The Scented Home

 The power of scents is incredibly different for everyone.  Because the olfactory nerve is directly lined to the area of the brain that accesses memory recall, mood and emotions -- scent is closely tied to memory.  Because of this, what smells good to you doesn't necessarily smell good to another person.

A lot is said about how your home smells, and we have all have something that help us create smells.  Essential oil misters, scented wax melters, good old Febreeze, or even the old standard Lysol.  Nothing matches the smell of "clean", but these new modern scent products can be good, too.

But what is it that makes one smell better than the other?  It's the association we have between our memories and the scent.  It's like how the smell of fresh cut lumber reminds me of my Dad.  And if I could find a melted wax scent for lumber, I'd buy all of it!  Or the smell of freshly baked bread.  My mom used to make home made buns, and when they're baking, it smells like heaven.  In my own home, I have a wax melter and prefer the scent called "Pacific Coast Highway".  I think the base of eucalyptus brings back thoughts of the Santa Clara Valley where I grew up. 

There are other wonderful smells that we each hold dear -- the smell of fresh cut grass, or the smell of a field of hay after a summer storm.  Here in the desert, a summer rain has it's own different smell, and I've come to enjoy walking out and taking a deep breath full of the different aromas.  Of course, there are scents we probably don't enjoy as well:  a dead skunk can leave your car full of a horrible aroma, the smell of a wet dog, or burnt toast.  If you pay attention to scents, sometimes wonderful memories will flood your mind. 

We're all so busy in our lives outside our home that when we finally do arrive home, it's nice to walk in to be surrounded by things that are familiar, warm and reassuring.  Our days at home can be full of fragrant moments once we savor the romance of scented rooms.