The Passion of Scents

Of all the senses, the sense of smell is the most important trigger of memory. ... One reason is the olfactory system is located in the same part of our brain that effects emotions, memory, and creativity.   I don't know about you, but there are some scents that bring up some happy memories for me, among them the smell of fresh cut grass, or the scent of pine lumber, or even the scent of the old original Old Spice.

When I was in my pre-teens, it was my job to cut the lawn every week, the smell makes me feel young all over again.  The smell of lumber, specifically pine, reminds me of two people:  my Dad, who was always cutting lumber to build something, and my son, Brian, who worked in the lumber department of the local Depot.  And Old Spice ... again, my Dad.  

So when it comes to scents, it may seem old fashioned but tucking a scented sachet into the linen closet  .....  when I grew up, we always kept our linens in a closet, but is that common these days?  I don't have a "linen closet" now, and with the new laundry additives our laundry always smells fresh.  My own linens are kept on the top shelf of my closet .... but that's another matter.

But an orderly linen closet can be a thing of beauty.  Opening a closet door and smelling something like lavender can be quite pleasant, and imagine that all of your sheets are folded on one shelf, your towels and table linens on another shelf.  Being organized can free up some of the time it takes you to locate something, as well. 

Keats wrote:  "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."   And a scent can bring a smile to your face every time you open the door.  

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Closet Cleaning

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time getting rid of things I "might need" at some point in the future.  I tend to hang on to odd things.  Maybe I'll toss a bottle of shampoo that I dislike, but I'll hang on to several little samples of ones I'll probably never try!  hahaha I'm just weird that way.  But it feels really good to toss them and be rid of them forever when you get up the nerve to actually do it!

Yesterday, I spent some time in my closet -- yes, again!  I pulled out clothes that I haven't worn in two years, clothes I'll probably never wear again.  I was prompted by this on Friday -- reminded, actually, that I have things in the closet I don't wear for good reason.  Being down 20 lbs, I found a pair of pants to wear to work, slid into them, happy that they fit.  But about an hour into work, and I realized why I didn't wear this particular pair.  Not necessarily because they didn't fit, but more because they were a lousy cut in the first place.  While being made for a woman with a big butt like mine, the thighs were cut too narrow, and they just didn't feel comfortable.  Not because they were snug in the thigh, but more snug around the knee part, and ever step felt like the next step would have them sliding off my rear end!  Not a good look for work!! 

So yes, those are going in the Goodwill pile.  I ended up pulling out a garbage bag's worth of clothes I decided wouldn't be in my closet any longer.  And given that between work and the khaki pants, navy blue tops I am required to wear, and the gym clothes I wear after work, who needs the rest of the clothing??  Lets face it, unless I get some kind of serious relationship going, I sure don't need a closet full of other kind of clothes that don't get worn.  I should decide on a number.  Like 10.  That's a nice round number.  Pick out 10 nice tops, and two nice pants, and chuck the rest.  Hard to do, though.  I have a few nice dresses,  few fun pieces, and some... well, maybe because there are memories attached.  Maybe I'll just try them on, snap a picture, and then put them in the Goodwill bag.  Memories are just as good in pictures as they are holding on to the real thing.  :)

They say in Feng Shui "things  you haven't used for a year don't attract positive energy."  And maybe that's the change I need.  I'm practical, however, and will keep things if I believe they will become useful.  So it's not always an easy line to draw.  But here's an example:  I used to be a Girl Scout leader.   And as a leader, I had a t-shirt I wore for meetings and events.  I've been hanging on to it, its full of memories for sure!, but now I'm going to take it out of the closet, put it into the "gym wear" drawer, and wear it for workouts.  Let's me keep the memories, and still useful too!  There's always a way around throwing something out, if you just repurpose something!!  But that means really using it, and not just leaving it tucked in a drawer, or hanging in the closet!