Maybe Koi, Maybe Not

I have more to tell you about Hulett C. Merritt and the property we've been talking about this week at what's locally known as the Ambassador Campus. But as I write it's much too late for me to formulate more than one or two coherent sentences, so I'll have to keep it short for now.

We're looking north (and perhaps a tad west) toward the second mansion of three that remain on the grounds. Pasadena Adjacent asked me the other day if there were still koi in the ponds. I didn't see any but if there are, I think they'd be in this stream that flows through the gardens from uphill to down, west to east.

Normally today I'd post the April Last Day photo. But normally I'd have my regular computer and my regular software and--well, today's not a normal day!

What Matters: Now

I'm usually more timid than I need to be when it comes to exploring, but my brother was visiting last weekend. Being with him made me bold. Together we climbed the steps of the Merritt Mansion (see yesterday's photo). As we drew near we realized the mansion was empty. Had that not been the case I surely would not have been so rude as to press my camera to the window to take this picture.

You can see "empty" doesn't mean "abandoned." Over the past hundred years or so as it's passed through different hands, this building has been well cared for.

I hope City Ventures plans to maintain that tradition. If they're to meet their goal of opening condos by the end of 2011 they should be building along Orange Grove Blvd. soon. This lovely old house will be spared if all goes according to plan. If I'm picturing it right, the condos will be in what was once the mansion's front yard.

The house my brother and I grew up in has also passed through different hands since my mother sold it more than twenty years ago, after my father died. The last time I visited, the hardwood floors were scuffed and dull and the driveway looked cracked and old.

You never know if the next owner is going to love your home the way you did. One day, like Hulett C. Merritt, you'll be gone. Will it matter then?

Empty Emissary

I was a little shocked the first time I stumbled upon this mansion. A mansion is not something one normally stumbles upon.

But there it was hidden in plain sight, invisible from Orange Grove Blvd. and the surrounding streets, yet accessible when I got out of the car and began strolling through the Ambassador Campus and stumbling upon things.

This is, or was, the Hulett C. Merritt Mansion, built on Millionaire's Row in 1905. It subsequently became part of Ambassador College in the 1950s. Still later, the whole area became the Ambassador Campus, which included three mansions, several fountains and some lovely gardens.

Now the mansions are empty. Some of the fountains are dry. The gardens, though well-tended, lie untrampled, awaiting their fate.

According to real estate blogger Brigham Yen, City Ventures has purchased the property for development. There will be some condos. But don't freak out. According to the current plans, the mansions will stay.

More tomorrow.

Wear Your Extrovert Genes

Did you know the Doo Dah Parade is coming up this Saturday? Did you know it's in a new location? Do you want to be in it? You could march with the winners of the Thorny Rose Award.

I just learned that Friends of Hahamongna (I'm a Friend) won this year's Thorny Rose Award and at the last minute has been invited to march in the parade. Each year, says the Pasadena Star-News, "the Thorny Rose is awarded to Pasadena's most controversial citizen or group by an anonymous committee of local socio-political observers." This year the observers had a hard time coming up with anyone cantankerous enough. The Friends of Hahamongna are pretty nice. But they just won't drop the Hahamongna issue, so I guess you could call them a thorn in someone's side.

Columnist Larry Wilson expressed concern that the Friends of Hahamongna might take the award as an insult instead of an homage. But the Friends are good-humored folk who see the Thorny Rose as an opportunity to spread the word.

A few weeks ago some of you joined in signing the petition at savehahamongna.org, asking the City Council to reconsider a 2003 decision to build soccer fields at Hahamongna (there's still time to sign). Now you can join the Friends of Hahamongna in the Doo Dah Parade. The parade starts at 11:00am this Saturday at 2627 E. Colorado Blvd. Look for the Friends of Hahamongna and join in the friendly chaos!

Zen Monday: #93

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no right or wrong. It means what you think it means, or what you want it to mean.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. Unless I absolutely must say something I stay out of the comments box to avoid influencing the discussion (because when I get in there everything goes down hill).

