ROSEMARY MANOR MARKET FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER 9-5

This month Rosemary Manor is celebrating the Age of Victoria. This is the period from around the 1830’s to the beginning of World War II. Nearly all the modern day inventions e.g. cars, telephones electricity had their birth in this period, not that that has anything to do with our celebration. We are focusing on the splendour, crafts, fashion, culinary trends and social activities.

The Victorian culture included local fresh produce markets in all the little hamlets and towns as well as well established produce markets in bigger cities. All ingredients were bought fresh and served as soon as possible. The focus was on seasonal produce. This resulted in wonderful flavourful dishes made with the best of what was available. This rings a bell when we consider the present trends in cooking. Out with artichokes from Timbuktu and in with what is in season.

You will notice our fresh strawberries and chocolate kebabs and seasonal salad on the menu. Smoothies made with fresh fruit taste so good when enjoyed in the exhilarating sun of a spring morning. Another culinary delight that was part of the Victorian age was dainty cakes and treats enjoyed by lady friends in the parlour. Our Cherry Ganache cupcakes will hopefully take you back to a time of  tea parties and croquet on the lawn.

I include the article on the wedding of Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra. It was so refreshing to read about a girl who won over a very stuffy court with her innovative and creative approach to protocol. Here at Rosemary Manor we love to improvise and share with friends all that is beautiful and creative and uplifting to the heart!

The Crown Prince of England and the 18 year old Princess of Denmark wed 1863.

Lacking royal jewels, the beautiful princess wore a tiara of white orange blossoms with cascades of orange blossoms and myrtle on her dress.  The lack of jewels was speedily remedied as the gifts to the bride from Queen Victoria and the groom, HRM Prince Edward Albert, included stunning royal jewels from the farthest reaches of the Empire.

Soon after the death of her beloved Prince Albert, Queen Victoria began the search for a wife for her eldest son, Crown Prince Edward Albert.  She found the perfect Princess - only one problem, she was only 15 years old; the lovely Princess Alexandra of Denmark.  

The Prince had to wait till her 18th birthday.  Her arrival in London by ship drew thousands.  The royal cortege welcomed her to the Palace, in the same carriages recently used in the 2011 Royal Wedding.  The Princess Alexandra chose to wear a white court gown, reflecting Queen Victoria’s first white wedding in the history of England.  The courageous Danish bride faced British nobility without a pearl and won their hearts, adorned with white blossoms.

She wore a 21 foot train, (Diana’s was 25 ft, modelled after the Danish Princess) and honoured her new homeland by selecting “an opulent creation” of British design - a white court gown of Honiton lace, adorned with Roses, shamrocks and thistles, emblems of England, Ireland and Scotland.

An athletic young woman and expert horsewoman, Alexandra enjoyed the dangerous sport of tandem driving, with a fast pair of horses and lightweight carriage. She was fond of dancing and ice-skating and Queen Victoria was horrified to find that she enjoyed hunting (and asked her to stop, without success). Even after the birth of (six) children, she continued her active life.  

Always spirited and courageous, Alexandra devoted her life to charitable works, sparing Queen Victoria public appearances.   After six children, her waist was as dainty as ever, smile as welcoming.  Upon the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Albert Edward became King-Emperor as Edward VII, with Alexandra as Queen-Empress consort.  And thus was the beginning of the 10-year Edwardian Era.

©2011 by Patrice LePera ~ Authority, Victorian Era, Historical Writing ~ www.afterimage-art.com

Papawersaad en wit sjokolade koek met meringues en bessies

 3 ekstra groot eiers
1,5 k strooisuiker
0,5 k olie
1 k gewone joghurt
0,5 k papawersaad
1 k klapper
1 k bruismeel

Klits die eiers en voeg die suiker stadig by.
Voeg die olie en joghurt by en meng goed.
Meng die papawersaad, klapper, bruismeel en sout en voeg by die bogenoemde om 'n slap deeg te vorm.
Voer twee 19 cm panne uit met bakpapier.
Bak 30 - 35 minute by 180 grade celsius.
Laat die koeke afkoel en keer uit.

