The Relentless Weekly Wrap-Up 11/09/14

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader


Messy, but divine.


Blogging:

I reviewed Anthony Breznican’s Brutal Youth, shared my October Wrap-Up, and took a look at my Year in Nonfiction.
Cooking:
I tried a number of new recipes this week, including Croissant French Toast from Pioneer Woman. (YUM!) I also tried her Cheesy Cauliflower Soup. It flopped. I don’t know what I did wrong but it was weird and grainy and I’m going to go ahead and assume that it was user error and not the recipe. 
Reading: 

In order to participate in the Nonfiction November readalong of The Restless Sleep I decided to set Rebecca aside for now. I’ll get back to it after this month.

Watching:

I’m still binge-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. The husband and I have also fallen for the dark and twisty Gotham. Robin Lord Taylor‘s Penguin is maniacally evil, but so fun to watch!

Sharing:

You’ll definitely want to read this fantastic post by Michele of A Reader’s Respite. She asks whether a book can be separated from its author. It’s an excellent post that will give you much to ponder.




Hating:
The recent election results have me feeling severely disappointed. But you know what? I’m going to dispel those gloomy feelings by ending this post with a list of exciting personal news.

Loving:

I’ve started a job at Redbery Books, my local indie. How great is that?!

My 14 year old daughter recently came out of the closet. She is brave and fantastic and there’s no way for me to convey how fiercely proud I am of her.

My oldest daughter is engaged! There’s no date or any firm plans as of yet but she has a lovely ring on her finger and lots of ideas. There’s plenty of time to plan since they won’t actually walk down the aisle for a year or two.

What’s happening in your neck of the woods? I’d love to hear!

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Published by Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader

51 thoughts on “The Relentless Weekly Wrap-Up 11/09/14”

  1. Like you, I was disappointed overall with the election results but here in Pennsylvania we did have one bright spot: a new governor! …Congratulations on being such a supportive mother. Not every mother would have the same reaction, I'm guessing… Here, I'm reading Sunday Salon and other book-bloggish posts, probably a novel later and a nap (but of course). No wings today, though. 😉

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  3. Congratulations to you on your new job, and congratulations to both of your daughters. I also am fiercely proud of your 14yo. She is very lucky to have such a great mom. 🙂

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  5. Congrats on the new governor. We needed one of those so badly. Sigh. I'm trying SO hard not to be bitter.Thanks! I think my crazy support might be driving my poor kids crazy, lol. I'd be the first one to fly a rainbow flag in front of our house. She's like, okkkkayyyy mom, calm down! Your wings photos make me giggle every week!

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  8. So many great and big things for you and your family! Big happy hugs to both of your daughters on their exciting steps and big hugs to you on the new job. I'll continue to look forward to how you're liking Gotham. i really wanted to watch it but we couldn't be bothered to actually set the timer (by \”we\” I mean my husband), so if it's worth it then we'll catch up on streaming. Happy week to you!!

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  10. I wasn't overly enthusiastic about Mary Burke, but she sure would have been better than what we have now. At least you don't live where I do and have to listen to Walker for President.Kudo's to your youngest daughter. She is very brave and I wish her the best. My brother didn't fair so well in high school. It was the early 90's in western WI. He did have a supportive friend who he is still friends with to this day. He now lives in NY.I have a crazy week coming up at work. They want the budget done before everyone leaves for deer hunting – another joy of living in Wisconsin. I'm reading Cleopatra a Life – so far I like it.Have a great week and stay warm it is going to be a cold one.

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  11. I am adding a stop to Redbery Books to my bucket list for the next time I'm in your area. It is so great to see local bookstores still making it. Most of them have closed around here – so sad.

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  12. I ended up getting engaged a year before I thought I would (he surprised me with a ring before our last year of college) but we didn't take advantage AT ALL of all that time… slightly busy with other things, ya know. We ended up planning the whole thing in about nine months, which wasn't terrible, and helped by the fact that we picked a date without much competition (Friday the 13th).Congrats to both of your daughters!

