Aroma memories - Gita and

[Guest guest]

Gita, as soon as I saw your post about being associated w/ the

jasmine I thought that was perfect. I must tell you about my

connection w/ jasmine. You know how certain fragrances evolk

certain memories or feelings? For me, jasmine is a really important

and powerful aromatic memory. It means home, my Dad, childhood,

spring/summer, absolutely happy thoughts. At my parents home, just

outside the side kitchen door to the backyard, just outside our

dining room window was a huge vine that my Dad always called " night

blooming jasmine " . I have never looked it up, I assume there is a

difference because I've never smelt anything just like it. I would

walk out the door and breathe in deeply again and again... just

couldn't take it in enough. WOW, now that I think about it... a

memory of breathing really deeply... as if that isn't a happy enough

memory. It bloomed at night during the spring/summer (hey, it's

southern California hard for me to remember the exact time but it

was WONDERFUL!!!) It is one of my absolutely most perfect childhood

memories.

Now, some of the other childhood favorites are the same as s

favorite flowers. Along w/ the jasmine vine was a gardenia bush

right on the other side of the walkway into the backyard. Funny

note on different reactions... I found out in our adulthood, that my

sister always hated that gardenia bush... said it was too strong...

and I loved it. I loved that gardenia bush and the flowers, but I

do not like anything w/ a gardenia " fragrance " ... just the real

thing. I also loved how completely purely WHITE the flowers were,

like nothing could be so white and they were silky to the touch and

soft... such a complete memory. Carnations are another favorite and

one that makes me think of my Dad. I remember my Dad growing

carnations on the lowest tier of his backyard garden and they had

such a strong clove spiciness, no storebought ones could ever

compare.

A final thought of childhood " aroma " memories was on the other

coast... visiting my grandfather in Massachusetts. He had lots of

apple trees on his farm and the smell of them at the end of their

season was one of the times we regularly visited. It's the smell of

them fallen off the tree on the ground and heated by the sun...

where the sugar in them is really developed and the bees are buzzing

all around, to describe it maybe like an applesauce smell, but sooo

intense. I remember after flying there and finally arriving at his

house in Saugus, MA I would get out of the car and the smell would

overwhelm you... I knew I was at Grampie's house.

Kerry

37 IPF '01 S. IN

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> > > > I agree wholeheartedly, nothun' WRONG with the FLOWER choice

> > > BUT......

> > > > was Jack choosing it BECAUSE of the lovely Flower or the

> effect of

> > > it's

> > > > dried flower HEAD or LEAF??????? [:-/] [O:)] Watcha say Jack?

> > > >

> > > > SGIO

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