We went out to dinner the other night to a barbecue place with some of Phil's coworkers. After the food was gone, the hand wipes came out. I noticed a few of Phil's buddies giving him sideways glances and looking meaningfully at each other, but didn't think much of it until Phil opened up his first wipe.
Of course he used the wipe to clean his fingers, but then the man I know and love came shining through. The lemon-scented wipe went up his nose. (And I mean that literally: he shoved the wipe up his nostrils.) Judging by the reactions of our dinner companions, I gathered that somehow this behavior was supposed to be a shock to me. It wasn't.
Yes, I have known for years of Phil's addiction to lemon-scented hand wipes. Each time those wipes appear at a restaurant, I know what's going to happen next. He's going to put each one up to his nose and breath deeply for several minutes, after which he'll express his wish that he could eat them.
I suppose I'm an enabler because I, too, admit to loving that smell. When I was a lot younger than I am now, I had a lemon-scented chapstick that smelled (and tasted) just like those hand wipes. I rationed that stick out for years because I loved it so much. I've never found another one.
So this gets me thinking and wondering what smells do I love? Here's my off-the-top-of-my-head list:
1. Wet concrete, especially in the summer. It makes me think of running through sprinklers with my friends when I was little.
2. Sawdust. The smell of woodshops is comforting. Dad was a woodshop teacher for years and taught my brothers and my husband those skills as well.
3. Homemade bread. Mom used to make bread and rolls a lot while I was growing up. One of our favorite treats was hot bread, fresh from the oven, slathered in butter.
4. The smell of fall means it's time for school. I loved school! (See, Leah? I told you I was a weird kid.)
5. Cinnamon & sugar. Mmmmmmmm. 'Nuff said.
6. The smell of my babies in the morning, but only if they don't have stinky diapers. That whole wet diaper, morning breath thing, combined with the fuzzy hair and sweet smiles, just gets to me.
7. That cold smell just after a good snowfall. Crisp, clean, and no caffeine.
8. Rain. I love the smell of a pending rainstorm and the smell after it rains.
9. Books. Libraries smell sooooo good! I love to read, so it's a natural connection.
10. Hmmmm. Thinking...ah! Got it. The smell of leather. I don't really have any associations with it, but I love it.
So how about you, dear readers? What are your favorite smells?
