I was pulling up my carrots in the backyard (to make way for overwintering broccoli), when I found an oregano plant growing in between the rows. Huh!

I already have an oregano plant elsewhere in the backyard (probably the mama of this new one), so I’m looking to find a home for the little guy.

I can haz a home?

CONTEST TIME!

The FIRST Ravenna/Bryant neighbor to email me the answer to the following question (in the comments below) will have Oregano Jr. here delivered to his/her doorstep!

• What was the name of the first postmaster at the Ravenna Post Office?

Good luck!

RHS Thriller Club article at My Green Lake - click to read at MyGreenLake.com

There’s a club at Roosevelt High School who will dress up as zombies, come to your October event, and perform the Thriller video zombie dance…for FREE!

Amy at My Green Lake has the story.

Wow. Clubs have sure changed since I was in high school.

You could clean your garage this weekend, like you’ve been meaning to do for MONTHS. But here are some other options for your weekend that you might enjoy a little more than that:

SATURDAY

• Make an oven powered by the sun.
  • Solar Cooker class, University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE; 10am-2pm; $10, register by calling 527-4278
• Go to a winery open house in Roosevelt.
  • Eight Bells Winery open house, 6213B Roosevelt Way NE; 11am-5pm; please RVSP to rsvp [at] 8bellswindery.com
• And/Or stay in Ravenna and taste wine.
  • McCarthy & Schiering free tasting of Mark Ryan Winery selections; 11am-5pm, with Mark McNeilly at the shop from 11:30am-2pm
• Go play, eat, run, dance, paddle, bounce and more, all at the same place.
  • Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Big Day of Play, Magnuson Park, 7400 Sand Point Way NE; 9:30am-5pm

SUNDAY

• See some art by local artists.
  • Art opening at University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave NE; 4-6pm
• Buy some stuff for your “inside or outside baby.”
  • Bumps and Babies Fair, Roosevelt Ale House parking lot, 8824 Roosevelt Way NE; 9:30am-4:30pm, boutique and consignment sellers

• Go to story time, no matter how old you are.
  • Adult Storytime, Ravenna Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave. NE; bring a short work from your favorite author or poet to read aloud

BOTH

• Pick up your holds and anything else from the library, before they’re all closed for a week.
  • Northeast Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 6801 35th Ave NE; Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 1pm-5pm

Anything else to add? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll edit the post!

Vases & Pitcher in Blue I by Teresa Burrelsman 14"x11" pastel and mixed media on paper

Seattle artist Teresa Burrelsman (www.greentart.com) has an exhibition of her work now showing at the University Unitarian Church (6556 35th Ave NE). Her “Contemplation” series of pastel/mixed media still life drawings is a part of a 2-person show running through September 15th.

The other artist showing her work at the same time is North Bend’s Ann Heideman (large nature themed paintings).

There is an opening being held for the show on Sunday, August 29th from 4-6pm. Some lovely art, free refreshments and relaxing music await you, should you attend.

Alternatively, you can stop by to view the artwork on Sundays from 9-10am or 11am-1pm (worship starts at 10am), during other scheduled events, or call to make an appointment (the exhibition is in the church’s chapel). All works as the show are for sale.

Teresa’s funding provided by:  Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs

The Ravenna McCarthy & Schiering Wine Merchants (6500 Ravenna Ave NE) usually has free tastings on Saturdays, and this weekend is no exception.  From 11am-5pm they are sampling seven different varieties of 2008 Oregon Pinot Noirs. See the full selection here, at their weekly news page.

Now, a local free tasting of seven different Pinot Noirs is pretty great news. But the other wine event today promoted on the McC&S site is pretty darn fantastic, too.

There’s a WINERY opening in the Roosevelt/Ravenna neighborhood! And they have an open house today AND next Saturday, also from 11am-5pm.

Eight Bells Winery, in the heart of the audio/visual area of Roosevelt

Eight Bells Winery (6213B Roosevelt Way NE; 8bellswinery.com) is jointly owned and operated by three guys (Tim Bates, Andy Shepherd and Frank Michiels), one of whom (Tim) has been making wine on his own since 1980. Andy joined him in 1996, and Frank completed the trio in 2006 (came to watch, ended up fermenting 100 pounds of grapes in his own kitchen for the cause).  Read more about them on the Eight Bells Winery About Us page.

They do ask that you RSVP if you plan on attending either open house (rsvp [at] 8bellswinery.com).

Eight Bells will have samples of their Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Tempranillo (all 2009) for tasting and sales (read more about these wines here).

Also on display and for sale during the Eight Bells Winery open houses are paintings by Seattle artists Patty Ryan, Rita Marlowe, and Susan Hamilton. Read about these artists and see samples of their work on Eight Bells’ art page.

If those links aren’t enough, Eight Bells also has a facebook page, where you can see some pictures of the new winery’s interior.

Did you know that we have one of the best sustainable living resources in the city right here in Northeast Seattle?  Well, now you do! And they’re having a festival this Saturday, chock-full of green learning opportunities.

Sustainable NE Seattle is hosting Planet : Home – A Sustainable Living Festival this Saturday, August 21st, from 10am-5pm at the Hunter Tree Farm (7744 35th Ave NE).

