Basil and the sausage situation

 Basil - my favourite herb and this year we have had a bumper crop - the best ever and even though it is May, there is still loads left on the bushes - today I shall make a couple more lots of pesto for the freezer. I love this herb and often run my fingers through it when we sit up in our little garden with our glass of wine in the evening discussing the activities of the world....

The sausage situation you ask. Well, it is something which amuses us whenever we come across one. Many years ago, when the boys were tiny, and I was not much older, Ian spent a year at Teachers' College and in the school holidays to help the coffers, he worked in the Coles or Woollies or Four Square or whatever it was in the Johnsonville Mall, in the butchery department (is that what you would call it?), behind the counter, serving. I took the boys up so they could wave to daddy - lucky daddy. The bloke who ran the butchery department had the offer to buy sausages - lots of them - and maybe he saw this as his opportunity to rise up the company ladder and make a huge profit or something. Anyway the sausage special for the week failed miserably and Ian reported that there were sausages everywhere at the end of the week. So I guess the butchery bloke panicked a little and came up with that wonderful solution - 'folks, the sausage special last week was so very popular that we have managed to get more'. From that day on, we always have a laugh when we hear businesses offering their special deal for a second week because it was so very popular and some customers were distressed to miss out. You sure learn things as you grow up. Thank goodness Ian had a wee sojourn in the butchery department or I might never have become so suspicious......

 Not a great deal of time to audition my hand painted openweave fabric but as I love twin needling I did just that - 50cm x 50cm is quite a bit of twin needling especially when the light bulb goes. I have not quite decided what next but in true Dale style I may cut it up - or again - I may not. The silver paint (Opulent Argeant) was stencilled through with the new Picket Fence stencil.

We loads of wonderful stencils just arrived from Stencil Girl - I have only allowed myself one at this point in time but they are all great. http://www.thethreadstudio.com/catalogue/exp/stencilgirl/text2.htm Have a look at them if you like stencils. We have so many it is hard to keep up sometimes. But i love using them with the gelli plate - with paints - with Shiva stiks - with my Moonglow Sprays.

Last night we went to the ACO - what a fabulous evening - music of the Weimer Caberet with Barry Humphries and Meow Meow and of course the ACO - it was packed and it was outstanding. Barry Humphries is to be commended for introducing these composers to the world.