Saturday, October 13, 2007

Aromatherapy

After the Rain, Tucson Arizona

Out of the blue, you may be walking through the market or down the street and catch a scent and suddenly be transported to a time in your life that could not have been brought back more powerfully by any other means.
One thing that I have observed while taking the time to think of certain scents and the memories they conjure, is that I can not recall a bad thought or negative feeling associated with scents that caused me to remember and reflect. Anytime this has happened, I am filled with nostalgia and wanting. I yearn to be back 'there' for just for a moment, to feel how I felt at that time.

This meme is courtesy of Sandi.

Throughout childhood and even adulthood certain people always smelled different to us, what scents remind you of a loved one?
When we were little mom always smelled of cinnamon gum. Her purse was filled with all of the things that my sisters and I could ever need. To use her handkerchief or tissue meant you would get an extra big whiff of cinnamon Trident Dentyne.
Stetson cologne reminds me of getting ready for church on Sunday mornings. My dad would splash on a little just before leaving. On the way there the air in the car would be filled with the smell of my dad.

Are there any scents that remind you of a certain place or time in your life?
Every now and then I'll smell something in the air that brings me back to elementary school. Specifically, I recall sitting on that big, spiral-woven rug listening to stories told by my teachers. It's frustrating that I can not put my finger on what the scent is but instantly I am transported back there.
The smell of a coming storm and the smell after the rain can bring me back to a few different places and times, depending on the time of year. I remember the park, long walks, deep talks, lots of laughs, teasing, playing and chasing. Kissing and dancing, after the rain.

What are some comforting smells for you?
With a click and a bang, the heater turns on and the air is filled with warm memories of snuggling under my Gramma's afghans and not ever wanting to get out of bed.
My mom is in the kitchen, the sounds of football are coming from the family room. The air outside has turned cool with the arrival of fall. The smell of a turkey cooking in the oven instantly brings me home to Tucson.
Cookies baking reminds me of winter, a warm kitchen, Gramma Marcy, her Melting Moments and stealing hot, gooey cookies cooling on the table.
The smell of the warm, wet air after a monsoon rain in Tucson reminds me of Gramma Mary's house. I remember the cold, damp from her swamp cooler and the cicadas buzzing in the trees outside. I don't know if its the soil, the Creosote or the Desert Broom that gives the air its distinct smell but there is nothing like it that brings me back to Tucson, to Gramma Mary's and Home.

What are some of your favorite scents/smells?
I love the smell of rain, a new book, fresh coffee, popcorn, fresh baked bread, Pier One, Victoria's Secret grape lip gloss...

Do you use any form of aromatherapy in your home or throughout the day?
There are scented candles in my living room and incense in the kitchen and bathrooms.
See SPF: Fresh.

If you had to describe yourself as a scent (or combination), what scents would you be?
I would love my favorites to describe me: Melting Moments and a Tucson Rain.



3 comments:

Sandi said...

What wonderful memories. I also love the smell and feel of the heater the first time it goes on each winter.

Jenni said...

I love the way scents can create an emotional response.

I miss the smell of Tucson in the rain. California rain is just not the same.

Anonymous said...

Mommy and her handkerchiefs always smelled of Cinnamon Dentyne. Remember when they were little rectangular cubes of gum all stacked in the package?