Smells & Memories

[Veronica]

Today I mowed the lawn. As I brushed up against our rosemary hedge, the strong scent of the plant rose up. I can never smell rosemary without conjuring up memories of our awesome dog, Greta. For some reason she loved to run through the rosemary. She'd come from in "doing business" all happy waggy stump, wiggly dog and reeking of rosemary. You'd think she had been gone from us for days, not just a few minutes. I'd sit on the floor and she'd lay down between my legs and I'd hug her and smell her fur.

When she left us, almost five years ago now, we worried that our memories of her would fade and dim as other pets came into our lives. I'm happy that doesn't seem to be happening.

V.

[F8th637]

They say that scent is one of the strongest ways to elicit memories. That's a great memory of your old dog, Greta. I have a great dog too and hope that many smells remind me of her when it is her time to go too. She doesn't roll in rosemary though.

[coyote]

My dog doesn't smell of rosemary either. Hmmm (wheels turning), how can I get my dog to roll in the rosemary?

Its a great memory, and thanks for sharing.

[Velobambina]

Greta's angel brought Greta down to visit you.

[tulip]

I recently have gotten interested in birdwatching, which has led to trying to learn bird songs.

My partner got me a CD of birdsongs to facilitate my new hobby. One came on and I was swooped back to my grandmother's house in Tennessee, right back to the guest room with all the smells and the sound of the screen door squeaking and slamming shut and the sun streaming through the window. I could remember everything in that room, every picture and knick knack. It's been 20 years since I was there.

The bird song was that of a Wood Thrush. I didn't know it when I was younger, but a Wood Thrush always sang outside my grandmother's house. She was an avid birdwatcher and so knowledgeable about all sorts of natural things. I felt like my grandmother had visited me when I heard that song on the CD. She died a couple of years ago.

I was visiting my father last week and heard a Wood Thrush outside his house. I've never heard one there before. Strange.

[KathiCville]

How nice to have the scent of rosemary remind you of a beloved pooch! My darlin' Sam manages to be scent-free OR smell like something she's rolled in that I'd rather not try to identify.

I have a corner cabinet in my dining room that belonged to my paternal grandparents. Whenever I open the door, the same woody smells of 40+ years ago hit my nose. Never fails to take me back in time, just for a moment, to their house..........The chime of certain grandmother clocks does the same thing.

[IFjane]

I recently have gotten interested in birdwatching, which has led to trying to learn bird songs.

The bird song was that of a Wood Thrush. I didn't know it when I was younger, but a Wood Thrush always sang outside my grandmother's house. She was an avid birdwatcher and so knowledgeable about all sorts of natural things. I felt like my grandmother had visited me when I heard that song on the CD. She died a couple of years ago.

I was visiting my father last week and heard a Wood Thrush outside his house. I've never heard one there before. Strange.

Tulip - come up to Moonshine Mtn. and sit on my deck - the wood thrush will wake you up in the morning and put you to sleep at night...it's such a pure sound! As Thoreau said, "Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring..."

I love the wood thrush. My lifelong best friend had a similar experience when she visited me 3 years ago (she lives deep in the Rockies in CO); we were on the deck and a wood thrush was singing. My gf stopped & said, "is that a wood thrush? I remember them from when we were little!"