Out of all the things that I love about living here in the Highlands my very favourite thing, hands down, would be the weather. The seasons. How I know that winter is coming because the daphne starts to bud and the hellebores flower. When the clematis and wisteria is out around the house it’s October, when the star jasmine blooms with thousands of white flowers it’s almost Christmas, when the trees in the main street turn red, it’s March and Easter is here.
Oh it just does your heart good beating to the drum of the seasons and we are very lucky to be able to enjoy it so well here. I was excited to get an email recently from a local Mum Rachel, who went and wrote a Childrens Book: Wish Soup and other seasonal tales. As she writes, “Wish Soup began one morning in the garden, as I watched my daughter busily collecting dandelion clocks from the grass. She retrieved an old saucepan from the sandpit to hold them, as well as a myriad of leaves, flowers and herbs. I watched with curiosity, as she filled it with water from the tap, and I asked what she was making. “It’s Wish Soup Mummy”, came the reply. And so the magical journey began.
Wish Soup is a collection of 12 seasonal tales for children of all ages. Filled with adventure, magic and a reverence for nature, the stories take the readers on a journey of discovery. Illustrated by Rachel’s friend Jo Lory, it’s really such a sweet book that all kids will enjoy. And it’s from a local! And a working Mum!
And lucky for you guys…I have a copy to give-away!
Just leave me a comment below telling me about your favourite season and you’ll be in with a chance to win a copy worth $29.95. Giveaway ends Sunday night 14th February 2016 9pm AEST. Open to Australian residents only, you can read the rest of the T&C’s here.
You can also buy the books directly and read some more about it online here.
So tell me, what’s your favourite season?
Mine? Autumn. Every time.
Living in Brisbane we don’t really get seasons – just hot and hotter. However we have a large maple tree on our street that indicates the time of year beautifully. That tree alone has taught all three of my kids how to see the seasons changing and appreciate all that nature has to offer. I LOVE the squeals of delight from my kids when they see the first leaf changing colour, so I’d have to say Autumn wins very time ??
What a beautiful looking book. Is it s sizable at Bowral books? I would like to see it’s suitability for my daughters’ ages before I buy
Hi Sam,
The book is available at The Moosehub, Lemon Zebra Kids and Equilibrium Natural Collections in Bowral 🙂
Growing up my favourite season was Summer. For the same reason every kid loves Summer, including my two poppets!
But now, it’s definitely Autumn.
Living in Adelaide, the warm weather tends to linger on a bit into Autumn. Just enough for my birthday in late March to warrant a Sunday afternoon session at the local with the girls.
But as the weather starts to turn cold… I LOVE the first time the heater is turned on. That smell of gas central heating being switched on for the first time can’t be beat! The slow cooker can come out in all it’s glory and there is no more sweat mustache when blow drying your hair! And becuase Easter.
Autumn for the win.
What a beautiful place you live in Beth, and love the look of the Wish Soup Book, so sweet.
My favourite season is Autumn, I live in Ballarat in Victoria and it does know how to put on a really good Autumn!
The stunning trees lining the streets go all kinds of amazing colours and I’m often driving along taking photos in my mind and pinching myself at how gorgeous it all is.
I love the crisp air and the start of cosy nights and days inside and lots of cuppas!
Bring on Autumn….
yes beth, I too love the changing of the seasons!
every autumn we have to get dressed up in our “European clothes” to do our hills trip!
which means harndorf, with everything german! … and to see and walk in the beautiful autumn leaves!
btw loving those hellebores! … used to grow them but not much luck here near the sea!
much love m:)X
Definitely Autumn – it brings you closest to nature. The saturation of colour in the trees, and the blue, sunny sky leading to cooler nights that are perfect for snuggling up and enjoying comfort food.
Autumn for sure. Before it gets humid in Sydney, everyone is getting outside and basking in the sunshine. Love it.
