Ok, so we begin this week with the countdown to the big Christian holiday. Here's my annual statement that my spiritual path is not one derived from the three that come from the Tribes of Abraham, so I don't celebrate it. However, I do enjoy the color of this festive season, if not the stress it causes those around me. And so for the next couple of weeks, the Grind will be posting a series of colorful nighttime photos that reflect what is going on right now in Western countries in general, and here in Oregon in particular. This photo (and several more to come) was taken at The Grotto, a Catholic monastery. As with all the pics here at the Grind, click on the thumbnail for more detail. Portland, Oregon; December, 2010.