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

Here's a photo taken outside Pasadena: an overview of one small section of the gargantuan Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on the UCLA campus.

The fun part: going down the Janss steps. The good-for-me part: going up them.
plunging into the crowd was the insane part.

I went Saturday with my brother and sister-in-law. They had a list of signings to attend, so we ran the gamut of fun/good-for-us/insane several times over. We met Michael Connelly, Kate DiCamillo, Nick McDonnell, Dave Eggers and T.C. Boyle (at the Vroman's booth!). See? There's always a Pasadena connection. Michelle Huneven was there, too. She's the Altadena author whose novel, Blame, was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Had I known, I'd have brought my copy of Blame for her to sign. I was thrilled to stop by the booth of Glendale's Abril Armenian Book Store, buy A Gift in the Sunlight by my friend Kay Mouradian, and have her sign it.

The Festival will host about 400 authors--of all genres and degrees of fame--over the weekend. If you go today you could meet Po Bronson, Elizabeth George, Antwone Fisher, Pico Iyer and/or a local author you already know.

Wear sensible shoes. Have patience with the crowd. And watch out for readers of all ages underfoot.

Pie 'N Burger

I was strolling down South Lake Avenue the other day when woops! That umbrella I'd left in the car was looking like a brilliant idea I'd forgotten to write down: shoulda coulda woulda.

You could say rain is just water. Or you could say it's a good excuse to go to Pie 'N Burger.

I think most people go there for the pies and the burgers. (Makes sense.) Me, I go for the GAC 'n BAC. That's what we used to call a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich when I waited tables a hundred some-odd years ago.

Tasty. I'd even go there when the sun's shining.

Bonus pic: an accidental shot of the very clean counter at Pie 'N Burger on a rainy day.

At Least I Don't Have Twelve Toes

I'm willing to spend a little on shoes because if I don't, my feet put up a fuss. (I'll cut corners in just about any area but this one.) But I'm about to give up. I've been looking and walking and shopping and walking and walking and my dogs are sore! (and I don't mean Boz).

Help! I need shoes. Not just any shoes. My feet are very particular.

I want fashionable shoes I can wear for hours. You know, walking shoes. Running shoes won't cut it. Any suggestions? We're in the LA metropolitan area. It's the 21st century. How hard can this be?

Today I found the perfect store: Kenneth Cole at the corner of Colorado Blvd. and De Lacey Avenue in Old Town. After visiting a virtually empty department store the other day (which shall remain nameless) where several clerks in the shoe department couldn't find time to help me, this shop was a relief. Well-made shoes, decent prices and friendly, attentive service.

The only problem was the size seven and a half was too small and the eight was too big. Apparently I wear a size seven and three quarters shoe. Which doesn't exist. My feet are more particular than I thought.

Of course I was disappointed. But at last I have a clue to my foot problems.

Greening the Earth

Can you believe it's been forty years since the first Earth Day?

I suppose if you were born after about 1965, you can.

I like the way Pasadena celebrates. With love in our hearts we hail April 22nd as Earth Day, then when Saturday rolls around we celebrate Greening the Earth Day when everyone can come to the party no matter what year they were born.

This Saturday the free festivities at Memorial Park include something new: a "Free Market" swap meet.

Here's the gist: "As a community we have many more resources than we do as individuals. If we share our resources we won't need to buy as many new ones...The basic concept of our Free Market is this, bring items you don’t need or services you want to share, and leave with items you do need and maybe a service provided at no cost. No currency is exchanged, everything is free. Bringing items is not mandatory. If you see something you could use, feel free to take it and enjoy! There is always plenty for everyone."

(Even fresh produce is welcome.)

If you think it sounds like it's going to be hard to get in there and get what you want, keep in mind that set-up volunteers have first dibs on all pre-donated items during the preview hour from 10am-11am. And good stuff has already been donated. Read the Free Market link to get all the info.

