Either it’s new or it’s new to me. But finally there is one place to go online that tells you about all the wine tasting events around town. Thanks to a calendar, compiled by Suzy Stump at the Weekly Volcano called “Sipping Out”, you can now find out where to go every day of the week to sniff and slurp in public. I may bookmark this one myself. Our guests need to know where to go!

Toodles,
Danielle

Props go out to Tacoma Mama for her redesigned website. She is truly one of the best mavens for all things Tacoma on the Internet. Just to prove it, drop by her site, which is split up into several family-friendly categories, including Eat, Play, Learn, Celebrate, Shop, Explore, Talk and Cool. Click on the Celebrate page and you’ll get all sorts of ideas for things to do during the holidays. My favorite? You know how I like trains. I learned we can ride the Mount Rainier Scenic RR Snowball Express up into the snow-covered mountains. Kids’ll even get to meet Santa and get a gift from The Old Guy himself! It runs now through December 21, and you can get details here.

–Dale

On the other hand, maybe you want to connect with other film lovers right here in the T-A-C of the O-M-A. Stop by the Tacoma Film Club and get your membership started, where you’ll get discounts on movie rentals, a nifty membership card and access to movie lovers just like you. Cool!

–Danielle

And it seems just like yesterday when it opened. At least, that’s what the younger members of the Murano staff have been kidding me about. The Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Wright Park is celebrating its 100th birthday, and in honor of that, a special collection of Dale Chihuly glass (about 250 pieces in all) has been installed, to mingle as it were with the flowers and plants. If the grey skies have you pining for a walk through the garden, come here and take a stroll through the conservatory’s exotic tropical room.

–Dale

On the other hand, tired of seeing the kids cooped in the house all day? Ready to do anything to tear the X-Box controllers from their sweaty little hands? Pile those kids in the car and head to Point Defiance Zoo for an evening of Zoolights.  Featuring half a million lights, this annual night-time event is just like a walk through a video game. At least, it’s like a video game, circa 1983.

–James

A good place to start, if you have little ones, is the Children’s Museum of Tacoma.  The Story Time sessions and Learning Lounge are intriguing enough, but parents might especially enjoy the “New Digs” feature. According to the website, it’s “a neighborhood brimming with container gardens and interactive window boxes. A produce stand and delivery truck offer abundant opportunities to sort, count, weigh, buy and sell a vibrant bounty of fruits and vegetables. Garden to table connections are made as children role-play in the sidewalk cafe, whipping up tasty treats or ordering a fresh lunch.”  Sounds like a tasty idea to me.

–Dale

Tacoma has a wonderful history – one worth preserving. And, to recognize special achievements in that area, the Tacoma Landmarks Preservation Commission has released its list of 2008 Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation Award winners. They are:

– David & Josephine Root (502 N. I St.) – Their house stood vacant for a number of years, calling upon extraordinary determination and commitment by the owners to finish the renovation project.

– Todd & Paula Bond (407 N. E St.): The residence, constructed in 1893 and remodeled in 1903, is located in the Stadium-Seminary National Register Historic District.

– Dr. Caroline T. Swope & David Waring (2902 N. Cedar): The Lord Residence, which was designed and constructed in 1906 by notable builder Sherman L. Blair, has been extensively rehabilitated. In 2007, it was designated a landmark on the Tacoma, Washington and National Registers of Historic Places.

– Metro Parks This award is for the stewardship of two important public historic assets: Point Defiance Park and Wright Park; both which are accessible and enjoyable to all of Tacoma’s citizens.

– Chinese Reconciliation Park The Chinese Reconciliation Park supporters are recognized for their dedicated persistence in initiating and building a Chinese Commemorative park and international pavilion to educate the community and memorialize this part of Tacoma history.

– Historic Tacoma & Save Our Bridge organizations The Murray Morgan Bridge is listed on the Tacoma and National Registers of Historic Places, as well as the Washington State Heritage Register. It was listed as one of 2008’s Most Endangered Historic Properties in the state.

(Information gleaned from Tacoma Daily Index.)

–Dale

Gallery Madera is putting on an exhibition that should cause visitors to rethink the notion of waste and recycling. Dubbed re-ART, the show features artwork made entirely of, well, trash. These “rethinking” waste is almost a given. Still, there’s a lot of work to do. And if you’re not up to it yourself, why not leave some of your castoffs with an artist friend and see whether he or she can spin gold from garbage. As an added benny, 30% of gross sales will be donated to the Tacoma Food Co-op and the Sierra Club Zero Waste Committee. Re-ART runs from October 18 – November 29.  Details at www.gallerymadera.com.

–James

The Brazilians have a word for it. Saudade. It describes the feeling of longing or sadness for something lost, like one’s homeland in times of war or natural disaster. It’s no wonder that, as a culture that doesn’t naturally cozy up to such dark feelings, we don’t have an English-language equivalent. Saudade is found in Portuguese Fado music, Native American chants, the Brazilian samba along with its jazzed-up nephew bossa nova and, of course, African-American blues. Tacoma artist Lorraine Toler has tapped into that sense of longing. During the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1940’s, her mother was forced, at age 12, to flee and soon found herself alone in Seoul. She never saw her family again. Some time later, she gave birth to Lorraine, who grew up never knowing the large family her mother had come from. All she had were a handful of memories that her mother retained from her childhood. Lorraine’s series of paintings on show at Tacoma Art Place aims to scrabble together a coherent story from those meager recollections. These works’ poignant drama stems from what is left out as much from what is actually portrayed.

–Dale

The fashionisti at Nordstrom know a lot about retail. Reports are rolling in that they also know a thing or two about how to party. Just a few days ago, Nordstrom reopened at the Tacoma Mall, adding 4,000 square feet to its already-huge retail space. And to celebrate, they threw a gala benefit for the Tacoma Art Museum and the Museum of Glass. Worthy causes, both. And now those two institutions have $85,000 that they didn’t have before. If you weren’t there, you can see how the festivities went by checking out the Weekly Volcano’s Flickr page.

–James