The Donkin Coffee Shop

On Thursday, November 17, 2011 the PE Coffee Crawlers visited Conyngham Coffee Shop.  On that day we met Paul Longe, Academy Manager of Umzi Wethu which is a local initiative of the Wilderness Foundation.  The Conyngham Coffee Shop is a Social Project of Umzi Wethu set up to train hospitality students.  At the end of our visit at Conyngham's Paul suggested we make a trip to The Donkin Coffee Shop, another Umzi Wethu project, located at the Donkin Reserve on Belmont Terrace in Central.  Last Thursday, January 26, 2012 eleven Crawlers, Fran and Keith de Beer, Tolla and Maureen Kotze, Beth Vieira, Nomusa Nkomo, June Nash, Leanne Waller, Stella and Beryl Dawson, and Gail Darne, joined me at The Donkin.

This week's Crawlers
Nomusa, Gail, Beth, Leanne, Beryl, Stella,
June, Fran, Maureen, Tolla, Keith

In November at Conyngham's I was "wowed" by the Umzi Wethu student staff.  Their skills as hosts, waitrons, baristas and chefs were top-notch.  The Donkin Coffee Shop staff consists of graduates of the Umzi Wethu Hospitality Academy.  To say their skills are impressive would be an understatement.  The service, hospitality, food and LavAzza and Masterton coffee beverages was all outstanding.  Manager Jean Rigby is very proud of her staff....she couldn't say enough about their skills, positive attitudes and excellent work ethic.  Kudos to waitrons, Nozibela and Nobesuthu, barista, Miselwa, and head chef, Sonwabile. 





Meet the Barista
Miselwa



Meet the Staff
Nozibela, Sonwabile, Nobesuthu



The Crawlers wanted to support The Donkin Coffee Shop project so, along with our coffee/tea, we all ordered goodies from the menu including cakes, scones and muffins.  The menu also includes full breakfasts, light lunches and a variety of hot and cold beverages.  The shop is open Monday-Saturday, 8-4:30 and holidays, 9-3:30.  Catering for on-site private functions for up to 50 people and deliveries of orders over R100 are also available.  As for the decor, I just loved the simple green/white linens with the beaded calla lily centerpieces.  The beading is done by a local gentleman who sells his wares at 8th Ave and Main Rd in Walmer.  Amazing beadwork.... definitely worth checking out.  He also takes special orders like the centerpieces at The Donkin.

The Donkin Coffee Shop opened its doors on Heritage Day (Sept 24), 2011 at The Donkin Reserve.  The Donkin Reserve is a small open public "green" space which was proclaimed by the founder of the city, Sir Rufane Donkin.  The area measures roughly the size of two city blocks and it features indigenous plants, park benches, walking paths, the Opera House, a lighthouse and a memorial.  Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the Donkin Reserve is the touching memorial to Sir Donkin's wife, Elizabeth.  This pyramid shaped structure bears a plaque with the inscription: "To the memory of one of the most perfect of human beings who has given her name to the Town below."  Besides the beautiful ocean view my favorite feature of the park is the welded sheet steel sculpture depicting the history of the people of SA.  The large walkway mosaic leading to the pyramid is pretty cool, too!




The Lighthouse and the pyramid memorial
foreground- mosaic walkway



Steel sculpture





Elizabeth Donkin statue, pyramid mamorial, lighthouse
background - Indian Ocean



Steel sculpture



So, after coffee and cake, the Crawlers spent some time strolling around the grounds of the reserve.  Nomusa, Gail, Fran and I all paid R5 to climb to the top of the lighthouse.  Only Nomusa, Gail and Fran made it all the way to the top..... I got three flights up and my fear of heights struck again!  From what they tell me, the view from the top is spectacular.  Maybe someday...........

View from 3 flights up the lighthouse

All told, the Coffee Crawlers had a wonderful time at The Donkin Coffee Shop.  Awesome coffee, delicious treats, and a little bit of PE history thrown in for good measure.  To all PE residents......  take some time to check out The Donkin Reserve, a little gem right in your own backyard..... and stop by the coffee shop for a great cup 'o joe!

