street music

T h i s c i t y:
t h e
a l w a y s
n o i s e
g r i n d i n g
up from the
s u b w a y s
u n d e r g r o u n d:
slamming from bus tires
and taxi horns and engines
of cars and trucks in all

v o c a b u l a r i e s
of
clash
flash
screeching
hot metal l a n g u a g e
c o m b i n a t i o n s:
as p l a n e s
o v e r h e a d
r o a r
an
o r c h e s t r a
of rolling drumsand
battle blasts assaulting
my ears
w i t h
t h e
a l w a y s
n o i s e of
t h i s c i t y:

street music.

by Arnold Adoff

i have no idea

Currently sitting in the Robeck's dinning room. I got here around 3:00 and have been working on my final theory paper ever since. Well, actually, I laid down on the couch for a half an hour around 7 cause I couldn't keep my eyes open, let alone actually figure out what Homi K. Bhabha is trying to tell me.

Today has been crazy. Today? Who am I kidding, the last 5 days have been crazy. This afternoon was my last British Literature class. It was interesting, I payed attention but Catherine, my Brit Lit comrade is so checked out of school that during the lecture she filled in her planner and then decided to plan out her life on a piece of paper. To give her credit though, in the end we were getting all the answers right.

Tonight around 830 or 9 John Mark and Cristina came home with the kids. Let me tell you, best study break ever. They fed me dinner, I got to play with Caleb and Rebekah and now there is a cup of coffee next to me. Is there anything cuter than a pajama wearing 3 year old running at you screaming "night asheeeeee!!!!!" as he jumps into your arms for a goodnight hug?

I feel like my life is so scattered right now. One day we have a house, the next day we don't. I have so much homework to do I don't know what to do with myself. However I will say that I have been waking up in the morning so full of excitement for the day, and I have no idea why. All my friends are crazy stressed so I feel like A) I don't ever see them or B) I don't even know who they are right now. We're all in weird tense moods. And what is this blog even about? So scattered...is there even anything interesting about this? Maybe not, but that might just be how it has to be this week.

among readers

Two nights ago I found myself sitting at a kitchen table surrounded by college graduates. Guys who sat around with me and talked about their favorite books, favorite theologians. It wasn't long before I had a pen out and they had made me a book list. At one point one of them even went back into his room to scan the titles on his shelf. When I left Oxford I thought it would never happen again. I have found a bunch of people who are intelligent, like to read, have good conversations and care about most of the things that I do (changing the world, literature, art, community, gardening, coffee- to name a few).


Here is the list, mostly for my records, but if you are interested:

The C.S. Lewis trilogy- Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength
Don Quixote- by Miguel de Cervantes
East of Eden- by John Steinbeck
The Idiot and Brothers K- by Dostoyevsky
Ender's Game- by Orson Scott Card
The Little Prince- Antoine de Saint Exupéry
How Not to Speak of God- Peter Rollins
Complete Works of- Edgar Allen Poe

(This list does not include all the books we got excited about, because we all had read them)

today's to do list

1. coffee and breakfast with Des and Bethany-8:45am
2. chapel, sermon by a favorite prof!
3. drive to Newport library to get books for Ch. Lit class
4. drive away from library cause they don't have the book in
5. take a drive on the PCH, cause you haven't done it in a while
6. lunch
7. lit theory at 12:10- actually understand something
8. walk to the bridge and see Brian (aka Triple)
9. walk to worldview with Brian
10. find out from Brian we don't actually have a paper due
11. bet Brian coffee that we do have a paper due
12. find out after class that you owe Brian coffee
13. go to Alta, read C.S. Lewis theology
14. drive home after two hours
15. stumble upon a free BBQ with friends; dinner
16. the possibilities are endless...

in the garden

Yesterday was a momentous occasion, the first time that I got to help with the community garden a few of my friends are starting. I haven't mentioned it before, mostly cause I hadn't gotten involved yet. But today my calloused, hurting hands and sunburned cheeks can testify to my hard work.

Back story, a bunch of guys I know are living in a huge house off of Victoria Street in Costa Mesa. They have a decent sized backyard and a side yard on the right side of their property. This is where the cultivating takes place. I'd say the space is probably bigger than the kitchen area I am currently sitting in. It was FULL of weeds and dry gross dirt until yesterday, when we finished pulling all the weeds and Nic roto-tilled a large section. Toward the end of the day we (and by we I mean Bethany, Ryan, Nic, Jamie and I) stood around drinking lemonade, discussing our dreams for the plot of earth are feet were in.

Cilantro, beans, sunflowers, carrots, a pumpkin for Halloween, a pumpkin patch, a Christmas tree farm, chickens, cows, possibly a horse. I would tell you the rest, but they may be to ridiculous to list here. We returned later that night to find Nic standing, alone in the dark, in the garden absorbing the excitement of it all. We quickly joined him.

parental units

It is interesting to me, how many sets of parents one can actually have. Of course there are your real, true, biological parents who do most of the work and pay for college (thank you, by the way). But then there are parents whose parental roles sort of spill over into your life.