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  13. I live in NC, and was very disappointed in the election results. I'm in one of the two counties in the state that are progressive, it's the rest of the state that is soooo backward, it drives me crazy! Congrats to both your daughters, and to you on your new job (in a bookstore….how awesome is that?).

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  14. I was okay with Burke…of course I would have voted for a mosquito over Walker. Uck. Oh, we hear the Walker for President rumblings here too. It's an awful thought. But I say let him run, he'll embarrass the party and won't win and can then fade into oblivion, lol. (At least that's my hope!)Thanks for your best wishes. I'm so glad that she's growing up now, vs. even a decade ago. I hope your brother is now as happy and as healthy as can be! Ha ha, oh Wisconsin. My hubby is gearing up for hunting season. I don't get it but he loves it. For him it's more about being in the woods with the menfolk than it is about shooting a deer.

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  16. I was married on the 13th too, ha. It wasn't a Friday though. More time to plan isn't always necessary, especially if you go simple which is what I think they are planning on. They'll probably be married on the shore of Lake Superior, etc. Easy peasy :DThanks!

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  20. Congrats on the new job, and for being so awesome and supporttive about both of your daughters 🙂 The election results were disappointing, but unsurprising – typically it seems like elections alternate between Democrat & Republican, so I'm already expecting that Republicans will win most of the next major elections. Blech.Also, The Pioneer Woman is the best! Her pot pie recipe is amazing, and I made it tonight for dinner 🙂

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  21. Congratulations on your new job and to both your daughters! The croissant french toast sounds amazing and I know it tasted amazing…she has breakfast down! I featured her recipe for french toast casserole on Weekend Cooking awhile back and that was unspeakably delicious!

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  27. Must admit as I'm in Australia I know little about the election results though many I know are unhappy. Also have to admit I really didn't enjoy Gotham. I only watched the first two episodes and gave up!!! Deb

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  28. Sounds like you had a great week in your personal life–cheers for both daughters!! And congrats on the new job; how very exciting!Yeah, I share your feelings about the election results. I kinda buried my head in books to avoid thinking about it. I usually read a lot of political analysis after elections, but I couldn't handle it this time. 😐

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  30. This is a gorgeous blog :-)My son is autistic and a little obsessed with Batman so we have had to watch Gotham since the beginning, but I love it now!Great news on the job.New Follower.Kirsty xxhttp://kirstylovesbooks.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/its-monday-what-are-you-reading/

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  31. Croissant French toast?! I need that in my belly. It's interesting that your cauliflower soup came out weird and grainy; I tried making a creamy carrot ginger soup this week and had the same problem! I wonder what we did wrong.Congrats on all the exciting news! Your kids are lucky to have such a supportive mom 🙂

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  32. Wow…exciting news in your family! Congrats to you on your new job and to both of your daughters! Cauliflower has always been tricky for me. Even if I follow a recipe exactly AND I've made it successfully in the past, I still run the chance of the cauliflower working against me. I'm sure there is some botanical reason for that, but whatever.

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  46. I was also disappointed in the election results, except in my own state. I'm just so glad to be rid of Tom Corbett! Congrats on your new job and your daughters' updates. It's wonderful that they are growing up in such a supportive household. 🙂

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  48. Congratulations on the awesome new job and the good news from your daughters! I was pretty happy with the election results here in CT. Even voted for a Kennedy, who won, beating out a guy who spent way too much money on slick glossy weekly mailings that focused more on the Kennedy name than his own plans. I am so not ready for another presidential election.

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  50. My goodness but you have had quite a week! How wonderful that your daughter was able to come out at such a young age; so many young people feel they can't. Clearly, she knows she is loved regardless. Oh the elections. Why can't people stop believing the scare tactics? We had a long-term incumbent here endorsing commercials that were flat out lies about his opponent. Luckily, they didn't work and it was the one bright spot for me.

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