O Portland

     O Portland, how I will miss you.    

Your color, your mundane,

your sleepy, your life,

your squares, your pegs,

your square pegs, your motley quilt

--do they not also abide in me?

Oh live strongly in me, Portland!

Run like a river through my soul and live as a lake in my heart.

Root yourself in the base of my skull and branch out into my vision and fingertips.

I remain under your spell.  Very truly yours.

Sunset

Oh sunset... what could give such a sweet ending to the day but the slow and gradual descent of the sun in the sky.  Such moments calm so many of my crowded and hurried thoughts after a day of teaching, feeding, and cleaning up after the children, of dealing with the regular hardships of living in a fallen world, of struggling with my shortcomings and those of others.  Hardships come and go but the sun continues its ascent and descent, unchanged and unchallenged by the troubles of this world.  It serves as a reminder to the permanency of God, who remains the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

Light and Shadows

     A setting sun can produce such nice shadows and softly colored light.  

Sunset Stroll

    I didn't get to walk the dog until late yesterday.  But it was a nice time to take pics and see the sun cast her sleepy rays upon the city.