I connect 3 foods with my mother. Liver & onions, fried chicken livers, and salmon patties, all cooked in a black cast iron skillet. I do not like any of them, but she did. If I even see them on a menu, I think, "Mom". The memory of my father is stirring his instant coffee in a green "Fire King" mug and then crumbling leftover cornbread (from that same cast iron skillet) into a glass and pouring milk over it, to eat with a spoon. I'm sure there was some fired Bologna in there somewhere too. The only thing I made for my family was the cornbread but we never poured milk on it.
The smell of a high school gym takes me back to gym classes in those awful one piece blue, bloomer things we had to wear. Every Monday morning I was practicing the acquired skill of ironing mine on a towel, on the floor,of my bedroom, because I had waited to the last minute and would get a demerit if it was wrinkled.
Remember, I'm the girly girl that didn't want to sweat. It just ruined your whole "ensemble" to have sweaty hair and smudged eyeliner if you had gym first or second hour. Needless to say, I was not a high achiever in gym class. The only thing I did at all well was tumbling because I had had dance lessons as a child so I could point my toes and had follow through in my arms and hands. (Think gymnasts and then don't think of anything that was difficult... only the " ta da" at the end". ) I could "Ta Da" with the best of them!!
That gym also held Pep Rallies every Friday afternoon before football and basketball games. How many cheerleaders did routines to this?
I know it is barely Spring but, with all of these high temps lately, my body clock is saying it's Summertime.
There is nothing that takes me to a summertime/vacation frame of mind faster than the smell of coconut oil and fruit. It's in Bath & Body spray mist colognes with summer names like Aruba Coconut, Exotic Coconut and Caribbean Escape . It smells like suntan and tanner lotion and the beach to me. The smell of chlorine, when I pour it in the washing machine, smells like swimming pools to me. Instant summer moment.
Back in my teen years, I tried that awful...awful... one more time...awful Coppertone instant tan lotion that turned your skin orange and between your fingers rust!
I've mentioned before that I wore "Ambush" as a young teen... I am curious as to how I would like it now. I'm not even sure I wore because I liked it or just because it was the "in " thing at the time. I have worn Estee Lauder's "Beautiful" for about 25 years. I still like it and my girls know that is their "Mom" thing. Daughter # 1 wore "Red" in high school. The other two didn't have a favorite.
The sound I like most, that is good for my stressed out soul, is the sound of steel drums from the Caribbean. They put me on a white sandy beach with pretty turquoise water immediately.
What transports you?
