My Views on Un-health: Our Favorite Fatty Foods

After writing those health posts, I just want to clear up the fact that here in the Lambson Jr. Home, we are by no means the perfect or most disciplined eaters. I am happy with the habits I’ve picked up in the past decade of interest in general nutrition, but let’s get real. I definitely have my vices.


EDIBLE VICES
• *Buttery Apple Crisp w/ Vanilla Ice Cream
• French Fries! (My favorite food!)
• Homemade Best Cocoa Brownies
• Seafood Linguini (at any Italian restaurant)
• *Sam's Cheesy Cream Sauce w/ Sausage, Mushrooms, and Red Pepper (tossed with pasta)
• Fish and Chips
• Anything at Screen Door
• Spicy Pork Teriyaki (at that place in Lake O.)
• Free Food
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• *Schezchaun Noodles
• Bread and Olive Oil at Macaroni Grill
• Cheesy Enchilladas
• The Mondito Burrito at Taco Del Mar
• Godiva Chocolates (just ate a whole box in the last 24 hours . . . heh.)
• Pot Stickers
• Anything Deep-Fried and Breaded
• Dark Chocolate Raisinettes
• German Food! Juicy Bratwurst on a Roll (piled with mustard and sauerkraut), Schnitzel Sticks w/ Creamy Dip, German Chocolate Cake, Hot Potato Salad, and a variety of sausages--all consumed last weekend at Mt. Angel Oktoberfest (see below). Five Star Mmmmm!

*Our Lambson recipes. E-mail me if you want to try any of them!

PHYSICAL VICES
(I.e. Things that keep me from the gym.)

• Excessive Blogging
• Excessive Sleep
• Facebook
• Sewing Projects
• Looking for Work
• Rolling Chairs
• Cooking Fatty Foods
• Soft Couches
• High School Musical Marathons
• Working Out Too Much So I'm Too Tired to Work Out
• "Meditating"
• Google Analytics
• Netflix
• Lack of a Day Job
• Shopping w/ Chronic Indecisiveness
• Having the Internet


Apple Crisp photo by christ-o-phile.
Sleeping Cat photo by hilali.

What Are You Going to Do With That?

This question could apply to two things: my music degree and this outfit.

Yesterday I bought this ridiculously expensive ensemble for a job interview today.

• Pearl Jackie Cardigan = 2 Rehearsals*
• Loulie Ruffle Cotton & Silk Top = 2.5 Rehearsals
• Neapolitan Pencil Skirt = 2.75 Rehearsals
• Flowerette Sash = 1 Rehearsal
• Black Oxfords = 1.5 Rehearsals
• Total Outfit = 1 to 4** Week's Worth of Gigging

*Based on typical pay per service in Portland's semi-professional orchestral community.
**Based on unpredictable consistency of sporadic gigging.

Okay, so as the links give away, all of this is from J. Crew. You can add up the prices and shake your finger at me. Go ahead. Do it. I've already paid the bill and cut the tags, hoping this interview outfit will pay itself off.

These are the first items from J. Crew on my side of the closet, although a fashion consultation for Sam with fashion gurus Kali and Zack over Christmas break lead to Sam's what-to-wear prescription for this store.

Sam looks eatably good in his J. Crew outfit! The chocolate brown sweater and lavender oxford shirt are so schoolteacher cute with the khakis and Sperry canvas shoes. And although in general I don't think J. Crew is my style, I sure love the outfit I got yesterday. I plan to wear it on special occasions like speaking in church or simply to feel well dressed.

[For you frugalistas, I just want to defend myself by saying we don't buy clothing very often, but when we do, we want it to last. Every item I've purchased from Forever 21 (cute as each is) has fallen apart or worn out after approximately one to three wears or washes. Cheap shoes (but not necessarily cheap, but well-made, thrift shoes) tend to drift towards the same fate. It's the quality/quantity thing.]

But to get back to the big question: will killer outfit get me a job?

