Portland Lovelies

Ever since we left Portland last November, I have been looking forward to going back. For many reasons, but mostly to see my sweet friends Monica and Shauna and to go see Stephanie, The Dread Goddess. When we broke down in Spokane, we lost an entire WEEK of good times in PDX...so so so sad. BUT, I did make it in time for our girls day out and will get to spend a week enjoying all that this beautiful city has to offer.

We started the day at Pix Patisserie...a delightful little coffee/sweets shop. They even grind their own hazelnuts into a paste for lattes. Wow. Then we walked across the street and I grabbed a bite of breakfast at Tasty and Sons. Another wow. I ordered up an amazing orange curry glazed potatoes and egg dish and devoured it all. Yum. We arrived at our favorite spot, Akemi Salon with full tummies.

Stephanie was there waiting for us and got right down to business. One of the things I miss the most about having dreads is having someone else mess with my hair. Coloring, cutting, coiffing. Yes, I loved being pampered. So now I have made it a yearly tradition to trek to Portland to see Stephanie.  Stephanie is one of the few people I trust implicitly with my dreads...and I can just relax in her chair and chat away about life and love and rainy days.

There are great magazines and books to read...including a lovely book completely dedicated to typographical tattoos *swoon*. Sitting on the sweet orange couch, there is hot tea available...to accompany the sounds of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and ethereal French music playing in the background. We enjoyed many hours of blissed out dready sisterhood.

After hugs and goodbyes, we headed to MeeSen Thai. This little Thai eatery...with it's open garage-door front (this seems to be commonplace in Portland), decorative glass water pitchers with metal cups, and super friendly waiters won my heart immediately. We had fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce and pad thai for all. Seriously delicious with an amazing vibe.

I was sad to see them go...but not for long! We're all meeting up at the Saturday Market. My sister, Laura, flew into town today from Minneapolis and we're driving to Cannon Beach for the weekend. Yay! More fun to come!

There is an entire photo set to peruse here. And the question of the day is:

"If you've been to Portland, what was your very favorite thing?"

Mauro's Update: Heading to Brazil

Last Wednesday, Mauro, Rebecca, and Bianca flew to Brazil to be with Mauro's family until March (they go every year). When they return to the U.S., Mauro will have another MRI and that will determine if the chemo and radiation he just completed were effective in attacking the tumor. Until then, they just wait. Please pray for them during this time of waiting...pray that they will live their lives to the very fullest during their time in Brazil, and that the tumor will be miraculously gone when they return.

Before they left, Rebecca and I were able to spend some much needed "mama time" together. We were able to sit and talk and talk and talk over coffee and tea for hours. I got to hear first hand about these crazy months of hospital visits every day and juggling schedules. A smile spread across her face as she told me about the amazing support they've received from the community and their friends. The best story was how Mauro completed his last radiation treatment, and it just happened to be on the day of the hospital's office party. They celebrated by inviting cancer survivors to their office for the party, and they invited the Capoeira group to come in and do a performance. So, within minutes of his "graduation" from radiation, he was doing back flips in the lobby. He is one strong papa! Bianca and Bella also enjoyed their reunion. I did a quick family photo shoot...you can see those photos here.

Thank you again for your generous support of this special family. They have said numerous times how much they appreciate your prayers and gifts of money.

Pray for Mauro

My heart is so heavy right now for one of my very best friends, Rebecca and her family. This week her husband, Mauro, found out that he has a brain tumor that will require immediate surgery. They are unsure if it is cancerous or not...they won't know until they go in. The tumor is in the part of his brain that controls personality, non-verbal motions, and many other critical functions. They also do not have any health insurance.

 

I wish you could all know this wonderful family...they are so generous and kind and full of life. Mauro and Rebecca run the Capoeira group in Des Moines. This is their livelihood, and they are unsure if Mauro will be able to teach again after the surgery. Bianca, their daughter, is like a sister to Bella. We spent so much time with them when we lived in Des Moines...you can see some of our fun times in the photos here and here and here. It's so hard for me to be leaving to go on the road right now in this time when they need their friends the most. Please join me in covering them with prayer as they walk down this path.

 

Our friends in Des Moines are starting to plan fundraisers...not so much to cover the cost of the surgery (which will be huge)...but to help offset the cost of all of the unexpected expenses when someone you love gets sick. My prayer is that those of you who are reading this will give even just a LITTLE bit to help this family. Even a few dollars...it will all add up and will be such a blessing to them. Sometimes I like to measure things in caramel lattes...so this week, let's all give up our caramel latte to bless this family.

 

100% will go to the Valadao family.

If you have difficulty with the button, you can Paypal directly to msjanssen@hotmail.com