Aussie culture: The Bunnings Sausage Sizzle

Generally, the weather is clement in Australia, so every weekend, Australians get out and Get Stuff Done.

Bunnings Warehouse is "Australia's DIY, Garden & Hardware Store".  They are he-yuuuge! You can get everything you could possibly want, need or covet for the improvement of your home. Want a new bathroom sink? Get it at Bunnings! Need heirloom tomatoes for the garden? Bunnings. Need a sausage with onions and tomato sauce? Bunnings.

Yep. You heard me right.

Every weekend all Bunnings Warehouses host a sausage sizzle (like a "barbeque", but you can only get sausages). These sausage sizzles are run by various non-profit groups as fundraisers. Schools, clubs, sports teams, and more will man these outside kiosks and for about five bucks, will sell you a sausage on a bun, topped with grilled onions and the sauce of your choice, plus a can of soft drink.

Sometimes people go to Bunnings just to get a sausage sizzle. It's a very Aussie thing to do.

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Her Grace has been known to succumb, even though she's not terribly fond of sausages.

Australia Day: take two?

In case some natural disaster interfered with your Australia Day a month ago, you can celebrate it today.

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Her Grace doesn't mind celebrating twice.

Happy Australia Day!!

We take a break from all the candy hearts to bring you some delicious Australia Day Lamb.

Happy Australia Day!  

Have you got lamb for the barbie? To show how important it is, here's a few reminders:

Forget shrimp--throw some lamb on the barbie and have a Happy Australia Day, mate!

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Her Grace prefers thick mint sauce.

Australia: home of women with attitude

Happy Australia Day!

Australians have figured out that they can do whatever the heck the want.This attitude has been handed down from generation to generation.

It's this same attitude that got many of the First Fleet sent here.

For example, take one Mary Bryant. Descended of Cornish fisherman's stock, she decided she wanted a better life than that of a fishwife, so she turned highwaywoman. Eventually she got caught for petty theft and sentenced to transportation to Australia. Not satisfied with her imprisonment, she and a few other fellow convicts escaped. Later they got caught and transported back to England.

That's an Aussie for you. Don't like what you've got? Do something about it.

If you're Aussie, you've definitely heard about Edith Cowan. She's on the AU$50 note. If you're not Aussie, you've probably not heard of her, and that's your loss.

Edith Cowan was born on Glengarry Station near Geraldton, Western Australia. (My condolences, Edith.)  Anyhow, she was lucky enough to escape country life and ended up at school in Perth.

As she grew up, she got her feminist ire on over social injustices in the legal system where women and children were concerned. Also, someone needed to get uppity about issues such as education, welfare, women's health and more. Women needed empowerment. For Edith, education was the key. she wanted a place where women "educated themselves for the kind of life they believed they ought to be able to take."

So, she set about starting or supporting organisations for the benefit of women: the Karrakatta Club, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, Women's Service Guilds and National Council of Women, for starters.

She got elected to Parliament in Western Australia, where she was most vocal over women's issues, successfully pushing through much legislation regarding women in law careers, women's voting rights, women's family rights and more. Good on ya, lass! Ta muchly.

So what'd we do? We built her a clock, a university (which I have attended), and stuck her face on our money.

You really need to learn more about this most excellent lady. 

Meanwhile, here's 22 Australian Women who will inspire the heck out of you.

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Her Grace wishes the $50 note wasn't such an ugly colour.

Read a short story of mine for free!

My slightly-disturbing short story "A Little off the Top" is available free for download as part of Moonlight Tuber #1.  It's a tale of why some girlfriends become ex-girlfriends. (Actually, I quite enjoy this story, in the vein of  "Bitches be Crazy".)

The other stories are worth a read as well.

Download.  Read.  Comment if you wish.

This is a prime example of Australian Small Press.  We Aussies love our small press.

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Her Grace enjoys a good short story from time to time.