"My mind sees that I am nothing, my heart sees that I am everything, between these two poles my life unfolds."

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Sweet Smell of Memory

Another day, another reason to celebrate; it's Fragrance Day!

Hahaha - We've all met this guy :)

What's your favourite scent? 

Oddly enough, one of mine is almond extract. Growing up, there was a corner store two blocks away from my home that I would visit just to drink in the overpowering smell of almonds that permeated it. I don't know what the reason was behind their signature scent, but it's indelibly inked on my memory. 


Speaking of corner stores, do you remember when there was one on just about every corner? Within a four block radius of my home there were six. I don't know about you, but I really miss them, especially in the spring/summer/fall months. Some of my fondest memories include walking to the corner store on a blistering hot afternoon for a freezie or an early evening stroll for a chocolate bar. Every establishment was unique; the proprietors lived at the back of the building (you could often sneak a quick glance into their home if the door was ajar...) and they carried everything: fishing tackle, pickled eggs, nylons, tacky gifts, penny candy, army knives, comic books - you name it. Some of it was dusty and dated (even by '70's standards), but somehow this just added to the overall ambience and appeal!

28 comments:

  1. The thing I remember was how you always got waited on by the same person each time and they new your name.

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  2. It's a toss up for scents; I love vanilla and coconut equally. Oh yes, I remember those corner stores. There was one within walking distance no matter where you lived. And I also have very fond memories of strolling over to pick up treats. What a wonderful time that was!

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  3. Dear Jane,
    As someone who suffers from asthma, I have to be ever so careful around any kind of perfume or perfumed products. But in my younger days, I used to love Chanel Number 5 perfume, in the early 80's, the tiny spray bottle was $20.00, and the refill for it was $18.00. After Liz Taylor came out with her first perfume, I went back for my $18.00 refill, and it was $100.00.
    No more Chanel Number 5 for me!
    Oh, and I miss the little stores too.

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  4. Loved that little film. I hate it when people wear so much scent it blocks out everything else! One of my all time favourite smells is daffodils. There are still a few corner shops where I live. However the people in the nearest one are very unfriendly and sullen.They always greet me as if I'm wearing a ski mask and carrying a shotgun!

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  5. My Winnipeg neighbourhood had some lovely little corner stores that I frequented in my student days. Hmmm, you've given me an idea for a blog post or two! Now all we have are Mac's and 7-11s. Nowhere near as charming.

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  6. Colognes give me a headache so I wear them rarely. But my favorite has to be Obsession.

    The area I grew up in had a small farm town that had a dime store. It would be very similar to what you had as a corner store. I also miss the hardware stores. I loved going there even though I was to young to really use anything in it. I remember my dad buying items there, nothing was prepackaged. You bought just the amount you needed with nails, screws, bolts, and etc. Everything was bought by weight and put into brown paper bags.

    I have a couple new post ideas too... lol.

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  7. The bluebells that I am always twittering on about have a gorgeous scent. Penhaligon's have a bluebell fragrance, but it doesn't come close. I like the way certain scents bring back memories from years back.
    When I was at school we used to wander up to the local corner store for lunch. They did a roaring trade, especially in hot pies!

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  8. PS I love the picture at the top of your blog :)

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  9. Jane, I love your new spring look of your blog template! As far as the corner stores go...I certainly remember our favorite one, which happened to be a corner drug-store that as a young teenager I used to love to go there and they had everything, just the way you mentioned it.
    I used to read the Hollywood star magazines, and of course checking out all the cosmetic stuff. They also had the most amazing homemade ice creams, just one flavor, every day! Loved their homemade peach ice cream!

    BTW-I shipped out your gift yesterday to you...securely packed it in a double box. I drove out of my way to my favorite post office where I asked to make sure I can securely pack it! You should be receiving it by the end of this week!

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    1. Thanks so much Elisabeth, I'm really getting excited now :) I'll let you know the moment it arrives and will post a pic of it as well!

