Totally OT-what scents conjure positive memories for you?

annalexandria
annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Coming home today from getting my bloodwork done (if it's still good, I get to wait until the fall for my next scan; if it's not good, well...), feeling stressed, in part because I hate the smell of my doctor's clinic and that smell seems to follow me home.  I think it's the anti-bacterial stuff they use all the time.  Evokes such strong feelings in me, and brings back bad memories.

But as I came up on to our porch, I caught a whiff of the lilac bush that is just starting to bloom in our back yard.

What a wonderfull fragrance!  It took me back instantly to my childhood.  The house I grew up in was surrounded by lilac, and for me, one of the first signs of spring was when my mom would cut big bunches of it and put it in vases around the house.  I still love that smell.  And the best part was that it helped to take away the hard memories evoked by the smell of hand sanitizer and illness.

So as I said, very OT, but I was wondering...how about you guys?  Are there things that, just by catching a whiff, bring you good memories, remind you of a happy place or time?

And here is a picture of lilacs, just for the heck of it.   Lots o' love~AA

image

Comments

  • jen2012
    jen2012 Member Posts: 1,607 Member
    #2
    Beautiful and one of my

    Beautiful and one of my favorite scents too...and our apple blossoms...and freshly bathed baby...and apple pie! Good luck Ann...i hope to hear really good results!

  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #3
    No scents

    I have never had the sense of smell, I can't tell you what fresh cut grass smells like, what fragrance my beautiful roses send out to those that walk by my front yard, or the wonderful scent of apple pie baking.  I was born without the necessary parts in my nose.  My brother John was born the same way, some genetics I suppose.  He had surgery three years ago and has been since blessed with the sense of smell and he says it is delightful!  He said that even the taste of food had improved greatly. I had surgery scheduled but cancer came along and well...

    I've always faked smelling things, my children finally figured out I couldn't smell and could get away with smoking in their youth (they are starch anti-smokers now) whether it was cigarettes or weed.  My daughter would have to test out perfumes for me to see what had a floral scent or acceptable to her.  And I was thankful when they came out with carbon dioxide testers for ones home.  I can remember many times burning something and not knowing until I saw the smoke wafting about the house.

    But I imagine the wonderful scents and am blessed with a great sense of imagination!  I am also lucky, just the other day everyone was complaining a skunk had let out a quite oderous stink and everyone was complaining quite disgustedly and I thought of my great advantage at that moment.

    But the sight of those lilacs brought me wonderful memories of my mother and growing up, she grew many lilacs in the flower bed along the length of the house along with tiger lilies, pansies, African violets, Livingston daisies and oh so many more.  Thank you for those remembrences, it is delightful to be transported back to wonderful memories!!!

    Winter Marie

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #4
    So many

    I love smells that bring me back to the nature in my growing years.

    Every time I would go out back I would squeeze the mint plant that was outside our back door.  The smell of mint is now one of my favourites.

    My mum was also a great gardner. She loved her roses.

    Roses and lavendar are also favourites of mine.

    Damp earth is also a favourite which, living in desert Nevada as opposed to home in England, well, I just don't get the damp earth smell very often. 

    Great thread.

  • AnnLouise
    AnnLouise Member Posts: 276 Member
    #5
    herdizziness said:

    No scents

    I have never had the sense of smell, I can't tell you what fresh cut grass smells like, what fragrance my beautiful roses send out to those that walk by my front yard, or the wonderful scent of apple pie baking.  I was born without the necessary parts in my nose.  My brother John was born the same way, some genetics I suppose.  He had surgery three years ago and has been since blessed with the sense of smell and he says it is delightful!  He said that even the taste of food had improved greatly. I had surgery scheduled but cancer came along and well...

    I've always faked smelling things, my children finally figured out I couldn't smell and could get away with smoking in their youth (they are starch anti-smokers now) whether it was cigarettes or weed.  My daughter would have to test out perfumes for me to see what had a floral scent or acceptable to her.  And I was thankful when they came out with carbon dioxide testers for ones home.  I can remember many times burning something and not knowing until I saw the smoke wafting about the house.

    But I imagine the wonderful scents and am blessed with a great sense of imagination!  I am also lucky, just the other day everyone was complaining a skunk had let out a quite oderous stink and everyone was complaining quite disgustedly and I thought of my great advantage at that moment.

    But the sight of those lilacs brought me wonderful memories of my mother and growing up, she grew many lilacs in the flower bed along the length of the house along with tiger lilies, pansies, African violets, Livingston daisies and oh so many more.  Thank you for those remembrences, it is delightful to be transported back to wonderful memories!!!