Today's interview doubts it. Killer outfit did not help the fact that my resume says "music" on it. I hope writing about this won't come back to haunt me, but here is the summary as follows:

Interviewer in Scrubs vs. Myself:

"So you're a musician?"
"Mmm hm."
"So are you going to do anything with that?"
[Blank expression. Thoughts say, "Did you really just ask me that?"]
"Actually, yes. I am." [I'm not going to do something with that, I am currently doing something with that.] I mention my current gigs.
"So do you have any experience in healthcare?"
"Not . . . well, no."

Add a caption

Will a ridiculously expensive outfit get me a job? Today's interview doubts it. Summary as follows. Woman in scrubs vs. myself: "So you're a musician?" "Mmm hm." "So are you going to do anything with that?" [Blank expression. Thoughts say, "Did you really just ask me that?"] "Actually, yes. I am." "Do you have any experience in healthcare?" "Not . . . well, no."

The interview winds on a little, going in a few very, very short circles and lasting only a couple minutes. I am asked more about my history as a musician while I try to steer the conversation towards my credentials in office administration, editing, copywriting, and leadership. This goes nowhere quickly.

The assistant says she'll be right back and takes my resume down the hall to the doctor. I image she steps into his office and whispers, "She's a musician."

The doctor scrunches up his face as she hands him my resume and references. He takes the painstakingly prepared documents with other not-so-dangerous words such as "specialist" and "office" and slides the sheets effortlessly through the paper shredder.

This may or may not have happened. I hope it didn't.

The assistant returns to the room where I sit posed in my woven pencil skirt with my ankles tucked to one side like I learned from Princess Diaries. I am dismissed very quickly without an invitation to meet the doctor.

Dear Potential Employer,

I realize that while I have a background as a classical musician, I promise I have other valuable and marketable skills I hope to contribute to the success of your organization. I appreciate your taking the time to review my resume and interview me today and hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambson

My Views on Health: Part 2: Exercise

Finding a workout plan that works for you can be a real challenge. Like other aspects of your life (career goals, choice of friends, recreation), it helps if you fill your life with people and activities you actually enjoy. The most lamentable, miserable day-to-day tasks seem to be the ones we do out of obligation, guilt, or peer pressure, and too often exercise becomes one of them.

As a result, many people avoid exercise because they simply hate exercising—it hurts, it’s uncomfortable, it’s painful, you’re out of breath, you’re sore all week. Of course exercise should be challenging, but it shouldn’t be miserable. It took me years to figure out what kind of physical activity I’m passionate about, and now exercise is something I look forward to and make time for because I enjoy it.

What Works for Me
Because I’m not very good at structuring my own balanced workout (cardio, weights, flexibility?), I’ve found that as prerequisite number one, I need a teacher. Just like learning to play the bass, my weekly lesson lead by an experienced pro was much more productive and comprehensive than even my hours of daily practice on my own.

This also works for me because I get really bored just hopping on a machine and doing the same motion for an hour. Of course, if I miss a class for whatever reason, the machine is better than nothing at all, so I’m not averse to it—just the tedium.

So as personal training is wayyy expensive, the other option is the group class. I like being with people (in an anonymous kind of way). I mean, I really enjoyed playing lacrosse in high school. So voila: joining a gym with classes and great teachers works for me.

Prerequisite number two: it needs to be fun. I love dancing, so dance aerobics is my fav. I love music, so a workout set to music is also awesome.

So now I’m doing spin, kickboxing, Zumba/dance aerobics, and yoga classes—sometimes multiple classes per day depending on my schedule and energy level. The variety of classes challenges me in different ways, working different parts of my body, so over the course of a week I feel I’ve had a really comprehensive experience. I finally rejoined a gym a few weeks ago after a long search since we moved here and I’ve been trying to go every weekday for at least an hour—two or three if I’m up for the challenge—(although being sick has thwarted that plan a bit).

It’s working well, and I’m down about 7 pounds since the Christmas peak, and 10-11 pounds down from the post-marriage peak, although I think I’m on another plateau.

