book review: quiet: the power of introverts in a wold that can't stop talking

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where to begin?  I really really liked this book.  It was the kind of book that I could have finished in a couple of days but purposefully let it linger on my table a little longer just so I would have something to go back to, I didn't want the conversation to be over.  And that's what it felt like, like I was having a conversation with someone who really got me.

In case it isn't already obvious, I'm an introvert.  I have known I was an introvert since I first heard the word, I don't even remember when, maybe in junior high school?  I seem to remember some aptitude test?  Ah well, the memory is blurry but the sense of identity is not.  Another concept Cain addresses is that of the "highly sensitive person".  I found out about HSP a little less than ten years ago from a friend who is also HSP, the minute she began to describe the characteristics, I knew it was me and my life experiences made so much more sense.  In fact, I would say my life has been improved knowing that I am both introverted and HSP.

The book itself is easy to read, she digests psychological research in a way that makes sense and enlightens, she puts the pieces together in a nice format covering everything from cultural expectations to hidden strengths to parenting/education advice for introverted children.  Of course, the book is written from an American cultural experience, she does have one chapter dedicated to Asian cultures (which she describes as more introvert focused), which in my opinion may have been the weakest chapter only because she makes some pretty broad and stereotypical observations of the Asian cultural experience.

But my least favorite passage of all was a paragraph were she summarizes one researcher's notion that perhaps Disney animators were somehow tuned into blond hair/blue eyed people being more sensitive and that is why the heroines appear that way and the villains have dark features... Uh, I don't think so.  I think that had more to do with a long history of racism and colonialism in this country that impacts our perspective of who is "good" and "right" and "beautiful"-- But that's another issue all together.

Aside from that horrible offense, the rest of the book is pure awesomeness from my perspective.  I highly recommend it for anyone who is introverted and in need of some validation, as well as an extrovert looking to understand how others may experience the world.  I also really appreciated that she included a section on raising/teaching introverted children.  As a parent, it's helped me to look at my own son a little differently, think about how he experiences things and the best ways I can support his learning and socialization.


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doing it myself: operation chicken coop (part 1)

Looking out from inside the coop

This is Part 1 of Operation Chicken Coop, Part 2 will include the building of the nesting boxes, along with some upgrades I have planned, including a chicken run.  Stay tuned!

I have been wanting chickens for a long time.  When we lived in San Francisco, our apartment building had a small backyard that I always dreamed of converting into my own urban homestead.  That didn't happen.

When we moved to Modesto and rented a house with a big backyard, I drew up plans for where I would put a chicken coop (behind the garage, under a great big tree).  And got serious about it when I discovered our neighbors had a couple of hens already.  That didn't happen.

Then we bought this house with a small backyard on account of a swimming pool and out-building and I thought, this isn't going to happen.  But I couldn't let go of the dream.  And then one day I was on Pinterest and saw this picture (original link is here).

book review: out of oz

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly, I sort of read this book out of some sort of obligation to finish the series.  When I first read Wicked, I really really liked it.  Son of Witch kind of lost me and Lion Among Men was, well, I don't even remember it... There was a part of me that wanted to just let this book go but then it kind of nagged on me so here I am.

I actually liked this book much more than the other two sequels.  It feels like the story started to get spread thin in the sequels and this ending helped to bring it back together.   I like that it doesn't have a definitive ending and a lot of things are left open while other items are resolved.  Without wanting to give too much away, I also really appreciated the way Maguire played with gender/sexuality in this book, revisiting some of the themes from Son of a Witch but also taking it one step further.

With such a long book there were definitely sections that seemed to drag on and with so many characters coming in and out I found myself forgetting the histories between them.  A character guide would have been helpful along with the family tree and summaries already provided.  This is one of those books where a Cliff's Notes would come in handy to keep things straight.  Perhaps if one read the books within a shorter period, this would not be necessary, but for me, having read a book from the series an average of every 3 years, I just couldn't remember details anymore.