~Thank you to The Wilderness Foundation and Umzi Wethu for your vision
~Thank you to Jean and The Donkin Coffee Shop staff
~Happy Groundhog Day!!!!!! (Feb 2)

Until next week,

Ellen

Filippo Napoletano, Dante and Virgil in the Underworld

Private collection

Date: c. 1622
Technique: Oil on slate, oval 44 x 60 cm

The subject of the painting, depicting odd skeletal creatures, is inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, in which the author describes his visit to the underworld with Virgil. Two standard features of Dante's Hell are included: Charon's boat, and Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guards the underworld. The huge arched structure is based on the ruins of the Basilica of Maxentius, making it likely that the picture was painted in Rome.

Source

Jan Mandijn, The Temptation of Saint Anthony

Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem

Date: c. 1550
Technique: Oil on panel, 61.5 x 83.5 cm

Source

Jean Bellegambe, The Last Judgment

Staatliche Museen, Berlin

Date: c. 1525
Technique: Oil on oak panel, 222 x 178 (central), 222 x 82 cm (each wing)

In this triptych the artist employed both late-Medieval and High Renaissance manners, the latter derived from secondhand sources such as Marcantonio Raimondi's reproductive prints.

Source

Bernt Notke, Lübeck's Dance of Death

The original Dance of death was painted during the plague years around 1463. The painting is attributed to the local painter Bernt Notke, but the truth is that there's not really any proof that Bernt Notke painted the dance(s) of death.

The author is unknown, but due to peculiarities of the language it is assumed that the text is based on a Middle Dutch model. The number of dancers and certain lines show that the text - like most other dances of death - ultimately goes back to the dance of death in Cimetière des Innocents in Paris.

After a couple of centuries with repairs and maintenance it finally became necessary, in 1701, to replace the painting. The paiting was copied very carefully - but at the same time some deliberate changes were introduced.

The old painting disappeared but fortunately the preacher (and future vicar) of the church wrote down as much of the old Low German text as he could read. He has, however, messed up his notes a bit.

A new text replaced the old one. The author, Nathanael Schlott didn't bother to look at what remained of the original medieval text but wrote a new one instead, which was more in accord with the fashion of that time.

By 1942 it was over: Lübeck was bombarded and the painting was destroyed - together with a large part of the city. What remained was a number of photos, drawings, lithographs, descriptions and texts inspired by the painting.

Source 1
Source 2

Friends Coffee Bar and Bistro

I've always been one to take tons of pictures on vacation.  Moving to SA in 2010 motivated me to purchase a "good camera" so I could take better photos on this extended holiday (aka living in SA) I would be on for a few years.  However, I quickly discovered that just owning a nice camera does not a good photographer make.  So, last May I took a 5-session photography course from a local photography guru to learn how to use my new camera effectively.  I learned a lot and, with practice, improved a bit.  In the past few months though I found that I've been slipping back into my old bad habits of taking way too many "auto" shots.

Meet the Owner
Lorna Spittal

So what does all this camera talk have to do with coffee?  Well, I left Friends Coffee Bar and Bistro, Thursday's Crawl site, with a new-found excitement about practicing and improving my photography skills.  When I entered Friends with Fran on Thursday the first thing that caught my attention was the group of large black/white framed photos along one wall of the shop.  Lorna Spittal, owner of Friends, told us that these photos were taken by her husband (not a professional photographer) on his visits to cities around the world.  I loved hearing the stories about the characters in each of the photos.  These black/white framed pics add the perfect artistic touch to the shop's black/red/white decor.  Unfortunately, the photos are not for sale, otherwise I may have purchased the whole lot!

Meet the Manager
Kerri-Lee Mason

Home-made ice cream... Yum!

Friends Coffee Bar and Bistro has been owned by Lorna Spittal and managed by Kerri-Lee Mason for two and a half years.  The shop is located at 5 Vige St. in the Summerstrand Shopping Centre in Summerstrand.  I haven't spent much time in the Summerstrand area so I didn't even know that this shopping centre existed until Thursday's Crawl.  What a find!!!

