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.

[cyclinnewbie]

Cinnamon reminds me of my brother. That and cigarette smoke, because he smoked like a chimney. Sometimes I smell cigarette smoke and there's nobody around. Weird. I miss him.

[Crankin]

This is weird, but the smell of black olives reminds me of holiday dinners. My grandmother and mother always put out an olive tray as an appetizer on the Jewish holidays and Thanksgiving.

[redrhodie]

Honeysuckle reminds me of my childhood friend Robin, who taught me how to pull the blossom apart to taste the sweet drop when I was about 5 years old. It's one of my favorite smells. I notice it all the time when I'm riding lately.

[indigoiis]

A combination: seaweed, skunk, rosehip, and wet sand.

I am instantly transmorphed to Hazzids beach Newport.

You know what I'm tawkin' about, Red?

[redrhodie]

A combination: seaweed, skunk, rosehip, and wet sand.

I am instantly transmorphed to Hazzids beach Newport.

You know what I'm tawkin' about, Red?

Oh, yeah! That's it exactly.

[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!"

[Aggie_Ama]

My Nanny smokes a lot and wears Beautiful by Estee Lauder which combine for a distinct smell. Our former receptionist also smoked (same brand) and wore Beautiful, every morning I thought my Nanny was in the office.

Nanny recently moved to assisted living and I inherited china and dining room furniture. Her cleaning products combined with the smoke in her house to make a unique smell. I despise the smell of smoke but right now the furniture in my garage waiting to be cleaned professionally is a comforting smell. It reminds me of her and my late Pawpaw. I am instantly back playing dominoes with them or watching Golden Girls and Newhart with Nanny.

Rosemary bushes reminds me of a Lowe's store. I worked through college at Lowe's and when we sold rosemary it over powered the store. We met some of our best friends there so it is a happy memory.

This isn't a smell but Doves singing remind me of spending the night at my Mammaw's as a kid. She has never had air conditioning so every morning the windows would be open and the birds singing.

[Wahine]

Smell is a very strong stimulus and is the sense most closely connected to our cortex and memories. Babies can recognize the smell of their mother about 2 months before they can recognize them by sight.

When I moved to the Columbia River Gorge, it was a bit like going home.My
Grandparents lived in a continuation of this valley north of the border and the smells here always remind me of my happiest times as a child. Smell is a very strong thing.

[jesvetmed]

For me, it's Pierre Cardin cologne. It was my dad's favorite. Every now and then I'll be walking along, and just stop dead in my tracks and smile.

I like what Velobambina said about their ghost dropping in for a visit -- nice thought.

I'm going to work on getting my dog to run through the lavender out back... maybe I'll have to put them in front of the sliding glass door so she has no choice!