"Even the smallest person
can change the course of the future."
—Galaldriel to Frodo, Lord of the Rings
May 15, 2008, Thursday. I couldn't get a close up photo, but deer did visit us this week.March 30, 2008, Sunday. Friday morning at Mocha Moment brought us this fantastic winter scene.
March 18, 2008, Tuesday. Mocha Moment made the Janesville Gazette again! Gazette Columnist Stacy Vogel featured us on her blog. Our Java Jacket Junction experiment is hugely successful. Our signs say, "Used and Clean Java Jackets / Got One? Leave it! Need One? Take One!" We have three locations: the condiment table, over the waste basket, and drive thru. Many of our Mocha Moment community either return and reuse jackets or save and resuse their own. As usual, "going green" keeps costs down. At 4¢ each, assuming patrons reuse 50 per day, that's $624 per year in lower prices! Thanks everyone! You're "the best."
March 6, 2008, Thursday. Kathy and her sisters (all 8) celebrated Carol's 50th last week in Janesville. Of course, the girls had coffee frequently at Mocha Moment. Remember these are the girls who helped us open? It's not time to sit out on our deck yet, especially not on this bench. Each 2nd Friday of the month, Mocha Moment welcomes a new group, La Leche League of Rock County. Look at all those babies!
February 11, 2008, Monday. Remember Keith? who plumbed Mocha Moment as a friend? whose wife, Jeanne, baked for us on Saturdays so Kathy could get a break? and who passed away over a year ago? Anyway, Keith and Jim, have opened Mocha Moment with me virtually every day for five years. Well, Keith has married Judy and moved to western Wisconsin. So Keith, Jim, and I drank one last 5:00 a.m. cup of coffee together. And life goes on. Last Saturday, we donated coffee for Janesville/Rock Valley Project Linus' 7th Annual Make A Blanket Day. Many groups helped, including the Girl Scouts.
February 10, 2008, Sunday. During the big snow storm on Wednesday, we offered the city plow drivers coffee. They accepted. At about 10:30 a.m., Mocha Moment's parking lot looked like a "plow/grader convention." The Gazette mentioned the coffee in its "snow storm stories." We also made the Gazette in January, when we were interviewed for a story about business blogs. Mocha Moment's deck showed the 14 to 15 inches of snow.
January 30, 2008, Wednesday. Remember baby Jayden with the herniated diaphragm for whom we raised almost $3,500 in our benefit last fall? Even with added complications (several organs protruding into the chest cavity), Jayden came home in just 5 weeks. He's going to be "perfectly normal." Kathy and I got to hold Jayden and eat dinner with Jayden and his parents. Thanks Mocha Moment community! You all are the best!
January 1, Tuesday: Ken Tapp recently documented some of Mocha Moment's "Off Hours Visitors" during a two hour period on a Sunday afternoon. Ken gave us a booklet of his winter bird photos for display at Mocha Moment. Come, view the photos, and see our feathered friends for yourself. As we've learned, Ken has a penchant for framing wildlife in action. Remember the squirrels and their acrobatics? We recently had a Mocha Moment first: 3 guys (and no girls) working the bar on a Saturday afternnon. (Yes, we were capable!) Winter is beautiful in our woods!
December 17, Monday: Yesterday we held our Rock County Habitat benefit. Gross sales and donations were $812. (ECHO & Salvation Army benefit on December 2 was $795.) Sarina and Lance kept drive thru moving, while Claire and Abby fed the birds. Keife brought some musical friends and provided "Sunday morning blues" for our customers. (If you're interested, our benefit history.) Our deck shows the 17 inches of snow we've had already. And the Janesville Gazette put us in one of its columns last week.
December 9, Sunday: My Grandma Hey's birthday. She's been gone 31 years now. Thanks, Grandma, for the gift of music. It's really winter now. Local photographer Ken Tapp, who frequents Mocha Moment, caught us in the festive spirit. Ken also caught the wreaths and welcome bench. And the deck is closed for the season. Do you remember when it was warm? Awaiting the highlight of her week, Grandma gets spoiled every Saturday with a cinnamon roll, hot chocolate, and special attention. We share the same birthday. And remember our Habitat benefit, this Sunday, December 16, 7:30-12:30.
