The weekend is a good time for grazing. This is a summary of some of the delightful Blog articles I have been reading during the week. I invite you to graze through these, and also through the archives of the creative writers who wrote them.

Food canning equipment, tool carts, compost bins, growing kits, cider and fruit presses, the Squeezo Strainer, food dehydrators, juicers, smokers, cold frames, greenhouses and so many more innovations contribute to making our lives organized and healthier and to turning our homes and properties into an oasis where the living is good.

All of these things exist because we are creative and because we have a unique ability to adapt to our environment. In truth, foodies, homesteaders and gardeners who write about their experiences are telling the ongoing story of our inventive spirit. On their pages, every tool and appliance is like a paint brush; ready to express a new vision.

You can access the entire Weekend Highlights series to date by clicking on that category in the sidebar at left.

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I found City Girl Farming on Facebook. Someone had posted a link to a blog article offering 17 ways to help keep your flock (of chickens) cool this summer. I knew this would be a topic of interest to many of our readers, both on Facebook and on the Blog. This, of course, led to a bit of investigating and it did not take long for me to determine that this new-found blog belonged on our reading list.

It chronicles the experiences, observations and moments of pure gratitude shared by the author, a country-raised gal who moved to the city to go to school and stayed. In her own words, “I missed some of the ‘homemade’ ways of country living, so I decided to learn how to grow and raise more of my food, even in the city.” She invites us to join her for weekly chats about chickens, food, gardening, canning or other city farming mishaps and adventures.

Her topics are engaging and you will want to read what she has to say even if you do not live with chickens yourself. I invite you to begin with When Chickens Don’t Play Nice (Or What to Do When You Have a Bully) and also Misses and Near Misses.

Her writing style is honest and down to earth. Clearly, she is someone who does not give up in the face of a problem, but immediately contemplates solutions instead, which I know is a quality you will appreciate too. Incidentally, I noticed that some of the bloggers who kindly follow Granny are already familiar with this city gal and following her blog, so we are most certainly in good company.

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“I want to be a clam now…” – Under the Sea – The Middlest Sister

It is always a pleasure to revisit The Middlest Sister once in a while. I find that it is especially enjoyable if I allow a few days to go by so that there are several stories with which I need to catch up. The story-telling here, done mostly by way of intricate collages, is a special treat every time. In fact, I think that the stories would not have half the charm and power and humor they have if they were merely written. The author paints with a few words and writes with pictures.

While you are there, make sure you visit the Middlest Sister’s Shop. You could have her stories decorate your walls!

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I hesitated before adding the following blog post to this review because it is somewhat graphic; not in an inappropriate way though. But then I realized no, our readers have children, they will appreciate hearing someone finally put into words what they had tried to explain to child-less folks all along. So if you are childless (not that there is anything wrong with that) and occasionally roll your eyes (admit it) when you get a glimpse of the “drama” at the neighbor’s house, sit down and get a real glimpse. You will laugh (compassionately) at the trials and tribulations of being human.

This account of the life of the family unit in the midst of a flu bug invasion is right on target. If the author stood in front of a live audience at Comedy Central to deliver this piece, rave reviews would appear in top newspapers the next day, in addition to a standing ovation. We laugh with the most abandon when we realize that our lives are equally quirky.

“It always hits the weakest first. The toddler goes down. It’s messy, demanding and exhausting …for everyone… It’s now day four. You couldn’t smell a week old prawn in the sun if it was stuck to the front of your shirt…” – Barely Poppins – The family life cycle of the common cold

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Marty – 1955 – Betsy Blair & Ernest Borgnine

“Ernest Borgnine died on Sunday. When I heard, my immediate thought was of his film, Marty. Run and get it, if you have not seen it… Marty is one of those universal stories to which every person can relate… It’s the story of the culture of the 1950s– after WWII and Korea–when men came home and had to make a place for themselves in a society suddenly changing at lightening speed…” Curtiss Ann Matlock -  “Marty”…or encourage yourself

In the morning, I had coffee and conversation with an elderly neighbor. We talked and talked about the changing times and values. Curtiss Ann’s blog post brought this to mind again and in fact added depth to my early morning thoughts. Movies of the 1950′s, perhaps unconsciously on the part of the writer, perhaps not, were a living record of the values of their time. I am not certain many modern movies have the same quality of story-telling and human soul exploration. I wonder if this is not a lost art and younger generations will never witness that form of portrayal of our society again, at least not in the same way. Except for a few exceptions, today’s story-telling pace is so hurried.

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Thank you for stopping by to read this Weekend’s Review. Please take a moment to leave a few words on the Blogs you enjoy, if you feel so inclined that is.