Olfactory

Wow.. almost 2 years since I posted anything here, for the first time in a long time, I actually have the inclination to share some thoughts. As I was cooking dinner tonight I opened a bottle of Olive Oil. As the smell entered my nose I had memories of my child hood and my grandmother. Unlike most people she never cooked with olive oil, instead it was her "anointing" oil. Anytime she wanted to pray for you, she drag out the Olive oil, unscrew the cap, tip it over and let a small amount get on her fingers (bless her frugal heart), put the sign of the cross on your head and start praying. Now this bottle of Olive oil wasn't fresh. I imagine it was quite old, and it had that strong, semi-pungent odor that once you smell, you always remember (bless her frugal heart again). Tonight as we crawled into bed and pulled the quilt back the sweet smell of fresh clean sheets filled the air (thank you maid service). As the smell hits my nose my mind turns to curling up in the sheets the the pillow pulled up close so as I drift off I smell the fresh sheets. Again, memories of my grandmother enter my head. She never had a dryer, so all her clothes were hung outside in the sun to dry. If you have ever slept on sun crisp, fresh air sheets, you know what I mean. One of the most refreshing smells in the world. When I would stay with my grandmother her sheets always smelled that way, particularly if you crawled into on of the beds in the spare rooms, beds rarely slept in, but yet the sheets smelled fresh. So tonight, as I return to my blog... my thoughts go to my grandmother. Although we never quite understood each other, I miss miss you...