Portland without my directional gyro.....

     We have just returned from the Portland memorial service for my brother.  My nieces and nephew did a fantastic job of planning, he would be very, very proud of them.  It was held at Lewis & Clark college right near when Mark first lived in the dorms during his stay there - so many memories came flooding back to me as we sat and visited with the many, many people that were so nice to have attended.

      The weekend was one of many realizations or course, Mark not being there to plan and organize us and all our activities was one of the more noticiable.  Phillip needed a shirt and Steve wanted a new jacket and after driving around for almost and hour and a half we ended up where we would have been originally had we taken a left and not a right!  We had short tempers, we apologized for those - we were lost little puppies - that, I won't apologize for - I miss my brother.  It was my first time returning to Portland since Mark's death and it was the strangest feeling to land at the airport and not have him there to pick us up.  To try to drive by memories of what things looked like as I drove around with him so many times over the past 25 years, and actually get to some destination.  It was different but even in the bad times I tried to be thankful for the things that Mark taught me without even knowing.  I knew what direction things were, I could hear his voice in my head talking, alway talking as we drove the streets of Portland and surrounding areas - he was there, he always will be and I know after surviving the weekend that he will live in my heart and mind - forever.

     Rest well sweet brother, I love you.