life is smelly
I’m in a down-swing right now and I’m trying to fight it. There are moments and hours when I can, when I’m enjoying myself or distracted or whatever. But that feeling of unhappiness is underlying all; it’s still there under the surface. It is a thing with claws. It grips and tears at you just to keep its hold.
I don’t want to dwell on it here, though. I don’t want everything I write to be melancholy. So, I’m thinking that now is a great time to give some focus to Practicing Thankful. I’ve been keeping my Thankful pages for nearly two months now, and what I really want is to shift that attitude of thankfulness from a position of afterthought to forethought. I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it.
Work for me, ripples.
One step at a time, right? This week, I’ve been paying attention to smells and I am so thankful that we have them. Here are some of my favorite smells:
lemons and oranges
babies
sunscreen
just mown grass
old books
carnations
freshly turned earth
the way it smells after it rains
smoke from a wood fire
steamed crabs and Old Bay seasoning
leather
new car
apple pie while it’s baking
Pledge and Pine-Sol
cotton sheets
night time
While I was out with Louis, I realized that I was just enjoying the smell of night. In the summer, after it’s been really hot all day, there is simple pleasure in just being outside in the cooler evening, when the air is soft. The world takes on a smell of sun burnt leaves and baked grass and warmed over earth. It’s the mugginess of the day, reaped in the evening. It’s a good smell.
There are so many pleasures to be had in this world. Some of them are rather simple, and easily overlooked.
There are so many things to be thankful for.
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Items of Interest:
Scent Can Be a Powerful Memory Trigger
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steadily skipping stones 
Right there with you. I haven’t felt like writing anything all week. Maybe it’s the unending heat. Next week they are projecting 109 degrees for us here in Dallas. It hasn’t rained since May. I love the smells of night as well. I also like the idea of your Thankful pages. Maybe I need to do something like that.
They have helped me keep the focus on what’s good in my life. Also, my Thankfulness friend Harold and I check up on each other’s pages every so often and give each other inspiration and encouragement. That has been a wonderful and needed thing.
It’s terrible about the lack of rain. I do think weather has an effect on our moods. And heat is so debilitating!
I have been on a lethargic stretch myself–funny how it happens in spurts. But I like your plan–focus on what one can be thankful for or appreciate and it can get you thinking, which is the first step toward writing. Thanks for sharing–I loved the smells and experienced them as I read. As I drove home from LA today over the mountains where clouds were forming, there was that dusty, musty almost raining smell of summer nights–I love it!
That’s it! It’s that musty kind of smell that I was trying to identify about night time, after it’s been really hot and muggy all day long. I couldn’t put my finger on it.
It’s wonderful to drive at night, when it’s not too hot. So relaxing and soothing. I don’t love my night shifts, but I love the drive home through the country.
It’s ironic that tonight, after posting about being thankful for great smelly things this morning, on the drive home tonight I smelled skunk! Oh, well…it didn’t last too long.
There must be some sort of virus going around. I’ve been having trouble writing, too, and I’ve been having trouble fighting a bit of a “funk.” Hmmm. Midsummer doldrums? But thank you for reminding me of some of the smells I love the most:
the beach and ocean
vanilla
babies (I second your opinion – I just got to meet a brand new baby Friday)
the right cologne on the right guy 😉
I’m feeling better today, maybe I’m kicking it. But I was surprised at how many people were having the same funky feelings. Maybe it’s the heat.
Your smells are good ones! I think that’s why I like sunscreen, is because it reminds me of the beach and the pool and just having fun.
I had the strangest dream last night about cologne on a guy – it’s true, believe it or not. He wanted me to smell his cologne. So I did. You’ve got to help a fella out, right?
MORE SMELLS:
Fresh baked bread
Laundry – clean that is
oatmeal cookies right out of the oven
Wow, it is funny what things you can smell if you just take the time and take it all in. Some good, some bad and some REAL bad. We live behind a dairy farm and even though it’s not a great smell, it is the smell of HOME – the farm. lol
Good post!!
Those are some good ones, too! Especially the bread. Becca has been making her own bread and it’s yummy!
But I will change your cookies to chocolate chip – in my mind anyway, I would eat your oatmeal cookies, too 🙂 .
I agree, I think we often take our senses for granted. We’re so used to them.
Hmmm, smells are a funny thing for me. While pregnant with one of the kids – Logan I believe, I became sensitive to smells. Strong smells give me migraines. I love the earthy smells – cinnamon kind of smells. and Baby powder.
It’s a shame about the migraines because there are so many great smells to be smelt! For me, it’s food candles – they make me sick to my stomach, just terrible. It’s funny about the baby powder, though. I think that’s a pretty strong smell, and I like it okay, but a little bit goes a long way for me. Earthy smells are good, but it’s the same for me with cinnamon, a little goes a long way.