Evoke
Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt.
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To bring or recall to the conscious mind.
I’ve slowly and almost completely lost my sense of smell. Too many sinus infections, nasal sprays, antibiotics, I guess. So for me, it has to be the memory of aromas that I loved. Those memories are evocative, and almost always in a positive way.
For instance, it’s raining right now. When I was a little girl in Minneapolis, I loved the smell of rain on the hot concrete of the street and the sidewalks in the summer. It was unique, a smell I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed since then in exactly the same way.
I also loved the smell of rain when we lived in a southern Minnesota farm town when I was in high school. The rich, earthy smell of the fields was intensified by the rain, which was always a welcome reprieve from the humid heat of August.
Winter rain was a new experience for me in both Portland, Oregon when we moved there from Minnesota, and again here in southeastern Pennsylvania. I’ll never forget that it rained on Christmas Day the first year we were here, in 1974. I couldn’t believe it. I had grown up in White Christmas Land, and rain was just not okay.
Other smells I’ve loved and now miss: bread baking, roasting turkey, ham, or beef; freshly-cut grass; expensive perfume; roses; baby powder and shampoo; sheets brought fresh from the clothesline and put on the bed. Coffee. So many other things.
I can still smell some things if I get them close enough to my nose. Lavender, for one. I love that smell. My daughter keeps me supplied with lavender hand soap and goat milk soap. I know a lot of people thinks it’s an old-fashioned smell, but then so many of the things I’ve listed are also old-fashioned, I guess.
The memories all these things evoke are warm, wonderful, and welcome. I miss my sense of smell.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/evoke
I, too love the smell of rain, of freshly mowed grass, cinnamon buns…and ooooh fresh sheets which were hung out on the clothesline are delectable in their scent. Great post, evokes some great memories
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Oh, how could I forget cinnamon rolls 🙂
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Oh, I love the smell of the rain and the petrichor.
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Well, thanks for adding a new word to my vocabulary. I had to look up “petrichor.” 🙂
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My pleasure.
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Your words evoked similar memories of my own such as freshly cut grass. I still smell Mum’s date scones hot out of the oven as we came home after school.
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Oh, my mom used to make date cookies at Christmas! I made them for years, too, but now that the kids are all gone, I don’t do much baking. Have to keep the blood sugar under control, but I miss those wonderful smells.
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it’s hard to take the preacher’s of today words for granted.
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Elbert, I’m not making a connection from your comment to my post. I wondering if you meant the comment for a different post?
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smell is something nice. I smelled the rain on hot concrete when I read your words. You have to make things conscious and remember, that’s right and beautiful. And there are not any old-fashioned ones anyway.
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I agree, Anie. A good smell is always up-to-date 🙂
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Such a beautiful and aromatically evocative piece 🙂
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Thank you!
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