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  10. Funny - I was reminiscing with my mum today about the little corner store that used to be in the town I grew up in. It had almost everything you could think of, including an object I really desired. It was a lacquered wood music box. I visited the store every day on my way home from school to admire it. This went on for months. Then one day it was gone. Vanished. I was heart broken.

    Until my birthday - my dad had bought it :)

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    1. Annie, That's a great memory - what a wonderful surprise it must have been when you opened that gift :)

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  11. The scent of Jergens Lotion, I love it, still use it. And I, too, love the picture at the top of your blog. :P
    ~~Dorothy~~

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  12. My favorite scent is of our blooming mock orange bush. I look forward to it's fragrance every spring!

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  13. Funny video! I'm partial to vanilla - sometimes, however i was cursed with an overly active sense of smell. I can even smell different genres of books so I am often overpowered by any smells. And the corner store? Yes I remember a big treat as a kid was getting a ginger beer at our corner store in the summer. It happened rarely so when I grew up and found a bottle of ginger beer somewhere I bought it immediately! Major disappointment. didn't tast at all like the ginger beer of my childhood. :(

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  14. I love scents such as vanilla and caramel, also lavender is wonderful. Lemon is so fresh and clean. The smell of fresh brewed coffee gets me every time.

    Ah, yes the little corner store! Where I live, my end of the city is called Eagle Place, and I have the choice of walking to five corner stores, plus a great bakery. Small family owned business and they all seem to be doing quite well.

    This is again an interesting post jane.

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  15. PST.....I forgot to say I love the smell of CHOCOLATE.

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  16. Thanks so much for your comments everyone. Glad to hear this has inspired two posts - I look forward to them :) For the first time in my entire life, I'm actually able to wear different scents. Up until about three years ago, I suffered from migraines on a regular basis my entire life and perfumes and creams of any kind literally made me sick. The last six months I've noticed I'm suddenly no longer bothered and have even purchased a number of perfumes, bath oils and body lotions. It's a real novelty and I'm making up for lost time! That's now TWO ways menopause has been a blessing in my life :)

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  17. Mój ulubiony zapach, to wanilia.Pozdrawiam.*** My favorite flavor is vanilla. Yours

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  18. Oh, the corner store. Sigh. This is one of my big beefs with new neighbourhoods. They are fenced in, surrounded by big busy roads and contain nothing but houses. Not a corner store within site. But at least we have a modern-day corner shop a short bike ride away -- and it's neither a 7-11 or a Mac's.

    As for my favourite smell, I have many, but the one that brings back the most powerful memories is the damp, musty smell like my long gone grandma's garage.

    Nice memories today. Thanks.

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  19. I am allergic to most perfumes--the worst experience I ever had was on a flight to England. I was sitting next to a woman with a perfume that I was clearly allergic to and couldn't get away from!! My nose started running, my eyes smarted, and I thought I was going to run out of kleenex before we landed at Heathrow!! I love the smell of spices--nutmeg, ginger, and of course cinnamon! I certainly remember the corner stores in this neighborhood--we had 4 plus a drug store. Popsicles were the big treat for us on a hot summer day!

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    1. That's the worst when you are trapped beside someone who's 'scent' doesn't agree with you. It's torture.

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  20. I remember a corner drug store (legal) by my grandparents house. Grandpa would take my hand and we'd go get ice cream. Maybe that's why vanilla is my homey scent. As for the guys who bath in cologne instead of water...blah! You can always tell who didn't shower! Funny post Jane:)

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    1. Hi Vicki, That's a beautiful memory :) - I'd venture that most of our favourite scents have a memory attached to them.

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  21. I really enjoyed this funny video. Very cute. Also, I totally dug the stop-complaining video on the right of your blog. Just what I needed to watch! . . . cause I've been complaining way too much lately and really, life is beautiful. Your blog put a smile on my face.

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    1. Thanks so much - I'm so happy to hear that. Glad you enjoyed the video - I try to watch it a few times a week as a gentle reminder to myself ;)

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