It's all about Balance! (and a bit of Magda!)

Ah, an autumnal Sunday arv in Mallacoota…. I truly am in paradise. Basil and I watched rainbow lorikeets, galahs and crimson rosellas jockeying for position on the bird feeder this arv. We sat in beautiful afternoon warmth and sunshine; me with my glass of red, Basil with his dreams of birds, and all was well with the world.

Pardon me while I trip off into whacko territory for a moment.

I’ve been saying for ages that there’s something magical about Mallacoota – and now that I live here, I know what some of it is. You can’t turn around without bumping into a muso/artist/writer! This place is dripping with creative energy, and perhaps that’s what attracted me (apart from the tree-huggin’ hippie greenie lifestyle to which I aspire!)

It’s a balancing act, though. Before I did my tree-huggin’, bird-watchin’ thing this arv, I spent a couple of hours cleaning a particularly grotty oven in a holiday house, and trying to determine which of the bits of bed-linen in the linen box were actually clean, and which had been conveniently stashed in there after the last tenants’ stripping of the beds. Erk!!!

Gosh! The things people leave behind!

I’ve decided this balance is extremely good for me. Balance, I think, is everything. It’s what I could never achieve while I was teaching at my last school.

Since I’ve actually found a balance of sorts relatively achievable, guess what? I’ve started writing again! A writing exercise at a meeting of the reformed Mallacoota Writers’ Group got me all inspired (thanks Rachel!)

Last week, when Kate the Tetris Queen was down for Easter, we went to the open mic at Lucy’s Noodles, and bugger me if the wonderful Magda Szubanski wasn’t there!!! She got up for a bit of a sing, and I can report she has a fab voice. She also graciously had a photo taken with my Kate, which confirmed Magda's goddess status for me :-)

'Wow, she looks just like Magda Szubanski', we said - and then she got up to sing and we all went 'Oops!'

Magda & Kate - look, they're the same height!!!!! Tee hee!!!! We love you Magda :-)

Another performer at the open mic was Justin Brady (Things of Stone and Wood) who has a place here (of course, why wouldn’t he?) – and he was one of the headliners at the following night’s gig in support of Bastion Point that Kate and I went to (you may or may not see us on the video that may or may not be put onto YouTube soon!!!) In the meantime, have a look at this :-) (Thanks Julie Parker)

Last night I went to a performance of ‘Father Knows Best’ by a local drama group, and had a hoot of a time! The local police sergeant's performance as Mr Sheen, Louie the Fly and a peculiar minister reading the lesson of Little Bo Peep were absolutely splendid!  He had great comic timing. (note to self - remember that in case you're ever pulled over! ha ha)

As I looked around the Muddie (the Mudbrick Pavilion, a sort of all-purpose community hall) at the assembled audience, I was staggered to realise that I am on ‘hello *first name*’ terms with about 8 percent of them and on ‘hello *hug*’ terms with perhaps 1 percent! Far out!!!

Life is just so amazingly fabularse! So…. What’s coming up soon?

(1)   Panic over end of tourist season and drying up of income source

(2)   Frantic noisemaking at school to tell them how wonderful I am and to encourage them to hire me as a relief teacher NOW!

(3)   A ride to Bairnsdale to sort out my driver’s licence - PIglet will be so happy to be dragged out of the shed!

(4)   The building of Basil’s Cat Palace!!!! This is the most looked-forward-to event of the season, peeps! Tomorrow, Henry and Phillip from Secure-A-Cat will be here to make my Basil a fabulously palatial playground. I’m so excited! Watch this space for pics…