OK, I am going to take a quick break from my mission to art-spackle
the walls of your tiny kitchenless studio apartments because something else has caught my
attention and it's interfering with my ability to do anything other than sigh and gaze longingly toward the horizon.
For the past few days my heart has been positively pining for the woods. I want to drink from springs and swim in lakes. I want frogs and deer and squirrels and redwoods and porch swings. I want to pick berries and mushrooms. I want to hike and bake and sew and preserve various food items in jars.
So here I am, listening to the rumble of passing trains...the wail of police sirens...the squealing brakes of muni buses...the maniacal yelling and (honestly) alarming coughing (do people still get TB these days?) of the "lively" crowd outside my window. And I'm not going anywhere until I can gather up some cash and string together a few days off. So if I can't get myself to nature, i'm going to have to bring a little nature here...
First, I need plants. Sloat Garden is my most exciting planty place in SF. And (for those of us who mainly only know how to kill plants) they have classes like Houseplants 101 (basic indoor plant care, fertilizing and diagnosing/avoiding common problems). And the staff at Sloat Gardens is super helpful...like, I explained my total lack of green thumby-ness to them and they selected two plants for me that did an excellent job withstanding my inadvertent neglect for at least three years...until i gifted them to a friend (meaning, i ditched them at my brother's apartment in a not-so-rare fit of commitment-phobia... it was a long time ago and i'm feeling much more grounded now).
You can sometimes find cheap plants (that may need a little extra TLC) at the farmer's market too...oh my gosh, the Farmer's Market! The perfect place to get your country fix without leaving the city! It's like the country! But it's in the middle of the city! I like the SF Civic Center Market, as well as the Oakland and Berkeley Markets. Check out this slightly woo-woo, but totally informative website for a list of markets in the east bay. Farmer's Markets can be spendy, but I can usually find some deals if I look around. Plus, cheap produce is often the result of cutting corners and ripping off decent, hardworking people. I'm all about paying a little extra to do things right.
If you're really ready to get your hands dirty, head out to the Alemany Farm in SF for one of their upcoming volunteer workdays.
For the slightly less dirt inclined, the Curiosity Shoppe carries loads of woodland-inspired home decor...my favorite pieces are these mushroom shelves and this log vase. And, even though I can't imagine where i'd put this, it sure is precious.
Countrify your kitchen with Lisa Price's block print dishtowels. And this guy here...well, I'm pretty sure everyone needs one of these.
Show your love for getting wild and throw this poster up (pictured below, photo credit: justin scrappers). Not only will it serve as a gentle reminder to grab your tent and head out to the woods, it has nudity! And beards!
And, if you haven't ever seen Anne of Green Gables, for god's sake buy the DVD. Watch it next time your stuck inside on a rainy day or recovering from a night of excess. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll consider braiding your hair and wearing a pinafore. Seriously, I cannot even explain to you how much i love this movie.
Of course, none of this stuff is a decent substitute for the real deal, but if you're stuck in the city and missing the country, every little bit helps.
