July 14, 2009 • 3:21 pm 0
My fiance and I have been busy planning a wedding. We’re having a short engagement period, so it’s going to continue to be a busy summer. I setup a simple website to house directions and info for the guests. You can find it at jonathanandleanne.com!
Filed under: Life , blog, engagement, planning, website, wedding
June 26, 2009 • 1:29 pm 0
I’ve been spending this week in Orlando, Florida as a delegate for the Nazarene Youth International conference. The conference occurs every 4 years and is a part of the wider Nazarene General Assembly and Conferences. I’m a part of the representation from Western Canada and together with about 700 other delegates from all over the world, have been voting on slight amendments to the church’s documents that apply to youth, and voting to choose representation at the regional and global levels.
It’s been my first time involved in anything like this and has been a good experience thus far. I’ll likely have a bit more to share later, but as for now, I’ll just point you over to a few photographs of things we’ve been able to explore so far. After all, you wouldn’t expect us to come this far and only see the inside of a conference center and hotel rooms, would you?
Filed under: Photography, Travel , Travel
June 6, 2009 • 3:47 pm 1
For those not in the know yet, on May 28, 2009 I proposed to Leanne and after a brief moment of incredulity, received an enthusiastic yes, of course, yes!
We kept the news a secret over the weekend while she was out of town until we could both go to see both sets of parents to share the news first hand and receive their blessing and guidance before anything else.
We’re excited about our forthcoming marriage, but still overwhelmed by what we have to do this summer to prepare for a simple fall wedding. We’ll be sure to let you know if we need any help and will welcome your participation and advice, but for now, let us enjoy the moment.
If you’re reading this, thank you for your role in our lives! We appreciate you and hope our marriage can provide a source of inspiration, help, support and community for all of our friends.
Filed under: Life , Barrytown, engagement, marriage, wedding
May 6, 2009 • 11:53 pm 0
Boompa | Reverie Sound Revue: After a decent hiatus, they’re back. This is very exciting for the state of our summer listening.
Check out the great new video as well.
(Via MBV.)
April 22, 2009 • 11:40 pm 0
One of the highlights of our trip to England was a visit to the Museum of Natural History in Oxford. Unknown previously to me, it was on our loose itinerary thanks to Chris and Rachel, our guides for most of the day we spent in Oxford. (They didn’t have any special insights into Oxford that warranted their role as guides, except that they had an extra evening in Oxford, and as we explored the masters level literature programs available at Roehampton University, they were able to pour over maps and information guides, excellently planning our wonderful day seeing all we could.)
There were a number of things that appealed to me. First, I appreciated the style of the architecture. I wish I could say what that style was exactly, but you can see from this photograph below that it had a wonderful ceiling and fairly ornate columns. As well, all around the outsides of the museum, on both levels, there were pillars made from marble collected from various parts of Great Britain. Each was labeled with its name and origin.
Second, the museum wasn’t that large, so in an hour or two you were able to browse the full collection and spend some time reading up on the various pieces. You didn’t have to rush through, but also didn’t feel that you missed anything. (My bad shoulder also appreciates museums that don’t let me linger for too many hours. It’s usually screaming at me after an hour supporting a bag with a camera and umbrella and not getting a chance to stretch, move and get a bit of exercise.)
Third, and most importantly, it was very accessible for all ages. It helps that it doesn’t cost anything to go in, but it also helps that the exhibits are a good mix of skeletons, stuffed animals (some of which are able to be gently touched and felt) and other creepy, crawly things in jars. This is just the kind of stuff that gets a child’s imagination running wild, and you could tell by the number of children in for field trips with babysitters and teachers that it accommodates very well for kids. They’re fascinated by it all and get visibly and audibly excited. Since the museum is really just one large open space, the sounds of the visitors speaking and sharing stories and exclamations, bounce off the ceiling and walls. This means the museum is not a hushed and solemn place, but also due to acoustic reasons beyond me, it’s not loud or full of echoes. It has just the right amount of ambient noise that you feel comfortable talking with your friends about all you’re seeing. (Maybe it’s all the concrete and stone around the outside and the high ceiling that absorbs some of the sound.)
Don’t believe me? Turn up the sound and hit play below for a sample.
Don’t forget to explore some of my other photographs over at my Flickr account and read some of Rachel’s accounts of the trip.
April 11, 2009 • 10:34 am 0
When having tea at The Art of Tea, a great tea shop and bookstore in Didsbury, Manchester, UK, the song Everything Trying by Damien Jurado, off his latest album, Caught in the Trees, played over the stereo. It was a poignant moment and made our day. Have a listen and go there with us…
Filed under: Music, Travel , Caught in the Trees, Damien Jurado, Didsbury, England, Music, tea
• 9:43 am 0
It’s been busy, but I have some photos up over at my Flickr account. Have a glance to get an idea of our time over in England the last couple weeks.
Filed under: Photography, Travel , England, flickr, Travel, vacation
April 7, 2009 • 9:36 am 0
Just a reminder that we arrived back in Calgary late on Sunday night and between being back at work, trying to find room on my hard drive for all the new photographs, and arranging to meet with friends and family to share stories, it’s been busy so far. Keep tuned for a few stories and photographs soon!
Filed under: Travel
March 21, 2009 • 12:45 pm 0
We made it fine to London and after a brief delay, arrived safely in Didsbury, Manchester. Great to see friends! More soon!
Filed under: Travel
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