My September "Back to School" (But Not) List

As everyone moves into "back-to-school" mode, I want to jump on the "new chapter of life" bandwagon, checking off my list of supplies, so to speak. So here's a progress report regarding our relocation:

- Address changes processed: check
It only took them a month to stop forwarding our mail back to Gadsden, along with B.'s granddad's mail, since we all have the same last name. It's finally fixed and I'm celebrating the small victories!!

- Switch accounts to a local bank: check

- AL driver's licenses: check
This one made the move seem so...final, but once it became clear that we would be here long-term, it only made sense. We even saw on the news today that Huntsville was rated the second best place for kids to grow up (I'm not sure what the criteria were, but towns in other states were named in the list). Not that I have any news in that department...just saying!

- AL license plates: give that just a few more days...
We had to send away for another copy of our title before we could switch those over (since the original was...guess where? In storage in Minneapolis)! That just finally arrived in the mail yesterday.

- Make appearance in the local newspaper: check
Yup, I forgot to tell you that we were photographed a few weeks ago by a local paparazzo while out enjoying a leisurely stroll down a nearby "country" road and this photo appeared in the Huntsville Times the next morning. Hi Mom!

- Retrieve stuff from storage in Minneapolis: yeeeaaahhhh...
I keep hoping one of these years that might happen. But we've gotten used to living on the carload of stuff we brought down here with us, and are in a more-than-furnished house. The cost simply outweighs the benefit right now. All I really miss is our camping gear and my piano.

- Nail down some long-term jobs: pending
We continue to submit job applications, one of which I'm especially excited about as we head into this weekend. It seems like a perfect mix of structure and interaction with the public while providing a much-needed service. What a great way to make a living - meeting people and doing something meaningful for them. Sure hope I get to work there - I think I would LOVE it!

- Visit my family in Canada: pending vacation schedules from aforementioned pending jobs
This is a big weekend for them - today is my parents' 33rd wedding anniversary and on Sunday my "little" brother turns 30! I can't believe that - even though I know he's grown up and even beaten me to having children (as if it were a race!), he's still 15 in my head, like when I left home for college. Wishing everyone a fun, special weekend full of festivities and celebration, and wishing I could have been there to enjoy it with you too. xo!

Orange-Vanilla Dreamsicle Iced Tea

Just made the best home-brewed sweet tea EVER. Actually, I made it yesterday combining some favorite tea flavors and forgot about it until now. So I just had the first sip and what a wonderful surprise. I want to share it with you!

I have a 6-cup pitcher I've been using for tea, so I used 3 tea bags (adjust the recipe according to the size of your pitcher). This one was an assortment of flavored black teas:

* one bag orange spice
* one bag french vanilla
* one bag plain ol' black tea

Boil 3 cups of water (or enough to half fill your pitcher) and pour over teabags in pitcher.
Let steep for an hour or two.

While tea is still slightly warm, remove the teabags and stir in approximately 1/4 cup sugar (or equivalent sweetener) for each teabag, until sugar is completely dissolved.

Fill the jug the rest of the way with the same amount of cold water as you used hot water before.

Chill & serve iced.

I'm anxious to try it with milk or cream in it too, I just didn't happen to have any in the fridge today.

Hope you get to try it and enjoy it too!