La Bella L'una

Well Dear hearts,

It was a full moon last night, and it was spectacular.

I now realise why my energy levels have been peaking and my interest in sport even greater. I must confess, the moon makes Miss Mich a little loopy. And I love it.

As I was sauntering along the promenade at Palm Cove with Miss Mich's consultant on all things green and environmental, the moon was making her way above the cloud line like Saraswati, the Vedic Goddess of Wisdom and Learning. Opening as the evening progressed, the moon revealed herself like the big white lotus that Saraswati sits upon. Miss Mich positioned herself so that she could moon bathe, drink in that silver trail and the Tasmanian Pinot...

Miss Mich and the Green Guru discussed travel and the tides. Miss Mich revealing her theory of the moon and its effect on women and their balance, their harmony. For are we not 80% water? It makes sense, therefore, that we are somewhat tidal? Ebb and flow? Tide line and bikini line... I think I'm digressing a little, but for the arguments sake lets all agree that the moon can be distracting at the very least.

I'm not sure the Green Guru felt the same way about the moon as Miss Mich, but did reveal that when sailing away from land the full moon is capable of dimming the stars... no mean feat for a satellite that is merely reflecting the light of the sun..

And so dear hearts, embrace all things luna or at the very least find an quiet open space and howl a little...

Enjoy Thursday.

Love Miss Mich

The letter A

Dear hearts,

Miss Mich had a most productive day yesterday. She was exhausted.

Breakfast with the movers and shakers and miners and doers. Miss Mich was dizzy at the thought of it all. Not to mention the millions of tonnes of lovely bauxite that will be winging its way from the gulf to China. Bye bye...a fist full of dollars for the "hub" whilst much of the proceeds of sales interestingly will be kept also in Chinese hands (well, not all Chinese hands, that would be a lot....). Miss Mich could not decide between buying shares or protest placards..

From there Miss Mich beetled away selling her pens to the good folk of the local community, keeping the money and the love at home.

Which brings me to the topic of Ambassadorship. What a lovely term. Miss Mich has a private fantasy (one of many obvi..) of being the ultimate Ambassador. I am giving the title a Capital letter, I think it is deserving. As much as I do not like to share (sticky fingers in the chip packet..), we are all capable of being Ambassadors, not necessarily worthy, but capable none the less. We should all share the love. Start spreadin' the news, jungle drums, do you get my drift?

If something is good, share the information, if someone mixes a good cocktail, tell them you appreciate it and tip them well.

As a result of my sterling national service I am going for diplomatic immunity and free first class travel wherever I please...

Enjoy hump day.

Love Miss Mich

Zen and the Art of Personal Maintenance

Dear hearts,

Further to that busy weekend, I would like to share with you my thoughts on personal maintenance.

After a hard week selling pens, one of the things I look forward to almost as much as sport and that first gin and tonic, is my weekly manicure. Once a month I do the lot and have a mani/pedi. I realise this sounds like I'm spending time with a pscychotic child fancier (and we must blame the Americans for the abbreviation, as well as most acts of grammatical sabotage), but it is, as a friend suggested, the equivalent of having a small village attend to one. And I must say, I enjoy it.

My hands are kept busy, my feet are being attended to and I am able to comtemplate...Yes, this is the zen part of the experience. I cannot text, speak ( the girls respect my zen like countenance and think I am either in a coma or just plain sleeping) or gesticulate, even though I would really, really love someone to go and buy me a decent coffee. And they would, I know because they love Miss Mich, but there is no decent coffee to be had on the central northern beaches...sigh..

So I am forced to think. It is this down time that can lead to posssible subjects of discourse right here, dear hearts. Although more likely it is more about what to wear if one is going out, what those bright young dreadful daughters might be up to as we mani/pedi or how we are going to survive this disturbing GFC.

As my feet bubble away in the bright blue whirlpool below me and my hands are massaged, I come to the conclusion that I am doing exactly as K Rudd would want. I am stimulating the economy. I am taking time out to think about the best way I can keep the cash moving. I am nurturing myself and the my gorgeous girls who laugh at my Australianness and tell me about Vietnam and Laos. We laugh about babies, holidays, the bright young things at the cottage and our family experiences.

I'm not very fluent in Viet and they not so in English, but in a very zen way we speak exactly the same language - laughter and friendship.

Enjoy Monday.

Love Mich

Easy on Sunday Morning

Miss Mich has had a very busy weekend so far..and it's only Sunday morning.

