Life lately

We recorded on Thanksgiving weekend so we recapped our respective holidays. We both spent time with our in-laws–Abby in Nashville and Sarah at home.

Reading lately

Abby’s been reading the comic book Saga written by Brian K Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples. It was just the right thing after post-election induced reading slump.

Sarah’s almost finished with The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel of Life of Pi fame. She’s not sure how she feels about it or the genre of magical realism in general. Listeners, please weigh in.

Books and reading

We are both avid readers and delve into what we like to read, how we read, book clubs, breaking out of reading slumps, and favorite books. Here are a list of all the books mentioned in this segment:

• Barbara Kingsolver’s books, including The Bean Trees, Prodigal Summer, The Poisonwood Bible, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and The Lacuna
• The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre both by Gail Carson Levine
• Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Won’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
• Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Audio books we recommend:

• Flavia de Luce mysteries written by Alan Bradley and read by Jayne Entwistle, the first of which is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and read by Jim Dale
• Big Magic written and read by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eating lately

Abby’s been enjoying taco dip, perfect for the gluten-free gatherings of your life.

Sarah’s family plowed through a batch of homemade chex mix the day after Thanksgiving, which is becoming a family tradition.

If you’d like to join in the conversation, you can find us on Instagram @friendlierpodcast or email us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks so much for listening! 

Life lately

We are recording this the day after the time change, so Sarah is crossing her fingers that E will adjust quickly so they don’t have to see too much of the four o’clock hour. Her family is also preparing for a trip trip to Missouri where lots of cousin chaos is sure to ensue.

Abby and Plum had the honor of meeting Obama (!). Can’t top that.

Reading lately

Sarah just finished Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Unlike Abby, she had never read it before or seen the movie. She was immediately taken in with the story but had a lot of questions about how race was (or wasn’t) addressed. At Abby’s suggestion, she may read Scarlett, a sequel by Alexandra Ripley.

Abby heard Glennon Doyle Melton (founder of Momastery and Together Rising) speak in Nashville and received a copy of her newest book Love Warrior. Love Warrior chronicles the story of her marriage–from how it started, to what happened after her husband’s infidelity came to light. If you want to hear more in podcast form, check out this episode of Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert.

Food, food, food!

We love to eat, we love to talk, so it is no surprise that we love to talk about eating. In this segment we hash out what types of food we eat, how we approach food with our kids, family meals, eating out, meal planning, and the many uses of the Instant Pot.* We end with a lightning round of both our usual and ideal foods in various categories.

*Not sponsored. Just obsessed.

Eating lately, Thanksgiving edition

Abby can’t wait to eat her mother-in-law’s mashed potatoes, which include massive amounts of cream and butter and have yet to be replicated in Abby’s kitchen.

Sarah’s going to be enjoying bubble salad–a fruit salad made with cut grapes, mandarin oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, and a whipped cream + custard dressing. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it.

We would love to hear from you! Please contact us at friendlierpodcast@gmail.com or on instagram @friendlierpodcast.