Herself has an acute sense of smell. When she was young, certain smells would cause a physical reaction: for example, the "new car" scent of a rental automobile while she and her family were on vacation would invariably induce significant nausea and occasional vomiting. Even now, the odors of new bicycle tires or fresh plastic will give Herself a headache. She also dislikes a heavy scent of cooking oil, and finds floral perfumes to be rather suffocating. Too thick an odor -- whatever its source -- is intolerable.
On the other side of the coin, there are good aromas: the scent of fresh aspen chips for the guinea pig; the smell of the scruff of the tiny dog's neck; the odor of creosote, indicating that rain is falling in the desert. The smell of baking bread or of winter stew or of pie. Wood varnish of her wand or her tiny toys. Pine needles. Carlsbad Caverns. Campfires. Lovely.
Herself has noticed lately that the Offspring have acquired their own personal scents as they have grown into young adults. Offspring the First is always delicately, femininely scented; when Offspring the First has been home from college for a few days, the tiny dog takes on her aroma and smells similarly like wholesome beauty products. Offspring the Second has a masculine, slightly musky scent that reminds Herself of his drums and his black clothing (to which his aroma still clings ever so slightly while Herself folds the clean laundry). Offspring the Third does not yet have a distinctive scent; sometimes he smells of taekwondo gym, and other times he smells of pubescent, in-need-of-a-wash boy. His specific aroma will develop over the next few years, and we wonder exactly what it will be like.
Sometimes other people's scents inadvertently transfer to Herself. Offspring the First's perfume stuck to Herself's T-shirt when they recently hugged farewell at the airport. After Beloved Husband kisses Herself goodbye in the morning, his aftershave occasionally lingers on Herself's cheek. A borrowed pillow delivered a friend's scent to Herself's hair, where it remained for a time even after Herself rose from her nap. Herself finds a quiet joy in such happenstances, for it is a reminder to her of her good fortune in having these people in her life.
If she concentrates hard, Herself can bring specific scents to her mind. While music or pictures conjure up complex moments and remembrances, scents are straightforward, pure recollections of the spirit of a person or a place or a time. Scents can bring happiness, joy, comfort, consolation. Fascinating, the impact of a scent.
Sniff with me. What do you smell?
Herself has noticed lately that the Offspring have acquired their own personal scents as they have grown into young adults. Offspring the First is always delicately, femininely scented; when Offspring the First has been home from college for a few days, the tiny dog takes on her aroma and smells similarly like wholesome beauty products. Offspring the Second has a masculine, slightly musky scent that reminds Herself of his drums and his black clothing (to which his aroma still clings ever so slightly while Herself folds the clean laundry). Offspring the Third does not yet have a distinctive scent; sometimes he smells of taekwondo gym, and other times he smells of pubescent, in-need-of-a-wash boy. His specific aroma will develop over the next few years, and we wonder exactly what it will be like.
Sometimes other people's scents inadvertently transfer to Herself. Offspring the First's perfume stuck to Herself's T-shirt when they recently hugged farewell at the airport. After Beloved Husband kisses Herself goodbye in the morning, his aftershave occasionally lingers on Herself's cheek. A borrowed pillow delivered a friend's scent to Herself's hair, where it remained for a time even after Herself rose from her nap. Herself finds a quiet joy in such happenstances, for it is a reminder to her of her good fortune in having these people in her life.
If she concentrates hard, Herself can bring specific scents to her mind. While music or pictures conjure up complex moments and remembrances, scents are straightforward, pure recollections of the spirit of a person or a place or a time. Scents can bring happiness, joy, comfort, consolation. Fascinating, the impact of a scent.
Sniff with me. What do you smell?
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