Seen and Heard in Edmonton

It’s still technically winter, and Mother Nature is making sure we’re aware. But there’s more light, and that’s a start. Another source of light? All the smart, interesting, touching, challenging things that bloggers post in this city. Here’s a sample:

Dustin Bajer makes the case for cities as good for the environment; Jennifer Quist takes on a popular post about how to raise teens to be responsible adults; and Brent Jans shares lots of great lessons from several decades of tabletop gaming.

Erika Ensign is looking forward to a happy March; Chris at Edmonton Weather Nerdery breaks down the pain of Smarch; and have you grabbed Paper Leaf’s March desktop wallpaper yet? You still can.

Paula Kirman of Radical Citizen Media covers the happy block party that grew up to counter a hateful protest; Steve Finkelman wonders whether the proposed reset of Vision Zero will make roads safer; and Vintage Edmonton digs up a crazy article from 1947 examining whether women are fit for jury duty.

A couple of Oilers stories caught my eye. Matt Henderson excoriates Sportsnet for making fun of Ryan Smyth’s feelings for Edmonton, and Lowetide compares getting in on the ground floor with Bonnie Raitt to the feelings around seeing the Oilers on the cusp of a return to the playoffs.

Let’s eat out. Phil Wilson of Baconhound spotlights a couple of new restaurants with strong pedigrees, and Cindy of Let’s Om Nom is excited about a new pretzel shop.

Some posts on where the food (and drink) comes from: Mack Male recaps an agriculture tour he went on; Elyse Chatterton wants to teach you how to cut up a pig; and Jason Foster rounds up the local craft beer news.

We could also eat in. Stephanie Mitchell of Dollop of Cream rediscovers lemon curd; Maegan Lukian of hand-meyd experiments with cold soups; and Cassie at Mouth Half Full finds her favourite use yet for zoodles.

Kitchen Magpie’s Karlynn Johnston makes a convincing case for the healthiness of brownies, and if you buy that, you might as well dive into Therese Kehler’s blondies, too.

Ainsley Hillyard smashes potatoes with a birthday girl; Larry Harris at La Bonne Vie shares some spectacular cakes he has made; and Kelly-Dawn Aulenbach contemplates birthday cake from a different angle.

Dani of Out of the Nest Travels prepares to take the summer off, and Bryan Myers gets ready to take a year off.

How about some art? Tim Querengesser argues for funding for the return of Nuit Blanche; John Richardson sings the praises of the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts; and Sue Heuman watches art happen on the runway.

Lindy Pratch analyzes her February reading diet; Thomas Wharton re-reads The Lord of the Rings in an unusual way; and Liz Nicholls previews a reimagining of Chekhov’s The Seagull.

Nadine Riopel shares tips for getting social in real life; Ashley Janssen airs cautionary tales about getting social online; and Lindsey of Over My Styled Body highlights Edmonton’s Instagrammiest spaces.

Jeff Archibald of Paper Leaf outlines the rules that ensure better communication around projects; and Britanny Zerr of Kick Point shares best practices for link-building.

Kendyl Lauzon draws a metaphor for helping herself through the muck; Kari Skelton tries out three face masks, one sweet, one smurfy and one pure; and Angela at LUX Beauty Boutique gives a boudoir photo shoot a try.

LIndsey Locke at Flatter:Me Belts has an idea for some good you can do. And it’s always fun to peek in on Nicole Rowan’s thrift hauls.

Kristina Lynn’s baby turns one month old; Ana Vicioso’s little boy turns 10 months old; and Glenn Kubish remembers when his grown son was just wee.

Speaking of parenting, Edmomton’s Rachel Jones profiles the sisters behind Yo Mama; Jenna Marynowski previews The Mommy Monologues on After the House Lights; and Christine Bruckmann of Just Another Edmonton Mommy comes to the rescue if you’re thinking about what to do with your kids over spring break.

Three more for good measure: Dave Cournoyer of daveberta looks at the suddenly more interesting Liberal leadership race; Michelle Guthrie of Enthuse eulogizes the Sonic Boom music festival; and Sarah at Smile and Conquer encourages you not to give in to FOMO.

There really is so much more out there. Find it on ShareEdmonton or in previous blog roundups, and if you like Flipboard, I put these there, too.