November 28, Wednesday: Dawn & Kevin and Kathy & I held our annual Christmas decorating event last Saturday evening. Decorating done, the shop looking ready for the holidays, we dimmed the lights, brought out the Wisconsin cheese, sausage, crackers, and veggies, before settling in with a glass of wine by the fireplace for an evening of friends. We marvel at the myriad friendships Mocha Moment has fostered. Our annual benefit for ECHO and Salvation Army is this Sunday, December 2, 7:30-12:30. And finally, you'll probably enjoy reading about local musician Steven James' November 17 performance at Mocha Moment.
November 13, Tuesday: On Sunday, our Mocha Moment staff enjoyed the annual dinner at Prime Quarter, a "grill it yourself" steak house. The Mocha Moment staff, Dean cousins, and Dean girl cousins were together for the dessert phase back at Mocha Moment. Make sure you read Jayden's parents thank you letter to our community.
October 28, Sunday: Successful Benefit Conclusion. Jayden's uncle, aunts, and grandma helped today. Thanks again for our very cool and useful sign, Karen. Steady flow of customers. People so generous: $1,030 today. Total benefit: $3,471. We more than reached our goal to cover Jayden's insurance premiums while his mom's off work three months caring for Jayden. Thanks again, everybody. Different subject. Do you remember the city storm sewer that failed in our parking lot last spring? Huge hole! The city rerouted the sewer through Marquette Park in September. Wide swath through the woods. Sad. But Tom and Brian from Janesville Parks provided 15 grand, beautiful trees and drilled the holes. Christian, Seth, Jordan, and I planted them. Take a left out of our access drive and look to your left.
October 21, Sunday: Just a quick benefit update. Another solid day for our Jayden Benefit: $950. We have a two day total: $2,441. Again, thanks everybody.
October 14, Sunday: Incredible! Very, very busy for this morning's Jayden Benefit. Total Gross Sales & Donations: $1,491. Amber & DeAnna (Jayden's cousins) worked the bar all morning. And Kathy and a few of her sisters (Jayden's aunts), converging from Florida and Texas, worked the bakery and washed dishes. And we properly initiated Karen's sign. We're 2/3 to our goal of meeting Jayden's insurance premiums. Our family was again overwhelmed by your generosity. Two more Sundays: October 21 & 28. Thanks to our community seems inadeuqate, but thanks!
October 10, Wednesday: Our greatest challenge in hosting benefits is that "everyone knows we're closed" on Sundays. I've always wished we had a "real" sign. Karen solved that problem, presenting us with just the solution. You'll see it this Sunday (October 14) and each of the next two (October 21 & 28) for the Jayden Benefit. On October 3, our first scheduled tour bus (from Illinois) visited Mocha Moment, bringing 41 guests. Kathy made 4 great pans of cinnamon rolls for the occasion. "41 guests" + "regulars" = "a crowd" But one of our dream teams served the entire line in less than 15 minutes. Guests filled both the dining area and deck on that beautiful October morning. The driver remarked, "This place is great. Everybody ought to come here. We'll spread the word!"
September 26, Wednesday: What a difference 6 hours makes—with Dawn! Summer impatiens bloomed early Sunday morning. Dawn came and went. By late afternoon, Mocha Moment was ready for Autumn. Come and admire the harvest decorations.
August 27, Monday: Cindy organized a Sunday benefit for Hannah, a baby with cerebral palsy who had made the front page of the Janesville Gazette. In hope of improving her health, Hannah's parents are raising money for a therapy not covered by insurance. With the generous help of the Mocha Moment baristas, and by Mocha Moment's donation of total gross sales plus generous donations from supporters, the benefit raised over $1,161. Thanks, everyone! (You can check out Mocha Moment's benefit history, if you'd like.)
