Joli Jam: Something Sweet

It’s refreshing to meet a “sweet” person. I mean a person who even before a word is spoken you know there is something about her that is pleasant. It is one of those auras where that individual’s spirit connects with your spirit and you just can’t wait to find out what it is about that individual that attracts you. And when you are just about to make contact someone else seizes that same opportunity to start talking to her. And you wait, and you wait, and then time floats by and then before you know it the opportunity is gone.

It’s even more refreshing when you have a fixation for something to eat, yet don’t know what you really want and you happen to sample a delicacy and it blows, actually blows your taste buds away. And you eat and you eat. And as time floats by, you totally float away with time, forgetting everything but what you’re eating. And as you get down from that sweet high, your eyes connect with the person you wanted to talk to. You really want to say something but you only have one mouth and have to choose between eating and talking.

That was my dilemma so I put mannerisms aside and did both. I savoured while I spoke.

It was under these circumstances, that I became aware that there was a connection with the sweet person and the sweet delicacy I was eating which happened to be home made jam.

Jacqueline (Jacky) Blyden a St. Maartener is that pleasant lady and the jam that had me on a high was her product called Joli Jam.

Jacky has a home-based business, which is called Virgin Archer. The name is based on the symbol of her zodiac sign that being Virgo and her son’s which is Sagittarius, the archer.

She always had a dream of someday starting her own business and it came to birth in 2001. Joli Jam is one of Virgin Archer’s product lines. The jam is named after her beautiful five-year-old daughter Joline who is also called Joli. The same year Joli was born was the same year the jam was produced. The jams are made from fruit and come in various flavours including but not limited to, pineapple, mango, kiwi and strawberry. The flavor that I was eating when I was on a sweet high, was mixed fruit. Joli Jam is made from a family recipe, which was handed down to her by her great aunt-in-law.

Another product that is from the Virgin Archer line is TJ’s Homemade Liquors, which is named after her son TJ who is three years old. Other home made products and services include candles, soaps, bath salts, handmade gift pouches, cookies and cakes. Jacky believes that there is need for St. Maarten to produce its own products for locals and visitors alike.

Very motivated and business oriented combined with a genuine spirit is what makes Jacqueline Blyden, one sweet islander.