Tuesday, October 18, 2005

1624 The Nose Knows

People born after 1970 probably have a sense of smell influenced by air fresheners and scented candles. But my nose can track a memory of home or people at a slight whiff. Yours too, if you think about it. Here's my list. What's yours?

My mother.
Fresh baked apple sour cream pie, and cinnamon bread hot from the oven on a Saturday evening
Coty Face powder.

My dad.
Fuel oil and gasoline being pumped.
After-shave--I think it might be Mennen.

High school days.
Any Prince Matchebelli cologne
New text book when opened the first time.

World War II.
Anything that smells like the San Francisco/Oakland Bay area in smog and fog.
Desert air in a Ford with the windows down.

Trail rides in the country.
Any barn with some fresh horse manure and leather smell from the tack room
Inside of a truck used to transport horses--old clothes, food wrappers, etc.

Ogle County Illinois fair.
Cotton candy
root beer.

My oldest son.
Avon baby oil

Pine or fir trees.
Any Christmas before 1993 when we got an artificial tree
White Pines State Park

Summers at my mother's farm.
Fresh produce from the garden
Laundry from a clothes line

Manchester College, Indiana
Stinky drinking water with iron(?) deposits
Instant coffee made with hot tap water

My daughter.
Safari cologne
Doctor's office

My son.
Stale cigarettes
Large Dogs

My son-in-law.
Tommy cologne for men

1 comment:

Bonita said...

You've got a good memory for smells! But me? I've got a big nose that retired about 40 years ago. Can't pick up a thing, except the smell of diesel fuel in the big truck ahead of me on the highway.