August 23, Thursday: Last Saturday evening, TPR (a local band of young people: Jake Stottler, Mike Kuerschner, Jackson Butler and Andrew Stark) played to a packed house for the YWCA benefit. Our barista, Abby, initiated and organized the benefit. Fellow baristas for the night were Kallison, Abby, Amber, and Lailey. Abby's mom made pies for sale! Mmmm! By Mocha Moment's donation of total gross sales plus generous donations from supporters, the benefit raised over $650. Doesn't it just make you proud of young people!! Way to go!! You guys are the best!!
August 6, Monday: I finally wrote it. When I'd tell someone about some aspect of our opening Mocha Moment, he or she would often say, "You should write that down." Well, I finally did. I spent a couple of weeks writing and creating the Mocha Moment Story. Please read... and enjoy!
July 17, Tuesday: Brief update! The Ken Lyons Benefit on Sunday, July 15, was a great success. Bands played to a festival atmoshere. Sales and donations were $1,100. Thanks everyone. More on the benefit later.
July 10, Tuesday: In February, we changed all our lights to energy efficient CFL's (Compact Fluorescent Light): fan lights, kitchen lights, parking and sign lights, etc. Our monthly electric usage correspondingly dropped an average of 1125 KW per month from the same period (March-June) last year. At $.11 an hour, that's a savings of $123.78 per month. The positive environmental impact of CFL's reminds me of Treebeard's explanation of why Saruman is destroying the forests. "[Saruman] has a mind of metal and wheels; and he does not care for growing things, except as far as they serve him for the moment."
June 21, Thursday: Mocha Moment was nominated and selected for the Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award, 2007. Judith, a Mocha Moment regular, nominated us months ago and worked hard to see us win the award. Thanks, Judith. Amber attended the banquet, accepted the award, and made a brief acceptance speech. The trophy currently rests on our computer table at Mocha Moment. The Janesville Gazette gave us a nice announcement on May 19.
June 10, Sunday: Mrs. Meller's Oakhill kindergarten class visited Mocha Moment in May. Notice the "made in class" binoculars for bird watching. And we have more Mocha Moment nature photos posted from local photographer Ken Tapp.
May 28, Sunday: We never get used to our woods, shrubs, flowers, and wildlife at Mocha Moment. I sometimes double wish— that more friends could view our feast of nature & that the charm could be preserved. Wishes granted! Local photographer Ken Tapp meanders our woods periodically to convey to you some fresh trophy of nature. Thanks Ken.
May 21, Monday: Hunter (Drooly Dooley) literally drools for Mocha Moment puppy biscotti. Yes, those drips on the side of the vehicle are fresh! Angie needs wet wipes after a visit. Our dog biscotti are made from scratch by Cindy for Mocha Moment.
May 13, Sunday: Wedding at Mocha Moment. Without many good friends, Mocha Moment would not be. Two of these are Jeanne and Keith. Keith plumbed our building as a friend; Jeanne baked on Saturdays so Kathy could get a break. Jeanne passed away last September. We planted her favorite tree, a redbud, with money donated for her memory. Mike, their son, and Amanda, were married at Mocha Moment on Friday, May 11. Mocha Moment is a nice setting for a wedding. Don't you think?
May 6, Sunday: The well construction benefit finished with a resounding success last night! The band was a big draw; sales and donations were good: $590 for Saturday evening. The 3 day total sales and donations stand at $2,833. Outside donations have surpassed the goal of $3,000 to build a well for a village in Africa. Mocha Moment donates food and coffee, staff donates time, and the Mocha Moment community makes regular purchases plus donates generously. This combination has been extraordinary: $23,857 in gross sales and donations in 18 benefit Sundays over four years. Thanks again, everybody!
April 29, 2007, Sunday: An amazing continuation of the benefit. We were soooo busy! The pace felt like Saturday morning. And you were generous as always. Sales and donations for the second Sunday of the benefit were $1,480 for a two week total of $2,241. The goal is $3,000 to build a well for a village in Africa. Mocha Moment donates food and coffee, staff donates time, and the Mocha Moment community makes regular purchases plus donates generously. This combination has been extraordinary: $23,267 in gross sales and donations in 17 benefit Sundays over four years. Thanks again, everybody!
