breakfast at the airport

This morning we drove to the other side of the lake to have breakfast with our friends, Kathy and Bill. We love our trips to the Middlesex Valley Airport - a nice 30 minute drive, good food and often good entertainment, with planes flying in and out.

My husband was an instructor pilot in the Air Force and is familiar with many of the single engine planes that drop out of the sky, taxi on the grassy runway and park just inside the driveway fence. This cute little plane was built in 1946 and came out of the factory painted bright yellow, according to its pilot:

The pilots hop out and come inside for a hearty breakfast. There's outside seating, too, where the sunshine can be fierce on a day like today - but where there's an excellent view of the action.

Stomachs full, the flyboys return to the air and make room for the next plane coming in.

And those of us who never leave the ground are happy to sit back, relax with friends and enjoy another gorgeous day in the Finger Lakes.

joolz artist rocks american idol

I admit it. I am an American Idol junkie. I love, love, love the show. Last season I was all about Adam Lambert and you may remember that my husband got tix to the AI tour for my Mother's Day present. Seeing Glambert perform in person really rocked my boat - it was a night I'll never forget.

This season - from the very beginning - I have been all about Crystal Bowersox. Her glorious, pure voice says something to me and I could listen to her for hours. She has a unique singing style and certainly a unique appearance. Imagine my surprise when I learned she wore earrings designed by Pittsford artist Nicole Yacano last week - feathers, gold, carnelian -- definitely Crystal.

Nicole has been a JOOLZ artist for over a year and her work always garners comments. Tonight in the finale Crystal again wore earrings designed by Nicole - turquoise, gold, feathers. I hope they brought her good luck - she deserves to win. Looks like Nicole already has!

lights...camera...action!

Those of you who know me well know that I have had a long-time fear of public speaking. I mostly got over it when I had a volunteer job that required me to speak in front of audiences of 250+ women. So I thought when I decided to do a cable TV ad that I would be OK with the speaking part. Today we found out for sure that the public speaking devil is still riding on my shoulder.

In walked Sheri, my producer/director from Time Warner, who set up her equipment this morning, ready to film me, the store, the store's dog, Joolie, and last...but most importantly...the joolz. She rolled in a cart carrying the camera and tripod and then lugged in a huge aluminum case of lights. She was ready to work!

I, on the other hand, was getting more and more nervous by the minute. Sheri decided to do my part first. She fitted me with a lapel mic, turned on her high-intensity light and started the camera rolling. We did take after take, not because I flubbed the lines but because I needed to S.M.I.L.E. more. (It's darn hard to talk and grin at the same time). And I needed to look "right into the camera"... so I imagined George Clooney in there. You know that old adage - make love to the camera!

George and I weren't alone in the room, however. Tom, the Time Warner salesman, had also dropped by for the shoot, and my right-hand gal at the store, Suzanne, was there to keep me loose. Tom even brought me chocolates from Sweet Expressions. Bribes are great and much appreciated!

Folks were peering in through the window, trying to see what all the lights and cameras were for. I was trying hard to make this all look natural and like I made commercials all the time. Sheri was trying hard to keep me from checking myself into the Rochester Psych Center. Suzanne and Tom were trying hard not to laugh.

It was a good morning.

an issue of trust

A gentleman came into the store the other day, looking for an anniversary gift. He told me that each year he and his wife celebrate the anniversary of their first date...and this year they would be celebrating their 50th. He also told me he had already given her an anniversary present - a shotgun! - so his budget was limited. I stifled my reaction to the gun info. We found a lovely necklace that he thought she would like, I wrapped it up for him and away he went.

I, meanwhile, kept thinking about the shotgun. That certainly says something about their relationship. No question in his mind that she might use the shotgun on him. Nope - theirs was a marriage of trust.

The next day they came into the shop together, she wearing the necklace, looking for the matching earrings. No gun in sight. The trust was still there. Happy Anniversary to them both!

thanks, mom

My Mom has been gone a long time - she passed away in 1975 at the age of 55, after a 4-year fight (and I do mean fight) against breast cancer. She met my husband, one daughter-in-law and 2 of her 8 grandchildren. She would have loved to know the rest of her extended family. But her spirit lives on in her 3 children and their children, and now, in her one (so far) great-grandchild.

Mom always put family first and was a good and loyal friend to her many friends. She devoted a large part of her time to volunteer work, making Rochester a better place to live, for all its residents. She loved to travel, she loved music and art and she definitely inherited the "jewelry gene" from her mother and grandmother.

I, too, love to travel, love music and art and have inherited the "jewelry gene" from her. It's truly due to her that JOOLZ exists today, so thanks, Mom - for everything you did for me on earth and for everything you're doing for me from Heaven. I love you.

water...water...everywhere

Cape Cod

The design artistry of Oregon artist Jane Barthelemy is evident in her new Bauble Pendant creations. We received 3 of these sparkling glass bead pendants in our latest order from Portland, and already one has been sold. We love the fast turnaround, but at the same time, the pendants are so gorgeous, we'd like to look at them a little longer!

H2O

Sparkling blues and greens evoke the oceans and lakes that we all love so much. There's water...water...everywhere...

Underwater

new in town

We have a whole new vista in our new location on Main Street, and one store we see across the street is F. Oliver's. Every day something new is happening to the exterior of the store and we've heard wonderful reports about their fresh olive oils and balsamic vinegars. We've been sending our customers over there and they, in return, have been sending their customers to us. But neither I nor Penelope, the owner of F. Oliver's, have visited the other's store.

I fixed that today when I stopped in on my way to JOOLZ to do some bookwork. There was a guy painting the front step a wonderful, rustic red and I asked if he was the landlord. Nope - he was the hard-working husband of the owner. Since he had painted himself out of the front door, he took me around the back and introduced me to Penelope. What a delightful, energetic woman....and with such vision.

The interior of the store features an old brick wall, wide-plank hardwood floors, and schoolhouse lights hanging from the gorgeous tin ceiling, together with painted walls of mustard yellow and an earthy green. Gleaming stainless steel containers, called fustis and made in Italy, are displayed on great looking tables and counters. Even the sunflowers in the windows bring a little bit of Italy to the shop. The overall ambiance is fresh, clean, cheerful and welcoming. Next time, when I'm not rushing off to do work (when will that be??), I'll take time to learn more about Penelope's oils and vinegars and do a tasting.

From the classy black awning featuring their logo, to the newly painted front step, Penelope and Eric have pooled their talents to make F. Oliver's a visual show-stopper on Main Street. You owe it to yourself to check it out....inside and out.