Versiersuiker:

200 g wit sjokolade
0,5 k versiersuiker
O,25 k melk
2 e botter
0,5 t vanilla

Smelt sjokolade, versiersuiker en melk in 'n dubbelkoker.
Voeg botter en vanilla by.
Roer en laat effens afkoel
Voeg ekstra versuiker by indien nodig.

Versier die koek met die versiersuiker, meringues en bessies.

Lekker eet!

Professional Passion – Are you Fired-up or Burnt-out?!

I have a personal motto that “Life is too short not to love what you are doing”. Unfortunately, many professionals have not yet discovered their true passions and purpose, let alone aligning their business, career or life choices to these.

Let’s take a closer look at PROFESSIONAL PASSION – It is not only the fuel that gets us out of bed in the morning, but it is also an essential differentiator in determining our probability to succeed in the long-run! Passion energizes us, makes us creative and keeps us motivated, even when things are tough. It sustains us on our journey towards our professional dreams and goals…

Here is my take on three top characteristics of professional passion:

1. It is a powerful energy source. Passion is the fuel that gets us fired-up. I know we cannot always have everything in our professional lives, but if you are not pretty passionate about WHAT you are doing, WHO you are working with, WHEN, WHERE and HOW you are doing it, chances are that you will feel pretty exhausted soon – even burnt-out! 

Make professional decisions to get closer alignment with your professional passion – it will fill you up with the right emotional fuel!

2. It is a critical differentiator.  Regardless if you are an executive, an employee in the workplace, or an entrepreneur in business, passion is a key differentiator. Let me give you an example: Compare two individuals in the workplace – they have more or less similar talents, experience and skills. One ABSOLUTELY loves what he or she is doing, the other likes it, but not as much as the latter.… Guess who is more likely to succeed or get the promotion? 

Yes, passion connects you with your vision and will help you to maintain focus when it is needed! It will keep you going when others are giving up.

3. It is contagious. Another amazing characteristic of passion is that it rubs off. If you hang out with passionate people, you will be touched and inspired by the energy they radiate. If YOU are passionate, you can transfer your energy to others, impacting their lives in a positive way. 

Choose your friends wisely and stay connected with passionate and positive people!

Here is my business challenge to you today: 

Take a reality check: If you are fired-up about your business or career, GREAT – keep the positive energy flowing. 

If not, think about the WHY, WHAT, HOW, WHO, WHERE and WHEN of your business or career. What is it that needs to change? What action do you need to take? What can you do, starting today?

If you are stuck, get in contact with a mentor or professional that can help you to:

-          Get better insights into your Thinking and Professional Preferences (e.g. Whole Brain Profiling)

-          Dream big and define the goals

-          Take the first steps – you do not always have to know the HOW TO, before your decide to commit to a professional dream

You are ultimately responsible for creating the life and career you want! Get out and restore your professional passion.

About the Author: Gina Mostert is a business success strategist and coach who works with executives, entrepreneurs, business owners and independent professionals to plan for success, get more organised and take decisive action to get results.

By creatively combining the best of consulting, coaching and mentoring, she helps clients to define exactly WHAT they want to be, have or do in business and HOW they intend to get there. She is the developer of the 8 Essentials for Business Breakthroughs Program for Small Businesses.

Links: gina.mostert@inovizion.co.za or www.inovizion.co.za

Rosemary Manor Market Friday 2 September – Different Shades of Pale

It is again time for a relaxing day at the monthly Rosemary Manor Market. Our theme for this month is ‘Different Shades of Pale’. Often in the absence of bright colour we find the peace and quite that is missing in our busy lives. When painting I experience a keen awareness of colour by trying to steer clear of using it. One of the often used slogans at Rosemary Manor is “Peace and Tranquillity is a choice”. We must consciously choose to focus on that which provides a sense of quite.  When the demands of life  force us to live at a fast pace it is often the effect of neutral colour and  peaceful sound that calms you down.  All our creative artists used the theme as a guideline to bring about wonderful new works of art.

