#13 The smell of summer

Have you ever had a scent waft through the air and it immediately transports you to a time and place in your life?  That was the case this morning walking into work.  The lawn mowers were working at full speed, manicuring the beautiful grounds of Baylor. I can't tell you how much I love where I work. Coming from a desert community in South Eastern California, it wasn't common place to see such lush grass, perfectly pruned hedges, and flower beds of the most beautiful colors. Baylor grounds are all that and more. I still can't believe how often lawns need to be mowed 'round here. We just did ours a week ago and the lawn already looks like a thrown away child (as my granny would say).

Anyhow back to my story. Getting out of the car in the parking lot, the most amazing smell filled the air.
I  L O V E  the smell of freshly mowed grass. It takes me right back to my Granny's house where I spent most of my childhood (age 9 on up). You see my grandparents never had central air in their home. They had no need for such fancy newfangled devices. We had a water-cooler or swamp-cooler as it was lovingly called in our home. SWAMP is the right word for it. It left you feeling sticky and damp. It was not the best of solutions for the sweltering 110 +  temperatures that radiated our little Imperial Valley from May - October. However, there was this sweet spot time of year. Right at the beginning of Spring and again in October where that swamp-cooler worked like a champ. It DID the job!

Back to mowed lawns. During those aforementioned sweet spots, there were these magical days, usually on a Saturday, where the swamp-cooler was chuggin' right along and the grass was being mowed. Those two scents combined are my childhood. I don't often get to smell the two at once but there is something about the smell that immediately makes me happy...Blissfully Happy. 

 Isn't she stunning?

My Granny, how I loved to be where she was. She, I am sure, was not as fascinated with me. But gosh I adored her. She wore the most amazing red pleated skirts with white tops. Comfortable tennis shoes were her couture.  She wasn't fancy, She didn't wear makeup or jewelry. The years of field work and hard Oklahoma living shown on her face, but she was just everything to me. Most folks called her Ma Ryan or Sister Ryan (it's a church thang. My uncle calls my mama Sister Freeman to this day. Isn't that adorable?). Now Granny wore White Shoulders another scent that takes me back to a place of safety and happiness.

Granny also smoked Tareyton 100's (She would die all over if she knew I was telling y'all. She was a bathroom smoker. She kept it on the low low). However, those two smells combined are H E A V E N to me.

Isn't it amazing how scents and memories. things and places make us comfortable, familiar and secure?
Do you have favorite smells and/or scents? I would love to know what they are.  There are so many others well worth mentioning, I am sure some that I have forgotten all about.

 I walked into work with a renewed smile on my face. Carrying those people, and smells, and places closely to my heart, where they will always live. Where I can be reminded of them on a dreaded Monday morning getting ready to adult.  These my friends are most definitely the GOOD THINGS. I hope somewhere today you were reminded of how precious and amazing life really is. That you were able to recall all your good things as well.

Until tomorrow...

P.S. Mister smells like Diesel, Old Spice and Marlboro's...swoon ( I know again with that word)