Monrovia store used in this story as illustration of struggling retail economy. http://goo.gl/IgKyU
- Brad Haugaard
Electric Car Trends - Interview with AeroVironment
A question and answer session with a senior VP at Monrovia's AeroVironment about trends in electric cars. http://goo.gl/OI7w9
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Merry Christmas, Monrovia: A Christmas Painting and Story
I hope you enjoy this. I admired a Madonna painting by Duccio di Buonisegna
and thought I would try one myself. I call it, "Child and Madonna."
In the following story I imagine what the nighttime flight of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus into Egypt might have been like, inspired by Matthew 2:13-14. I think the magi actually arrived after Jesus' birth, but since they are traditionally portrayed in Christmas scenes, and since I mention them here, and since I don't have a more Christmasy story, I thought I'd go with this. So ...
Escape to Egypt
He woke suddenly and alert.
The lamp was still burning and Mary was sitting in the corner sewing by its flickering light and humming quietly, the child beside her.
It hadn't been a bad dream. He'd had those before - waking with a gasp and sweat on his forehead - but still, though he felt he should be frightened, he wasn't. Perhaps he was getting used to angels.
No, you don't get used to angels appearing in your dreams.
It was certainly frightening the first time, though, when the angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Strange that he just knew it was not some bizarre nighttime halucination, but an angel, a real angel. Maybe it was the reality of the experience, the clarity of the dream, that convinced him. It was astonishing, but not weird and disjointed, like so many dreams.
And this dream was the same way. It was as clear as a friend talking to him across his carpenter's bench. No, not a friend, more like the governor! It was frightening, like standing in front of a high official.
And this time the angel didn't give him comforting words, to do as his heart desired - to wed Mary. This time it was an order. Not exactly threatening, but in a tone that could not be mistaken, with an insistence that would not let him wait until morning.
"Get up," the angel said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt."
It wasn't fear he felt, just urgency.
Joseph got up.
"What is it? Mary asked.
"We need to leave. Now."
"Now? But why?"
"I'll explain later. We need to pack and leave right away."
There was clothing, water skins, a bit of food, and, of course, the gifts the Magi had left for Jesus - gold, incense and myrrh. They would be useful for a trip to Egypt.
Mary wrapped Jesus in a blanket, and they slipped quietly out of the house. Joseph left a coin on the table for the landlord. It would more than pay for their rent.
He held the rope and led the donkey, with Mary and Jesus, through the town, the donkey's little feet clicking against the occasional stone.
The angel had warned that Herod meant to kill the child, so Joseph watched for soldiers, his heart beating wildly when he saw two guards talking. But they barely glanced as Joseph led the donkey past them.
At the edge of town he heard what he wanted before he saw it, the braying and chuffing of camels - a caravan, and, as he had hoped, a caravan to Egypt.
The magi's gold was useful. For a few gold coins, a packet of myrrh, and the donkey, Joseph purchased a trip.
He helped Mary and Jesus onto a kneeling camel.
"Joseph, where are we going?" Mary was insistent.
"Egypt," he said, climbing atop his own camel.
"Egypt? But why?"
He did not want to speak aloud. If he was overheard perhaps the caravan leader would turn them in to Herod for a reward, or perhaps he would be afraid of Herod and not want them in his caravan. So he held up his hand to Mary and looked at her, as if to say, "Be patient."
Roped head to tail, Joseph's camel to the back of Mary's, and hers to the camel in front of her, the train headed into the desert as the eastern sky turned pink, and then golden.
The sun rose and the shadows shortened and the camels plodded farther into the desert and Joseph's heart ceased its hammering, and Mary leaned back when she could, to talk, and when he thought nobody was watching he would lean forward and whisper bits of what the angel had said, and sometimes she heard but mostly she couldn't.
But that was all right. When they stopped for the night, then, near a flickering fire in the wilds of Sinai, he would whisper the story to her, and they would plan what to do in Egypt, and wait for the day when the angel would come again and tell them it was safe to return to Israel.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Christmas Eve Services
~ Calvary Chapel Monrovia (123 W. Pomona Ave., near Myrtle next to the freeway). 6 p.m. for a "time of worship and remembrance of the birth of our Lord." Childcare for grades 3 and below.
~ First Baptist Church (Encinitas and Palm). Christmas Eve Service at 6:39 p.m. A "simple yet touching time of Scripture, carols, candle lighting and communion."
~ First Presbyterian Church (Myrtle and Foothill). Family Candlelight Service, 5:30 p.m.
~ Immaculate Conception (726 Shamrock Ave.). A 4 p.m. English family Mass, 6 p.m. English, 8 p.m. Spanish, and midnight Mass.
~ St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Foothill and California). Carol singing at 7:30 p.m., first mass of Christmas at 8 p.m.
If I've missed any Christmas Eve services, let me know quickly and I'll add them.
~ First Baptist Church (Encinitas and Palm). Christmas Eve Service at 6:39 p.m. A "simple yet touching time of Scripture, carols, candle lighting and communion."
~ First Presbyterian Church (Myrtle and Foothill). Family Candlelight Service, 5:30 p.m.
~ Immaculate Conception (726 Shamrock Ave.). A 4 p.m. English family Mass, 6 p.m. English, 8 p.m. Spanish, and midnight Mass.
~ St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Foothill and California). Carol singing at 7:30 p.m., first mass of Christmas at 8 p.m.
If I've missed any Christmas Eve services, let me know quickly and I'll add them.
