The Smells of My Childhood

What are the smells that remind you of home?

Of your childhood?

When I started to think about writing this post, I had no idea the strange smells that would come to mind.

Burning Sugar: Sugar was processed every fall in the town I lived in for middle and high school. That smell of burning sugar has a strong association for me with school starting, fall and "home". If you had ever told me growing up that I might even miss that smell or wish to recreate it if only for a moment I would have thought you were clearly insane. However, when Liam goes to school this fall...I'll be thinking of it.

Campfire: My family camped a lot when I was younger. We had a trailer that we kept "up north" and we went almost every weekend. I have great memories of playing at the lake and on the beach. Memories of fishing and exploring, riding bikes and finding trouble. And, most importantly of the camp fires that we had. My mom was a whiz thinking of creative treats to roast around the campfire we did the classic S'mores and hotdogs but we also made pizzas, pies, and donuts. We spent many an hour creating delicious fire roasted creations and we were left with the smells of the campfire in our clothes and hair for days.

Mildew: I'm not sure that Mildew is the right word, but I can't think of any other that fits more appropriately. My grandparents had an enormous basement with concrete flooring. Every year at Christmas and in the summers all the kids would head down there for playing ping pong, checking out Grandpa's train (that never worked), riding tricycles, skateboards, making craft projects or engaging in all out mayhem. While I was down there, I don't think I ever noticed the slight "basement-y" scent, but now as an adult every once in a while I go into someone's garage or basement and the smell is just the same. It takes me away to different time and age. And, for that one moment it's truly "magical"!

Coffee: My chores in our house growing up changed and evolved as I got older, but shoveling snow, emptying the dishwasher and making the coffee for my parents were always on my list. I'm not sure that the coffee making was an official chore handed down by my parents or if it was a peaceful act on my part for the very emotional "teenage girl" role that I played in our house. Either way, the smell of coffee always reminds me of parents and of the home we lived in for most of my high school years. Even now when we go home for a visit, I find myself up making them coffee most days we are there

Bug Fogging: This takes me back to the home we lived in when I attended Elementary School. In the summer a work truck with who-knows-what in the back of it would come thru and spray obnoxious clouds of white mist up and down each street to keep the mosquitoes at bay. This might just be a Michigan thing, I'm not sure. But the overwhelmingly bitter scent of the "fog" would linger for awhile before settling down and ostensibly killing the bugs. I wonder if those guys who had that job now have extra fingers, or lung cancer--it can't have been healthy for us, but most certainly not for them.

What smells remind you of home?

Ultimate Blog Party

Dude, I am so late to this party. But, I thought I'd just crash right in on the last day. Hope you'll forgive me!?

My friend Jen posted about the Ultimate Blog Party by 5 Minutes for Moms on Tuesday which I opened in a tab and didn't get around to reading until yesterday. Oops, sorry Jen!

But I loved that it provided lots of interesting tidbits about her life and thought I'd like to do the same here. If you're a blogger, check it out at the link above and jump on the bandwagon if you've got some time today.

For the readers on this here blog here are 5O tids and bits about me. Please share some fun nuggets about yourself in the comments.

1) I came to blogging on a whim and to this particular blog with no intentions and no knowledge of the fact that blogging was such a fabulous and supportive group of folks.

2) I'll be attending both BlogHer 'll and the Type-A Parent conference this year. I'm incredibly stoked on both accounts.

3) My husband and I dream about winning the lottery far more than is logical.

4) My son knows each and every one of my "buttons". My favorite is when he chooses to make me laugh.

5) Aforementioned son is also boycotting naps. This does not make mamma happy. And, when mamma ain't happy...

6) If I have a few spare moments I'd rather be on Twitter than Facebook.

7) If you had told me that 6 months ago, I'd have bet on my house that I couldn't even be convinced to tolerate Twitter.

8) I love traveling to see our families, but sometimes I wish that we could create our own holiday traditions in our home.

9) I gave up Diet Coke and all soda for lent. It has been both much easier and much more difficult than I anticipated.

10) I can't wait for its glorious return.

11) I enjoy interpreting, but I'd *love* to try something new.

12) I'm learning at 32 that I'm more girly that I might like to admit. (I have a serious thing for shoes these days.)

13) A perfect outdoor temperature for me is 65 degrees.

14) My love affair with hooded sweatshirts is unrivaled.

15) Pay it Forward is a concept that is near and dear to my heart. I want to find even more ways to incorporate it into this blog.

16) If I had a thicker skin I'd try my hand at stand-up comedy.

17) I love the sound of laughter, particularly my son's. And, the sound of Tim laughing when I catch him off guard is second to none.

18) I'd take salty over sweet any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

19) I forget where I put my wallet/keys several times a day. If Tim and I ever get divorced, you can bet that this was the reason he gave. Drives. Him. Bonkers.

20) The blog posts I write out in long hand in my notebook are always more robust and more commented on than ones I compose on the computer.

21) I call my parenting philosophy "exposure parenting". I believe that if Liam has touched, seen and ridden in the Washington Monument first then when he learns about it in school it will have even more impact.

22) Cheese isn't a food, it's a religion.

23) I've run two marathons, anyone can.

24) I have no desire to run one again.

25) I always say blue is my favorite color and then I always buy things in green.

26) I haven't used a non iPhone camera in over a year. This means I am lazy among other things.

27) It drives me CRAZY when people answer their cell phone annoyed that you called because they can't talk. Ummm...Voice. Mail.

28) I often drive both faster and slower than I should.

29) Fiction doesn't hold my attention.

30) I have a not-so-secret addiction to business cards.

31) I do not wear shorts and haven't since I was about 10 (except for the summer of 2008, when I dabbled). Please for the love of God people stop telling me that my jeans look hot.

32) If an apple a day keeps the doctor away. I should never ever see a doctor again.

33) Gospel, stand-up comedy, and science are three of my strongest areas of interpreting. Go figure!

34) Liam asked for me to feed his entire lunch to him like a baby bird yesterday. Things like that are some of my favorite parts of parenting.

35) Chicago is my all-time favorite metropolis. I can't wait to show Liam and Tim some day.

36) I made lots of connections at BlogHer last year, two especially great ones and I get to see them both this year. Yay!

37) I don't like hot beverages.

38) I bought a bicycle as an adult, rode it for 3 minutes, decided it was the most uncomfortable thing EVER and have never ridden it again.

39) I hear tap rhythms in my head all day long, every. single. day.

40) Comments on my blog are in Top 5 things that make my day.

41) I chose a plain, unadorned band for my wedding ring because I wanted a reminder to keep things simple when times got tough.

42) I don't just sing along to the radio. I B-E-L-T songs out. People give me funny looks, I don't care.

43) Tim and I just discovered Studio 60 and we can't get enough. We've barely slept in a week. And in getting the link for this post I just learned that it only lasted one season. So sad.

44) Michigan makes the best ice cream of anywhere on the planet.  Blue Moon, Superman, Bumpy Cake and Cream, the list goes on and on.

45) I do not go to the movie theater to think. I do not try to anticipate what will happen next. I let the story tell itself.

46) I find sheets useless but heavy comforters essential.

47) When my whole family gets together we laugh hard, often. Crying hard. Stomach doubled over hard. So good.

48) I want to vlog more. If you want me to vlog more too, pester me.

49) Seventy percent of my adult life I have worn black. It's a hallmark of my profession and incidentally makes it very easy to match my clothes in the morning.

50) I'm so glad I didn't vow to write 100 things.