To Ummi!

My blog is one year old today!

I’m not sure of the purpose or point, it’s mostly a record/diary for me & for my (few lovely) readers some photos of my beautiful family. One favourite friend commented “it’s like I’ve just had a good conversation with you”.  My goal as I go on is to keep searching for the authentic ‘me’.  I bore myself at times so thanks for reading.

CJ & his cousin back in New Zealand

Darling MC

**peace**

Thursday is the last day of the working week, and our regular play- date at home.  It’s an open house for our friends to visit.  It’s been too hot to play outside after 10am, so for the last few months its been indoor play.  Sometimes we do an activity like play dough or baking.  Here are some photos from last Thursday, “stepping stones” is what is being played, and the kids baked the most delicious scones for morning tea.

stepping stones

sweet as pie

LIONS!

There is something magic about yoga. One hour or so completely to myself, to connect with my body & keep my mind inside my body. Yoga gives me the energy I need, and sets me up, for the week.

We had MC’s placenta ceremony today.  It was lovely, with a few special friends.  Her whenua went out into the gulf, at the public beach, far side of the palace.  Here are the 2 poems I read for her.  We also had a psalm read by my friend (& doula at M’s birth).

Charge to the Child – Joy Harjo

Remember the sky that you were born under,

Know each of the stars stories.

Remember the moon, know who she is.

Remember the sun’s birth at dawn that is the

Strongest point of time. Remember sundown

And the giving away to night.

Remember your birth, how your mother struggled

To give you form and breathe. You are evidence of

Her life, and her mother’s and hers.

Remember your father. He is your life also.

Remember the earth whose skin you are:

Red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth

Brown earth, we are earth.

Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their

Tribes, their families, their histories too. Talk to them,

Listen to them. They are alive poems.

Remember the wind. Remember her voice.

She knows the origin of this universe.

And that this universe is you.

Remember that all is in motion, is growing, is you.

Remember that language comes from this.
Remember the dance that language is, that life is.

Remember.

Te Whenua Ki Te whenua – Roma Potiki

I am an important being.

I am a treasure, a sacred woman,

tapu, as all woman are

and noa also.

I labour in many ways -

whole iwi pass through my hands.

Your father massages my body,

his touch reaching down below my skin.

The last small ripples of your arrival shake me softly.

I rest quietly now as your fleshy nurture is returned.

All births are virgin, blood spilt on the ground.

There is no separation. The intellect and the body are one.

The body and the land are one. there is no separation.

Te whenua ki te whenua.

A rung to the sky, the birds are released, heralds of an old promise.

It was thinking about it being 2 years since we left when I remembered A & I had missed our anniversary.  It made us laugh.  Marriage is something I never wanted & ours was a marriage of convenience, a requirement of coming here.  Un married couples do live together illegally but if you fall pregnant & are not married you need to get out before you are found out!  We were planning MC so we signed to be married on January 10th.  Happy Anniversary A!