Pesto Festo & majik

For years on Labor Day weekend, Gail & I have gathered spouses, children & friends to make pesto. This is a large operation requiring, appropriately, labor.

Boxes are bought from Norman on the Drive, and jars, pine nuts, cheeses & oil.

Destemming begins on the outside worktable. And soon talk about  a strike breaks out. It's pretty tedious work & fingernails turn green.
 
There was much geniality & oh, did I mention gossip? We all get caught up .....over amazing bottles or two of red wine.

  The floor eventually gets swept.

Meanwhile, inside there is washing, and spinning. There is processing heads of garlic and mashing them with oil in the blender, same with the various nuts. And combining. Gail's the main taster/adjuster.  This is busy & radiant Gail.

with Michelle at the clean jars & Leslie in the afternoon light.

 

And then there is the majik which I have known about for a long time, but have finally got a name for it from my teacher/artist friend Lana. Here's an example. The beauty of the ordinary. Mary Pratt, a Canadian paintress, painted images like this.

Mary Pratt, enjoy!!!

And finally the glory of a meal together beyond sunset and the full jars.

                                    WHAT a wonderful day. That's it for now.