We will have our usual tea garden with delicious home baking  and cuisine. Don’t forget our famous home made lemonade and ginger beer.

For those of you who missed our Spring Sale, we also have the different shades of sale! Join us for some bargain hunting and buy beautiful things at the best prices (you can always call it early Christmas shopping.)

WONDERFUL NEWS!!!

From this Friday you can do your fresh product shopping at Rosemary Manor every Friday morning from 8-11. Bring that beautiful provencal basket that you never had a use for and join your friends and acquaintances at a rural market right on your doorstep.

There is no reason to wait for your next visit to Tuscany to experience the thrill of a local market! You can enjoy a cup of coffee and our famous muffins and cake while drinking in spring under the bright green foliage of our courtyard trees.   

We hope to see you all on Friday for some heart warming food, beautiful things and excellent company!

Gerlinde, Liesl & Mignon

Why you need a Gratitude Attitude

Gratitude, or the emotion of appreciation and joy in response to receiving a gift, is one of the basic ingredients for experiencing a good life.  Research in recent years has indicated that an attitude of gratitude has many benefits, including improving mental and physical health.  But that’s not the only benefit. In business, gratitude enables us to maintain a mindset of positive expectation, attract opportunity and move into our higher professional purpose.

Studies over the last decade found that adults who regularly feel grateful have increased energy and optimism, more social connections and are happier than those who do not. They're also less likely to be envious or greedy, PLUS they often earn more money!

In life and in business, I’ve learnt that when you continually focus on what you lack and don’t appreciate what life brings your way, you become vulnerable. That causes negativity, because you feel deprived and resentful about things you don’t have.  Gratitude, on the other hand, brings about an inner shift when you acknowledge what is working in your life!  It supports a mindset of abundance.

Here are six gratitude techniques I personally use in my own life and business:

Keep a Success and Gratitude Journal. Writing down and reflecting on your successes on a daily and weekly basis provides a real sense of achievement.  Nurture gratitude by writing down at least five things you have achieved and can be grateful about each day. Some days your list will contain wonderful things, but on rough days you might find it very hard to even think of one!  Just keep on doing it anyway!

Send Thank-You notes. This sounds old-fashioned, but nothing is as powerful as a sincere, handwritten thank-you note sent through the mail. Personally, I like to thank my clients for the opportunity to work with them and be part of their success journey.

Use positive, uplifting language to express gratitude where you can, like thanking a colleague who makes you coffee or the cheerful petrol pump attendant.

Communicate thankfulness. Identify individuals for whom you are especially grateful and tell them about it. You can make a phone call, write a letter or even send a text message. Be specific about what he/she has done for you and how it has positively impacted your life. Acknowledging another’s contribution will be gratifying to you both!

Always look for the “bright side” or seek the opportunity in any given situation, especially when life gives you something which might not be what you expected.

Use Gratitude Affirmations. I write affirmations down in my Success and Gratitude Journal every week and repeat these when busy with repetitive or tedious tasks, e.g. during a workout or while running.

Melody Beattie captures gratitude’s magic beautifully: "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

Your professional challenge: How can you use these techniques to increase gratitude levels personally and within your business? Let me know how they help you!

About the Author: Gina Mostert is a business success strategist and coach who works with executives, entrepreneurs, business owners and independent professionals to plan for success, get more organised and take decisive action to create better business results.

By creatively combining the best of consulting, coaching and mentoring, she helps clients to define exactly WHAT they want to be, have or do in business and HOW they intend to get there. She is the developer of the 8 Essentials for Business Breakthroughs Program for Small Businesses.

Links: gina.mostert@inovizion.co.za or www.inovizion.co.za