By: Merle Citron
Roger Thompson and his wife, Cynthia Reed, own The Goldsmith, a jewelry store on North Union Street.
Roger loves all things of beauty, whether it is the sparkling jewelry he fashions or his collection of orchids, all of which he raises in his basement. He told me his passion for orchids is a recent phenomenon.
"I never raised a thing before raising orchids," he said. "It all began four years ago when I read a book entitled ‘The Orchid Thief.’ I got excited about growing orchids, and here I am, 300 plants later."
Roger also never exhibited his orchids until this year when he entered seven plants in the Southeast Pennsylvania Orchid Society Show, the largest and most prestigious orchid show in this area. Although Roger only entered seven plants, he received eight ribbons; the eighth was a Best In Show ribbon.
"I love the beauty of orchids and the difficulty in raising them," he said. "I enjoy what is required of me to care for these plants: diligence, attention and one hour of my time each day."
Roger plans to enter his orchids in the New York Orchid Show, and if his track record is any indicator, he’ll probably win more ribbons. Roger and Cindy have lived and worked in Lambertville for 15 years.
Mary Kay Darrah has bought and sold antique clothes, furniture and objets d’art on Ferry Street in New Hope for many years.
Now she sells antiques at the Broadmoor Antiques Dealers shop on North Union Street so I see her more often.
Mary Kay recently told me that especially during the winter her thoughts quite often turn to food. As a matter of fact, she said she would love it if all the older women in Lambertville wrote a cookbook filled with their fabulous, old-world recipes.
"This way," Mary Kay explained, "their recipes will live on."
Ummm, that sounds like a yummy idea.
Lambertville’s Jane Thompson is one of the hardest working people I know.
She works three different jobs. Sometimes you’ll see her working at Ennis Market on North Union Street, and other times she will wait on you at Sojourner on Bridge Street. If you have a mammography done at Hunterdon, you may very well have Jane as your technician.
Jane really cares about what she does, and that’s obvious because whatever she does, she does well.
Congratulations to Michael and Elizabeth Voorhees on the birth of their second child, a daughter named Madison "Broccoli" Voorhees.
According to the proud grandmother, Cathy O’Donnell, who works at Bear Apothecary, Madison’s brother, 3 year-old, Andrew Michael, named his sister "broccoli" before she was born.
I’ll betcha Andrew doesn’t eat his broccoli.
Bill Dorman lives on Clinton Street and is the president of the Lambertville Historical Society.
He and his wife, Polly, who is a landscape architect, have given their Afghan hound named Afra a great deal of TLC from the moment they got her. Bill told me he and Polly saved Afra, who was an abused dog.
"She is still very shy and afraid of strangers and other dogs," Bill said, "but with us, she’s pure love."
Afra has a beautiful coat Polly brushes, and Bill is responsible for walking her.
Jan Holms of York Street plays the flute in the Riverside Symphonia orchestra, and she also works at the Prallsville Mills for the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission.
Jan recently spent nine glorious days in Belize.
"I loved being in the rainforest," Jan said. "The sights were breathtaking."
Jan told me her vacation was even more wonderful because she had a house-sitter who tended to everything, including her two dogs.
Valorie Johnson, jeweler to the stars, is the co-owner of B. Adorned on South Main Street.
Valorie and other artists, including Bob Beck, Annelies van Dommelen, Gail Bracegirdle and Barry Snyder will participate in an Artsbridge mentoring project, each artist working with a high school student.
In so doing, these artists will not only help teen-agers to acquire a means of self-expression, but they also will help to create works of art, which will be included in an auction designed to raise funds for this summer’s Artsbridge and Fisherman’s Mark youth art camp. A worthy project indeed!
I stopped and talked with Gloria Greenwald, who lives on Clinton Street with her 14 year-old standard poodle named Tara.
Gloria and I felt an instant connection because we are both poodle owners and love the fact a poodle was chosen as this year’s Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show. We then discussed the joys of raising a dog while still trying to enjoy the pleasures of one’s garden. We discussed garden survival strategies since we agreed our beloved pets can raise havoc in the flower beds.
Jeane Frisbee arrived in Stockton by way of New York City 13 years ago.
Since her arrival in this area, Jeane has worked at Dresswell’s on Bridge Street. When she lived in New York City, Jeane worked as a theatrical costume designer. Right now she is excited her grandson, Lt. David Juljack, is returning from the Pacific in April to become a godfather.
"I am really looking forward to seeing him," Jeane smiled.
Good luck to Jeff Weinstein and Deborah Forman, two local attorneys, who bought Smokey the Locksmith’s old house on Quarry Street.
They are moving into their new quarters in the next few months.
Lew Taylor of York Street lives very close to the apartment house on the corner of York and George Street that burned in a recent fire.
"It was one heck of a fire," Lew told me. "How strange that it took a fire for all of the neighbors to finally meet and have the opportunity to talk."
Lew said they were all together on the sidewalk at three in the morning helping each other.
Here’s another good neighbor story.
According to Maire Vieth of South Main Street, "My neighbors came to the rescue when they spotted black smoke coming from the chimney of a South Main Street home. The owners were away at work. My quick-acting neighbors called the fire department, and they helped to prevent a tragedy before it happened."
Maire informed me the smoke was caused by a faulty furnace.
And there you have it folks, a little chit and a little chat.
