The Power of Fragrance

One sniff of this cologne and I’m transported back in time to about the age of ten watching my mom get ready for a night out with her grown up friends. She didn’t wear scent often, only for special occasions or while travelling by plane which of course, back then was a dressy affair. This fragrance is 4711, the famous cologne from Cologne, Germany. On nearly every trip to Germany my mom returned home with a bottle (as well as Nivea lotion and sturdy new shoes for all). I picked up this bottle at a thrift store for next to nothing, and while I don’t wear it, I like having it. I like looking at the bottle with its ornate blue and gold design. It comforts me and reminds me of those wonderful days in my youth when we jaunted overseas for long weekends to visit family and friends (we flew for free because my father worked for Lufthansa). All of these memories come back with a single sniff and for that reason I’ll keep this second-hand bottle forever.

My scent of choice has been Allure Sensuelle by Channel. It’s not a wimpy scent, a little goes a long way and it lasts all day. I’ve not come across too many other people who wear it which is a plus. If my children come across this scent or one with similar notes down the road in their lives, I hope it conjures happy memories of me and their childhood. But who knows what scents might trigger a fond memory (or a bad one for that matter), it could be anything -- baking cookies, a campfire, sagebrush after the rain. I am intrigued by the power of fragrance to instantly transport the mind to another time and place.

Do you have any powerful associations with a particular perfume or scent? Also I’ve been considering reading the novel Perfume by Peter Susskind about a boy who is born with the musical equivalent of a perfect pitch sense of smell. It takes place in 18^th century Paris and takes a murderous turn. Apparently this was made into a film as well, any reviews on that?   

Simple Pleasure: Making Time to Read

One of my goals over the past few months has been to carve out more time to read books. I read blogs, the newspaper, Ravelry posts, magazines, but I noticed I didn’t have a lot of recently read books to my credit. I love reading. Growing up I always had my nose in a book; I loved the library. Bookish and bookworm were words that once described me. When we bought this house eleven years ago, I had bookshelves built in my hallway which is a nothing space that now houses a miniature library of fiction, suspense, history, travel, how-to, children’s and young adult books. So what happened? Honestly, I don’t know. Apparently I got busy with other things. Sure, I read a few books a year, but not enough to warrant calling myself “a reader.”

A few months ago, after a long hiatus, I found my way to the local library where I rediscovered a lost world. The book I checked out planted me in Sarah Addison Allen’s charming and slightly magical world, which in turn led me to Alice Hoffman, Audrey Niffenegger and Erin Morgenstern. A string of other books followed; I just finished Still Alice, by Lisa Genova, told from the point of view of a brilliant Harvard professor suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s disease. I’m still thinking about that one. I have a whole new insight into that wretched disease, but isn’t that the point of reading – to broaden understanding; to glimpse other points of view. I’d forgotten how wonderful it is to read books. I’ve been making time to read everyday and it doesn’t hurt that I’m on a deadline – three weeks and those books have to go back to the library. I have many goals for the upcoming year, but I think making time to read tops the list. I’m currently reading Juliet, by Anne Fortier and next up after that will be The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. Ooh, I’m so excited! Have you rediscovered something you love to do but for some reason quit?

BTW – I’ve found it handy to keep track of my reading – books read and books to read at www.goodreads.com, as well as troll for new reading material.