So, besides the wall photos there's so much to love about this coffee shop..... extended hours daily- 8 am to 8:30 pm with a full menu plus a separate menu of Summer Afternoon Specials, a new ice cream/sorbet/gelato bar with these frozen treats home made by a local couple, FREE WiFi for all patrons, and my fave... LavAzza brand coffee.  As for the coffee, my cappuccino, prepped by barista, Figo, was excellent, and just as I was about to order another, Gail, our waitress, served a yummy looking latte (and some carrot cake) to a nearby table.  Soon, Figo was whipping up a latte for me as well.  Keeping in mind our No-Food-On-The-Crawl rule, I held off on ordering cake but three Crawlers who will go un-named ordered mango sorbet and Ferrero Rocher ice cream.  It certainly looked refreshing on such a hot, humid day.

Meet the Barista
Figo

 

With the new school year just starting in SA last week and uniformed children with eager faces (maybe some not so eager) were everywhere to be seen, this week's Crawlers, Nomusa Nkomo, June Nash, Fran de Beer, Gail Darne, and Stella and Beryl Dawson, shared fond school memories.  Only my siblings would be able to relate to my hot dog/cupcake day story so I won't expound here.  Anyway, after the school stories, we went onto books and reading.... again.  Books come up quite often at the Crawl.  I think we may have the start of a book club once we've exhausted all the PE coffee shops!  Lastly, a ton of talk time was spent with everyone giving me suggestions for vacation spots for when Jeff and Liz come to visit in May/June.  Lots of great ideas..... so much to see and so little time!

This Week's Crawlers
Fran, Gail, Nomusa, Beryl, Stella
not pictured - June

After all the Crawlers left, Fran and I stayed a while and talked with Lorna and Kerri-Lee.  Awesome chatting with you both..... hope we can do it again soon!

All coffee shop things considered.....  coffee, decor, location, hours and hospitality (not to mention WiFi and ice cream!!), Friends Coffee Bar and Bistro is definitely on my short-list of favorite coffee shops in PE.

~Happy Birthday to the President of the PE Fan Club, my father-in-law, Sabie, in Binghamton, NY

   (Januuary 24)

~Happy Birthday to my sister, Elaine, in Erie, PA (January 23)

~Thank you to Lorna, Kerri-Lee, Figo and Gail

~Thank you to Lorna's husband--- your photographs have inspired my inner photographer

~Thank you all my SA/Zim friends for your vacation suggestions... now I have some homework to do!

Until next week,

Ellen

                                                         

   

2012 and a personal update

Ok...so I haven't posted much since the change of the year.
Yesterday was the Chinese New Year, entering the Year of the Water Dragon. I'll do a separate post about that one in a bit.

So far this year has been busy busy busy.

We're moving in April and are busy packing and selling what we don't need. Its a lot more work than expected.

In my love life, Damon and I are great. For those that don't know, we are polyamorous and have been looking to complete our family with a third person...sadly this has caused us a lot of agitation and heartbreak and continues to do so even today.

As far as my health goes...well its a little strange.
I am just coming off of my period...this is the second menses I've had this month! Now, I have hormone issues periodically so that's understandable but...I know of 4 other women who are also bleeding off and on all month when they normally don't. A friend said "the world is going to end with mass pms." While that is a joke it does make me wonder if the shift is causing our bodies to be confused.

I've had strange dreams as well.
One of which I was being attacked and had to help a woman, a goddess in human form, do a ritual to heal the planet. She ended up dying even as I completed the rite and tried to save her. Her blood was everywhere and the earth drank it in like a sponge.
Another, I was trying ot heal my husband with a mix of energy work, herbalism and strangely enough, Reik (I don't know anything about Reiki and only ever had 1 reiki session in my life).

I'm still taking my herbalism classes but there's this strange pull to make me go deeper into them. And I feel rushed, almost panicked sometimes.

I don't know what this year will bring but I expect big things.

Totem Animals

Alright, so this blog might be a little vague and a little lengthy...there's my warning.

