The first thing we did after our arrival was to head to the mountains to reconnect with our church family from Pasadena Mennonite who had gathered for a retreat weekend.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
mountain retreat
The first thing we did after our arrival was to head to the mountains to reconnect with our church family from Pasadena Mennonite who had gathered for a retreat weekend.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
back to california!
just over a year has passed since we left our home in pasadena. today we travel back for a short visit! i thought it might be fun to blog while we are here. if anyone is still reading, i hope you enjoy!!
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
New Blog
If you are looking for a way to access my latest photography, I have started a new blog for our congregation, Salford Mennonite Church. You can check it out right here.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
photos from ben
greetings from pennsylvania. i'm not sure if anyone is still checking in on this blog, but in case you still have it bookmarked or running through your blog reader, i've just started using "instagram" - an iphone app that allows you to essentially be a photoblogger from anywhere.
i take photos - not surprisingly, often of the sky - around our new home area. this link is an example of what you might find if you become a follower of mine on instagram. if you have an iphone/ipod/ipad, check it out and become a follower!
i take photos - not surprisingly, often of the sky - around our new home area. this link is an example of what you might find if you become a follower of mine on instagram. if you have an iphone/ipod/ipad, check it out and become a follower!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
the end.
and so, we've reached the end.
the sky is big in pasadena lasted through four years of daily photos. this is the one thousand four hundred and forty-first consecutive daily blog post. this humble site has seen over 90,000 visitors and thousands of wonderful comments.
i set out to give myself an artistic outlet during my time in seminary, and i never imagined how big it could become. it has been an incredible journey and i am extremely proud of the result.
but to be quite honest, i am ready for a break. i'm sure i'll probably start blogging again sometime in the near future - maybe in a different format and certainly in a new location. i don't know quite what my blogging future holds, but i can say that today's post is the last one for now.
i want to say thank you to everyone who has ever visited, and an even bigger thank you to those who have commented, become daily visitors, or added this website to your blogroll or rss feed. your appreciation of my work has been what has kept this project going.
and finally, there are plenty of good blogs out there about pasadena and the san gabriel valley. the sidebar of this blog contains many of them.
my favorites are these fine sites. if you haven't already, please add these incredible blogs to your reading list...
pasadena daily photo (petrea is the best of the best and an incredible inspiration)
glimpses of south pasadena (laurie is also incredible, just further south)
91105 and beyond (newer on the pasadena scene, but lots of fun photos)
all over pasadena (the newest pasadena daily photographer whom i just discovered)
pasadena pio (our public information officer is an incredible blogger and wonderful person)
cafe pasadena (not a daily photographer, but knows and comments on ALL area blogs)
an immovable feast (my favorite local food reviewer)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
#1 - friends
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
today we have arrived at #1.
#1 - friends
i almost can't write these words without getting a bit choked up. without our friends, pasadena would never have felt like our home. without our friends, pasadena never would have become a place we longed to return to.
we met an incredible array of wonderful people during our time here - not all are pictured above. some of you are still very much in our lives - even if you don't live right next to us anymore. some of you we knew for only a short time but you left a lasting impact on us. some of you we met through school, others through church, a few through mutual friends, and even a few of you through this blog.
thank you for being such a big part of our lives.
and thank you for making pasadena our home.
Monday, August 29, 2011
#2 - city hall
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
#2 - city hall
much like the pasadena sky, city hall was a frequent subject of my daily photo blog. it has appeared seventy times in four years - not quite twice per month, but getting close to that mark. it was one of my first blog posts ever, and is easily my favorite thing to take pictures of in town.
anyone who comes to visit us remarks about how beautiful this building is, and they are always amazed at how easy it is to walk in and around. pasadena's beloved public information officer even gave a private tour to some local bloggers last year which was a ton of fun. i will miss this beautiful building.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
#3 - sky
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
#3 - sky
okay, i know the title of this blog has the word sky in it. you would think this would have come in at #1, right? well, to be honest, it almost was #1 just out of principle, but i think my top two come in just above.
this blog has shown hundreds of photos of the beautiful pasadena sky - many of them coming as part of the incredible skywatch friday photo community (all of which you can see here).
Saturday, August 27, 2011
#4 - pasadena mennonite church/palm sunday peace parade
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
#4 - pasadena mennonite church/palm sunday peace parade
i cheated a bit with this one. realisticially, these both deserve their own entry in my top ten. but because they are pretty closely related, i tied them together.
pasadena mennonite has been our incredible church home while we've lived here. we have been welcomed there with open arms and have found meaningful relationships that will carry on beyond pasadena. this community has acted as our substitute parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. they have been our mentors and peers in ways we never could have imagined.
the peace parade is one of the things that this church does annually as a way to make a public declaration of a commitment to peace. it is held every year on palm sunday and has grown to include many other local groups dedicated to peace and an end to global warfare.
both of these things are special to me, and i will miss them deeply when we move from here.
Friday, August 26, 2011
#5 - farmers markets
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind (which thankfully, are already posted), and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. we have arrived at my top ten things about life in pasadena.
