Sukkatastic! (Or, how I built a sukkah for under $40)

There's still a lot to talk about with Yom Kippur, but it's hard to focus on anything but my fabulous sukkah!

(Complete with computer and breakfast)

Sukkot, the Jewish festival of  tabernacles/harvest/tents is this week and it's right up my alley. How many holidays are there that you get spiritual brownie points for building & playing ("dwelling") in a giant fort?

My husband didn't want me to spend a lot of money because he foolishly believes I won't want to do this every year. So I bought a few things and dug the rest out of the house or basement.

Want to play along at home? Here's what you'll need:

    6 - 8ft bamboo poles
    2- 6ft bamboo poles
    4- "S" shaped garden hooks
    3 or 4 - full or queen size flat sheets, or equivalent cloth
    4 - 2ft pieces of rope or cloth
    a lot of straight pins
    a ladder
    a rubber mallet
    a tent stake

First, I laid out 2 8ft poles and 2 6ft poles to get a sense of the dimensions:

Then I pounded a tent stake in the inside of each corner to create a starter hole for the poles. After removing the stake, I began banging the poles into place:

I only put them in about 3 inches because I got lazy, but I recommend that you go for at least 6 inches because as I sit here in the sukkah writing this, the wind is having a very easy time of pushing it around. It is looking pretty wobbly. . . . maybe if I take a break to fix that pole right there. . .

Fuck.