Bethany's parents, Bob and Michelle Lomas, were in town today. They live about an hour and a half away so I've known them since freshman year. About the time we all start moving our stuff either in or out of a new Vanguard room they show up with a big white truck to haul our junk around (thank you, buy the way). Seeing them today was so refreshing. They care about what is going on in my life, pray for me, and give me hugs that I totally need.

In high school there were various sets of these "parental units", which is what we liked to call them, in my life. Kevin and Sharon Koskela have definitely filled that role for me. Just last week I talked to Sharon on the phone about missions, what's happening in my life and things that are happening in theirs. They always support me and pour into my life (thank you, by the way). Steve and Linda Ritz taught me how to sail, how to get to Modesto the back way and introduced me to coffee and fish (thank you, by the way). Tom and Mona McGrady have constantly been a source of encouragement, and their house is like a safe-haven-getaway for me. Whenever I am there I am so filled with peace, and whenever Mona is here I get "mom hugs" that seem to come at the perfect times.


It is well known that we are all supposed to "become our parents". Some of us fight it, only to realize that by fighting it we have become even more of what we were striving not to be. But I look at my life and if I were to become a bit like each of the people that fill this role for me, I'd be well off.

Oxford Thanks

I’m thankful for these giving hearts,
These philosophers, critics, and
Lovers of art.
I’m thankful for the laughs I hear
Through doors, with food
And over beer.
I’m thankful for each one alone
I wish these goodbyes
Could be postponed.


Thanks for the hugs,
and the backrubs.


I’m thankful for those wanderings,
Those walks, those talks, at 2 a.m.
And in-between.
I’m thankful for those big blue chairs,
Digestives and mismatched mugs, and
Books everywhere.
I’m thankful for this given time,
When we are sharing souls, hearts,
And sometimes, mind.


Thanks for being you,
Being tried and true.


Your treads I know;
Your smiles I see.
And when we’re parted,
Think of me.


-Lizzie Wysong

a rising photographer

This is the work of an old friend. I've been telling him for a long time that his photography is incredible, that he needs to frame things and hang things. Tonight I opened Vanguard's literary journal, Synecdoche, and saw that not one, but two of his pictures were published in it this year. So proud.

I wish I was bold enough to take a picture like this.

I see an awesome eye for design element in his work. I get frustrated and bored with this style of photography in my own work, and I really don't have an eye for it. He does though.

This photograph was one that was published in the journal. In black and white it doesn't look nearly as good as this one.

The colour in this and the texture catch my eye.

The first time I saw this picture I was speechless. This tells a story, captures the beauty, and personality of this woman. I think he said that he took it with the camera at his side...

Awesome great depth of field. The coffee cherries pull your eye back and let you focus on the whole picture, not just what is next to the lens.

Personally, I am drawn to pictures of people, and pictures that say something the most.

This, to me, captures the relational side of women. It tells their story, and gives us a glimpse of their personalities. Beautiful.

He captures beauty in the things that most people take for granted, walk by or over, and disregard as unworthy of attention. Keep goin man.

dave the philosopher

So I was recently told that my friend Dave, who I met and studied with in Oxford, keeps a blog. I have so many memories of Dave at the kitchen table with huge stacks of books, reading, with his glasses halfway down his nose. He talks about Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche and is in love with the A Very Short Introduction series by Oxford University. Dave is also a beer connoisseur, while in Oxford he and our friend TJ visited a total of 25 different pubs, not to get drunk of course, but to sample the various masterpieces of the local English brewers. Dave is a goofball as well, has a good time, and knows how to make the best quesadilla that I have ever had. From Dave I learned the difference between Pantheism and Panentheism.

He obviously had an effect on me. The other day Dr. Beals, my worldview professor walks up to me after class and our conversation went like this:

"What's your major?"

"I'm an english major, religion minor though!"

"Okay thats good, have you ever thought about studying philosophy?"

(I half jokingly, half seriously replied) "Everyday."

"Okay cause I really track with your involvement in this class. If you ever need anything, like a letter of recomendation or something, to any program, just let me know and we'll work it out."

I was giddy the rest of the day, mostly because I have so much respect for this professor/pastor/philosopher. I had him for my Foundations class, and this Worldview class has been the greatest joy to attend.

morning at gypsy

This morning my friend Adam Rout and I left at about 8:30 and headed to Gypsy Den, to work on our book for the children's literature class were in. Good times, we actually finished it as we finished our coffee. I love working with Adam, hes got all these great ideas and is honest when he has an opinion.

Our story is about a little boy named Ryan, he's about 5 years old. He has this epic tree house in the forest behind his house and he goes on adventures through the forest with his forest friends. Along the way he learns a lesson, common theme for this genre, and in the end does the right thing. Now that we've finished though, the pressure is on. I'm doing, for the most part, the illustrations for this project. Oh, there are a lot of them. I am very excited though, for the finished product.

I think I'm going to go make some tea now, and read C.S. Lewis because he's British. British people, I have found, help when you miss Britain.