It's hard to write about the story itself without giving too much away but I will say that I enjoyed having a female protagonist again and felt like overall, this book did a good job of developing the different characters.  Would I recommend it?  It depends.  If you've already read the sequels, I say do it so you can have an ending.  If you haven't read any from the series, I would say read Wicked and stop there, unless you really really want to read more books and then maybe just read Out of Oz along with summaries of the other two.


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our golden girls

For weeks ago we got chicks.  Introducing our Golden Girls...

book review: epitaph for a peach: four seasons on my family farm

Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm by David M. Masumoto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book more than I did.  It's a topic that near and dear to my heart- farming, and he's a somewhat local farmer to me.  I first heard about this book and about Masumoto several years ago, I think from a friend or maybe on website and the story of a farmer wanting to save his peaches intrigued me.  When we lived in San Francisco, I would see some of his peaches for sale at our local Whole Foods and then one day I went into the used bookstore with some store credit and found this paperback.  It seemed like fate at the time.

I don't want to give the impression that the book is bad, it had some nice moments.  It reads like a journal, he's documenting his day to day feelings about being a farmer trying to keep an older variety of peaches in the market.  And all of the ups and downs, reflections, and observations that come with it.

From that perspective, I gained a whole new respect for how difficult it must be to have your livelihood so dependent on the whim of nature.  I also have a great deal of respect for him as a farmer for wanting to keep fruit that is flavorful.  As a self-proclaimed fruit snob, my biggest problem with fruit sold in super markets is that they have no flavor.  He does a good job of pointing out that fruit with flavor doesn't keep for long so there needs to be a direct and immediate market for them once they are picked or else he goes broke.

I had a couple of issues with the book.  I wasn't too crazy about how he described the farm workers.  He talked about whole families working (including children) in this sort of romanticized way, isn't it great they work together as a family?  Well, my parents worked the fields, including picking peaches, as children and they don't give the same romantic impression of it.  They did it because they had to, their family depended on it, it wasn't considered "family time", it was work.  Specifically, child labor... So yeah, not buying that.  And there were a few other points, but essentially, every time he mentioned the farm workers, he managed to upset me in some way.

The other thing is that the book sort of dragged on and felt a little too loose.  It was journal style but wasn't labeled with dates, just seasons.  I imagine he and the editor(s) combined some of his writing to make more complete entries but it ended up feeling too disjointed for me.  There was something missing that I can't quite put my finger on.  I'm sure other people enjoyed this book a great deal and perhaps my experience was tainted by the farmer worker comments I noted above.  I would consider reading another one of his books though.


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sunday in my city: love modesto

This weekend our family participated in Love Modesto, an event that is held a couple of times throughout the year to promote investing and caring for our city.  It began in 2007 when Modesto and the surrounding region continuously topped those "Worst Places to Live" lists (see lovemodesto.com for more information and background on the event).  The founders wanted a day where people could volunteer with projects that help make our community better*.

Modesto is at an interesting intersection in its development.  It has small town farming roots but has grown into what I would consider a city-like size.  Sometimes this is good, like last summer when I received a bounty of home grown produce from neighbors and family.  And sometimes it is bad, like how the city boasts some of the highest crime rates in the country.

sunday in my city: a visit to "el rancho"

El Rancho, as it is known in my family, is small ranch my grandparents owned.  Although they have been gone for several years now, the property remains in the family.  Little Potato and I visited earlier this week.

I spent much of my childhood there and sometimes, when I close my eyes, I can almost feel, taste, and smell exactly how I remember it.  Growing up going there and being with my grandparents continues to influence my life in more ways than I will probably ever realize.

A lot has changed on the property over the years and that is how it should be, even if I can't help but always remember it as it was.  This post will be a test of my restraint, there is so much I could write about each photo, pages and pages of memories and reflections, I will try to be brief...

El Rancho is mostly an almond orchard, with a few other fruit trees and in it's prime included a vegetable garden, chickens, swine, and goats.