When I read that press release I almost didn't make it past the swap meet. But other wonderful stuff will be available Saturday at Memorial Park: information about how you can be a "greener" citizen, artwork and workshops (across the street) at the Armory Center for the Arts, live music and dance--even a guided bicycle tour of green projects in Pasadena, organized by C.I.C.L.E., begins at 11am. There's so much I can't fit it all here. Contests! Prizes! Read the links!

I don't think they had all this stuff at the first Earth Day back in 1970. But frankly, I don't remember. I was way more concerned about summer's imminence and three months off to play outside in green forests, fresh air and sunshine. Just trying to keep it that way, is all.

Denim Day

Annual Denim Day in LA celebrates it's 11th year today.

Denim Day was inspired when in Italy in 1992 the Italian Supreme Court overturned a guilty verdict in a rape case. One judge stated that the middle-aged man in the case couldn't have raped the young girl “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.”

Quoting further from the website:
"Enraged by the verdict, within a matter of hours the women in the Italian Parliament launched into immediate action and protested by wearing jeans to work. This call to action motivated and emboldened the California Senate and Assembly to do the same..."

On this day I make a point of wearing jeans to show solidarity with men and women around the world who agree that rape is a crime of violence. There's no excuse, and never an invitation to rape.

Writing a post like this sounds so serious--it is, after all, a serious subject. There are no funny rape jokes. Show me someone who thinks rape is funny and I'll show you someone who's never known or loved or been a rape victim, or learned anything to do with the crime. But if Denim Day can turn that last bit around by teaching, I'll be glad I posted about it.

Skyline News

A chance of rain tonight, they say. Lovely, lovely rain.

That rain comes with a "cold upper level low pressure system." For two days. Snow in the grapevine,* maybe. In April. In southern California. You know, where we live in this here hot, desert climate.

Bundle up.


*"The Grapevine" is local vernacular for the highest altitude point of Interstate 5, the main north-south route in California. It's fewer than 80 miles north of Pasadena. It's usually impassable when it snows.

Zen Monday: #92

In a few weeks we'll celebrate 100 Zen Mondays. What do you think? Shall we have a contest of some sort? A prize? I welcome your suggestions as well as your comments about today's Zen Monday photo.

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no right or wrong. It means what you think it means, or what you want it to mean.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. Unless I absolutely must say something I stay out of the comments box to avoid influencing the discussion (because when I get in there everything goes down hill).

Not That Kind of Passion

When I need a break I go for a hike in the hills. But some situations call for drastic measures. When it gets that bad you need a complete departure from civilization.

I remember going on church retreats when I was a pre-teen. They were fun, like going to camp. On one retreat I had a crush on Brian. He put his arm around me during the educational film strip, then broke my heart when he put his arm around Darleen at the campfire. It was a stressful weekend.

I believe they're offering an entirely different experience at the Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in the hills above Sierra Madre.

Their lovely website makes a retreat look so inviting I'm almost tempted to leave my iPhone behind for a weekend. On the site there's advice about how to make the most of the experience, with ideas ranging from the ethereal (how best to use your spiritual time) to the earth-bound (wear comfortable shoes for strolling the grounds). And the price is very reasonable.

The virtual tour is a bit...busy. (You'll just have to imagine that the grounds are peaceful.) But from Bailey Canyon, where I hiked high above the Center on my own mini-retreat the other day, a big retreat at Mater Dolorosa looked like heaven.

Do you think one weekend would be enough time for me to get over the whole Brian-Darleen thing?

Old Pasadena Vintage

Peering out from under the awning at the Pasadena Christian Center (yesterday's post), take a look across the street. There's a cute, little old building that houses the Old Pasadena Vintage Lighting Company at 2569 Colorado Blvd.

The "about us" link on their site doesn't work but the other links do. They get good reviews on Yahoo. I can tell you a few things about them because I've browsed through the store and even taken photos, though for some reason (certainly not human error) none were good enough to post.

