Autumn Equinox and Trying To Be Normal
Hello!
Me and my rambling monologue here again. (Please note if you scroll down you’ll get to books in bold and you can just skip the first few paragraphs entirely!)
I keep sitting down and thinking right, just do a normal blog post but then the other part of my brain that is in a perpetual state of grief, terror and anger at the world says what’s the point? And how dare I? How can I write about nice things when we seem to be sleepwalking into a very dark time indeed… (see - you go to Amazon, buy a book, done. You come here and not only can you buy a book, you can also read blogs from the dark depths of my anxiety riddled brain! You just don’t get those kind of perks on Amazon!)
So. I’m going to try and do a nice, normal blog despite my screaming brain. Well. Nice-ish and normal-ish…
Today is the Autumn Equinox. The Earth's axis lies perpendicular to the Sun, making day and night nearly equal in length. It’s also starting to feel more like Autumn. A chill in the air and the trees are starting to wear their A/W collection. I have some mixed emotions about this time of year. On one hand, it’s probably my favourite season. I love when the woolly hats and chunky knits can be worn again. I love the colours - especially on those crisp, clear sunny days when the trees compliment the blue sky with their vibrant orange and red leaves. Shiny conkers, red berries and colourful leaves adorn the ground. You can decorate your house with various gourds and beeswax candles. It all just feels cosy. On the other hand, it’s coming up to the anniversary of my Dad dying. It’ll be 20 years this year. Which I am finding difficult to comprehend and have found myself giving in to tears a bit more lately when I think about him. I remember watching a tree outside his hospital room window change colour during the 11 weeks he was there. And the day he died was one of those beautiful aforementioned blue sky autumn days. And then two days later it’s my birthday. So yeah. It’s a yin and yang season for me.
I do love a pumpkin patch though. They feel so wholesome. We’ve been to a few in Scotland. One of my favourites is at Balgone Estate near North Berwick. Not only is there a HUGE selection of pumpkins, they have a haunted (but not too spooky!) trail around the lake, local food and drink vendors and some extra treats like toasting marshmallows at the Crooked Cauldron. This year we are going on what has come to be known as “Dead Dad Day”. My mum and I decided on the first anniversary of his death we would do something together, something that Dad might like and also to try and not spend the day crying (as he would’ve definitely not liked that!) And then it stuck. It became a wee tradition. Except now my wee family is involved too so the activities have to be more child friendly! But Dad would approve of that. Being a big kid himself! So for this wholesome activity is a wholesome book pick - “Pick a Pumpkin” by Patricia Toht and Jarvis. It’s part of a series but this is a particular favourite. Perhaps a decade or so ago it might have seemed very American, but the explosion of Scottish pumpkin patches means it is more relatable to children in this neck of the woods now. (And on the theme of death…. We have books for that too under Tricky Topics To Talk About)
“Tumshie the Forgotten Halloween Turnip Lantern” by fellow Scot, Mark Mechan, is another favourite in our house - especially at this time of year. A dad and son discuss Scottish Halloween traditions - comparing them to the more modern, Americanised Trick or Treating. You can reminisce about the good old days of guisin’, having to do a “wee turn” for a bag of monkey nuts, dookin’ for apples and wee turnip “Tumshie” lanterns plus there’s a bit of Rabbie Burns added in for good measure. I remember my Grandpa telling me the story of Tam o’ Shanter in all its terrifying detail when we visited Brig o’ Doon out on a “wee run in the car”. I couldn’t look at the kirk for fear of what I might see. My daughter is of a similar sensitivity level so she knows full well Tam was just drunk and hallucinating! He must’ve been…right?
I need no excuse for a trip to the East Neuk of Fife and going for a walk through Cambo Gardens, their woodlands and down to the beach at Kingsbarns is another autumn highlight. All the better if it’s accompanied by a hot spiced apple juice from Cambo’s cafe (they press their own apples! The apple scones are also a delight!) Another favourite place is The Hermitage at Dunkeld. It’s just magical in orange. Originally designed as a “pleasure ground” in the 18th century for the Dukes of Atholl it is now kept by the National Trust for Scotland (in my opinion the best use of £12.05 a month for a family membership, we use it loads!) we are heading up next week and hoping to see salmon leaping - although think we might be there at the wrong time of day. Even without the salmon it’s pretty wonderful though. Book wise If you’re looking for some autumnal-nature-cosy-vibes try ‘Autumn with Frog and Toad’ by the late, great Arnold Lobel. Be warned that the original stories don’t have quite the same happy endings as the Apple cartoon series, the books show a slightly more complicated relationship between these two amphibious soulmates!
Right I am going to stop rambling now before I ruin this relatively normal book blog!
A few more books and places…
For a showstopper pop-up picture book: ‘Leaves’ by Yoojin Kim, Lindsay Dale-Scott and Janet Lawler.
For early readers: “Wands Away!” By Emma Farrarons
For family fun on the farm: Pumpkin & Play Sessions throughout October at Monty’s Farm Park, Cardross
For Folklore frights: “The Skull” by Jon Klassen (not for the easily frightened!)
For Halloween Party Planning: “My First Halloween Cook Book” by David Atherton and Jess Rose
For family fun at a museum: Andy Goldsworthy | Fifty Years exhibition at Royal Scottish Academy - The Mound, Edinburgh
For interactive reads: “There Are Monsters In My Room” by Fanny Pageaud
For older readers: “A World Full of Spooky Stories” by Angela McAllister & Madalina Andronic (not for the easily frightened!)
For family fun in Nature: NTS’s Geilston Gardens Halloween Trail with arts & crafts on October 25th & 26th and Forest Family(1-7yrs) or Wild at Mugdock (8-12yrs) sessions at Mugdock Country Park throughout autumn.
For haunted histories: “The Book of Frights for Spooky Nights” by by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe & Eva Sánchez Gómez (not for the easily frightened!)
For unique illustrations and format: “There’s A Ghost In This House” by Oliver Jeffers (my little girl loves this book, I love it too but do think there’s something slightly unsettling about it so beware if your wee one is super sensitive to scariness - I’m a big fearty!)
For adorable spectres: “The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt” by Riel Nason & Byron Eggenschwiler and “Gustavo the Shy Ghost” by Flavia Z Drago.
For autumnal settings: “The Girl Who Noticed Everything” by Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring
For funny not frightening: “Sir Simon Super Scarer” by Cale Atkinson and “Colin’s Castle” by Holly Swain.
