September 2nd, 2024

Good mornings folks,

     Today is Labor Day and the store is closed. Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. Fall activities, such as school and sports, are now under way. There are lots of "back to school" activities and, with the Eastman School students back in town, our store has been a very busy place. Everyone has been chipping away at the big pile of work in the center of the floor of the store, still surrounded by caution tape. It is our work, our labor. When I recently purchased this large collection, what I bought was lots of work for my staff to keep them working and to keep the business going. It is the combination of mental and physical work as each instrument and project has to be examined to determine whether it’s worth fixing, and we are finding many things are just going to be sold as found. To that point, we will be setting up at the Avon, NY flea market next Sunday…it certainly will be work, but will try to do it with a smile. They’ll be incredible bargains of every type of musical gear that you can imagine so if you’re in the area, join us at the Avon Flea market.

     Let’s talk a little bit about labor and the meaning of work. I’m a lazy guy. I’ve always been trying to find the easier way to do things… that’s been my "work". I’ve always preferred to work with my mind rather than my back. Now, I’ve done some laborious jobs over the years. I worked in my father‘s bakery and I tarred roofs, and I painted houses. I probably detested every minute of it. I just wasn’t cut out for hard labor. As an old friend of mine once said, "You think ‘Manual Labor’ is a Spanish guitar player!" At any rate, I do praise those whose occupation is manual labor. They are closer to the Earth and they are closer to our human side. So we pause today to honor and congratulate those who do the hardest work, and sometimes for the least compensation. Without them life, as we know, it would come to a standstill, and they deserve every bit that they can negotiate.

   So today, fire up the grill, consume a beverage and have a great family picnic. That’s what we are planning to do. But most importantly, raise a glass, preferably with some bourbon and a cherry, to my father-in-law Henry Schnepf on his 90th birthday coming this Wednesday!

With peace,

John Bernunzio

I always like the "labor" of food preparation and this dish, from the Balkans, is one of my favorite "fall time" things to make. It is called Ajvar.

Happy Day!