MMMMM.. what is that smell?

The sense of smell is the oldest sense in our body.  I have heard that many times but started wondering why.  Basically, the scent travels to the emotional center of our brain and that portion triggers memories.  Women have a stronger sense of smell than men...which explains why we can usually tell if the milk has gone bad or there is a messy diaper in the house!
I have a strong sense of smell.  I can smell silk-- sounds crazy but I can.  Someone can walk by me wearing a silk sweater or shirt and my head turns.  I love the smell.  I love the smell of old leather, rain and freshly mown grass.  And who doesn't like the smell of chocolate chips cookies baking or fresh bread? Those are wonderful smells but some that evoke memories from my childhood are tangerines (we grew up in Florida), thick school paste and ditto paper (which we now know was highly toxic).
I also remember hearing that if you sniffed glue, that at night, while you are sleeping, when your mouth is open, cockroaches will crawl in because they want the glue.  I NEVER sniffed the glue or paste again!
Then there's flowers.  My first corsage was a red rose between two gardenias.  To this day, I love gardenias.... and I love the boy that gave me that corsage!  Every time I smell a gardenia, I remember the dance right down to what I wore.
For years, I have avoided a certain hand lotion because it was what  my mother wore and I couldn't bear to smell it.  It hurt too much and the memories were too strong.   I have embraced that now and actually enjoy the smell of Jergen's Hand lotion.   I also avoid the smell of patchouli.  I don't like the way a little boy smells when he has been outside all day.  But I do love how a little boy smells fresh from his bath and in clean pajamas.
And did you know that our olfactory analyzers are about the size of a postage stamp while a dog's is about the size of a standard sheet of paper.   We have around 5 million scent receptors and a dachshund has 125 million!  And speaking of dogs... have you smelled their paws?  Another smell I love.  At least, my dog.... I know where she's been.
The beauty in life, is each precious moment.  Stop and smell the roses!