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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Let’s have a garden and farm life theme this time…

“How can I teach that callous camera to see with my eyes, to capture the gardener’s meaning and give it back to her – or him – as a reward for the exquisite pleasure they have given me?” asks The Gardening Canuck in Gardening dreams and August harvest, a mid-August article filled with musings.

I read this question several times before continuing through the entire article. Could we ever invent a picture-taking device that sees what we see? A very evolved robot might, but what of the layers of experience, emotion and memory that permeate the entire landscape of each day?

This is not to say that photographs do not capture the spirit of a scene or moment. I believe they do so when the photographer brings his or her own passion to the experience. A flower that is approached with love will reveal a side of itself that would not otherwise come to light on the image. Somehow, It is more than a matter of light, angle or composition. The photographer’s emotion changes the subject of the photograph. Science has demonstrated that things and actions are changed by virtue of being observed. This is what happens in the garden.

And there is more. It changes us. “The beauty [gardens] coax from the earth proves so much that is fine about the human race,” observes The Gardening Canuck. I’ll stop here. We need to read this phrase over again and then go on to the full article.

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As I recall, the last time we checked in on Chateau de Vie, we landed in the middle of a bathroom renovation project. Meanwhile, in the garden…

It was mid-July. Our Little Homestead – Veggie Update begins, “Well buckle up kids you’re headed for a full-on garden update! Yep, we’ve got veggies, and heat…”

The variety of produce these young gardeners managed to bring to fruition is astounding, especially considering the effects of the uncommon heat. “It was so hot a road melted,” points out the author, with newspaper article to verify her claim. Nevertheless, the garden offered abundant food, as well as lessons. “Speaking of the jalapeños,” she writes, “… They are UNBELIEVABLY hot… For some reason they are much hotter when you grow them yourself. Noted. You win this round jalapeño.”

Though we stop by this little château only on occasion, it is clear that the residents truly have made a home. They are transforming their environment with an ease that can only span from pure passion. This confirms yet one more time that the passion of the gardener affects the spirit of the garden, much as the passion of the inhabitants affects the spirit of their home. [Read Full Article]

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Add 1840 Farm to your reading list!

I am sending you directly to the “About” page. The page header features a compass, as one might see on a map, indicating the four directions, only this one points to the months of the year, marking the changing seasons and cycles of the life lived off the land.

“Three generations of my family moved to 1840 Farm in the August of 2005.  The farm had been uninhabited for over a year and it showed,” begins the account. This is precisely the reason I am introducing this page first. Like the compass, it marks the beginning of a journey and in doing so the significance of beginnings, of first intentions and of the word “home.”

“We have often joked that we must have had incredible vision or stupidity to spare when we decided to move our family to an old house that would require so much work…” further notes the author. More importantly, “Living in a 170 year-old house is like having a constant reminder of my place in history,” she observes.

The 1840 Farm is a place you can actually visit. It is located in New Hampshire. The blog provides a well-rounded tour, from recipes to articles on farming and gardening, animal photo galleries and a garden photo tour. Also, make sure you visit the store, where you will find the author’s adorable and meticulously fashioned coiled fabric egg baskets… but they are not just for eggs!

“Living and writing at the intersection of family, food and farming,” announces the tag line at the top of the page. Well said. Ready for a tour? Visit the 1840 Farm now!

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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.