#5 - farmers markets
picture this - fresh produce, all year long. so goes life in southern california. and if you live in pasadena, you are fortunate to have access to farmers markets on tuesday morning at villa parke, wednesday afternoon on south lake avenue, thursday nights in south pasadena, and saturday morning at the high school. if you expand to a few towns over you find markets in countless others on all days of the week. amazing!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
#6 - pasadena public library
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind (which thankfully, are already posted), and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. we have arrived at my top ten things about life in pasadena.
the public library system in pasadena is extensive with countless programs happening at ten different locations across the city. we've been fortunate to live near two locations - the beautiful central library (shown above) and our local villa parke location. books can be requested from any branch to be picked up at whatever location is convenient. the main central library has frequent art displays, a small used book store, and a coffee shop (among other things). I will certainly miss the library.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
#7 - free concerts
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
#7 - free concerts
one of the coolest things about living in pasadena is the levitt pavilion summer concert series. getting in to free music concerts is always a good thing, but when they occur four times a week throughout the summer, well that is a GREAT thing. i thoroughly enjoyed katie herzig (pictured above) and the belle brigade (who are amazing - go check them out right now!) - two artists i probably would have paid to see, but i got to see them for free.
while writing this... i'm wondering if i should have made this higher on my list.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
#8 - the rose parade/doo dah parade
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
#8 - the rose parade/doo dah parade
here in pasadena we love a good parade. there is the big flowery one that everyone knows about, and then there is the much wilder local party known as the doo dah. i love them both - especially comparing them to each other. i think today's photos say it all. the one from the rose parade is a beautiful designed train made of flowers, the doo dah photo is of a clunky mechanical cat made of carpet.
awesome.
Monday, August 22, 2011
#9 - bike week
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
#9 - bike week
for the most part, pasadena is a bike friendly city. one of the best aspects is bike week - an annual event celebrating the city's bicycle community. today's photo is a collage i created after this year's event (sorry, i'm reusing it) which was one of the best.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
#10 - fuller seminary
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind (which thankfully, are already posted), and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. we have arrived at my top ten things about life in pasadena.
let's face it. this is the reason we arrived in pasadena four years ago. without fuller, we probably would never have considered pasadena in the first place. in many ways it has been more than i ever imagined. not everything has been what i expected it to be, and sometimes i wondered what life would have been like at another seminary, but all in all i am glad i made the choice to come here.
fuller has challenged me, stretched me, and made me into a better thinker. it has given me the foundation for a huge number of relationships - both at the mentor and peer level. i am constantly amazed at the reach of this school in the global community, and i am proud to be one of its many alumni.
today's photo was taken recently. compare it with this photo of me shortly after we arrived. have i changed at all in four years??
Saturday, August 20, 2011
#1 negative - disparity between rich and poor
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. today is the final installment of things i won't be sad to leave behind.
#1 negative - disparity between rich and poor
today's photo is of one of the many people who stand on our streets and beg for money. disparity exists around the world - pasadena is not unique in this fact. yet here in pasadena, we have one of the largest gaps between the wealthiest and poorest of any american city. we have neighborhoods featuring incredible wealth and lavish expansive mansions, and we have families that are struggling to pay their rent and put food on the table (in fact our local shelters often run out of space and food). peter drier, professor at occidental college, has written extensively on this issue. you can find one of his recently published articles right here.
but you don't have to take his word for it. just look at our local schools - some of the best private schools in the country, and on the flip side, some of the worst public schools. old town pasadena is home to incredible high end restaurants, and just south of old town is a soup kitchen that is always filled with people looking for food.
but you don't have to take his word for it. just look at our local schools - some of the best private schools in the country, and on the flip side, some of the worst public schools. old town pasadena is home to incredible high end restaurants, and just south of old town is a soup kitchen that is always filled with people looking for food.
fortunately, pasadena does have an incredible group of people dedicated to fighting this injustice. if you are interested in learning more, this recent pasadena star article is a good place to start.
finally, here's a brilliant clip on the gap between the rich and poor from the daily show...
finally, here's a brilliant clip on the gap between the rich and poor from the daily show...
Friday, August 19, 2011
#11 - museums
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. i am going to start with ten positives and ten negatives, alternating back and forth each day. concluding with my top ten things about life in pasadena.
#11 - museums
pasadena boasts an incredible array of museums. there are history museums, museums for kids, museums dedicated to a particular theme, and museums with a much broader appeal. heck, there is even a bunny museum! i love how accessible they are, that they have free days to visit, and that they are all so close together. today's photo is from the armory center for the arts - an incredible institution dedicated to local art here in southern california. i am definitely going to miss this aspect of california.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
#2 negative - smog
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. i am going to start with ten positives and ten negatives, alternating back and forth each day. concluding with my top ten things about life in pasadena.
#2 negative - smog
while it might make for a beautiful skyline, the pollution hanging in the air above pasadena is really pretty terrible. i hear it is much better than it was even a few decades ago - and all i have to say to that is i am surprised people were willing to live in that. when we moved here four years ago i had very mild seasonal allergies (almost none in fact). after a year of living here i had to take off the shelf allergy medication to make it through certain seasons. by the end of the second year i was taking those pills almost every day. by year three i finally got a prescription product, and now in year four i can already feel that starting to lose its effect.
simply put, there is just a lot of garbage in our air here. this article ranks los angeles county as the second worst place to live in the usa based on air quality (second to bakersfield, ca... wow). needless to say, we won't miss this - especially as parents of a young child. it is time to get her some cleaner air.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
#12 - parks
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. i am going to start with ten positives and ten negatives, alternating back and forth each day. concluding with my top ten things about life in pasadena.
pasadena parks... where can i begin? well, for starters i wrote extensively on twenty of pasadena's parks (you can check out that series right here). more than that, we have come to love the array of park options that abound as parents of a small child. pasadena's parks are diverse in size, shape, and what they have to offer. each one is unique in its offering - playgrounds? sports fields? pools? check. amphitheaters? nature walks? fitness equipment? you bet. trees, grass, and plants of all sizes? we've got it.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
#3 negative - traffic
august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.
i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. i am going to start with ten positives and ten negatives, alternating back and forth each day. concluding with my top ten things about life in pasadena.
#3 negative - traffic
just your average friday afternoon on the 210. i will not miss traffic.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)