Herself's sense of smell, like her sense of hearing, is often alarmingly acute. She can sniff out the merest of scents. She refrains from using heavily odoriferous products, such as certain air fresheners or laundry detergents. A single mild incense stick or a small scented candle are plenty for her. Strong odors -- burnt food, tire rubber, new car -- will often give her a headache or nauseate her. She heartily dislikes having to swim through another person's perfume or cologne cloud.
There is a particular scent associated with water in the desert: the creosote bush. When Herself first moved to this dry land, the odor of the creosote was unpleasant, almost irritating. Now, though, she recognizes it as a blissful sign of rain, and it makes her glad.
She prefers musk or spice to florals. She abstains from body sprays as well as scented deodorants or lotions. Of the several bottles of perfume she has acquired over the years, she uses only one, and solely for special occasions.
Certain aromas will remind her of particular people -- her grandfather's pipe smoke, her grandmother's apple pie. She can readily sort the clothing of each person in the household by scent alone, and, in fact, can even identify the usual scent of certain of her friends. Other aromas will bring to mind certain places and times -- such as the fresh-baked rolls at summer camp when she was very young. The scent of a "Pat the Bunny" book makes her feel warm inside. A fresh package of diapers brings a wistful nostalgia. A fresh tomato recalls the garden of her childhood home. The puppy smells like a tiny package of furry joy.
Her favorite scents? Tomatoes on the vine. Campfire. Cloves. Wood varnish. Evergreen. The ocean breeze.
What scents do you like most?
*sniff*
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