Fifteen years ago today, my beautiful son Angus Harpo was born. I have often found that there is a cold dip in the weather on his birthday. November is always like that, four seasons in a month. November is also the month of Jacaranda blooming.

Jacaranda trees have always made me happy. They raise even the most prosaic neighbourhood into the realm of beauty when they are in full bloom. And for the last fifteen years those magical purple flowers have been synonymous with my boy. I used to tell him when he was little that the Jacaranda tree was his birthday tree and he would know that his birthday was coming up whenever he saw the purple flowers arrive. Of course he outgrew that long before I did. But in my mind, the Jacaranda tree will always be the Birthday Tree for all November babies. Happy Birthday Scorpios!