Life’s Schedule
I don’t think this is a workout schedule that works for everyone; I justify the excessive effort to go to the gym as an opportunity that may not last depending on what life throws my way. I am unemployed during the day (with sporadic gigs on weekends and evenings), so until that day job comes along (cross your fingers—I have an interview tomorrow!), I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to get back in shape and maybe shed a few more pounds while the field is ripe for harvest.

What I figure is making a commitment to exercise as long as health and circumstances allow will make for a life-long habit, and I hope to have a healthy body all my life so I can keep moving. I may not look like a model and I may not be as thin as I was in high school, but let’s get real. I’m a real woman now! I’m an adult (yikes)!

3x a Week?
The encouragement to work out 3 times a week (doctor’s orders!) for at least half an hour is the standard, right? But, hey, who said you can’t work out more than that?

A realization I just came to is that when student life comes to an end, so do a lot of opportunities for exercise. High school sports are cuh-razy! I mean, during lacrosse season at my high school we’d be strenuously exercising and running all over the field and around the neighborhood and doing pushups and situps for about three hours every day. That was the best shape I’ve ever been in in my life. (Youth be warned! School sports program shall cease to exist in your future! Plan to take control!)

No wonder teenagers are so skinny—they have the metabolism of young greek gods and have motivating sports programs. Exercise was a substantial part of my life in high school, and during lacrosse season, if I quit working after 30 minutes I would have been kicked off the team.

So while working out 3 hours a day may be unrealistic, working out every day, or more than 3 times a week for half an hour, will give you those great results sooner.

Exercise and Eating Habits
Since I LOVE TO EAT (yum yum yum yum yum), adding exercise versus cutting calories seems to be the trick for me. But what I have noticed is that working out regularly really motivates me to watch what I eat
a) so I don’t nullify my workout with junk food.
b) so I have “real” fuel that gives me positive energy to workout.
c) so I can still enjoy the occasional treat and meals I love.

Results?
Feelin’ good! Feelin’ groovy! It’s absolutely amazing how exercising regularly helps me feel better all around: I sleep better, I don’t get blue nearly as often, I have more energy through the day, I fit in my clothes better, I’m more toned, and the gray weather isn’t affecting me at all now. (Something changed in my head when I realized living here feels like England, and I LOVE the weather now! No snow! No ice! Flowers blooming in our backyard in February!)

So here’s the question:

What works for you?

Photo by stillinberlin.de.

My Views on Health: Part 1: Eating Well

I think I'm a relatively healthy eater and a good cook--I can definitely be a bit arrogant and prideful about my cooking and food display. I follow the belief that a colorful meal is a healthy meal. So, sure, come on over and I'd be happy to show off for you and force food down your throat. Bwa ha ha!

My Favorite Lambson Dinners
(some of our own recipes we like to repeat)

• Oven-toasted, Open-faced Tomato, Onion, Swiss & Chicken Sandwiches on Pugliese Bread w/ Whole-grain Mustard (see photo above)
• Braised Lamb Shank
• Stir-fried Anything
• Home-made Hamburgers (see below--we were out of bread and made my friend Thomas's fry-bread recipe.)
• White Bean & Spinach Stew
• Coconut Curry w/ Chicken, Red Bell & Cauliflower (an attempt at Sam's dad's standard)
• General Conference Chili
• Pasta Fagioli (Sam's Italian dish with pasta cooked in tomato, onions, bacon & butter beans)
• Tilapia or Salmon w/ Sauteed Veggies
• Whole-wheat Pasta Tossed w/ Garlic, Shrimp & Spinach
• Enchiladas w/ Black Beans & Corn or Salad

We try to eat a lot of fresh vegetables, salads, fruits, and nuts to complement whatever else is on the docket. Our favorite veggie concoctions with dinner:

• sauteed asparagus with spices, onions and balsamic or lemon juice
• roasted cauliflower with olive oil, salt, and cracked pepper
• chopped, sauteed brussel sprouts (fresh, not frozen) with slivered almonds and dried apricots
• sauteed green beans with onions, garlic, spices, and balsamic
• basic Caesar or Greek salads