The Pagan Blog Prompt was about totem animals and what they have taught you...wow, what a subject. Whole books are written about these things.
-takes a deep breath-

My main spirit guide and totem animal is a dragon. He is very hard to describe but HUGE is an understatement. When I see him in my mind's eye I feel as small as the pupil of his eye. I know that his neck is longish and slender enough for me to ride upon the nape of his neck and press my hands against the back of his head.
I do not know his name...I don't think I can pronounce it in human tongue. It starts with an Akh.

Akh came to me when I was 13 years old and needed some help physically, spiritually, emotionally. I was under attack for the first time in my life by another witch, a boy who had been studying for a couple of years longer than myself and decided to attack me when I made it very clear I had no intention of working with him or dating him.
I had no one to turn to who would not think I was crazy and I kept having dreams that he would turn into this great naga (man snake) and wrap me in his tail and crush me to death.
Then, one evening I curled up in a ball on my bed and I began to pray to whoever would listen. "Please protect me, please." The prayer slowly began to change in my head, like the words were twisting themselves without my help. Suddenly I was chanting, and I sadly never wrote this chant down nor did I ever use it after that night, so I can't share it with you but it had something about Great Dragon, wings of night then rhymed with flight and might...eh -shrugs-.

That night I had no nightmares. Instead I dreamt I was sleeping against a wall of scaled muscle, perfectly safe and warm. This went on for a week and slowly I noticed the guy who was attacking me looking very, very tired. I never asked him about what happened, but he did call me one night when a mutual friend of ours was in a car accident and in the hospital. We talked for a bit but it was very strained and unnaturally polite on his part.

As for me and Akh. I saw him more and more. Soon I was able to make out the coloring of his great body (all grey and blue and black and purple). His astral realm is dark mostly and when he shows me things its like water reflecting images.

Akh was there for me when I went to the Coptic Conference and Dick Sutfen lead us to meditate and foresee the year 2012. He protected me and assured me that I was safe even though some of the things I saw were frightening.

Something I noticed about dragons, talking to others who have them as guides, is that they sleep for long periods of time. Sometimes months, sometimes years. I always know when he's sleeping and when he is awake. When he is awake I only have to close my eyes and he's there. Even though he is large its like I can feel him inside of me, wrapped around my spine, resting in my heart, throat and third eye chakras.

Damon has met my dragon before. He was astral projecting while I slept and he said it was like a great wall of scales and then it moved and looked at him. He told Damon his name...but he too only received an Akh sound, leaving me to believe we cannot pronounce it. He said that even though the Dragon know he wouldn't hurt me, he was still protective of me while I slept and wouldn't let Damon peek in on me while unconscious.

The only other person to talk to me about my dragon was a man I worked with for a little while named Michael. He said he knew a few others with Dragon guides but few that were as big and strong as Akh. That he had once had a vision about dragons and the relaying message was that come 2012 there will be 9 and 1. Not 10 but 9 and 1. He said he normally didn't tell people about that because he didn't really know what it meant but felt that I should know and that it should mean something to me.
Strangely enough I didn't think about pagan things when I heard it but was reminded of a verse from the Bible,  Revelations about the 10 horns on the head of the beast with the little horn in the middle. It was the first thing that came to mind and still makes me curious. I'd love to know if anyone else has any clue about this from a prophetic or intellectual (and non-evangelical) standpoint.

Other than that, Akh is always with me. I feel him now even as I type. He doesn't seem to care much that I talk about him, heh.

All in the Genes

Is it all in the genes?
Well first I want to say my family is not made up of pagans or practicing witches. They're mostly Southern Baptists and Non-denominational Christians.
That being said I have inherited a lot of my interests and abilities from certain people in my family.

My Aunt Venus, who I have spoken about on here before, was a great healer in the family and used herbs and herbcraft to heal many of our family members up to the point that she died 2 years ago. Many people in my family talk about how like her I am and I love it.

I also had many many uncles who saw the dead, saw ghosts, had dreams that came true, etc. As far as I know I'm the first female in the family able to do that.

