Seen and Heard in Edmonton

That was a tough week. We will get to some reflections on that. But first, let’s look at some posts that made me think about giving and receiving:

• A lovely gift could be made of Margaret Bose-Johnson’s homemade pumpkin pie spice mix.
• Nicole Winski sings the praises of Ashley Green’s Love Letters 2 Strangers workshop.
• Maria K. of Simple Moodlings tells the story of two hugs that meant a lot.
• Valerie Lugonja recounts her tasty and love-filled 60th birthday celebration.
• Holly Baker kicks off her shop-local series with a consignment boutique called Blogger Armoire.
• Laura Frey makes a literary gift guide that may or may not be a heavy hint to loved ones.
• Donna McKinnon finds a beautiful book for the curious kid on your list.
• Michelle Peters-Jones celebrates Diwali with a recipe for pear tarte tatin.

A search for meaning

• Ali Grotkowski reflects on the questions raised by Friday’s attacks in Paris and what we can realistically do here.
• Brandon Schatz makes an eloquent plea for empathy in the wake of the violence.

Power and politics

• Mayor Don Iveson explains his stance on the three-year operating budget that city council will deliberate on at the end of this month.
• Michael Janz lays out why the Edmonton public school board, which he chairs, wants the freedom to leave the Alberta School Boards Association.
• A good companion piece is Dave Cournoyer’s look at how Edmonton’s public board has been pushing the ASBA to create a policy that protects LGBTQ students and staff.
• Rev Recluse found the 1968 story about Premier Notley’s dad becoming leader of the Alberta New Democrats. (The 1913 story headlined “Moral condition of Edmonton is relatively good” is a treasure, too.)

Take a break

• Mack Male has put together a comprehensive guide to Edmonton’s winter festivals and events.
• Erin Wallace proposes a “do-it-yourself Art Gallery Walk” on 124th Street.
• TJ Jans talks to the artist behind an interesting installation at the University of Alberta’s department of women’s and gender studies.
• Kristen Finlay shares the thrill of opening night for the play Wind In Her Sails.
• Little Miss Andrea has the goods on Rostizado’s new menu.
• Jody Bailey captured some dramatic shots at the Canadian Finals Rodeo.
• Is whipping axes at targets a fun thing to do with your beloved? #YEG Date Night thinks so in its review of Axehole.
• Chris Tse reviews three climbing gyms on the Blitz Conditioning blog.

Miscellany

• Rylan Kafara talks to Mike and Dove from Jr. Gone Wild about their history and the documentary being made about the great Edmonton band.
• If you’re selling online, Tema Frank has some tips for getting your website ready.
• Sunil Agnihotri says the NHL is not giving the advanced-stats analysts like him what they need.
• On Lowetide, Allan Mitchell crafts a rhythmic and heartfelt post about yet another Oilers loss.
• Lauren LaBossiere shares a recipe for spiced prawns in compound butter that looks awfully good.
• Lillian Tse and her husband Dan embark on another cooking adventure, this time with oven-baked fries.
• David Climenhaga wonders whether it’s time to retire In Flanders Fields, and his commenters chime in with various takes on the subject.
• Matt Bowes interviews the editor of Satanic Panic, an essay collection on a particularly weird period in history.
• Erika Barootes says there’s no such thing as balance, but setting priorities can take you a long way.
• Stephen Robinson gets ready to launch a new season of 52Skillz, his video series about learning and life.

That’s a lot, but there’s more at ShareEdmonton. I collect my picks in a Flipboard magazine, and I share stuff on Twitter: @seenandheardyeg and @karenunland. My podcast roundup comes out on Fridays.

The roundups, the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast and more will come directly to you every Monday if you sign up for the Seen and Heard in Edmonton newsletter.