Favorite snacks:
• pistachios
• yogurt
• whole grain crackers w/ cheese
• slice o' fresh bread w/ butter
• orange slices
• chocolate chip cookies (Mmm.)
• apple crisp
• rice cake
• hummus

More Protein
Although I've attempted to be a vegetarian in the past and have always tried to "eat meat sparingly," just in the past few weeks I've been trying to eat more meat and fewer starches. This isn't a total Atkins diet at all, but simply a restructuring of portion sizes at dinner: half plate veggies, quarter plate protein, quarter plate (or less) carb. I'm finding that eating an actual portion of chicken, lean beef/pork, or fish actually fills me up much faster than eating the same amount (or twice as much) starch with a smaller portion of meat. So before, rather than eating less overall, I would replaced my protein intake with carb intake. Upping protien is the current experiment, especially as I've been working out more and it seems to give me more energy.

Portion Control
But the BIGGEST help has been simply not eating as much as Sam does. Sam weighs more than 100 pounds more than me at 6'5", so, naturally, eating as much as he does (which was the habit in early marriage) meant explosive weight gain para mi. No quiero.

I'm much better at portion control now, especially when we cook at home versus when I'm eating out or traveling. In the fall, we did absolutely zero eating out (with the exception of fish and chips with Mal while she was visiting) as a pact to save money after our very expensive 10-day rental of our friend Zio the beagle. This was really good for us and we tried a lot of new and tasty recipes during that time.

What I Avoid
Otherwise, I try to maintain other healthy eating habits I've tried to keep up since living with various healthy roommates in college (Angel, your chicken nuggets and Fanta were an exception). Here are some things I avoid:

• artificial sweeteners, sketchy preservatives, MSG, hydrogenated veggie oil, etc.
• high fructose corn syrup (but I love ketchup no matter how it comes)
• super sugary food
• bleached white flour
• pre-packaged foods w/ long ingredient lists
• stuff I can't imagine my grandma eating in her day (frozen pizza/burritos/ramen?)
• pre-made frozen meals
• excessively cheesy or creamy meals

Here are things I don't avoid:
• herbal teas with a touch of honey
• fish & shrimp
• sausage (In my mind, sausage has no calories.)
• whole wheat bread and pasta
• meals from scratch as often as possible
• slow-cooked bean and veggie soups
• fresh ingredients!
• olive oil!

While I absolutely am not keeping up with my gourmet sister by far, and I'm not at all the best example of self-control, I do feel good about our efforts to eat fresh, eat well, eat simply, and eat tasty. Mmm.

Intro to My Views on Health

I know women through the ages have fought with standards of self-image concerning just about everything: hair quality/length/size, foot size/shape, curviness of body, weight of body, shape & size of boobs (Kali's book on the history of corsets is quite frightening), etc. You know what I mean.

So although I'm not going to tell you how much I weigh, I will tell you about my recent "progress" concerning my views on physical health and my health in general. I'm not at all unhappy with my body, especially after seeing some horrifying naked older ladies as I walk into the women's locker room at the gym. (No offense, old fat ladies.)

But last year I posted this entry about how I planned to pretty much starve myself by eating 1000 calories a day to lose weight and said I would report back in September. Obviously, I made no such report in the fall as to my progress with the 20 pounds gained at the initial launch of marriage, so it's about time. (However, calorie counting for a couple weeks was actually very beneficial (although it didn't last).)

So while artist/musician/creative types may not be known for exercising habits of proper hygiene and health (i.e. staying up all night munching on Teddy Grahams and mixed nuts while slaving away at a song/painting/piece of writing/craft project after many nights of just a few hours of sleep)--(which I have never done)--(I mean, at least not with those particular snacks), I hope to be an exception to the most extreme left-brained or genius types (neither of which I am) who are slaves to their creative minds at the expense of their overall health--yes, even as much as I admire you, Mr. Einstein, and you, Mr. Holmes, and you, Mr. Newton.