The coolest thing about the business is that Jason can custom make just about any kind of vintage lighting you want. He's been at it for a while, and he's created reproductions for some of Pasadena's well-known structures. And yet the prices are reasonable.

Plus they have unique antiques.
Plus they're nice.
Plus last time I was there a charming little dog was guarding the place with all the ferocity of a bonbon.

...

I'm sooo looking forward to the end of the recession. I hope I don't have to wait that long to order my custom light fixtures. But I doubt that median will be re-landscaped before then.

Cinematic Church

At 2588 East Colorado Blvd., amid antique shops, used furniture stores and a cute-looking restaurant or two, you'll find the Pasadena Christian Center which (obviously) used to be a movie theater.

A snoop around the church's website will tell you about their religious mission and practice. They've been in Pasadena in various locations since 1929, and "debuted" in the one-time Colorado Theater in 2002.

The Colorado Theater link takes you to the fantastic Cinema Treasures website. The photos of the early Colorado Theater show it looking much plainer than it does now. I wonder when the marquee got so fancy?

And if you're looking for something to do after church this weekend, check out Ben Wideman's new series about city parks at The Sky is Big in Pasadena.

Nature Wins

I'm trying to come up with something metaphorical to say about this photo.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Don't let things slip through the cracks.
It's the little things.

Maybe I should try to come up with something original instead.

Every day the world teems with traffic, marriage, war, shopping, hardship, heartbreak, love and death. Someone is rejoicing. Someone's going to work. Someone's being born.

Then one day a crack appears and sure enough, nature takes over.

iPhone Wednesday #7 - Shovel

John got this close-up of a shovel near the Devil's Gate Dam not long ago.

There's still much work to be done over there. After rain last weekend the water has risen again, collecting debris behind the dam. Workers have corralled the debris (everything from driftwood to plastic bottles to stray socks) so when it's time to release the water, the debris won't be released with it.

shovel detail

John took a lot of photos of this medieval-looking thing. I'm fascinated by the irregularity of it, not to mention the colors. As John said, some forms of technology have been with us for a long time, and there's no need to change them.

No Nose In the Air

This tower of wine glasses decorates (and functions) at the Nose Wine Cellar, where I was treated to a glass of prosecco and hors d'oeuvres after Saturday's poetry reading at Vroman's.

Doesn't that sound downright snobbish? Squinch up your nose and say it out loud: "a glahss of prossickoo and oh dewves ahfter the pewetry reeding. Dahling."

That has nothing to do with the Nose, which isn't snobby at all. It's a nice place to eat and have a glass of wine (or a tower of glasses of wine). I didn't get to stay very long, but after a bite of cheese I regretted that.

The Nose is at 696 Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena inside Arcade Lane, a sweet little arcade of shops and dining spots. Worth a look, and there's parking behind (enter on Green Street).

Zen Monday: #91

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no right or wrong. It means what you think it means, or what you want it to mean.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. Unless I absolutely must say something I stay out of the comments box to avoid influencing the discussion (because when I get in there everything goes down hill).

As I post each new Zen Monday photo I add a label to last week's to identify it if necessary.

Parallels

We talked about the Equator Cafe a while back--a long while back--here on the ol' blog. I was in the midst of my coffee shop quest and apparently this was once a coffee shop.

Not any more. Asian fusion. It's pretty good, too, with friendly service, good portions and reasonable prices.

I had to giggle at the "about" page on their website, though. It's so pretentious it's silly. I don't know who wrote it but don't let it put you off. The place is friendly, at least at lunch time. There may have been successful, confident professionals there but I didn't see anyone "exaggeratingly beautiful," not even in the ladies' room. Hell, they let me in. And nobody complained when I squatted under the bar with my camera.

Oh--and the coffee is excellent. I've been truck-load busy lately but it's starting to ease up. I just might have time to hit the coffee shops again.