Miracle on Myrtle Christmas Celebration
Quite a crowd at the Miracle on Myrtle Christmas celebration in the front yard of the Library. Some great singing, snow for kids. Just got started.
Update: The Miracle on Myrtle film featured a cameo, of sorts, of Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz. Cute.
- Brad Haugaard
Update: The Miracle on Myrtle film featured a cameo, of sorts, of Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz. Cute.
- Brad Haugaard
Best Outdoor Display in Monrovia
Drove by the "Best Outdoor Display" on Alta Vista tonight. Just morth of Foothill. Pretty.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Church Outgrows Community Center, Will Move to High School
Beginning on the last Sunday of this year, Dec. 30, Fellowship Monrovia will begin meeting at the newly-renovated Performing Arts Center at Monrovia High School. According to one of my sources, the church, which began early this year, quickly grew to 500-600 in attendance each Sunday and outgrew the Community Center across from Library Park. Services will continue to be held at 9 and 11 a.m. http://goo.gl/nLS3Q
- Brad Haugaard
World Premier of 'Miracle on Myrtle' Movie
- Brad Haugaard
Memorial in Library Park
A memorial in Monrovia's Library Park to the children and school staff who were killed in Newtown, Connecticut.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Lunch at 21 Bistro. Wow!
Lunch at the new 21 Bistro, at 110 E. Lime, just east of Myrtle, a French style restaurant. Got the Slow Braised Short Ribs and Mashed Potato, $10, and iced tea for $1.75. Plus tax and tip. Nice, crunchy warm bread for starters. If you know menu-French you'll be ahead of the game. Food? Oh! My! Goodness! A-mazing! I've always thought short ribs were greasy, but not here. Okay, I do admit to a personal interest in this review, which is that I want it to stay open so I can eat here again, so please try it! Oh, dessert was also super.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Christmas Music at Monrovia's Academy of Music for the Blind | Christmas Eve Rain?
~ Video: Two cute kids at the Academy of Music for the Blind in Monrovia perform Christmas music at the Academy's winter recital - http://goo.gl/tQ7ZB - and, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas: http://goo.gl/L4diR . Here is the Academy's website: http://www.ouramb.org/
~ Forty percent chance of rain in Monrovia on Christmas Eve but should be a partly-cloudy but rain-free on Christmas. http://goo.gl/baqY9
- Brad Haugaard
~ Forty percent chance of rain in Monrovia on Christmas Eve but should be a partly-cloudy but rain-free on Christmas. http://goo.gl/baqY9
- Brad Haugaard
Memorial Walk | Elf on Almond Street Tonight
~ Memorial walk at Library Park for Newtown victims. http://goo.gl/gXYNb
~ Movie night on Almond Avenue tonight. Showing Elf. Bring a chair (and a coat). Details: http://goo.gl/KrrEG
- Brad Haugaard
~ Movie night on Almond Avenue tonight. Showing Elf. Bring a chair (and a coat). Details: http://goo.gl/KrrEG
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Police: More Police Near Schools; Grinch Stealing Christmas Packages
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 17-19. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 410 service events, resulting in 76 investigations.
Monrovia Police Department Providing Police Presence at City Schools
Our hearts go out to all touched by the tragedy that has occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. This horrific event has affected us all. Safety in our schools has always been, and continues to be, a high priority for law enforcement. In response to this senseless act of violence, the Monrovia Police Department is providing an increased police presence at schools throughout the city. Patrol officers have been instructed to periodically visit and touch base with all schools in the city during daytime hours. The visits will be random and will occur at various times and locations. This increased visibility is meant to help comfort and calm the fears of the children, parents, and school staff, alike.
The Monrovia Police Department trains annually to deal with incidents of violence that might occur at a school. The department has a tremendous collaborative working relationship with the Monrovia Unified School District. Police Department and school staff meet and train regularly to ensure employees are prepared to deal with these rare, but critical, types of incidents. Police officers conduct scenario training, yearly, at actual school campuses throughout the district, and each school in the district has prepared a crisis response box for the Police Department with information necessary to deal, immediately, with any incident at any school.
Theft of Packages
December 17 at 3:15 p.m., a theft of packages was reported in the 500 block of Terrado. The victim had packages delivered and they were left on the front porch. A neighbor saw a white Chevy Silverado drive up quickly to the front of the victim's home. The suspect exited the truck and ran up to the home, grabbed the two packages and ran back to the truck. The vehicle fled southbound, out of sight. The suspect is described as a young, male, African American. Investigation continuing.
Santa Touring Monrovia
Santa is touring Monrovia now ...
with his reindeer ...
and sleigh full of Monrovians.
with his reindeer ...
and sleigh full of Monrovians.
For full Santa schedule: http://goo.gl/KLSKG
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Firefighters Turn Over Toys and Cash to Unity Center
Today the Monrovia Fire Department's Spark of Love toy drive turned over more than a thousand toys and $6,000 to Foothill Unity Center to make local kids' Christmases a bit brighter. City spokesman Dan Bell said the firefighters did even better than last year, when, he said, it appears a lackluster economy and rainy days depressed giving. Firefighter Ernie Moreno was the driving force behind the drive.
Channel 7 Eyewitness News, a sponsor of the event, showed up to report the event.
- Brad Haugaard
Channel 7 Eyewitness News, a sponsor of the event, showed up to report the event.
- Brad Haugaard
Police Chief: More Patrols Around Monrovia Schools
Monrovia Police Chief said the police would step up patrols around Monrovia schools in light of the recent shootings in Connecticut. http://goo.gl/CKB9t
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
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