hoping for the carrots! We got some in today’s box and I so LOVE me some of these carrots. I am normally not a huge carrot fan, but these? I call them “carrot candy” they are so sweet and delicious – you almost forget you are eating something that is good for you. Maybe it is because we are used to eating the little baby carrots that are packaged up and not nearly as fresh, or maybe they sprinkle a little crack on these ones – I am not sure, but at any rate they are fantastic and a definite reason to love farm box Wednesdays.

Good Doctors. Everything has checked out a-ok with our little Addikins. I am grateful that we have a great doctor that jumped on the ship the minute she saw us last week. Addie had four, back-to-back, major nosebleeds within twelve hours last Tuesday. Accompanied by headaches (which really freaked me out) and an upset tummy (hers, not mine although mine was in knots a little bit, too.) and lots and lots of blood. Our doctor rushed us into a pediatric ENT who quickly cauterized her right nostril. He was awesome and she such a trooper. And Mommy did ok through all of it, too.

Our doctor then ordered blood work as well to make sure that there was nothing else lying underneath the nosebleeds. Ugh. That was not nearly as smooth a visit. And Mommy did not do nearly as ok on that one either. Let me tell you, it is torture to have to hold your practically bucking child (who is seriously strong) down and listen to her cry, “Please Mama, don’t let them do it.” She was crying, I was crying. It was a little bit of a mess. But blood work came back fine and (knock on wood) we haven’t had any more nosebleeds either! Love to Dr. P. for making us go through (what seemed at the time) endless appointments and tests so we all have some peace of mind and less blood in our life.

Coffee. Oh, come on! You don’t really know me at all if you think I would not include my elixir of choice here! Coffee on a rainy day is the ultimate treat. Ok, coffee on any day is a perfect treat. This here coffee will give me the quick energy I need to go tackle that playroom that I’ve been putting off for weeks now.

Happy Wednesday!