So yea i believe certain things are in the family. I don't think genes have anything to do with it. I think its how you're born into each lifetime with the same people and that develops something with them that link each other.

My husband, Damon, and his mother and his step father are powerful psychics. They can read people like most can read a book. They've also demonstrated ability in telekinesis.
Just another example of connection in families.

Hieronymus Bosch, Cutting the Stone (Extraction of the Stone of Folly)

Museo del Prado, Madrid

Date: 1488-1516
Technique: Oil on panel, 47.5 x 34.5 cm

The stone of folly or the stone of madness refers to a hypothetical procedure in the 15th century involving trepanation and extraction of a stone, thought to be the cause of the patient's madness.

Source

Research Workshops for Graduate Students

Need to brush up on your research skills? Or do you want to learn how to start a literature review? Want tips on which apps will help you with your research? Need help learning to use the research tools for your discipline?

The library's got you covered! Your librarians at Albertsons Library are here to help you succeed in your graduate studies through every aspect of your graduate research. Library workshops include both online and in person offerings on these topics (and more):

Brush up on your research skills?
Learn about tools like EndNote Web and MathSciNet ?
Find eBooks?
Use primary resources?
Develop great business research skills?

To find out more information, including the schedule and to sign up, go to http://guides.boisestate.edu/graduatestudents.

John Henry Fuseli/ Johann Heinrich Füssli, The Ladies of Hastings

Private collection

Date: 1798-1800
Technique: Oil on canvas, 111 x 86 cm

Source

Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard, Nightmare (after Henri Fuseli)

Vestsjællands Kunstmuseum, Sorø

Date: 1800
Technique: Oil on canvas, 35.3 x 41.7 cm

Source

Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys, Medea

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Date: 1868
Technique: Oil on canvas, 61.2 x 45.6 cm

Medea is an oil painting on canvas by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Frederick Sandys which was created in 1868. The painting was submitted to the Royal Academy of Arts for display in the Summer Exhibition of 1868 but it was rejected - most likely for political rather than artistic reasons. The picture was accepted the following year and reviewed very favourably by The Times, which commented pointedly on its previous failure to win a place.

Medea was modelled on Keomi Gray, a gypsy woman whom Sandys had met in Norwich, England, and taken back to London to sit for many of his paintings. According to a contemporary critic it shows the enchantress Medea "...in the act of incantation, the baleful light of her chafing-dish playing in the folds of her robe, and making the pale cheeks look paler, and the ashy lips more ashy, and kindling the array of foul ingredients and witch's properties that surround her tripod - foul toads and strange roots, and images of strange gods, and quaint shells filled with evil compounds."

In 1911 the picture was among paintings representative of the best British art sent to Italy for the international exhibition at Rome held in honour of the jubilee of the Italian republic.

Source

The Library offers iPads for checkout

The Albertsons Library is wired for Wi-Fi so whether you use your own laptop or portable device you are always connected. We also offer netbooks and laptops (PCs and Macs) for checkout, but did you know you can also check out an iPad to use in the library?

Library iPads come equipped with dozens of research, social media, and entertainment apps; these include Blackboard, Dropbox, Evernote, GraphCalc HD, QuickOffice, Science 360 and many more. A list of these apps can be found at http://library.boisestate.edu/services/computing.shtm

iPads check out in-house for 3 hours and are re-imaged after each use to ensure your privacy. Stop by the Circulation desk and check out an iPad and get connected to the library's many online resources.

Zest Urban Cafe

The New Year got off to a great start for the PE Coffee Crawlers as thirteen of us met on Thursday (Jan 12) at Zest Urban Cafe for the first Crawl of 2012.  After a three week respite from the Crawl everyone seemed ready for their coffee/tea fix and some time to catch up with each other.  Zest Urban Cafe provided the ideal spot for both.

