I've Got One, Two, Three, Four, Five Senses Working Overtime
Part 1: Smell
The power of smell is an amazing thing. A few unexpected jolts lately:
Vinegar: Pulling the white vinegar from a kitchen cabinet last week made me think of dying Easter eggs. Yes, as kids we dyed Easter eggs. I don't know why but I remember the Pas kits and the little wire egg holder thingies, and my mom mixing up the dye and vinegar. Yet another thing I'll need to ask her about. Why in the world were we dying Easter eggs?
Cinnamon: The smell of cinnamon always reminds me of Cindy Pickerel's playhouse. She had the most amazing playhouse, complete with real windows and curtains. And it even had two rooms. I didn't like her much, but God, I loved that playhouse. She had a set of old spice tins that we filled with dried leaves so we could cook. The smell of dried leaves always makes me think of cinnamon and the smell of cinnamon makes me think of autumn and that wonderful, wonderful playhouse.
Kiss My Face Cream: I bought a starter kit of various creams and lotions from Kiss My Face (they rock!) and one of them smells like something from my 8th grade chemistry class with Mr. Leightinen, but I can't quite put my finger on what. I trust it's nothing dangerous.
Chives and Green Onions: Both of these remind me of riding Grandpa Bill's boat on Lake Lotawana in Missouri. When I was very young, Grandma and her second husband, Bill, lived out on the lake. Their house was fabulous and very fashionable and there were lots of drinks for everybody (except the kids....) This is where I learned to make "Grandma's Little Helper" of vodka and Fresca. But out on the boat, on one part of the lake, there was always the smell of chives or onions. I never learned which it was, and it was always strongest when the sun was hot, but the connection is burned into my brain.
Health Food Store Smell: When I first moved to Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood more than 20 years ago, my favorite place to shop for food was Rainbow Market. It was a small little place, run by people wearing too much patchouli, and it had the most distinctive and wonderful smell of herbs, spices, and who knows what else. Rainbow closed years ago, after being bought out by Wild Oats, and I thought that smell was gone forever until I walked into my first Vitamin Cottage store about two years ago. I don't go to VC very often, but I was recently in their newest store--open less than 2 months--and it smelled, already, just like Rainbow.
The power of smell is an amazing thing. A few unexpected jolts lately:
Vinegar: Pulling the white vinegar from a kitchen cabinet last week made me think of dying Easter eggs. Yes, as kids we dyed Easter eggs. I don't know why but I remember the Pas kits and the little wire egg holder thingies, and my mom mixing up the dye and vinegar. Yet another thing I'll need to ask her about. Why in the world were we dying Easter eggs?
Cinnamon: The smell of cinnamon always reminds me of Cindy Pickerel's playhouse. She had the most amazing playhouse, complete with real windows and curtains. And it even had two rooms. I didn't like her much, but God, I loved that playhouse. She had a set of old spice tins that we filled with dried leaves so we could cook. The smell of dried leaves always makes me think of cinnamon and the smell of cinnamon makes me think of autumn and that wonderful, wonderful playhouse.
Kiss My Face Cream: I bought a starter kit of various creams and lotions from Kiss My Face (they rock!) and one of them smells like something from my 8th grade chemistry class with Mr. Leightinen, but I can't quite put my finger on what. I trust it's nothing dangerous.
Chives and Green Onions: Both of these remind me of riding Grandpa Bill's boat on Lake Lotawana in Missouri. When I was very young, Grandma and her second husband, Bill, lived out on the lake. Their house was fabulous and very fashionable and there were lots of drinks for everybody (except the kids....) This is where I learned to make "Grandma's Little Helper" of vodka and Fresca. But out on the boat, on one part of the lake, there was always the smell of chives or onions. I never learned which it was, and it was always strongest when the sun was hot, but the connection is burned into my brain.
Health Food Store Smell: When I first moved to Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood more than 20 years ago, my favorite place to shop for food was Rainbow Market. It was a small little place, run by people wearing too much patchouli, and it had the most distinctive and wonderful smell of herbs, spices, and who knows what else. Rainbow closed years ago, after being bought out by Wild Oats, and I thought that smell was gone forever until I walked into my first Vitamin Cottage store about two years ago. I don't go to VC very often, but I was recently in their newest store--open less than 2 months--and it smelled, already, just like Rainbow.
posted by Kay at
7:08 PM
2 Comments:
If I smell onions, I think of my grandmother. It's amazing how something like ONIONS can bring back a flood of memories. Vinegar reminds me of Easter eggs, too. My first thought when I read your post was, "EASTER eggs? REALLY?" :)
I love the smell of health food stores, too!
The smell of leather immediately reminds me of... um, nevermind. ;-)
I love the way certain smells bring back such strong memories. Pipe tobacco puts me mentally in my Poppy's living room.
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