Some of the strongest memories cannot be easily described unless they have been smelled. Today we might not have the time to enjoy the smells around us. I remember different smells for this time of year. Christmas and Thanksgiving aromas have to be some of the best! When we think on it, there are a lot of things which have memorable aromas. Then there are those smells we do not want to remember!
I know kids remember toys and such, but how about the smells of the holidays? Probably one of the strongest, at least in the most favored variety, was that of baking. Who does not know the smell of fresh bread? To me, that is enough to make me look for the butter! The aroma of a warm berry or apple pie? Surely the difference between sugar and oatmeal cookies. These sweet memories came from almost every neighborhood kitchen, but none like Mom's.
A walk through town even now catches the air, and wakes memories of seasons past. The drug store is hardly free from aromas, but it is easily overpowered by what comes from the restaurant across the street. What sort of goodies are in those big pots brewing in the kitchen? Soup and stew, pot roast, or bacon and eggs - each tempts the assembled patrons. Even before we get in the door, the coffee is sending its sign through the screen. In the afternoon, the smells of various evening meals await anyone who comes past the front gate. Then there are the aromas from lilacs and other plants around the houses. In the winter, differences can be detected between those who burn coal and those who burn wood. The smell from those who burn cottonwood lingers in the morning. Ah, yes, morning, afternoon and evening all are different.
At the newspaper office, ink even has a different smell, mixing with the oils that keep the presses clanking. There are other smells that mean other kinds of shops. We can tell where we are without even looking up. How could we miss the barber shop? And those tonics?
I do not care what the season is; this is my favorite time of the year, except when the cold chill hits the nose. I bet we all remember certain smells. Some make us smile; others might even bring a tear, for all kinds of reasons. Remember old school paste, shoe polish…