I agree. Autumn. There’s a change in the air – I can’t even describe it but it makes me so joyful and reminds me of so many Easter holidays with family – and the weather is mild and it means my birthday is coming. So many fond Autumn memories.
My favourite season is ‘almost autumn’, that day (or days) when you can feel it in the early morn, smell it on the breeze. The promise of the lovely respite from the harsh Australian summer – that’s the season (sub season if you like). The super keen trees have contemplated dropping their leaves at this time and their colours are very slightly shifting. Just that hint of change. That’s the best.
Having been brought up in terrible heat, now that I am of the “older” generation (yikes) I now love anything cool. So bring on a change from this dreadful heatwave we are having here that seems to get longer and hotter each year. I too love Autumn…the sky, the trees, that little slight chill in the air. But I do also enjoy spring with it’s fresh new attitude and signs of new growth. This book would be delightful to add to my collection and read to the grandchildren.
Definitely Spring ,especially the days we get a late heavy frost and it turns into a sunshiny day with fluffy clouds and some warmth in the sun,I love the light in spring it’s so pretty!
Up until last week I would have said Summer, however at 30 weeks pregnant and the little mini heat wave we had in Northern NSW last week, Summer and I are no longer friends. So I am now looking forward to Autumn and envisaging cool mornings in the backyard under the beautiful maple tree with my little girl and newborn baby sitting all snug amongst the carpet of leaves.
I guess it is Spring – especially October in Brisbane. There is this bird that makes this call – I dont know what type of bird it is but I just know it reminds me that spring is here and of my childhood. Childhood memories that Spring allows the local swimming pool to open and that freisa are about to bloom and smell devine and the blanket of purple from the Jacarranda. The warmth in the air you can smell it, yet cool enough to sleep.
What a delightful looking book.
Living in Tasmania we get all the seasons in their glory. But I don’t think I have a favourite. Summer is wonderful – fresh apricots, green gages and plumbs on the trees, all the windows and doors open and delicious evenings on the deck with a cheeky wine or 2. Autumn with the leaves changing to magical colours and then falling. Winter our view increases of the snow capped mountains past the naked trees, the warmth of the morning sun through the bedroom windows with the crisp cool air beyond and the flavours of winter comfort food. And then there is Spring. The cherry blossom first, the apricots (the more blossom the more fruit to come) then apples too. Oh and the daffodils. Every season is just as wonderful as the last for me.
Beth I hope your little family is on the mend soon. Xx
Congrats Jane! You are the winner of the book! Can you shoot me an email with your contact details so I can arrange to get the book sent out to you? Thanks so much! x
Winter, most definitely winter. I can pop some jeans on, a lovely warm cosy jumper and a beautiful accessory of a scarf… Sadly here in Brisbane we don’t really experience winter. So my next favourite is spring- i have 2 spring babies. We warm up, get beautiful sunny days and everyone is happy to be celebrating this wonderful life of ours.
We are also very lucky to have four distinct seasons where we live and because of this I can choose Autumn as my favourite time of the year. I love the cooler mornings and evenings, still warm days that you can enjoy being out in the sun. The spectacular colours that arrive in March, the fall in April and a crunch underfoot in May. Throwing extra blankets on the beds, slow cooking, and (more) red wine drinking. The best.
I have two favourite seasons: Autumn and Spring. They are my favourite because these are the seasons during which each of my two children were born.
My first child was born in Spring and every year as the September winds blow in and I can feel the days starting to get a little longer I am reminded of that magical time in my life when I became a mother.
My second child was born in Autumn only a few days after my own birthday. Each year in May as I can feel the wind start to get fresh and the nights crisp I am taken back to the crazy heady days of welcoming a second child into our family and becoming a mother of two.
Spring time for me…. I feel like I start to defrost from the chilly Adelaide winter. Our fruit trees branches are colored with frilly pink blossoms, the garden awakes and starts to fatten up with greenery and buds bursting on bushes. The bees arrive feasting on the plentiful bounty of flowers. Its goodbye to steaming of winter veggies and hello to planting of our spring and summer salad goodies of tomatoes, basil, zucchinis, cucumber, eggplant….. The days are warm and nights are still cool, its Spring time for me….
