Thoughts on tea

I ordered six tins of tea yesterday from Amazon based on a recommendation from my Cara. She mentioned she was drinking Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea and I thought, well, I just have to try some of that. I also selected the Paris and Birthday Tea, as well as a coconut chocolate tea they described as tasting much like a Mounds bar, and a chocolate mint one Cara says tastes just like an Andes mint... there was another one I picked out but can't recall. I got free shipping on all of them.  They should arrive tomorrow afternoon, which will be nice since that's the day I'll be going to the doctor in Savannah and it'll be nice to come home to a little treat.

I'm not much looking forward to going to the doctor. Sigh. I went today to go get my routine labs done so I guess tomorrow we will have some sort of idea as to whether the new meds are working or not. In any case, I'll be glad when it's over and I don't have to go back for another couple of months. And it'll be nice to come home and try some new tea.

One Autumn, I went through several boxes of President's Choice Chocolatey Chai. It was a bit of a hassle ordering it because it is only sold in Canada, so I had to pay a bit more than I'd have liked in shipping and customs and whatnot. My friend Emily sent me some once in a parcel she mailed me and I got hooked. I like branching out and trying new teas but the ones I always have in the pantry are English/Irish Breakfast, African Outback (which is a rooibos tea with lemon myrtle) and Tazo Zen, which is a green tea with spearmint and lemongrass. My kids love the Zen, so I generally pick up a box every time I go grocery shopping.

I don't like Earl/Lady Grey teas, because I don't like bergamot. I'm not sure why, since I love citrus, but I'm just not crazy about it in my tea.

I studied herbalism extensively for several years and while I was taking the courses, I experimented quite a bit with herbal teas as well. I generally had a whole shelf of loose, dried herbs I would mix up for various reasons and purposes. I remember making a pregnancy tea with red raspberry leaves and spearmint and lots of other goodies that Trever liked so well I struggled to make enough for us both. I used to tease him that his uterus must've been extremely toned from all those tonic herbs he was ingesting.

My skin is very dry right now and I find this frustrating. I bought a pound of raw shea butter and I plan to whip it up into a little tin and add some lovely essential oils- maybe lavender or lemongrass or another of my favorites, and slather the stuff on. The tricky part is my face. Anything too heavy is bound to break me out but as it is my skin is actually peeling in some places. I know I need to drink more water as I haven't been lately. I bought a water bottle so I can refill it and carry it with me throughout the day. Ella is quite fascinated by it and I'm pretty sure she has become the most hydrated baby I know. It's alright though, I don't mind sharing.

I've been really missing California recently. I wish Trever and I could afford to take a trip out there and visit. I wonder how different it would look to us. I haven't been there since Libby was an infant (she's 8 now) and Trever hasn't been there since we lived there when Josiah was a baby (he's now 10). We were marveling the other day thinking about the fact that this little house in South Georgia is the longest either of us has ever lived in one place. I don't think either of us was planning to be here this long.

We've saved up a teeny bit of money, and I think after some discussion, we've decided to buy some camping equipment. We went camping overnight to Jekyll Island a couple weeks ago, and decided it suited our family very nicely. We borrowed a tent to do so because I didn't see any reason to purchase our own if we wouldn't be using it much, but now we think we might make a habit of it. The campsite was nice, and the beach was really beautiful. The water was warm and there were even dolphins swimming in it. Some of our friends are planning another trip in October for the whole group of us, and in the meantime I am hoping to go one weekend in September for my birthday.

I've been scouring Amazon for tent reviews and think I may have found one I'm happy with for a decent price. I'm going to have Trever take a look at it and we can decide together. I'm thinking fall will be the absolute BEST time to camp in Georgia. The weather is perfect for camping. Going this month was a bit of a stretch because it was just SO HOT. I'm definitely looking forward to the weather cooling off some. It's always a special treat when the air is nice enough to leave your windows open.

We had Chinese take out for dinner tonight and Owen didn't like it. I told him he was welcome to have a bowl of cereal instead but that he was going to have to wait until his dad got home with the milk. He is not waiting very patiently and I'm afraid he may waste away before my very eyes. At least then he will be quiet. I can handle a lot of things with grace but whining is not one of those things.

I had planned on waiting up for Trever tonight, but I was not anticipating being a zombie by 8 p.m. He is still a little over an hour out, so I am going to fix a cup of coffee and shower and do whatever else I can think of to keep myself moving. I know once I sit with a book I'm a goner.

Tiredly,
Amy