Okay. So I'm down about 10 pounds from the peak of post-marriage weight gain, which I'm happy about. I've been deathly afraid of being overweight after being a fat kid (I weighed 30 pounds more in middle school than I did by high school/college and had one of those terrible experiences involving wearing a cow-print sweatshirt to school and being laughed at by the cheerleaders as if I were a fat cow. This has been a motivating factor in my life to both avoid wearing cow-print clothing and eating entire family-sized bags of Doritos after school).

The formula for success I've found in my gradual weight loss (although I'm still not at my "ideal" weight, if such a thing exists) includes

1) Eating Less
2) Exercise

Sound familiar?

Coming up: The Subject of Eating
Photo by FL4Y

I made a bag!

I picked up this scrap vintage upholstery material at a great shop, and decided to make a purse/satchel/bag out of it. The material is a dense, velvety something-or-other that is nice to pet while you're waiting in a lobby. I made up a pattern out of a brown paper bag and went to town yesterday. Added a strap this morning, and voila!

I put buttons at the bottom of each side of the handle and attached an old keychain to the zipper.I am so happy to have a sewing machine: my mom's old Kenmore, made of solid metal. It's another testament of my family's practice of buying well-made things that last, like the LeBaron convertible (now at 260,000 miles) and this old knit poncho I'm wearing. I am grateful for quality hand-me-downs, and a new bag. Woo hoo!

I Am Black, I Am Asian, I Am White: Cultural Ambiguity

I've considered the idea of writing a memoir about my hair that would circumscribe my experience as a culturally confused youth. I am black and I am Korean by way of ethnicity, but I am culturally white.


I grew up in Colorado Springs, Fast Food Nation's pick as the epitome of a suburban, strip-malled, fast-fooded, mostly white, cheddar-cheese-loving, conservative Christian American city. Growing up there, I didn't think of the city in that way. I still don't. Strip malls and cookie-cutter houses aside, it's my hometown, a place full of fascinating people, a place that holds my personal history in it's hills (which are now buried under new housing developments) and high school hallways.

But just as with my views on employment (i.e. I am everything! I am an artist! musician! seamstress! chef! laundress! writer! reader! goddess!), I also feel that I am culturally everything.

And I'm okay with that.


I AM BLACK
• because I identify with Esperanza Spalding, a bassist from Portland who sings jazz and is too cool for me to even listen to without being jealous.
• because I have a big booty rivaling Beyonce's and you can't shake it like we can.
• because I want to get hair extensions which, unlike wigs, are to be coveted.
• because I make a mean gumbo and greens and know what that means.
• because I get my hair relaxed, grease it, and wrap it at night.
• because I spontaneously pick up fried chicken instead of pizza. (Popeye's or bust! Love it!)
• because I have nice brown skin--even in Portland where the sun don't shine.
• because my little cousin Oddie handed us a book called Rainbow, Where Are You? and it was crossed out to say Rainbow, Where You Be?
• because my brother pretty much is Will Smith.
• because half my family is black.
• because I qualify for minority scholarships and to work for multicultural associations.
• because I have full lips.
• and my dad is black.
• and he met my mom in Korea.


I AM KOREAN
• because I used to watch Superbook growing up . . . without subtitles.
• because I like to wear cartoon animals on my shirts.
• because I've suffered from feeling extremely guilty if everything I do isn't perfect.
• because I know how to make chajang myun and zucchini pancakes.
• because I like to eat chop chey, bulgogi, gimbap, shrimp flavored chips, dried squid, tofu, black bean paste, hot pepper paste, cold octopus legs, seaweed, kimchi, lettuce wraps, and lots and lots of rice.
• because I don't digest milk products or corn very well, but rice feels awesome in my belly.
• because my favorite stuffed animal growing up was named "Muji Gegom" (Rainbow Bear in Korean).
• because I have traditional Korean hanbok dresses and little pointy shoes in my closets.
• because I really liked the Korean boyband H.O.T. in high school.
• because Asian work ethic is what made me good at music and good at school.
• because I still feel like it's a sign of disrespect to address my elders, family members, and friends as "he," "she," "him," or "her" when speaking about them to others. I try to use their names.
• because I don't like dogs--dogs are dirty and are eaten as food. (Sorry, Zio. At least we gave you back and didn't eat you first.)


