Walking down the brick path on this warm, nearly muggy day in late February, I am struck by the Japanese maple at our entrance. That tree was planted on opening day of Noëlle Spa for Beauty and Wellness. The entire staff from our original location had walked proudly up the street to the new location. Banners waving, characters in costume, riding bikes, towing floats, and singing our hearts out. Ribbons were cut and in poured old friends and new clients and loads of curious people. They streamed in anxious to see what had been created. What Noel was so very jazzed about??? And what had materialized after the many months since the February fire that nearly shut the business down.

Noel had converted a brick office building into a contemporary oasis of well-being. It was designed and built to mirror Noel’s lifestyle that reveled in living for the moment and ignoring the damnable disease that had stalked her for the past 10 years. Her vision cleared the dust that continually rose from the project. It came into view like a beautiful ship appearing thru a dense fog. Pushed into existence by the crews that worked continuously to meet her deadline which was based on an auspicious date she had embraced after a pronouncement from a numerologist. She knew the chosen date presented us with an impossible deadline and acknowledged that it was impossible and then proceeded to ignore that fact. We just went ahead and got it done. It was easier than arguing the point with this juggernaut personality who never, ever gave up. Her energy pervaded the construction echoing those mickey rooney-judy garland musicals that always kicked off with “…I know what we’ll do…we’ll put on a show…that’s what we’ll do…”

That was twenty-nine years ago yet that time lapse is easily eclipsed by the entire run of this business which is now in its sixty-fourth year. A long time past and more yet to come. Don’t touch that dial.

peter