breathe deeply

I am a scent-lover. I am a lover of a lot of things, actually, but right now, we will focus on smells.

I sat through the Easter vigil mass and saw many people swooshing away the incense smell with their hands waving frantically in front of their faces...why? It is one of the most wonderful smells in the world; watching the incense go up to the ceiling and smelling it at the same time = a mountaintop experience for me...

The next best smell is chrism - the oil used for anointing confirmandi or the newly-baptized is especially intoxicating to me - the balsam, the tangible, earthy reminder of commitment is unbelievably incredible - and Scott and his beautiful family got to experience it five times over today (even if the post is missing...) but at least I can link to his son Jack's baptism... How amazing.

I went today to Yankee Candles to purchase some items to further my olfactory pleasure. I always go along the food line, but this time, I went outside of the box and bought lavendar/lemon, vanilla oak, and the best smell EVUH - splash of rain. If I told you what it reminded me of, my friend Jeff would be all up in my grill, but suffice it to say I love it.

Some more of my favorite smells:

Bread rising and baking
Rain
Gasoline
Cut grass
Cologne and perfume
Lemons
fresh Cilantro, Rosemary, Basil
Roses
Babies
Coffee
Vanilla anything
Wood burning
the sea (God, I think that is my favorite...)
the woods
Marijuana (sorry, but it's true....)

What about you? What do certain smells do to you and how do they take you back to places you wish to remember? What smells take you places you would sooner forget?