Shortly after we all arrived at Zest our hostess/waitress, Bianca, served up our orders and I had an opportunity to have quite a chat with Zest's owner, Jakes Reeder.  Jakes told me that Zest has been in business at its present location in the Times Square Shopping Centre on Heugh Rd. in Walmer for seven years.  He is very enthusiastic about his shop and his enthusiasm carries over to his staff.... a great group of people!  Jakes wants his shop to exude a trendy but relaxed atmosphere and reach a "wide spectrum" of customers from young families to business people to retirees.  He has achieved this goal by having a defined but subtle black/white decor, a breakfast/lunch/dinner menu to suit all tastes (including quite a selection of smoothies!), and extended hours seven days a week.  Zest has inside and outside seating (for approx 100 patrons) with lounge areas, booths, and tables... something for everyone.

Meet the Owner
Jakes Reeder



Meet the Baristas
Tim and Tyler



It has been very hot here in PE recently (even first thing in the morning) so Thursday's Crawlers, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Gail Darne, June Nash, Leanne Waller, Margaret Zoetmulder, Nomusa Nkomo, Fran and Keith de Beer, Prudie Brown, Colleen LeRoux and  Beth Vieira, chose a table inside in air-conditioned comfort to enjoy their tea, smoothies, Illy brand specialty coffees or Masterton's Cameo filter coffee.  Baristas-in-training, Tyler and Tim had no problem keeping up with the onslaught of orders from the Crawlers.  Kudos to the Zest staff!




This Week's Crawlers
Keith, Fran, Beryl, Gail, Leanne, Nomusa, Stella, Colleen,
June, Margaret, Bianca, Prudie, Beth



Nomusa's "Berry Healthy" smoothie

Since we hadn't Crawled for three weeks there was not a shortage of things to discuss at the table on Thursday.  With so much to talk about it's hard to choose what to include in this post but I'll have to go with the topic of phobias.  Acrophobia (fear of heights) and entomophobia (fear of insects) topped the list of the Crawlers' fears.  As a matter of fact, these are two of the most common phobias world-wide.  Unfortunately for me, both these fears of mine have been pushed to the limit more than once in my time here exploring SA.  I hear that phobias can be cured through hypnosis..... but I'm afraid to do that.... (Yeah, you saw that one coming!)  Anyway, one good thing that came out of the phobia discussion... I got a great recommendation for a local pest control guy from Leanne!  He was at my home bright and early on Friday morning to take care of all those creepy crawlies wreaking havoc in my living space!  Now Lou doesn't have to hear my screams as I am walking around the house.

~Thank you to Jakes for taking the time to chat with me about Zest.
~Thank you to Bianca, Tyler and Tim... you all did a wonderful job!
~Thank you to Leanne (my husband thanks you, too!) for the bug guy recommendation
~Thank you to Clinton..... the bug guy!!!!!!!

Here's to another year of PE Coffee Crawling..........

Until next week,
Ellen

                                                                       

Welcome to your library!

Welcome to the Spring 2012 semester and to your Albertsons Library! We’ve been busy making the library your go-to place for your research and academic needs. These are a few of the things you can enjoy at the library:

• Over 110 computers with Microsoft Office 2010, Mac and PC laptops for checkout, scanners, and multiple BroncoPrint stations, including wireless printing from your laptop.
• Access the library from your phone via our mobile website.
• Check out an iPad (2nd gen.) at the Circulation desk.
• Have your own laptop or mobile device? The whole building is Wi-Fi enabled.
• The library catalog now sports a large eBook collection--you can read books online or download it to your portable device.  
• Library pages geared toward your scholarly needs, for undergraduates, graduates, and faculty.
• A Starbucks coffee shop on the first floor.
• Extensive subject guides in fields such as Public Administration, Radiologic Sciences, Kinesiology, Educational Technology and many more, via the library's LibGuides system.
• A growing collection of streaming video databases on a wide range of subjects--watch online or on your portable device.
• Access thousands of articles from journals and magazines from the A-Z list of databases. You will find that more and more of our databases are mobile-friendly, too.
• Have questions about research, campus, or anything at all? We’re available to help you via our reference chat, on Facebook, and on Twitter. Or you can text us your questions at (208) 546-9982.

We hope you have a fantastic Spring semester at Boise State University!