"So, so, sew your pants up" - as Didee Louisecake would say..and in the grand tradition of Julie Andrews: Lets start at the very beginning, its a very good place to start:
No. 6 - Fly in a Wakarererangi/Plane. Now does this mean actually fly the wakarererangi? hmm... Today I'll take it as literally "to fly IN a wakarererangi" - of which I happened to do many times since January 2014. I flew to Auckland for a super fast 24hr mihana in April of 2014, and in the winter of 2014 I hightailed it to Lake Hawea in Te Wai Pounamu/The South Island (four wakarererangi in total - one being delayed due to thankfully having to be sprayed down with defrosting orange stuff), and then of course April this very year to the Gold Coast with one of my favourite human beings...
No. 11 - Plant an orchard of fruit trees. Although I did nail this mihana by becoming the kaitiaki of a beautiful piece of Mangaweka land in August 2013, which already nourished a good number of fruit trees, I have since planted a Mulberry tree, a black boy peach tree, a pear tree, harakeke and a good number of eucalyptus trees..
No. 16 - Buy a print of the 1590 painting "The Green Lady" by Vladimir Tretchikoff. After a relatively easy amount of bargaining in a secondhand shop in Taihape, this particular print now graces my 'Wahine Wall'..
"The Chinese Girl (popularly known as The Green Lady) from 1953 is one of the worlds most popular paintings due to it being massively reproduced in the 50's and 60's. This painting is well known for the unusual skin tone used for her face - a blue-green colour which leads to its popular name, 'The Green Lady". According to the artist, Vladimir Tretchikoff, the original was destroyed in Cape Town even though controversially there is no proof that such an event occurred.."
No. 17 - Leap about in a puddle. This was accomplished with much belly crippling laughter at the Byron Bay Blues Festival while trying to make my way to the exit in the darkened rain - wrapped up in a disposable poncho if I may add... A young lass happened to accidentally splash her way through a puddle, and instead of flipping my wig which I believe would have been an easy thing to do, I purposefully proceeded to leap myself to oblivion in my gumbooted feet and completely saturate her while she continued to wonderfully join me in a good ole fashioned 'puddle drenching' mihana! Not one word was spoken, but laughter near done bought us both to our knees and we departed after an awhi/hug and my new tablecloth skirt will never be the same again...
No. 24 - Learn to play barre chords on the guitar. I loved this mihana and its continuing evolution! Ole mate Dave, founder of GOLDBEARD GUITARS in Wellington, Aotearoa, patiently gave me a spontaneous 90 minute lesson, and lo and behold the world of guitar playing opened right up within my fingers! Who ever knew I could play an 'A' three diversely different ways!? I love this good bloke - go forth and make a guitar with him..
No.32 - Make Snow Angels.. Backing the truck up to July 2013, the time of Takurua hūpē nui/Winter - beautiful spontaneous mihana with a beautiful wahine to the snow collected on the Desert Road which involved snow angels, planking, bootless ukulele playing, and a beautiful koru sculpture.. and some gorgeous bone chilling coldness indeed!No. 34 - Teach Kapahaka to the Tamariki.. Oh if only I could post a video clip! But with confidentiality and all, one must endeavour to keep our wee ones safe... Kapahaka professionals the tamariki and kaiako of Taihape Kindy are becoming, and they honestly bring me to tears with their passion and hearing little snippets of waiata floating about the kindy as tamariki go about their daily mihana xo.
No. 35 - Get my very first tattoo.. and in March of 2015 this did occur; with a korero shared just recently reiterating that 'Yes, as human beings we do reach an age where we feel our stories need to be told...' whether that be orally, written or in an art form, or any form really.. My story has indeed begun..
No. 36 - Find out my blood type... A+...
No. 38 - Chuck out or donate clothes I do not wear.. An ongoing mihana that is both satisfying and challenging in the sense of will I.. or won't I.. or who would like this? grrr.... as was once said "if in doubt, chuck it out"..
No. 46 - Host a Mad Hatter's Tea Party... and holy toletto what a tea party it was!!? My one year anniversary of kaitiakitanga of this beautiful land in Mangaweka, without skipping a beat one must add, turned into a gathering of unique individuals and the grandness of "Heavy Folkin Metal" bringing the barn down with their musical geniusness and generosity; even while being electrocuted by the power chords shorting out in the persistent rain.. I do recall a moment of suddenly pausing upon my front porch watching many Mad Hatterer's dancing their beejeebers off in the full swing of magical Madness and feeling ridiculously satisfied and loved..
No. 49 - Make My Own Deodorant.. Yes, yes indeed with organic coconut oil, some powder that starts with 'A' whose name evades me right now, and tea tree oil and lavender.. Although I now commandeer my deodorant from the legendary lass of WAIREKA ROAD NATURAL PRODUCTS - a true inspiring genius indeed..
No. 53 - Celebrate Matariki.. Of course! Why wouldn't you? This has become a annual tradition in our kindy for tamariki, whānau and kaiako alike..'Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as Pleidaes. Matariki rises in mid-winter and heralds the start of a new year. Matariki literally means the 'eyes of God' (mata ariki) or 'little eyes' (mata riki).
No. 54 - Star Gaze at the Ward Observatory in Whanganui.. Having never been there before, I literally leapt at the opportunity in May of 2013 as part of the birthday celebrations of a marvellous mama... Spell binding stuff this ole star gazing mihana and I even got to spy Jupiter.. or was it Saturn? Mars?.. hmm.. looked like a glow in the dark sticker on your bedroom roof that the interior painter painted over instead of carefully peeling off..
... and the last mihana of the day (although there are more to tick off) as there are lawns to mow, sewing to conquer and the ironing of a crochet heart bunting.... all the while officially on holiday if I may say so myself - of which I actually can because these are my ramblings, ramblings which belong undoubtedly to me...
No. 61 - Encourage someone else to write a 101 mihana list.. Now this very point inspired me to finally revisit my own list today as I shared korero with a wonderful wahine whom I have at least one toe on the same waka with - a storytelling wahine who indeed makes me laugh until I burst in one moment only to bring tears to my karu come the next... She is off to courageously compile her very own list of 101 mihana before the sun sets on this yearningful year....
GO forth and prosper human beings..
Latin of the Day:
"Respirare populus spirant.."
(Breathe people, breathe..)