April 22, 2007, Sunday: Hope and friends with the Mocha Moment community raised $761 today and successfully concluded Stage 1 of their quest to raise $3,000 to build a well for a village in Africa. Mocha Moment donates food and coffee, staff donates time, and the Mocha Moment community makes regular purchases plus donates generously. The formula is astonishing: $21,787 in gross sales and donations in 18 benefit Sundays over four years. Thanks again, everybody!
April 18, 2007, Thursday: Claire and I have this Saturday morning ritual: we feed the birds. Claire is the daughter of Cate, who helps us serve coffee, lattes, smoothies, and bakery early in the mornings. Even our little workers have big smiles! And don't forget about "Hope's Well Benefit" (Sundays, April 22 & 29 and Saturday, May 5): Barista Hope and friends are raising $3,000 to provide a well for a village in Africa.
April 9, 2007, Monday: Quite often someone asks me, "Do you ever hear from Jackie Jackson?" Yes, Jackie just sent an Easter card to me and her friends at Mocha Moment. Last week by phone, Jackie told me she's doing very well. Recall that her house was destroyed by Katrina and condemned by the city. She owed more money than it was worth. In 5 Sundays the Mocha Moment community raised $7,381. Having obtained special permission to rebuild the house, 7 men went to Laurel and rebuilt her house in 6 days. Our project made the annual, front page, Thanksgiving story for the Janesville Gazette because the crew left on Thanksgiving Day. Jackie has a house and a good life today because of your generosity and industry.
April 2, 2007, Monday: Remember Bryan? the man for whom the Mocha Moment community donated $2,209 for medical expenses last fall? Last week in drive-thru, Lauree told me that the back surgery was completely successful; Bryan is back to work for Hufcor, operating out of an office set up at home. Lauree says the bills are almost completely paid.
March 28, 2007, Wednesday: The flower gardeners were "at it" again! Early Monday, these daffodils greeted us at Mocha Moment. We didn't know who did it, but it sure reminded us of four years ago. People we didn't even know brought flowers from their yard and planted them (at night by head light) in the main bed with the sun dial. And this couple just kept planting: all the islands, the long rows of Black-Eyed Susans, and more! And that's how we met Matt and Colleen. And yes, that's who brought us daffodils. Thanks, you two! And thanks from the hundreds of people that enjoy the beauty that you arranged.
March 26, 2007, Monday: So many of our customers are so thoughtful! On Friday at about 8:00 a.m., someone told me the computer keyboard wasn't working. Someone had spilled a lot of drink in the keyboard and didn't tell me. I removed the keyboard and replaced it with a note: "Someone spilled a drink in the keyboard; I'm buying another one." Before 10:00 a.m., Dan said, "I've got several keyboards. I'll bring you one." By 11:00 a.m. our computer was back up and running. Thanks, Dan. One more reason I love our Mocha Moment community!
March 22, 2007, Thursday: When we first opened, longtime friend Jeanne didn't need a job near as much as Kathy needed bakery help so she wouldn't get exhausted. Jeanne's been gone 6 months ago today (September 22). Husband Keith still has coffee here every morning at 5:15 a.m. Mocha Moment is so new! Could we already be missing a worker and friend? Make sure you look for Jeanne's Redbud tree (the burlapped shrub by the round deck) to burst into life this spring. "Shadows gone, break of day, Real life just begun. I'm a goin' home." (Dvorak's "New World Symphony")
March 19, 2007, Monday: On Saturday, March 10, Mocha Moment supplied coffee for the Janesville/Rock Valley Project Linus' 6th Annual Make A Blanket Day. The caffeine boost helped enable volunteers to knit, crochet, and quilt 505 blankets for children in need throughout the Rock, Green, and Walworth Co. area. Since the Janesville chapter began in March 2000, it has distributed over 4,300 blankets. Begun in 1995, Project Linus is a 100% volunteer, national organization with nearly 400 chapters that have donated nearly 2 million blankets. If you want to connect with the Janesville chapter, join Judith and the stitchers at Mocha Moment on Thursday nights.
