The most recent New Yorker includes an article by David Owen titled, "The Dime Store Floor: What did childhood smell like?"
This made me think about some smells from my early childhood:
My Grandma Dahlstrom was a fanatic about cleaning. Her house smelled like detergent (I think it was Gain) and lemon Pledge. She smelled like Estee Lauder lotion. Yesterday, I used a sample of an EL product from a magazine, and it smelled just like her. When I think of her mother, Grandma Chaffee's, house, I can smell zinc. It makes me think of her basement, and the washtub that (I think) was down there.
The smell I associate with Grandma Bright's house is baking, like pies or cookies.
The odor that heralded our arrival in Pocatello on visits to my grandparents was the horrid, sulfurous smell of the FMC fertilizer plant just outside of town.
Oregon smelled like dill, grass fields burning and rain.
Daddy smelled like coffee. Mom smelled like Tigress (I think--or maybe she just had a bottle of it), but the perfume I associate with her now is Elizabeth Arden Red Door. That's erased any prior scent memory I had of her.
Share with me what your childhood smelled like.
4 comments:
My dad smelled like Polo. My uncle George smelled like his smoking tobacco and I liked the smell of his pipe. Made smoking way more attractive than those who smoked ciggies. I loved the smell of the house when my mom was making shrimp curry.
My Dad smelled like mortar and work truck when he came home from work and Irish Spring soap after he cleaned up, my parents house like light buttercream frosting mixed with real pine trees, my Grandma Latour's house smelled of lavendar and spanish rice; now it smells like fresh rolls and roast beef. Whenever it's humid and yucky here, I long for Montana. The air smells sweet and fresh there, like growing grain and wildflowers.
I remember the smell of wet sagebrush while traveling through Southern Idaho. Love that smell.
Mom had a cedar jewelry box, and it made all her jewelry smell like cedar and pearls. Yes, pearls have a smell.
I remember the smell of the Coca Cola plant - like motor oil and whatever they used to wash the bottles.
I don't remember what Daddy smelled like back in the day, but now he always smells like clean clothes and cotton.
I remember that your bedroom always smelled of dirty diapers because baby Karen was in there with you. Pee. Definitely pee.
Grass, leaves, dirt. Food. Plastic toys.
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