I love spring the most. When the sun slowly starts to get that bit warmer and gardens come to life. When the weatherman says it’s going to be 22 and you get your white pins out to try for a tan! I love we have 4 distinct seasons in our part of the world 🙂
Winter, hands down. I love the chilly mornings, I love the cold evenings in front of the fire and I love my electric blanket! I figure when it’s cold, I can add more layers and snuggle up to keep warm. But when it’s hot? There’s only so much you can take off before you’re butt nekkid and then what?? 😉
Wish Soup…..that’s a good name for all the little bowls of stuff that magically appear throughout my house, Tupperware bowls that were clean that are now filled with dirt and other lovely things that the girls collect ??? My favourite season depends on what time of year it is. By the end of winter I’m craving the warm sun and squeaky clean beach sand of Summer. Right now, after a humid Qld summer is nearing the end, I can’t wait for winter so I can laze on a beanbag with a good mystery book in front of my fireplace and sip red wine.
Winter definitely winter, i live in Perth and we had 42.5o here today!! Beth i love all the flowers and leaves that you bring inside, reminds me of a simple time when i was younger when we would go into the garden with Nana and collect flowers for the table. I would love to know where you got the green jug with the gardenia’s?
Love your blog, and your honesty.
Hi Helen – sorry for the delay with this. It was given to me from my Dad and Step Mum who got it from Berrima Pottery.
spring
in Sydney that means jasmine, longer days, and the feeling of wanting to re-explore our parks and beaches.
Laura x
Your part of the world is beautiful!
Hi Beth!
What a magical part of the word you live in! Autumn and Spring are my seasons and where we live we are lucky to have distinct seasons which I love. This book sounds beautiful, I know my boys would love hearing these tales.
Thanks Liz
Looks like a fab book. I love autumn, cool crisp mornings, warm sunny days…perfect!
Autumn. Warm days (at least at the start), cool nights and beautiful colours. There’s not much more to say 🙂
Hands down Autumn! Big blue sky and no wind. (We live on a hill and cop the wind all summer – which totally rattles me).
I’ve had my eye on this book for a while. Looks like a beauty!
Rachel xo
Autumn – A beautiful time to slow down and enjoy the warm days and cool nights, brilliant blue skies and watch time pass in nature.
The changing colour of the leaves, greens darkening and changing to brilliant oranges and reds and sunny yellows before turning a crispy, crunchy brown. Watching the beauty and simplicity of a leaf fluttering in the gentle breeze before giggling children crunch the leaves underfoot and toss them in the air.
The calming, soothing scent of fires being lit in the evening and beginning of slow, delicious food before the chill and coldness of winter.
Love Winter! Kids play winter sports, cool crisp mornings or wet and windy days. We come home and warm up or dry out by the wood fireplace with hot chocolate and marshmallows. Delicious!
Winter is my favorite season by far.
I love the lazy weekend mornings, snuggling up in my thick doona with a good book, and a hot cup of tea.
I love how the winter air feels on my face, crisp and fresh, instantly revitalizing me.
I love coming home to slow cooked stews and soups, a wood fire crackling, my dressing gown waiting.
I am looking forward to Autumn the most, as it will be the first for my three children (8,5 & 1). My family has just returned home from Macau, China where we have spent the past ten years. Macau only really has two real seasons, a long hot, humid summer which lasts around 9 months and a short, mild winter. No autumn. Ahhhh!
I am bubbling with excitement to experience the changing of the seasons with them for the first time and see their little faces glow. Instead of just reading about autumn or fall as taught in their old school, we can actually watch the trees change to the various oranges, yellows and red hues and go stomping and crunching through the fallen leaves. Our gum boots are at the ready.