Often times we are transported back in time numerous ways through our imagination. The ways we are taken back can represent pleasant thoughts, past memories, favorite sayings, internal stimuli, our outside influences. I believe that aromas and memories sometimes combine to accomplish this.

The smell of a dessert made with apples or peaches will bring back memories of my childhood watching my mom bake her fabulous apple pie or peach cobbler. At that time, I then feel compelled to give the dessert a try to see if it tastes just as good as mom's recipe.

At other times, introductions to new aromas will instantly create new memories and stir the imagination of what the smell could possibly be or where it's coming from.

In gauging the aromas and memories in my life, I think about how smells and experiences while growing up shaped my thinking and feeling today and can answer the questions below from a sensory perspective.

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What was the best thing about the place where you grew up?

I grew up in a small lumber mill town. The place where everyone knows your face and name.

The mothers of my neighborhood friends hold a special place and memory for me. I've forgotten many of their names, but I'll never forget the love they all showered on me.

No child went hungry in our neighborhood. That's because if you were a mom, you feed everyone if you could afford it. I remember my mom apportioning meals if we brought home friends that needed to eat.

Of course, back then, all the moms cooked meals in huge pots. They had a way of stretching food to serve many and over a course of a few days. I remember eating more casseroles than at any time in my life. Large pots of beans, rice, and vegetables were staples in every home.

The aroma emitting from each home's kitchen, waffling through the house out the front door or open window, signed to us which house to visit if we wanted a specific dessert. For some reasons, moms back then just knew how to cook really well. Funny thing is I never saw any recipes. How I wish I'd taken the time to learn how they did it. I was too busy eating. That's all I remember is how good the food and desserts were.

The moms were our play moms. They'd feed us, defend us, and tend to our injuries, always ready with plenty of band aids. But look out if we were naughty. Then they reported us before we even made it home if we were disrespectful or causing any trouble. Punishment was no joking matter. So we were always mindful to be on our best behavior within earshot and eye shot of those dutiful moms. Their favorite saying was, "I'm only doing this because I love you. You'll thank me later." I couldn't see it then; but yes, they did love us.

Let me not forget the dads. They were hardworking men who provided what they could for their families. As long as they could provide foot and a place to live, they were content. Every dad, if he could afford it, gave their children and all others in the neighborhood a few pennies to buy candy at the corner store.

Dads also had other duties. One of them was tying the ropes to the tall trees, then securing a tire on its end so that we could swing inside or on top of the tire. Oh, the fun we had, swinging back and forth. I wasn't one who liked to share. I had to perfect my technique so that I could be the one who swung the highest. That caused me to require a lot of band aids applications and the comforting touch of any mom available.

There are so many other things that come to mind. But I'd be remiss not to mention the small corner store. Actually it was a house converted by the owners into a convenience store. There, we'd buy hard candy and soda in the bottle.

My favorite flavor of soda was strawberry. The glass bottle was returnable for a 5-cent deposit. The wooden porch steps allowed us to sit while we ate. I'd bite my candy into small pieces, then put them inside the soda. I loved to watch the candy drop to the bottom.

But the lazy days of summer in the neighborhood is etched in my memory forever. Getting together with friends to pick berries near the railroad tracks was pure pleasure. Buckets were tied to a string around our shoulders to hold our day's catch of crawfish or "crawdads" as we called them. Short, skinny poles were in one hand while the other hand was left free to join with my sisters or other friends.

The loser of the previous day's games was assigned to carry the extra bucket for the strawberries we were instructed to pick. We had so much fun just walking, talking, and singing.

Playing marbles. I could control the toebreaker like no other. The boys hated me. Playing jacks. I could go to 100 without missing. The girls hated me. I can't forget skating, each girl having one foot in a pair of skates. I'd also play with them making dolls from coke bottles and straw for the hair. We'd talk about our dreams of owning a real "Barbie Doll" one day.

Staying outdoors from sun up to sun down in the summer was heaven. We didn't worry about anyone harming us. That's something I truly miss. The laid back atmosphere, peace, and calm you just can't find today in the bustling cities.

There was no other neighborhood in the world I thought that could have provided me with so many memories or aromas, love, and fun, except mine. Life was good.

What are your three favorite smells?

First, you see that I just finished talking about aromas I remember as a child that had a profound affect on my development. Those are my old favorite smells. Those childhood smells will never leave me.

However, my three favorite smells since becoming an adult are totally different. These are the "now" that stirs my senses and give me new memories.

• Chamomile

To me this scent smells like heaven. Its aroma makes me feel as though I'm at peace with myself. Harmony has entered my space. It has a sweet aroma, but it's not overbearing.

I love this smell for my herbal tea. Sometimes I'll steep the entire box and place them in a large jar and refrigerate. Then, when needed, I just heat a cup. This tea also works well with shortbread cookies.

If a headache develops, the aroma while I'm drinking calms me. I usually drink this tea while reading. I find that I can think more clearly. Before I know it, I've fallen asleep with the book in my lap. Chamomile also works well for me in air fresheners for my home and vehicles and candles. I have migraines and severe sinus. The smell eases these symptoms. It also works wonders in soothing the space around me.

I understand there are soaps, but I have never used them.

• Rain

There's nothing like the smell of freshness falling from the sky. I remember when I was a child, I'd see the sky darken, then run outside and stand in the middle of the yard with my head back. Once grown, the smell was stronger. The smell seems to be a mixture of all the elements of the soil. But how could rain have a smell of soil when it hadn't fallen to the ground?

I finally discovered that of course, rain has no smell. The aroma I was smelling comes from the the water after it hits the dry ground. You may not see it fall near you, but it was. The odor derived from that is what you smell because of the release of of various compounds. Science wasn't my best course in school. The closest description I remember has to do with the word petrichor, the name given to the smell that comes from rain. ¹

• My husband's cologne

A few years ago after sneezing constantly whenever I was near him, my husband decided to help alleviate my sinus problems. He allowed me to choose a cologne fragrance that not harsh, and I could tolerate. We didn't know that the perfumes and colognes actually contain irritants that may cause sinuses and other problems.

Next, we finally started researching alternatives fragrances. We settled on fragrances that were not only non-toxic, but also natural. Since then, we found a company that deals in natural fragrances for men and women. We've been experimenting with several oils, body sprays, and colognes.

That was so thoughtful of him to consider me. Whenever someone attempts to surprise him with a new fragrance, I'll test it first. If no reaction, then it's thumbs up. But that rarely happens. He's so sweet and considerate to do this. Much love his way.