Thursday, March 15, 2007: Blade would have lunged through the drive up window for her dog biscotti (made from scratch by Cindy for Mocha Moment) if it weren't for Amber's firm grip. It's fun to see dozens of excited dogs drooling for their Mocha Moment fix. Some owners treat their canine friends at home with a purchase of Mocha Moment dog biscotti for $1.50 per dozen. But do the treats make it all the way home???
Monday, March 12, 2007: Meet local singer/songwriter Becca Tracey who performs regularly at Mocha Moment. If you missed Becca's performance last Saturday, all is not lost! She returns this Saturday, March 17, from 1-3 p.m., for the 2nd week in a row. This young performer sings a variety of pop, jazz, Irish traditional, country, blues, rock, and gospel. Grab a mocha--or a rich, dark coffee--and listen for yourself!
Saturday, March 10, 2007: Since the squirrels destroyed the last suet feeder, Kathy replaced it with a squirrel proof (oxymoron?) version, guaranteed for life. In just a week, our guests have made good progress in gnawing the frame. Just a few more days...
Thursday, March 8, 2007: We seem to get busier and busier at lunch. Sold out of chili, and taco and broccoli soup today. And Kathy had to make up another loaf of those tasty, hot "ham with rye on swiss" sandwiches. Hot soup, hot sandwich, and hot coffee on a cold winter day! A Mocha Moment trilogy!
Friday, March 2, 2007: Thanks to Devon's suggestion and source, we have a turtle shoe brush/cleaner. He suggested the idea and told us a source. Kathy picked out the turtle. Arriving at 4:20 a.m. on Friday, I placed it by the door and wondered if it would scare anyone. At 4:30 a.m., our first customer of the day arrived. Chace said, "Steve, you scared me with that turtle."
Tuesday, February 27, 2007: Two days in a row for "behind-the-scenes" people at Mocha Moment. The replacement thermostat from the espresso machine (see last Friday's blog entry) arrived, as did the replacement faucet (hot water for tea) for the brewer; we already had the steam wand valve replacement for the espresso machine. Our friend Dave installed them all yesterday afternoon. Hopefully, Dave can come and enjoy mochas for a while-- and leave his tools at home!
Monday, February 26, 2007: The great snow virtually closed down Janesville Sunday, but Mocha Moment opened at 5:00 a.m. Monday morning, right on time--with parking lots scraped clean. Meet long time friend, Sean, one of the many "behind-the-scenes" people who make Mocha Moment happen. Our landscaping is beautiful, but one price is a lot difficult to plow. Where do you push the "stuff" without destroying something? Sean had come and gone before 5:00 a.m. We didn't even notice because he DID his job. "Thanks, Sean."
Saturday, February 24, 2007: Another snowstorm. Everybody hunkering down for the predicted blizzard. But not Grandma! She won't miss Saturday morning with her hot chocolate topped with whip and chocolate drizzle along with a cinnamon roll. Grandma's got some aches today but said, "I'd rather feel bad at Mocha Moment than at home."
Friday, February 23, 2007: Today was "muffin day!" Few muffins left by 10:00 a.m. So Hope baked six more. They were gone by afternoon. And we replaced the nice, wooden suet feeder with a cheap metal one--for now. The squirrels ate through the wood and destroyed the feeder.
Friday, February 16, 2007: Wow! Did we have excitement at 7:40 a.m. today. Rush hour! And the espresso machine just quit! Lines formed soon. (So glad we have that little backup machine.) I felt grateful in several ways: I called my long time friend, Dave, who came from a mile away, diagnosed the failure, and had our machine running again in just about an hour. Second, all our lines of customers were calm and cool with the delays. No frustration! No attitudes! Just patience. We are privileged to have such a good community to serve! Third, the cool young people who work with us just kept their poise and worked through it. We are indeed fortunate.
Thusday, February 15, 2007: I guess today was "soup day." We sold out of all our soups and chili by 12:00 noon today and put on our backups. I guess you all like hot soup and chili on a cold and sunny winter day.
Monday, February 12, 2007: Several inches of new snow welcomed us to Mocha Moment today. Although snow thinned the usual crowd in the morning, the Cedar Crest van arrived right on schedule. These hardy souls showed their senior spirit: "Don't let a little snow keep us from coffee and a scone at Mocha Moment!"