    Winter Marie

    Ann, beautiful and full of memories .....

    Growing up I also remember lilacs all over the house in little vases, my mom loved them...we had a long row of lilac bushes down our backyard. Yours are a such a beautiful color and can almost smell them if I close my eyes. Spring has been late for us this year and my lilacs are not even thinking about blooming.I did get some vegetables planted today and my husband got the deck ready for us to use. It was in the 30's yesterday but nicer today. Thanks for sharing.....good idea for a post!  ~ Ann

  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #6
    scent

    oh what a lovely idea for a thread......yup in the hospital....they bring you that extra sheet to keep you warm and the smell is so astounding....in some ways it makes me feel safe but.......

    when i was little my mom grew peonies...in Canada they bloom towards the end of June so she would always send a big boquet to school with me for my teacher..... stems soaked in a wet paper towel and tinfoil round that....oh the smell of peonies.....love love....

    and the sight of pansies I love too....darling soft little faces....velvety colors.....

    smell is prolly my numero one memory sense.....don't get me started....Sealed great great thread.....thanks.....mags

  • AnnLouise
    AnnLouise Member Posts: 276 Member
    #7
    Pansies....

    imageI have always loved them.....they look like little faces to me ( maybe I have a vivid imagination). Not the fragrance of lilacs but remind me of a happy place, our front porch!

  • jen2012
    jen2012 Member Posts: 1,607 Member
    #8
    maglets said:

    scent

    oh what a lovely idea for a thread......yup in the hospital....they bring you that extra sheet to keep you warm and the smell is so astounding....in some ways it makes me feel safe but.......

    when i was little my mom grew peonies...in Canada they bloom towards the end of June so she would always send a big boquet to school with me for my teacher..... stems soaked in a wet paper towel and tinfoil round that....oh the smell of peonies.....love love....

    and the sight of pansies I love too....darling soft little faces....velvety colors.....

    smell is prolly my numero one memory sense.....don't get me started....Sealed great great thread.....thanks.....mags

    Love the peonies too...but
    Love the peonies too...but they always have those big black ants on them! We have peonies in our yard that we transplanted from my grandmothers yard...that her mother planted over 75 yrs ago. I always love seeing the flowers around the yard and think of my grandparents.
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #9
    Awesome

    But where do you live.  Heck I'm lucky to have a baby leaf on a tree.  We have nothing growing here in MI.  Actually cut my tulip leafs down today as they aren't even producing any buds.  Can't give you pretty pictures like you or Phil but only a lawn that is so wet we can't cut it yet.  We actually have a beautiful yard once it dries out. Thanks for the pics.

    Kim

  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #10
    Peat

    The smell of peat burning, which I rarely smell but every great once in a while I'll catch a whiff of something peat-like, but it reminds me of a trip to Ireland I took when I was a wee-lad.

    An odd thing is that I've always had a keen sense of smell but it's actually improved during treatments. Sometimes it's a blessing but other times it's a curse (like in crowded elevators!)

    S

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #11
    herdizziness said:

    No scents

    I have never had the sense of smell, I can't tell you what fresh cut grass smells like, what fragrance my beautiful roses send out to those that walk by my front yard, or the wonderful scent of apple pie baking.  I was born without the necessary parts in my nose.  My brother John was born the same way, some genetics I suppose.  He had surgery three years ago and has been since blessed with the sense of smell and he says it is delightful!  He said that even the taste of food had improved greatly. I had surgery scheduled but cancer came along and well...

    I've always faked smelling things, my children finally figured out I couldn't smell and could get away with smoking in their youth (they are starch anti-smokers now) whether it was cigarettes or weed.  My daughter would have to test out perfumes for me to see what had a floral scent or acceptable to her.  And I was thankful when they came out with carbon dioxide testers for ones home.  I can remember many times burning something and not knowing until I saw the smoke wafting about the house.

    But I imagine the wonderful scents and am blessed with a great sense of imagination!  I am also lucky, just the other day everyone was complaining a skunk had let out a quite oderous stink and everyone was complaining quite disgustedly and I thought of my great advantage at that moment.

    But the sight of those lilacs brought me wonderful memories of my mother and growing up, she grew many lilacs in the flower bed along the length of the house along with tiger lilies, pansies, African violets, Livingston daisies and oh so many more.  Thank you for those remembrences, it is delightful to be transported back to wonderful memories!!!

    Winter Marie

    That's really interesting, Winter...

    what kind of surgery did they do to allow your brother to be able to smell?  I can't imagine lacking this sense (although as you say, there are times when not having it might be a blessing...my dog is a smelly beast, and it would be great not to be able to smell him sometimes).

