Dedicated to Mike, who was dedicated to PP

Mike, his friends and family were all regulars of Park Place Coffee. At least weekly I would enjoy a visit from Mike with his friend Gail, and the two twins - Ruby and Ivy. I was honored to have PP be their special place for outings. Ruby and Ivy would sit down at the bar next to me and watch me make crepes as they drank their smoothies. Mike would always order a ham and cheddar crepe.

I always felt like a special friend to Mike when he would come in. He would bring other relatives and friends in the coffee shop and always make an effort to make sure he brought each visitor up to me for an introduction. His relatives loved it and starting coming in as well.

Some days Mike would get his order and go back and soak up the sunshine in the corner of the shop. "I'm like a lizard on a rock soaking up the sunshine," he said.

Mike's friend Gail came in this week to tell me that Mike has passed away and she has had a rough few months. It was great to see Gail, for I had missed her. Gail reported that the twins are growing leaps and bounds, and I look forward to seeing them again.

Mike will be truly missed -his presence and the honor he bestowed upon me each time he continued on his mission to bring me new customers. Mike will always be remembered as one of my early, dedicated and dear customers and friends made here at Park Place.

The House on Stephens

For years everyone in the neighborhood has seen the eyesore of an abandoned house at the corner of 181st and SE Stephens. Previous experience within this community has helped me understand that an abandoned house usually has much more going on behind the boarded up windows. Abandoned houses tend to be a draw for trouble, and this house was suffering .

Other abandoned houses in the area have turned into shelter for the homeless, graffiti draws, and a hideout for people to break in and do their drugs. As the market suffers and more houses go into foreclosure the fear of this condition multiplying increases. The deconstruction of this house is one less draw for these problems.

Thank goodness the landowner for the house on 181st and Stephens has realized that NO HOUSE on the property is better than a boarded up house. Many neighbors have mentioned to me that they are very happy to see that the house is being taken down. I know the whole neighborhood is breathing a sigh of relief that the boarded structure, the graffiti, and the tall grass will not be the first thing drivers see anymore as they travel through our neighborhood via 181st. Here's hoping that this land will be developed in the future to be another bright spot as we enter Rockwood.

Update on Marino Sammy - back to Micronesia

So Sammy has come and gone. Thank goodness he made it back in the coffee shop before heading home to his island of Udot! I apologized to him if I caused him any worry about his people. Who was I to raise doubt in his mind about his people with very little information about the reality of gangs from his island?

Sammy was in the United States for approximately three weeks. He visited his son, and watched his son marry a woman, also from the state of Chuuk. (She too is "Chuukese".) There is a church in Aurora, Oregon where ministers preach the Protestant religion in Chuukese. The Chuukese people are also trying to raise funds so someday they can build a church of their own. (I have attached a link to this heading that takes you to a site which gives information on the Micronesian population in this area.)

Many members of the bride and groom's family came to town for the wedding - most of them were here in America for the first time. Unfortunately, the family had limited luxuries while here and their time in America was spent walking to and from the stores located along 182nd Ave. I had hoped to find a way to get the group to the Columbia River Gorge, or to our very cold beaches, or up to Mt. Hood, but I couldn't get it arranged.

Sammy came in yesterday to say goodbye, and to remind me to write. So Sammy and I have exchanged addresses and I hope someday to visit his island. Even if I cannot, we promise to write. Maybe someday we'll have more posts about Sammy and new information from Chuuk - once I come up with a few thousand dollars so I can visit. Or maybe after I visit, I'll just stay. Then we can forget the posts, cuz I won't have internet anymore, just sunshine, relaxation, and a nice little garden.

Update on Pat

Thank you to all of those who saved a prayer for Pat. It is amazing to me how much people are willing to gather their love and hope together and direct it toward one who they don't know. The outpouring of the support has been so sincere.

I talked to Pat's co-worker who read me an email from his wife. It mentioned that results were about as great as could be expected and his further treatments would be less grueling than originally predicted. I am sure the prayers from all of you helped make this possible.

Micronesia & Marino Sammy

Each morning I noticed a man passing by on the street in front of the cafe. One day he came in. Marino Sammy, a gentle man with dark features, a smile, a twinkle in his eye, and a clear accent came in and asked for coffee. Our coffee does not taste like the coffee in his country. He gets it from the Phillippines. His name is Marino Sammy and he comes from the Federated States of Micronesia. He lives in the State of Chuuk on an island called Udot, that is less than 1.5 miles wide.

Sammy is in town visiting his son who moved to this area. His daughter moved to Missouri. His island has limited opportunities for jobs, so his kids moved. He is in Oregon for the first time and of course finds it much different. In his country, Sammy shops little. Most items that are eaten are grown by him or by other locals who share their food. He has to shop for very little. Each state within Micronesia has its own language. English is their secondary language. Sammy is proud of his life and his people and his island. He works for the government and gets up each morning and hops on his motorboat for a half hour boat trip to work on another island.

Sammy doesn't know about gangs or thieves or busy urban life. He likes it that way. Come to think of it, I think I'd like that too!

I pulled up the Federated State of Micronesia for him on the map and he beamed as he guided me through the beautiful pictures and showed me his homeland on the map. "Wow! You can find all of this on the computer?" he marveled. After looking at his beautiful state, I wanted to go. "Come to Chuuk and I will show you all of this!," said Sammy.

Later that day, a police officer was in and I told him about a visitor from Micronesia. "Micronesian gangs are heavy drinkers and a violent bunch, just a few miles up the street." I was disappointed, and I stupidly disappointed Sammy later.

Next morning Sammy came in with his smile and we enjoyed conversation. I mentioned that I heard we had Micronesian gangs. He was crushed. I explained to him that it wasn't a reflection of his people, but more what happens in America when poor immigrants come to find work, cannot and as a matter of survival get involved in drug sales. As I said it, I thought about it. These peaceful people from a quiet country come to America - a common thread amongst immigrants - and then learn about gangs.

Sammy was disturbed. "Find this information for me on the computer and show me," he said. I tried and couldn't. "Please find this information and print it for me on my next visit," he said. "If people from my country are doing bad things here I want to know and do what I can to stop it."

I spent the evening researching what I could for Sammy. I google searched for "micronesian gangs" and could only find issues in Hawaii, where there is signs of much racial tensions where the word "gang" is used in comments. I searched the gang expert sites and found no issues with Micronesian gangs. Perhaps I concerned Sammy for nothing?

So, Marino Sammy, a happy gentleman from Micronesia comes in my coffeeshop and paints me a picture with his stories, that when I close my eyes, I can feel the serenity. And Marino Sammy comes in my coffeeshop and I tell him stories about America and the gangs from Micronesia and now when he closes his eyes, he worries. If only we could see the world through Sammy's eyes here - and the beauty. Paradise is how you view it, and I'd rather share in Sammy's paradise then the black brush in which I just painted Micronesia American-style.