On the day he was born I wrote with this picture and said “This is Paterson and he is made of magic.”

The words of a proud, optimistic and ignorant new father. It’s a kind of magic when a baby arrives and it seemed completely amazing to me. I did not know what was coming up.


This week he turned five. His arms are longer and he can count backwards from 10 - “that’s how you know you’re a year older”. He has produced all kinds of magical moments over the years, tonight for example he ‘sent’ messages (drawing with his fingers in the droplets on a the shower screen) to some friends who came to his party. Oh, thank you very much for coming, I loved my party.


He’s big and wilful, he makes jokes and sometimes storms around banging things for affect. But this is Paterson, and he is made of magic.

This weekend we formally welcomed Lion Elizabeth into our community. We did this by gathering for food and invented ritual.


On a windy afternoon in a local park, a place of abundance, we went for it. We named her two Padriṉos, Anna and Pete, who will travel with her as special people to share in her life. We discussed her words: Brave and Fierce. We highlighted two women who lend her their names, Lena, her brave grandmother and Liz White our fierce friend.


People in our community who could be there yesterday also wrote wishes and wisdom which were pinned up around the space, words for her to read in the future and that symbolise her inclusion as part of a larger group located in this place and time. We sang together and welcomed a child into the community of friends and family.


We’re very grateful to those who could come, and for the extended connections with people here and abroad.


Welcome Lion.

I just survived a game of animal tile memory that involved tears, yelling, 3 complete abandonments of the table and 1 (almost) five year old.


The situation was completely untenable on more than one occasion as rules were folded and losses taken very badly. There were lessons for all players about the relationship between winning, fun and losing.


It made me think about young people born into positions of great power. Caligula, Nero and Commodus mainly. Those guys all grew up knowing that one they day they were going to hold absolute power over the people and happenings around them. Importantly all the adults around them knew that too. How often do children hear no? I wonder how much of a factor in the growth, character and decisions as adults this is?

It does seem important to be understanding and patient with children, clearly though there is a way to be too tolerant.

I wonder if Nero ever lost a game of animal tile memory?

It takes a special type of courage to plan an outdoor wedding with a black tie dress code. Powerful fortitude is required to stick to the plan while the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts an established La Niṉa pattern (increased rainfall) for the region. And then when the rains fall all week, and the wedding is happening on the sloping lawn meters from the beautiful cream rugs of your lovely home, you’ve got to find the steel in your heart and then hope.


Perhaps. Maybe in reality, it’s all just part of the excitement.


Yesterday I watched a bride and groom smile their way through an outdoor wedding as rain rolled over the hill, occluded the sun and prompted umbrellas to sprout like mushrooms across the seated guests. The happy couple though seemed to repel the rain effortlessly. There was not a shriek, shout or shirk, and when the celebrant lowered the microphone and asked the question, “push on” was the confident reply.


We pushed on. The rain fell. Each person’s umbrella effectively kept the rain from their own head while guiding it directly onto their neighbours shoulder or into their handbag.


This was not a disaster, in contrast it simply created a launch pad of adversity that seemed to propel the joy of the day even higher. The sun came out, rings sparkled in response and everybody clapped and cheered.


Courage and confidence served yesterday and the black tie wedding on a muddy hill was a triumph.