Friday, April 17, 2020

Five on Friday - April 17, 2020

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a great week - I am happy it was a short week and that it is already the weekend! Did you hear the good news that Calgary is actually supposed to be having warm weather this weekend - woo hoo! Finally - it's been snowing for basically two weeks and I'm ready for it to be done! 

ONE 



I purchased everything in this post (except for the library books, clearly I'm borrowing those - this post contains affiliate links)

I shared last month some of the fiction books I'm planning on reading this Spring, so I thought it was pretty fitting that I also share some of the non-fiction books on my Spring Reading List! 

I always track my books on GoodReads, so if you have GoodReads and want to connect - you can find me here! I really love seeing what everyone is reading and I always find recommendations for myself from your reading lists! What I'm planning on reading this Spring is:
  • Over The Top: A Raw Journey To Self Love by Jonathan Van Ness ~ I've been a fan of JVN since he started doing Gay of Thrones and I love Queer Eye, so I knew I had to know more about his story and I've actually already read this and really enjoyed it! It also made me want to read more of the Fab Fives stories - Tan and Karamo have books I want to read too! 
  • Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica Mcdiarmid ~ I will always read books that include educating myself on the plight of indigenous people, especially women in Canada. We all need to be aware of what is going and do better - education and empathy and the starting point. This is a truly powerful read about women and young girls who have gone missing or been found murdered on B.C.'s infamous Highway of Tears.  
  • Also Serving Time: Canada's Provincial and Territorial Correctional Officers by Rosemary Ricciardelli ~ I thought this book was important - it is all about informing people about work in Canada's jails - it explores the job, but also how officer orientations and attitudes towards to the work, gender, hierarchal structure and how it is connected to their own experiences. As an officer, there isn't a whole lot of books out there on our line of work, so I was really interested to pick this one up! 
  • Red River Girl: The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine by Joanna Jolly ~ this book wasn't actually on my radar until I saw it at the library; but, I had to pick it up. While learning about the stories about missing and murdered indigenous women, we should all remember the story of a teenage girl who was found in a river - this book reminds you that Tina Fontaine is not a statistic; but, a young girl, while also raising the issues of how this is disproportionately happening to indigenous women and girls. 
  • Bad Law: Rethinking Justice For a Postcolonial Canada by John Reilly ~ I've read John Reilly's previous two books - he was a Judge in a small town Alberta who really focuses on indigenous issues and how Canada's justice system is hurting the community. This book as described by him as his ideal look at the future of the justice system in Canada based on the indigenous approach to law. 
  • I'm Not A Really A Waitress: How One Woman Took Over The Beauty Industry by Suzi Weiss-Fischmann ~ I've really only been getting in to OPI the last couple of years, so I was excited to read about how Suzi helped dream up OPI and became this iconic brand in the beauty and nail industry (plus, I could probably use a little lighter read compared to some of these other ones!)
It's a good thing my fiction list has lots of magical books, because some of these are going to be a little heavy! What's on your Spring Reading List? 

TWO 

How did you guys celebrate Easter last weekend? If you saw last week's Five on Saturday, you know we still got a little visit from the Easter bunny for the kids; but, seriously, we celebrated with FOOD. 



My husband is the grocery shopper for the house, and I asked him to pick up a ham, and he managed to pick up an 11 pound ham for a family of 3.5 - it was massive! But, I also made dill pickle bread, a twice baked potato casserole and Brussels sprouts. And, for dessert, I made a chocolate pudding cake and it was delicious! 



And, for leftovers I made some delicious Ham and Split Pea soup! And it paired so good with the leftover dill pickle bread! 

THREE 




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Been putting up with each other for 8 whole years now! If you want to see our #firstphotochallenge scroll all the way to the end! I know saying anniversaries don't really "count" once you're married but I still like to remember the date! If you want to see Mitch and I through the years, enjoy: -2020 today, celebrating 8 years and Easter -2019 Kelowna, celebrating a friends wedding -2018 family photos in California -2017 adding to the family with Elliott's birth -2016 California, Joshua Tree Park -2015 snorkeling in Turks and Caicos on our honeymoon -2014 on a hidden beach in Mexico -2013 family photos here in Calgary -2012 hiking in Banff -and our very first photo in 2012 before we starting dating - we were at staff college in Edmonton on our 9 week training course and i lost a bet, so i had to pay up in a foot massage (we still bet on everything 8 years later, just slightly competitive here!) Also, fun fact we were hired together 3 years earlier and never really talked or crossed paths until this training! . . . #firstpicturechallenge #firstphoto #happyanniversary #happyeaster #8yearstogether #stuckwithme #loveofmylife #calgaryblogger #yycblogger
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Also, this past weekend was my husband and I's dating relationship - we've been together for 8 years. I know that dating anniversaries aren't really celebrated when you're married, but it's still worth noting and having a glass of wine about right?! 

FOUR 

I've been talking about supporting local lately, and while these wineries aren't local, I thought it was important to support some of my favourite places - I know every industry is being hurt by this and my wine room needed some restocking!



First off, Deep Roots Winery is one of my favourite wineries - it's always our first or second stop on the Naramata Bench and with free shipping over 6 bottles I couldn't resist picking up some Reisling, Gamay and Rose wines! 



And, Summerhill Pyramid Winery is one of the best in Kelowna! They are a beautiful location and have delicious wines - I picked up an Ehrenfelser, Riesling, White Blend, Pinot Noir, Baco Noir, and Gewurztraminer. 

FIVE 



Alright, can we just talk about Tiger King for a minute?! They released that 8th episode last weekend, so I feel like the series is over for now, but not for long - people are going to capitalize on this because what a story?! 

It really started out as a look in the private ownership of big cats and I thought that was a really important thing to bring awareness too, but whoa did it ever take a turn because apparently ever big cat owner is absolutely crazy?! Seriously, there is a guy who stuffed snakes full of drugs and hacked up a body, and he just gets a clip in there?! Whoa - it's this crazy, cultish lifestyle and then this murder-for-hire and potentially-murdered-ex-husband storyline came in to play and whoa! So the real questions are does Joe deserve to be in jail? And, Did Carole kill her ex-husband? I certainly think yes to both - and they are all pretty terrible and hope some laws are passed to protect wild animals against this crazy private ownership! Yikes! 

I hope you all have a good, quiet weekend! 

2 comments :

  1. I love your book options! I've always been interested in the First Nations plight and I never know how to help. My husband is 1/4 Abenaki and I grew up with people from different bands and have a really good Haida friend who answers a lot of my questions.

    Also, I think you should celebrate dating anniversaries especially if there is a big gap between the dating and the marriage anniversary! My husband and I have been together since 2006, but we didn't get married until 2013. I want those 7 years to count!

    And yes, big cat owners are insane. They also definitely kill the cubs once they have served their purpose FOR SURE. That whole series man. I just watched the episode with Joel Mchale interviewing everyone and geez. I don't know how he could keep a straight face!

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    1. That's the best thing people can do is ask questions - I can only educate myself and I've taken it to trying to do that for others too if I hear a negative comment or something, I won't ignore it and instead talk about what I've learned.
      I'm glad I'm not the only one who counts the dating anniversary! And, that whole show was just insane - I struggle to believe that is real life anywhere and sadly it is.

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