    And what is it about lilacs?  I think many of us who are "middle-aged" (more or less) have a sentimental attachement to that flower.

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #12
    AnnLouise said:

    Pansies....

    imageI have always loved them.....they look like little faces to me ( maybe I have a vivid imagination). Not the fragrance of lilacs but remind me of a happy place, our front porch!

    Beautiful!

    Love these too.  Because they are edible, I use them to decorate cakes.  Along with some sparkly colored sugar, it's very pretty.

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #13
    Trubrit said:

    So many

    I love smells that bring me back to the nature in my growing years.

    Every time I would go out back I would squeeze the mint plant that was outside our back door.  The smell of mint is now one of my favourites.

    My mum was also a great gardner. She loved her roses.

    Roses and lavendar are also favourites of mine.

    Damp earth is also a favourite which, living in desert Nevada as opposed to home in England, well, I just don't get the damp earth smell very often. 

    Great thread.

    When it comes to herbs,

    I esp like basil.  Just opened up a box (sorry to admit I don't grow my own) to make pesto and the smell made me feel like summer is already here!

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #14
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Awesome

    But where do you live.  Heck I'm lucky to have a baby leaf on a tree.  We have nothing growing here in MI.  Actually cut my tulip leafs down today as they aren't even producing any buds.  Can't give you pretty pictures like you or Phil but only a lawn that is so wet we can't cut it yet.  We actually have a beautiful yard once it dries out. Thanks for the pics.

    Kim

    Seattle!

    We are having unusually good weather here...it's about 80 degrees today.  It's also opening boating day this weekend, and we traditionally get rain.  Getting to be out on the water in shorts was an unexpected treat.  But it seems like the weather is pretty gloomy almost everywhere else.  Kind of backwards, imo...

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #15
    PhillieG said:

    Peat

    The smell of peat burning, which I rarely smell but every great once in a while I'll catch a whiff of something peat-like, but it reminds me of a trip to Ireland I took when I was a wee-lad.

    An odd thing is that I've always had a keen sense of smell but it's actually improved during treatments. Sometimes it's a blessing but other times it's a curse (like in crowded elevators!)

    S

    Is that your family background, Phil?

    My great-grandfather immigrated from Ireland (probably explains the fondness for a drink that runs in my family) and I would love to go there and visit someday.  So beautiful and green.  Kind of like where I live.  Hmmm...maybe I can save the air fare and just stay home.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #16
    annalexandria said:

    Seattle!

    We are having unusually good weather here...it's about 80 degrees today.  It's also opening boating day this weekend, and we traditionally get rain.  Getting to be out on the water in shorts was an unexpected treat.  But it seems like the weather is pretty gloomy almost everywhere else.  Kind of backwards, imo...

    In my dreams

    I would love to live in the Pacific Northwest. 

    I have a friend in the Portland area, so I visit her allot. 

    Coming from England to the Nevada desert was not so good.

    I would love to be in England now, as I was this time last year, when I was carefree, and had no idea Cancer was growing inside me. 

  • Deena11
    Deena11 Member Posts: 199 Member
    #17
    Mmmm...

    I grew up in Southern California and we lived near orange groves.  Every Spring, the orange groves bloomed and the scent was intoxicating.  We used to keep our windows open and our car windows rolled down when we passed through the groves to just smell the blossoms.  We also had Alysum and Jasmine flowers growing in our yard and those smells also bring back good memories.

  • LivinginNH
    LivinginNH Member Posts: 1,456 Member
    #18
    Hi, 
    This post evoked

    Hi, 

    This post evoked wonderful memories of my youth.  :)

    in order of my favorite old memories:

    1) Lilacs - we had a huge bush outside my back door and I loved them!

    2) Old fashioned roses - my grandmother planted them in the yard

    3) a newly cut lawn 

    4) my grandmother's baked bread fresh out of the oven

    5) my uncle's pipe tobacco

    6) after the first rain of Spring

    7)  a Canadian plant found in Pictou, NS that signaled vacation time was about to get underway.

    Thanks for the memories....     :)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #19
    annalexandria said:

    That's really interesting, Winter...

    what kind of surgery did they do to allow your brother to be able to smell?  I can't imagine lacking this sense (although as you say, there are times when not having it might be a blessing...my dog is a smelly beast, and it would be great not to be able to smell him sometimes).

    And what is it about lilacs?  I think many of us who are "middle-aged" (more or less) have a sentimental attachement to that flower.

    Laser

    John had laser surgery.

    Perhaps sentimental to lilacs because our mothers had them?  They must have been very popular back when...

    Winter Marie

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