I write this with a surprisingly clear head. The muse in the bottle stayed home even though Miss Mich went out.

The bright young things all gathered here at the Cottage to prepare for yet another 18 year olds' night on the town. Whilst most were straightening hair, swapping skirts and shoes, the most industrious were preparing the "Punch". I am forced to use inverted comma's for the simple reason that I use the term so loosely. Nothing Pimms, aftternoon tea and cucumber sandwiches about this bucket-o-goon. Oh no. Two for one bottles of South African "wine" (nothing of the Stellenbocsh here either), tropical juice in a concentrated carton and red bull if you don't mind.

Presented stylishly in a large aluminium mixing bowl, and served with a soup ladle into tea cups...I declined...obvi.

They all ended up looking 22 and terrifying me in their high hair and high heels as they tottered off to the bus stop, another successful night in town on the way.

With the children out of the way mother of the year tottered out the door herself for an evening of sport...

Enjoy the sabbath (black if you choose, me I prefer Mettalica)

Love Mich

The Sad Loss of Sentimentality

Dear hearts,

It is with sadness that I must share with you the loss of sentimentality in Miss Mich. I can't find it. And I have looked everywhere.

I'm thinking of putting up signs on telegraph poles, maybe taking out an ad in the classifieds..

Compassion is still there inside and last time I checked there is some empathy still unused on the shelf in the back of the cupboard that is my beating heart..

I am pretty much stocked up on enthusiasm, as evidenced by my love of sport (both types) and curiosity is the bully that takes up a lot of shelves, often pushing away the quiet achiever that is introspection, but that is only because my favourite naughty child - denial - is so demanding. My best friend (one of many as I have said), Sha ron (pronounced with a french accent and grav on top), likes to organise "weekends of denial" where she and I drink outrageously coloured daquiries for breakfast and lie around resort pools toasting " the happy people". In our dark and twisted hearts, we do not wish them well...I'll have to say a few Hail Mary's to get out of that one...

So what to do? 

I could spend a weekend watching syrupy movies like...dirty dancing or that one with Shirley McLaine and the daughter... Its obvi I'm not very good at this...

No, I think I am just going to learn to live without sentimentality for the moment. Until then I think I will just have to make do with Margaritas by the pool. Maybe after three or four I might clean out the cupboard...I think I remember seeing a small box up on the top shelf, right at the back...

Enjoy Thursday.

Love Mich

The Yin and Yang of Tennis

Good morning dear hearts,

I love tennis. It is my second favourite sport. There are a few of you out there who know what my most favourite sport is, but for the rest of you.. all will be revealed as we get to know each other better.

I run around that court like a blue heeler onto his own much loved tennis ball. I would like to think I look a little more elegant than a blue heeler... my best friend, (of which I have several), Miss Mellie, describes me as a golden retriever, but the truth of the matter is that on the inside I am that blue heeler..one more set, one more game..

But to the yin and the yang of tennis.

My coach understands me well enough to know how to balance my yin on top of my yang. No mean feat when I'm trying to serve.

There is the blue heeler part of me that just wants to whack that ball sooo hard I end up playing on the court in the next town. Excellent anger management therapy. Then there is the laconic Isadora Duncan side of me that justs wants to look good in a little white skirt and long flowing scarf making fairy steps to the ball, a pirouette and flourish at the end as I elegantly tap the ball over the net on my way to tea..

These two bed fellows do not a good tennis player make..as my coach says..the only thing holding you back is what is between your ears...(or the scarf in the case of the Isadora Duncan part of me).

Sports Pychology. I love it. I am working on myself. The blue Heeler and Isadora must come together in some kind of Sharipova grunt to make me Mixed Doubles material, and no I'm not talking mixed double vodkas. Although a refreshing beverage after a hard session on the court is really just the thing. And isn't that what Doubles is all about? Hit and a giggle..

Enjoy Wednesday.

Love Mich

Monday Morningitis

Good morning,

Yes it's Monday (obvi..) and we are all feeling a little peaky, so I won't drone on about trying to find something to wear to work. You should have had that sorted last night, but thats your disorganisation..Wardrobe Manangement 101 is coming, never fear, but never on a Monday Morning..

So a simple thought to get you through until you can have wine with lunch and pretend it's with a client...

Less is More (as Mies Van Der Rohe is said to have said). So take off those jangly bangles and that synthetic animal print scarf, you are not on an African Verushka safari now...

Enjoy Monday the best way you can.

Love Mich