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Indoor sports

2010 October 24
by Rachel Turiel

The season is pushing us inside earlier and earlier.

At dusk I stand forlornly at our south-facing windows making obvious observations like: “Look! The sun is down and it’s only 6:00.” It’s like I just landed here on my spaceship and no one has the heart to tell me about winter.

We try and remember our inside selves. Oh yeah, Rose likes to dress up, changing clothes every 2 minutes, clomping around our tile floors in plastic heels that raise my blood pressure 10 points with each wobbly smack. Col likes to piece together legions of legos (which skitter under the couch when you’re not looking) into guns to shoot his sister. And me? Well, this would be a good time to dust off the sewing machine and stitch those kids some curtains to replace the old, stained blankets draped over curtain rods, the daily sight of which would induce seizures in some crafty moms.

But can you eat curtains? No, I didn’t think so. Besides, I’m already underway on my new indoor obsession. Read about it here in this week’s San Juan Table.



16 Responses leave one →
  1. October 24, 2010

    yyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaay for your new San Juan Table! I’ve never fermented and always planned to. Doing it this week. Thanks for the inspiration (always).

  2. October 24, 2010

    Wow, how very interesting and brave and … musical. Thanks for the chemistry lesson! And your mom is welcome to come chop veggies at my house any time she wants. =>

  3. October 25, 2010

    I had to laugh because my poor girls’ window is covered with an old Ikea blanket, with a hole in it, attached to the window frame with thumbtacks. It’s classy.

  4. October 25, 2010

    I admit to being OK with autumn coming this year. Most years I am trying to drag the summer out as long as I can, but this year I found that I was tired and ready to be indoors. It can be difficult, though, making those internal transitions. I think it helps when I have indoor crafts and projects, like you seem to have. And now I am beginning to think about Christmas and all that that entails, and am ready to get the inside of the house in order for the coming holidays.

    The earlier darkness, however, does get to me – especially in December. The days get so short and gloomy. I think it’s time to get out the candles and tea pot, and start a tradition of afternoon tea.

  5. October 25, 2010

    Lovely, lovely… Tried fruit kraut yet!? Next summer it’s on my list… and I’ve just today decided to get back into kvass…. what did you start your cider fermenting with!?
    I love the term “temple of plastic” Oh goly, I do! I may have even been there before, but I always called it Target….
    And yes, it dark SO early! When did that happen. Here it’s compounded by an especially thick layer of rainy clouds at present, which easily cut an hour and a half of “daylight” out of every 24 hours…. I’m loving it, though!

  6. October 25, 2010

    Ooh, that early sunset (and late sunrise…drove to work w/ my headlights on this a.m.) really gets to me. I’ve tried fermented beets and carrots, but they both grew mold (I did successfully make fermented pickles this summer). I’m going to give it one more try with your sauerkraut recipe.

  7. October 25, 2010

    I would so trade you handmade embroidered curtains complete with vintage material for a wee bit of your amazing green thumb! (haha!)

  8. October 25, 2010

    Feeling the push indoor earlier this year too, for some reason! Loved the article…

  9. October 25, 2010

    We’re busy trying to remember our it’s-really-raining-again selves.

    Hem the top of the blanket, buy a shower curtain rod (and hang-down style brackets) and call it good. Then, curl up with a good book. While remembering your inside selves, remember it’s what’s GOING ON on the inside that counts.

  10. October 25, 2010

    Ah, fermented food. Why am I so scared of it? Not just making it myself, I rarely eat it. I might be afraid that it will mess with my system. (And really, I think that if it does, then it is doing what it should to my system which is most likely way out of whack!) I remember having some wonderful kimchi somewhere in my past, maybe I’ll start with that!

    As for the legos… why must they always be turned into guns? Seriously!

  11. Ellen permalink
    October 25, 2010

    Your kimchee recipe is great, but I believe it also requires Ginger. Many tablespoons of grated Ginger. The combination of garlic, pepper, Ginger, and the fermented cabbage is dynamite! And to think that it is so healthy too … how fortunate.

    • 6512 and growing permalink
      October 25, 2010

      Thanks Mom, how could I forget ginger? That’s the problem with writing after dark.

  12. October 25, 2010

    We’re fermentation fans here too. My 4 year old begs for it!

  13. October 25, 2010

    Sauerkraut! I made it just before becoming pregnant, then didn’t eat it because the thought made me want to vomit. It is, to this day, canned and neatly stacked in the back of my cabinet. Thanks for inspiring us to break it out! Will go nicely over some mule deer hot links.

  14. October 26, 2010

    I love it! Never a dull moment huh??!!! Kids are so funny!

    ~Samantha

  15. Melissa permalink
    October 27, 2010

    I love your line about the spaceship–so true and funny.

    Perhaps the California in you struggles with the more intense winter? I really don’t think I could handle it, myself . . .one winter in NYC so long ago and I barely made it. But damn, we had a good Korean place to order from and I miss the kimchi!

    Avi would kill for Rose’s plastic pumps, I’m sure.

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