I AM WHITE
• because Sufjan Steven's Christmas is my holiday music of choice.
• because I act so white people don't even realize I'm not.
• because Spaghettios and boxed mac and cheese are the comfort foods of my youth.
• because I frown when people wear sandals with socks.
• because I listen to folk music and like preppy-retro glasses.
• because I've learned to like camping.
• because I've had the social status and financial support to live an easier life free of cultural boundaries and race-based exclusion, travel the world, train as a classical musician, get a college degree, and marry a white man who feels like my cultural equal ('sup Sam!).
• because I am good at being an unnoticeable minority in a white majority.
• because I like Arrested Development, vintage clothing, Vitamin water, grammar, indie music, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, yoga and Zumba at 24 Hour Fitness, expensive sandwiches, not having a TV, and scarves. (See stuffwhitepeoplelike.com.)

What makes you who you are?

Friend Auditions: Calling All Potential Candidates!

The trouble with going on vacation without Sam is that if I have too much fun . . . I feel kinda bad. And so does he.

But I had way too much fun anyway.

I went to Utah this weekend for three performances: one Fictionist CD release concert (to see), one gig at the state capitol (to play), and one Motab broadcast at the tabernacle (also to play). Here's me and Seretta at the State Capitol between rehearsals.
And unlike my usual trips to Utah since marriage, I ventured away from Lambson-home-base to see some friends. Concerts, dinners, shopping, conversation, musical work, family, friend's new babies, movies (The Young Victoria = wonderful!), exercise . . . It was all the activity I love and need on a regular basis and I just crammed it into one weekend.

Sam, I promise I missed you. Really.

I'm serious.

However, I can't seem to express how much I value girl time and girl talk. These things sound trite, but for women, time with the girls is 100% necessary to emotional (and thus physical) survival. I'm not the most girly girl, and I know that, but I do recognize my feminine emotional needs.

And if you are the kind of girl who can live without human interaction and remain in high spirits, please tell me how you do it.

So here it is: the sucky thing about moving is having to make new friends. I firmly believe that friendship requires some kind of connection (just as a spousal relationship does) such as common interests, cultural upbringing, educational/professional background, personality, sense of humor, etc. These "qualifications" are just examples; of course friendships develop between people of all types and ages. But some combination of those traits can help build the foundation of meaningful friendships. I love those kindred spirits in my life--those friends who think and feel like I do on the same frequency. I hope to find more.

One advantage of being in college is that you are in a pool of people who are your age, who like to do many of the same things you do, who think like you, who are on your intellectual level, and who are passionate about what you are passionate about. This at least applies when you're congregated in the school of your major. I found this definitely true in the music school and the English programs--it's always exciting to be in a pool of creative minds and mutual understanding.

And then when you graduate, and you realize the whole world is your new social scene, things are just . . . different.

So I may be lazy, and I may not be easy to make friends with or get to know in person, but here it is. I'm considering the idea of holding--

FRIEND AUDITIONS

Schedule an appointment today! Please bring your friendship resume, two (2) references with contact information, and your explanation of what might make you a good friend to have.

P.S. This is a joke. But call me, we'll hang out, and then it won't be.

Book 4: East of Eden by John Steinbeck

My rating: 3.75 Stars

Length
This may be the first 600 page book I've ever finished that wasn't part of the Harry Potter Series or the scriptural canon. Nothing else is coming to mind, and so I'm feeling pretty good about myself.

Worth
Was it worth it? Yes, I think so. But you know the feeling when you're reading a really long book and you're just waiting for the climax or at least hungrily hoping for some phenomenal ending? This didn't happen for me. The story was so intricate with so many characters, personalities, and large units of time fleeting by (the book covers three generations of two families in great detail), that the experience was not like reading a detailed story of a single character (where you may only get inside that character's head or witness a small portion of their life--perhaps even a day or a few hours).

