Aug. 3, 2026 - …AND JUST LIKE THAT, SUMMER IS OVER
Ken Luk, musician extraordinaire. He holds a doctorate in from the Eastman School of Music. He plays in a reggae band. He organized the Rochester Mandolin Orchestra, and teaches various instruments at places all over the city…. and he still has time to occasionally demo an instrument for us
Kinloch Nelson… another extraordinary guitarist visited me on Thursday I am so privileged to know such talented people…
We are saddened at the passing of Dolly Parton, a true American hero. By circumstance, Candy-Country Musician and a group of our friends, including Ally and Ryan played a Dolly Parton tribute at Abeline. It was planned months ago
When Pope Leo recently gave a short speech about the value of musical instruments, it resulted in a little conversation between Ryan and I. Here is a screenshot for your amusement
Basil is the king of herbs…. and we have some king-size plants
We have so much eggplant In the garden. On Friday I made a great eggplant casserole, but I think caponata is in the works this week.
A wonderful eggplant casserole with homemade sausage, tomatoes, onions, pesto, and fresh mozzarella cheese
A yellow tomato salad with fresh mozzarella cheese, served with a crusty ciabatta, roasted garlic and a dab of pesto
My brother-in-law Steve repairing our deck he’s a man with a saw, whereas I use a spatula for my main tool
Our son Benjamin completely refinished, both sides of the deck and power washed the entire trailer. When he puts his mind to the task at hand, he can really accomplish wonders and he is an excellent cook….
Our daughter Kara was visited by the woman who hosted her in France when she was studying in college…. She had to show Arlette my store
Elliot Miller demonstrating our new piano! Finally someone has played it and it’s not that far off but I really need to get it tuned. Oh, do I miss Charles Jaffe
good night, moon
Oh yes, and we still buy guitars, especially ones like this built in Buffalo, New York by Carmelo Gugino, who also owned a pasta factory!
…AND JUST LIKE THAT, SUMMER IS OVER
August 31st, 2026
Dear Friends,
I truly appreciate all the kind words that people had for me when I reported my recent malaise. It turns out that it is all sinus related issues. Julie accompanied me to the doctor on Thursday. My doctor assured me that most of my testing confirmed that I’m in fairly good health (especially from someone who is creeping up on 80 years old) but I probably should curb some of my vices….oh well, old habits, die slowly. After that, Julie decided to go down to our tin cottage on Keuka Lake and begin some well needed restorations. With the help of her son Benjamin and her brother Steve they restored and refinish the deck and cleaned the entire place with a power washer. It was a manly task and she’s always up to it. On the other hand, I stayed home and did my proper therapy, which is cooking. To that point I cooked up a storm. It is almost autumn and time to harvest all of the fruits of our labor over the course of the summer. On Friday, sandwiched between two days of working at the store, I cooked up all the basil and a considerable amount of eggplant that we had harvested. Caponata is around the corner…
…So this week, I have lots of pictures for you… please enjoy. It’s always good to hear from folks near and far.
With peace,
John Bernunzio.
sometimes you can tell a lot about a person from just looking at what books and magazines are on the table
Another guitar legend is passed this life, Gene Bertoncini was a gentleman who graced the stage at our “Store” many times and he was a very funny guy….
From the top of Main Street after a long drive home