Event description, from the Sustainable NE Seattle website:

Free workshops, speakers, food, live music, demonstrations, hands-on science and art activities for kids! Come learn how you can reduce your environmental footprint and share your experiences in trying to live more sustainably! Learn about solar cooking, bicycle repair (bring your bike!), cheese-making, weatherizing your home, growing your own tea (bring a cup!), sod replacement, worm bins, bee-keeping, tool repair (bring your tools!), edible landscaping, knowledge-sharing with community elders, rain gardens, and much much more. Take home ideas for environmentally-friendly living and maybe win some eco products to help you on your way.

Morning schedule includes:

• Annette Cottrell – SustainableEats.com
• Tom Watson, King County’s eco-consumer – incorporating recycled materials into your garden
• Rob Stevens of Puget Sound Beekeepers Association – beekeeping basics
• Emily Bishton of Green Light Gardening – gardening for wildlife
• Heidi Mair – herbal and medicinal gardens
• Julianne Jaz – dye gardens
• James Reichstadt – cheese making demonstration

Afternoon schedule includes:

• Linda Chalker-Scott, WSU Extension Specialist for Urban Horticulture and author of ‘The Informed Gardner” – Q&A on soil building and other garden topics
• Barry Lia of the Washington Biodynamic Group – biodynamic gardening techniques
• Wilson Atteberry – Washington State renewable energy incentives
• Jenny Pell of Permaculture Now! – permaculture techniques
• Janine Van Sanden – no waste living
• Lacia Lynne Bailey of Seattle Farm Co-op – goats

Cheese making? Fixing your own bike? Live music? FOOD? PRIZES?!

Eh, they had me at “cheese.”

Tonight is the 27th Annual National Night Out, and Seattle is once again celebrating the event.

Throughout the city there will be streets closed for block parties and bouncy houses (well, we know of ONE in Tangletown, and it sounds FUN), and other community-building, crime-preventing  events. Visit the Seattle Night Out homepage for more info.

I know of at least one block party here in Ravenna (at 70th and 23rd) and there may be others. Let me know where they are, and I’ll add them to the post.

And even if your block has nothing planned for tonight, the good folks at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center have you covered.

From the Parks and Recreation Summer 2010 catalog (emphasis mine):

National “Night Out”
All Ages
“Night Out” is a national crime prevention event. It is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, increase neighborhood support in anti-crime efforts, and unite our community. It is a great chance to learn about crime prevention, while also celebrating your community and spending time with your neighbors. Meet firemen and policemen and explore a real fire truck and a police car!
Location: Ravenna-Eckstein CC
6–8 p.m. Activity Fee: Free

Yes, we’ll go check it out for the toddler, but maybe I’m pretty excited to see the fire truck, too.

Another (hopefully) regular weekly post for you: Things to do in Ravenna (or close to) on the weekends.  And we’ll throw in a forecast, too.

Saturday options (AM clouds, PM sun; high of 72!):

• University District Farmers Market, 9am-2pm; University Heights Community Center parking lot, University Way and NE 50th Street
• Family Story Time at the Northeast Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 10:30-11am
• Wine tasting at McCarthy & Schiering, 11am-5pm; 6500 Ravenna Ave NE; Darioush Napa Valley Wines (Darioush Khaledi in the Ravenna shop from 11:30am-2pm)
• Kids’ Story Time (with Mrs. Wigglesworth) at Ravenna Third Place Books, 11-11:30am; 6504 20th Avenue NE
• Paper Airplanes! at the Northeast Branch of the Seattle Public Library, 2-4pm; Museum of Flight representatives lead hands-on activities; ages 6 and up
• Drink Manny’s at Ravenna Alehouse and fight Crohn’s disease and colitis, 5pm-close; 2258 NE 65th Street, 21 and over

Sunday options (partly cloudy; high of 73!):

• Meadowbrook Farmers Market, 11am-3pm; Seattle Waldorf School campus, 2728 NE 100th Street

Saturday AND Sunday:

• Ravenna Third Place Books is having one of their big ol’ 40% Off All Used Books Sales this weekend. B.Y.O.Wheelbarrow, note the flyers.

The forecasts are via weather.com, for the 98115.

Roosevelt Neighborhood Parade route

Been waiting for your chance to see the Roosevelt High School Marching Band go by? In uniform? With a police escort?

The Rough Riders will take to the streets (starting at NE 68th St and 15th Ave NE) at 2 pm this Saturday, June 12.

Catch them marching along the parade route at left OR hang out at Roosevelt Square where the 100+ member band will be performing a mini-concert around 2:30 pm.

Want to see how your neighbors in Northeast Seattle are living a more local and sustainable lifestyle?  Want to wander through their yards to do it?

This is a self-guided tour – start anywhere you like, visit any gardens you like in any order you wish.  Here’s how:

1. Head to this Google map, which contains nearly all the sites on the tour.  Choose a garden near you and head on over (starting at 11am; addresses on the tour will have signage).
2. Each location has handouts including addresses and descriptions of every garden on the list, AND a map showing you the locations of all 15 gardens.
3. Donate a few bucks (if you like) for the handout, read it over, and go check out some edible gardens! You have until 5pm!

Do bring the kids! There are children’s activities throughout the tour — noted on the handout — including projects and prizes.

This edible garden tour is a reoccurring event and is hosted by members of the Sustainable Northeast Seattle Urban Farmers group.  The next edible garden tour is planned for August 8.

For more information on Sustainable NE Seattle, visit sustainableneseattle.ning.com.