Big Donut

I turned 50 yesterday, but before posting about that singular event, let me talk about donuts. For a treat, my folks would take us through a drive-in donut shop called Big Donut; a chain, of which Randy's Donuts near LAX is the lone survivor.
The LA landscape used to be dotted with larger-than-life hot dogs and donuts, parked atop stands or wheels...
ending, by contrast, at Disneyland, where castles and iconic Swiss peaks (Matterhorn) were scaled-down.

[Incidentally, my homespun theory about high diabetes rates among American ethnic groups - at least in the second generation - is that they often double-up on both native and host country dishes; eg we had rice AND mashed potato for Thanksgiving; gravy on the latter.]

So I was intrigued to discover Stan's Doughnuts near our home - a father/son establishment with "world famous" donuts. The shop was built around these

peanut butter filled chocolate delicacies...

although the cherry & blueberry danish are equally fine.

I sometimes buy 2 dozen and bring to class or the office. Unlike break-rooms in the corporate sector, where treats are common, hungry academics inhale anything I bring. It's given me more freedom to experiment with recipes, because the leftovers will always nourish a language instructor!

BTW, Stan shines with specialty doughnuts, but their regular glazed, cake, etc - while good - are not (I feel) as wonderful as neighboring stands, such as Brad's or this new one below:


Like Pao's in Tacoma, all of these shops are run by Cambodians or Vietnamese (see the Buddha figure on the counter), who seem to have cornered this market, as Koreans do with dry-cleaners. Pao's still ranks as my overall, all-time favorite.

I sometimes tell my students that these communities (and their shops) are the only places you find a hat tip to religion in America (unless you count outdoor garden statuary which seems heavily weighted toward Eastern iconography - that Zen = gardens equation). I note now that donut shops may be our patisserie, where people sit and enjoy a moment of sweet rest.

News flash: Stan's is featuring their seasonal pumpkin doughnuts, again!

Block Art

Michael & Jack really enjoy these solid maple blocks. The earlier creations, hotels (an unremarkable Four Seasons went up near our house) or churches (buildings he routinely enters), now giving way to "compounds" - a testimony to sprawling LA?

This Playmobil queen spends time in the kitchen
(Michael drew her majesty's two-burner stove)

The knights dump their gear on the floor.

Religious art

Mom & Dad with raised arms

Simba & Jack's "Man" find a niche, as well.

There is, apparently, a new theory in child development, suggesting that boys being more successful at mathematics may be related to early tactile play with heavy items, such as blocks - an early wiring for abstraction. Then, again, I think some guys just go into actual construction. Reminded me of Lawrence Sommers' (possibly the new Treasury Secretary) controversial remarks concerning women and math, during his brief tenure as Harvard's president.

Music lessons

Michael and Jack's Suzuki piano & violin lessons have been going well,

although Jack only works on posture now.

It's awfully cute to watch him bow before beginning his lesson. It's too soon to even think about martial arts, like Taekwondo (M & J are in gymnastics), but these East Asian disciplinary rituals are attractive to many children and parents, as a remaining vestige of respect, duty, & ritual in contemporary society.

Besides music, the day is rounded out by Tiger Scouts, art and French classes, outdoor playgroups. Homeschool mornings tend to be pretty intense and very indoors; afternoons are "out" in the world. Also, seems that more resources are spent in private lessons out here, at least in contrast to people we know in Tacoma, whose children, if homeschooled, spent the afternoons simply playing together, I think. More like what I did after coming home at 3pm; killing time 'til supper.

Tick Tock: "Trick or Treat!"

Inspired by a Lausanne school costume, Carolyn dressed Michael and Jack as jester clocks, with round "Tick" "Tock" signs from their hat tips.

Our empty-nester cul-de-sac was absolutely dead, so we drove over a few blocks and hit pay dirt! Michael was fascinated with teams of youth swarming the night streets - "Mama, kids are everywhere." Incidentally, the housing parcels here are SO big, that the candy/sq ft ratio was skimpy, which was fine with us (boring parents), but I was a little sad that M & J wouldn't have the post-haul, inventory accounting experience that my brother and I used to have.

The parade moment at our church's defanged family harvest party.

As elsewhere in America, Halloween has become an elaborate play date. An outreach to the surrounding apartments, we served up chili and hot dogs to walk-ins. It was a TON of work, and I'm curious at how the post-event wrap-up will go; because our church suffers "low relationality," the entire evening simulated community life, but...there you have it. Then, again, probably appropriate at this point in American life.

Jack's preschool with Mrs Hill: teacher as old witch! (Nice lady, actually).

Michael at 6

Michael is 6. We drove to Legoland, near the San Diego coast, and had a great time. Growing-up in LA, fantasy parks like Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm were the oases of my suburban desert landscape (Magic Mountain was too far). SoCal wharfs have traditional funhouse arcades (why are they always located at piers?) - Long Beach had a tremendous rollercoaster, Santa Monica's Pier is legendary - but Legoland came later and with a narrower demographic: Michael's peer group.The relentless sun faded some of the colors, but things were pretty intense nonetheless.

Like most other destinations, it was a DRIVE, passing the famous illegal alien signs off the San Diego Fwy. I remarked to Carolyn, "This is like going to Portland or Vancouver from Tacoma."

Face painting was particularly skillful.

Merchandising was particularly pricey: $500 for the Star Wars DeathStar? We passed.

Jack has been in serious "choo-choo" train withdrawal, since leaving Switzerland, where every town also seemed to have a merry-go-round.

We returned home for "stacking" cake (Michael's request) and presents; joined by our dear friends, the Kwongs (minus their Wheaton freshman, Zachary)

Each person makes such a unique contribution to the family. Michael is our larger than life comedian, who meets life's moments with such zest and gusto. He often prays at bedtime, "Thank You for the world."

Life at Pepperdine

We are often told we're especially blessed to work in a setting like Pepperdine; namely, ocean view and a year-round, temperate climate. It is like working where you might normally go on a vacation, with all the trappings: unique, pricey eateries, boutiques, and one grocer. Malibu is not a town, so much as a piece of narrow, coastal real estate.
Surrounded by brush, we are now in wildfire season, with regular drills. Having grown-up in the LA basin, this danger is all new to me; we had earthquake drills where we cowered under desks, backs turned to the glass windows.
Meet Pierre, who is from Bordeaux, France and meets with Michael on Fridays to keep up his French. He seems to recall vocabulary and maintains his cute accent! A soccer player, Pierre seems to keep up with Michael's activity level.

Michael's Montriond Elementary school pictures:

A signed photo as a parting gift.