Saturday, May 26, 2012

ma-na-ma-na

I loved The Muppet Show as a kid. But when I heard about the new Muppet movie, I confess my first thoughts began with the words ''I'd rather bleed to death''. Fast-forward to this afternoon, two-thirds into a fairly shitty day from my perspective and not much hope of it improving. Three clicks of the Apple TV remote later, the girls were entranced. I have to admit I avoided the first two-thirds, apart from the opening which gave me the general gist and enough cheesy musical numbers to see me through. But what I did catch turned out to be quite the therapy session.
Imagine my horror to find that one of the muppets to get a gig in this new movie is the very same muppet that caused some of my childhood's most horrific nightmares. It was a blue dragon, and I didn't know its name at the time but apparently it was Uncle Deadly. That's right, Uncle. Deadly. Quite pleased I didn't have that dimension added to my six-year-old fears. I recall he was in an episode of The Muppet Show with Vincent Price (again, what were they thinking?) and as Wikipedia tells it, he only made a couple of appearances in the show's history. So why, oh why, did they have to bring him back in 2012 to scare the shit out of me and possibly my children?
But then, the magic of the muppets came back to me too. When they're back in the theatre and the curtain rises on all the little arches .. it's time to put on make-up, it's time to dress up right .. I just felt really inexplicably happy. Like I did as a child when that music started at the same time every week. There was something very comforting about it. Throw in Kermit, a riverbank log and a reprise of Rainbow Connection and I was ready to give Jason Segel an Academy Award.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

the route of the problem

Driving home yesterday along the Pacific Highway after a long but lovely day, there came a question without notice from the back seat.
"Mum,'' said the serious voice.
"Where is U Turn Bay?''
As I drove on, marvelling at the clarity and innocence of the nine-year-old mind, I wondered. Where is U Turn Bay? And how on earth do you get there?

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

come sunday



There is one member of this household who is always overjoyed simply to be in my presence. When I go outside to hang out the washing, he sits beside me and just adores everything I do. Can't take his great big eyes off me. He never asks me for anything, never yells or sulks or demands to know where his pyjamas/favourite socks/pointless toy is. Never has to be reminded to say please or thankyou. Or to flush the toilet. Or to hang his towel up after his bath. When he's hungry (all the time), he will eat anything you give him and it will be the most remarkably delicious thing he has ever eaten. In his whole life. Some days I just really need that. And I was thinking yesterday, as I hung out the washing and my beautiful boy Sunday sat smiling up at me, I know what every mother should have this Mother's Day. Every mother needs a dog. They just make the bad days better.