I was enjoying another nap in my “Comfy Chair” when something started tickling my nose. It also began swirling around up in my sinuses. The scent reminded me of something like a cupcake or a twinkie, my groggy mind wrapped around it, and I identified it as vanilla!
I opened my eyes and looked around for some sugar cookies, but none were to be found. I saw the flickering of a candle, walked over to it and yep, this was the source of the delightful vanilla odor!
My wife loves pretty scents. Her bathroom is infused with olfactory delights! She has different scents for different times of the year. Fall is Pumpkin spice, one of my favorites; Christmas offers many flavors, including evergreen, peppermint and so on. Spring is full of lavender, fresh air, etc. Summer is linen (?) lemon, and flowers. Winter is anything goes, depending on her mood.
Then, of course, in addition to candles, there are essential oils. In addition to smelling good, you can have a “Doctorate degree” to use these oils to improve health; at least it seems that way!
I remember my daughter growing up, and she also enjoyed things that smelled pretty when she was a child and now as an adult!
As for me, I love the smell of burgers or steaks on the grill! Anything in the deep fryer catches my attention! New car automobile fresheners, the smell of fresh cut hay, the amazing scent of freshly opened coffee cans. I enjoy the smell of the air after a warm thunderstorm and the ozone in the air. The aroma of a turkey roasting in the oven all day, popcorn just popped, or pizza in a wood-fired oven.
When I was in my teenage years, my buddies were really weirded out by gross smells! I remember my freshman year at Kimball High School in Royal Oak, Michigan. At the end of the school year, the guys would grab their gym class clothes that had never made it home to be washed all year, shove them under your nose and yell, “Smell This!” Then awful groans would be heard, guys would pretend to upchuck, and the process would be repeated. The worst stink would be awarded first place! This ritual would be repeated in many different settings, dumpsters on a hot day, dead animals in the woods, and anything skunked.
As I have matured, or at least gotten older, I have found that bad smells elicit a turn or run-away stance. Wonderful smells attract me to them. Apple pies fresh out of the oven or a caramel sugar-free latte. Driving past a burger joint still grabs my attention and begins the process of gastric juices flowing!
Everyone has a list of favorite smells. I wonder what odors dogs must like after all; they can smell up to 100,000 times better than humans. For every scent receptor a human has, a dog has 50. No wonder it takes so long to take them for a walk. They take the time to stop and smell everything, not just the roses.
“Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others. – © Joel M. Vernier 01/30/2023 Author of: “The Guinea Pig In The Freezer.” joelmvernier@aol.com