But when I got to the end of the book, I wasn't surprised by the last page. I always can't wait for that last page! But when I finally got there, I felt like I had already experienced the impact of that last line earlier in the book--twice. That was a little dissappointing.

Value
But one thing I learned while reading this book is not to read a book for the last page. "Enjoy the ride," as they say. Relish the individual stories in the overarching plot as they come. After about 400 pages, I submitted to this fact that the book wasn't going to have a huge overhaul in the story or a sudden change of pace.

Familiarity
Here's what I find so brilliant about this Old-Testament-based story: it felt a lot like reading scriptures. Although the parallel telling of the Biblical account of Cain and Abel was pretty obvious with symbols and characters put on a plate for you, the story captured the feelings you get while reading scripture. You know, generations of people passing by--wars, calamities, famines, marriages, prophets coming and going, moves, deaths, "and so it came to pass . . . " East of Eden was similarly structured and told as a narration of two families across several generations and their relationship with each other, their God, and their land.

Narration
One thing that was unusual for me was that I don't often read books where there are multiple narrators; I mean that in the sense that you get into everyone's head, and not just the main character's. There were so many "main" characters in this book that it took me about 500 pages before it dawned on me who the true protagonist was. Call me slow.

And on that same note, what was also trippy was that John Steinbeck was blood related to the characters he wrote about. The book mixes up these potent elements of truth and fiction in a way that is almost jarring while you're reading. Like, wait, was that true? Did that really happen? Is this really Steinbeck's family history? How much of this is true? With the accounts of wars and the development of the Salinas Valley, I would almost categorize this book as historical fiction with a teensy element of memoir. How's that for a rich reading experience?

QUOTES
"____________!"

Here are lines that made me reread, stop and think, or say, "Hm" or "Ha!" out loud while reading. One thing that also makes this book true to the biblical form is that it didn't fall short as a collection of wise proverbs. It was almost over the top sometimes with the prophet figures just spouting off these well-crafted lines. But I can appreciate that sort of thing, even if I don't really know anyone who says these kinds of things off the top of their head--and yet, that's what is so excellent about the written word.

On Love, Empathy & Healing:
“You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect.”

“You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.”

“No story has power, nor will it last, unless we feel in ourselves that it is true and true of us.”

“If a story is about the hearer he will not listen.”

“Perhaps the best conversationalist in the world is the man who helps others to talk.”

“They say a clean cut heals soonest.”

“Tom’s cowardice was as huge as his courage, as it must be in great men. His violence balanced his tenderness, and himself was a pitted battlefield of his own forces.”

On Loneliness & Creativity:
“Our species is the only creative species, and it has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man. Nothing was ever created by two men. . . . Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a man.”

On Hatred:
“Hate cannot live alone. It must have love as a trigger, a goad, or a stimulant.”

“ . . . [And] from his three months in automobile school he had gained a great though weary contempt for human beings.” [See future, unwritten article entitled “The Smarter You Are, the Meaner You Get.”]

On Distant Relationships with Fathers:
“It is true that Cal had never looked into his father’s eyes before, and it is true that many people never look into their father’s eyes. Adam’s irises were light blue with dark radial lines leading into the vortices of his pupils.”

On the Specialization of America:
“Alf was a jack-of-all-trades . . . Alf could do anything, and as a result he was a financial failure although he worked all the time.”

“Maybe the knowledge is too great and maybe men are growing too small . . . Maybe a specialist is only a coward, afraid to look out of his little cage. And think what any specialist misses—the whole world over his fence.”

More on Chronemics, Punctuality & Tardiness:
The split second has been growing more and more important to us . . . But it isn’t silly, this preoccupation with small time units. One thing late or early can disrupt everything around it, and the disturbance runs outwards in bands like the waves from a dropped stone in a quiet pool.”

On Immaturity:
“When you’re a child you’re the center of everything. Everything happens for you. Other people? They’re only ghosts furnished for you to talk to.”