22 Comments
User's avatar
Rolando Andrade's avatar

I really loved your post Janelle. "Soul beauty", it was the only thing we saw during the blackout in Portugal. Souls

Expand full comment
Rui Alves's avatar

Hi Janelle,

I enjoyed reading your piece and would love to cross-post your work and share it with our readers and subscribers on our Substack publication, Portugal Calling.

https://portugalcalling.substack.com/

All the best, cheers,

Rui

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

Rui! Thank you so much. That would be lovely. 😊 I appreciate the share. :) And will of course support your work. Let’s continue to chat. If you need any support with the cross posting please let me know. :)

Janelle

Expand full comment
Shannon Roberts's avatar

Janelle! More beauty in your words and on yourself with each post. Just what you needed, just what we all need! Love you from afar!

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

Love you right back Shannon! You have always been one of the most beautiful women I have known! Also inside and out! Thank you for sending me love and good vibes! 😎 You are the best!

Expand full comment
Maria Anderson's avatar

Beautiful—“All we needed was presence. And patience. And peace.Just like now.”

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

Thank you 🙏. Let’s all be in continuous prayer for those things. The 3 Ps. :) Appreciate you reading and your support Maria!

Expand full comment
Marta Cancela's avatar

So good to read you!

I must share some paragraphs from a text (also) about the blackout (which is NOT a normal thing here) from a portuguese substacker, having translated and adapted some tiny bits for better understanding.

Here it is:

«I read and rest, that's all I can do. I also take a nap. When I wake up outside, everything is the same, except now we don't have mobile data anymore. We are completely disconnected from the world.

(…) I see the streets even more crowded than in the morning. There are no cafes to drink, but the tables are full of beers, people gather in front of bakeries and restaurants. There are bottles of wine and glasses on top of the electricity boxes and small gatherings, in these unlikely places too.

Suddenly we are social beings. Without phones, computers, or social networks, we are social beings again, we go to meet people we know and those we don't know. We need this contact, to know, to exchange ideas with people who connect us to the world.

Without electricity, Lisbon seems to be in a party mood.

Even in the most familiar and so-called old neighborhoods. We realize that we have neighbors we had never seen before. We talk to the lady at the window (…) and tell her not to worry, that everything is getting back to normal, that electricity has already arrived in Odivelas and will gradually arrive here. And how do we know this? Because during this abstinence, the radio never left us, it was always with us. Like the candles, like the books, like the musical instruments, like the board games and the coloring books.»

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

Caro amiga - muito obrigada! I loved reading this. Exactly - we had time that day to play and be with each other. It was a rare moment of beingness with our neighbors. I almost wish it would come back. Almost! The news was certainly out of whack (as usual) as to what was really going on here. We are not crazy. We are humans just trying to get through each day the best we can.

Thank you for reading me!

Expand full comment
Larissa's avatar

Well that was an adventure to remember!

Expand full comment
Linda Holden's avatar

I'm glad the power went off while it was still daylight. What a memorable way to spend your time when everything closed down and time stood still. :)

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

Thank you mom! And I am sure glad I have your genes!

Expand full comment
Sarah HI's avatar

WOW, Janelle, you look amazing. I'll be 48 in November and I've been thinking about doing something to my face. I keep saying "I'll get some beauty treatments as soon as I lose those 45 pounds." Having full cheeks keeps my face looking younger, but having a full round abdomen and a jiggly neck does not.

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

Hi Sarah! Thank you! 🙏 You are beautiful inside and out. I think of you often! It’s a journey being inside a body. 😂 Come visit me and I will introduce you to Soul Beauty!

Expand full comment
Sarah HI's avatar

Oh yes, being inside this body has been hella ride. I've considered getting botox and am nervous about allergies to it, but you seemed to be ok. I would love to come visit and get pampered at Soul Beauty- but I would've been freaked out in the dark!

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

That’s understandable! lol. It’s one of those risks probably worth taking. Come visit!

Expand full comment
Jen Tucker's avatar

Botox waits for no one…or for the power to return! 😂

I loved this so much.

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

Jen Tucker you know you inspired me to finish this! I should have dedicated it to you at the start. Love you so much!

Expand full comment
Jen Tucker's avatar

I love you Jan-eration AWESOME! 🫶🏼

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

Love you more!

Expand full comment
Lani's avatar

This was such a great read. I’ve not yet tried Botox but seeing as that I’m 48 and I don’t like these new wrinkles that appear daily, I may need to try Soul Beauty.

Expand full comment
Janelle Holden's avatar

We’re the same age! How fun is that Lani? I love it! 🥰 Come visit me in Lisbon and we can go together. Really, it probably hurts less than a pedicure. Lol

Expand full comment