Julie Cooke, co-owner of Alchemy Coffee and Bake House at 416 Linden Ave., normally keeps busy providing patrons with coffee, scones, and other goodies. On March 8, she stopped to chat with Pioneer Press about her favorite season, music she likes to keep her happy, and more.
Q: Are you ready for Daylight Saving Time, which kicks in March 12?
A: I’m good with it!. I’m all for what it’s going to bring, summer and warmer weather.
Q: Since we’re talking about seasons, what’s your favorite season?
A: It’s actually fall – definitely fall! I’m more of a crisp-air person, not a big heat person, and I love the temperature and the smells, like fall apples.
Q: Are you an early bird, or a night owl?
A: An early bird. In a perfect world, I’d like to be up at 6 a.m., 6:30 a.m. Unfortunately, I have to be up earlier. I’m generally up at 5 o’clock. I noticed this morning that at 5:15 a.m. it was getting light out, and I thought, ‘OK, I can live with that.’
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Q: What’s an accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of?
A: I could say making this business successful, or going to nursing school, but I’m going to say my family. It’s a different kind of accomplishment, but I wouldn’t want to be without them.
Q: Do you have a cause or charity you’d like people to be aware of?
A: I really like St. Jude’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) and Shriner’s Hospitals for Children (www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org. The thought of having to go through something like your child being so ill, and having to worry about how to pay for care on top of that, I can’t imagine it. As I get older, I want to give to people who help those parents.
Q: What type of music helps you cheer up?
A: My husband loves music and so do I. I think we have about 1,500 albums at home. I love funk; anything funky, from the 70’s or whenever.
Q: Finally, is there a household chore that you would pay someone to do, in order to avoid doing it yourself?
A: Oh, scrubbing the bathroom floors! I hate to admit it, but it’s just something that I can’t bring myself to do!
–Kathy Routliffe, Pioneer Press
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy
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