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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
4:00 PM 6:00 PM
Gather up your pile of holey sweaters, shirts with unraveling hems, and tin of stray buttons, and haul them to Local Economy to make the old new again, by hand. MaryAnn will be offering guidance on darning knits, and you can put into practice all the skills you picked up from Carrie last fall. Please bring your own sewing supplies, and we'll all sit and fix together.
Hosted by LE members Marthine Satris, Carrie Sloane, and MaryAnn Placzek Scheuer, and open to all.
Vibes: Healing, practical, skill share
Storytime for Caregivers with Nina Renata Aron
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
10:00 AM 11:00 AM
Story time is great, no matter how it works. BUT, Patricia Zaballos brings you a literary series that’s for the caregivers, not the cared for. Each month a writer with a caregiving theme shares their work, chats about their reading, and ends with a book for the baby/toddler crowd. This month we’ll be joined by Nina Renata Aron, the author of Good Morning, Destroyer of Men's Souls, a memoir and cultural history of codependency. She's also the author of the newsletter, Dollface.
Babies & toddlers welcome, but not required.
One-hour event; stay after for IRL connection!
Vibes: Warm, relaxing, communal
Empty Set Magazine Discussion Group
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
6:00 PM 7:30 PM
Empty Set is a new magazine founded on the idea that technology writing is at an impasse. They say: “Empty Set is dedicated to finding the concepts and thoughts that we’ll need into order to tell a new story about our technologized lives.”
The session will be led by Zoelle Egner, who may or may not be in the technology industry.
Just a note: We're not affiliated with Empty Set, but we just think they are interesting.
Vibes: Exploratory, reflective
Sunday, January 25, 2026
10:00 AM 12:00 PM
We can all read a parenting book, but what does it mean to really
think about what kind of caregiving works for you, and why and how you can live it? Come learn, reflect, and set intentions around your caregiving for the year -- what you want more of, what you want less of, and what you can let go of altogether. For caregivers of all types and all ages of dependents.
The session will be led by Sarah Wheeler, Educational Psychologist and imperfect caregiver.
Vibes: Real, reflective
Sunday, January 25, 2026
1:00 PM 3:00 PM
After a wonderful first session in which more than 30 zines got made, artist Rena Tom returns to Local Economy for another zinemaking workshop.
On the one hand, a zine is just a tiny magazine, cheaply produced, often handmade. On the other hand, THE ZINE is a way of life, an approach to the world of letters. Visit any zine fest and you can see that making zines isn't just about copying and pasting. People are drawn to the ideas inside these tiny publications and to the collaborative, DIY philosophy that leads people to make them.
We'll have some things, but bring materials and ideas!
Cost: Free for members, sliding scale $10 for the public
Vibes: Hands-on, DIY, skillsharey
Demo Nights: Robin Sloan's Notebook
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
6:00 PM 8:00 PM
We kick off a new format at Local Economy, the Demo Night, in which members of the extended community present new projects, give people a sneak preview, & gather rich real-world feedback. (The "demo" context is associated with tech but of course this wouldn't have to be tech.)
For months now, author (and olive oil magnate) Robin Sloan has been working up a new project centered on ... the notebook. Yes, the humble notebook. It has both analog and digital parts.
Demo Night would begin with a little talk laying our Sloan's thinking, and then you'd get to see and try out this new notebook right on the spot.
Oakland Garden Club: The Botany of Houseplants
Thursday, January 29, 2026
6:30 PM 8:30 PM
As we wait for the longer days to return, Allyson Greenlon delivers us an rich presentation on the botany of your houseplants.
Greenlon runs the UC master gardener program around here. She has an intersectional background in plant biology, botany, and horticulture from UC Davis, and field experience ranging from wildlands, museum archives, botanic gardens, home garden design, and now working with volunteer groups to extend the reach of her work.