Family Gathering

From tiny acorns seasoned with kindred spirit mighty pigs grow, writes PAULETTE WHITNEY.

- Paulette Whitney

Some birthdays are better than others. It may rain, dinner may be middling, or the weight of passing years can make you feel more like staying in bed than venturing out. But sometimes the stars align and the alchemy of friends, food and the optimum level of tipsiness lead you to feel that you’re ripening quite nicely, rather than withering on the vine.

I’ve had good nights belting out incredibly witty raps comparing my friends to vegetables. I’ve enjoyed beach holidays watching my kids catch their first fish, and I’ve contentedly stayed home and eaten Mum’s Indian leg of lamb – the birthday dinner of choice in my family. But the year of the acorn sticks fast in my memory – an evening where spontaneity, family, food and escapades of questionable legality took place.