Did you know that our sense of smell was the first thing to develop when humans appeared on earth? Our “smellers” are very old and very complex. It was not only vital to locating food but also finding a mate. Our nose can sense 1 trillion odors, both good and bad.
So when I’m writing stories, I need to implement the sense of smell far more than I do.
Fragrances and odors are closely entwined with memories. A sniff of Pond’s loose body powder for women instantly reminds me to my mom. And Old Spice always brings back times with my dad.
I remember so often coming home from school and Mom would have red beans cooking on the stove or she’d have a cake baking in the oven. If I smell those, it instantly sends me back to my childhood. Also, in my childhood, if a certain food gave off what to me was a bad smell, it wasn’t going in my mouth. I watch my great grandson who’s almost three. He always smells things before he puts them in his mouth. It think that’s very interesting. A dog often does the same thing.
My husband never wore any after shave much because he had asthma and smells would sure send on an attack. But I loved the natural smell of just the soap after he showered. Smells are so powerful.
We camped a lot and I still remember the smell of an open fire and my mom frying bacon or making coffee. There’s nothing like it.
Did you know our sense of smell is strongest in the evening? Smell is directly related to the sleep hormone. In man’s early days on earth, smell helped us not only find food but to discern danger. It came in mighty handy.
And then there’s the fragrance of rain in the air. The official word is petrichor. It’s the release of organic compounds in the soil into the air during and after a rain event. I don’t know about you, but that’s one of my favorite smells. I love to stand outside just smelling the fresh air. It refreshes my soul.
Smells are closely associated to romance. I once dated a guy for a short time that gave off a scent that I could not get past. He was clean and didn’t have body odor but I hated the scent of him. Later, I learned that he was not the person he presented to people and was thankful I dodged a bullet, thanks to my discerning nose!
Now it’s your turn. How has your sense of smell helped you in life? Do certain things spark memories? I can’t wait to hear your responses.
Also, don’t forget that Creek is available for preorder. It’ll be in ebook and paperback. The paperback should show up on Amazon in a few days.
This leads off the multi-author Gun For Hire series. I can’t wait for you all to see these fabulous covers that the Charlene Raddon made. Here’s a list of the authors: Margaret Tanner, Charlene Raddon, Heather Blanton, Carra Copelin, Jo-Ann Roberts, Caroline Clemmons, Tracy Garrett, Cheryl Pierson, and Winnie Griggs.
Here are the three of the series that are already up.
Next month, I’ll have some giveaways of Creek as well as an awesome book trailer.
Don’t forget about our Petticoats and Pistols Reader Group on Facebook! CLICK HERE
Wishing you all a blessed day and week.
Linda Broday
Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules/
Even though my mom’s been gone almost 18 years, I can still remember the smell of her perfume.
Have a great day!
Bonnie, I’m sure the scent of that perfume brings warm feelings. My mom’s powder does that for me. Love just wraps around me. Thanks for coming.
Some things do trigger memories for me.
Bridgette, thank you so much for coming to read my post. Certain foods take us back or maybe it’s the sight of an old car like you had. So many things spark memories.
My mom made Carmel rolls and shared them with people in our community and church. I always remember getting off the bus and opening the front door and smelling Carmel rolls. Now, I carry on the tradition.
Also, I just love the smell of barbecued meat.
Looking forward to Creek and the rest of the series. Thank you.
Kathy, I applaud you on carrying on your mom’s tradition. That’s very appreciated I’m sure. We didn’t have a lot of barbeque when I was growing up so I have no memories associated with it. I do like the smell though. Thank you for the compliment on Creek and our Gun For Hire series. They’ll be here soon. I kinda wish my release date was March 1st instead of the 15th. Take care and please stay warm up there! And by the way, you can keep all this cold Arctic air up there with you! We don’t need it here in Texas. 🙂
I can smell when propane low o. Heater.
Hi Jane, I’m happy to see on you on this frigid morning. Our sense of smell is really amazing and often saves our lives. Propane probably gives off a certain smell. I trust you on that since I’ve never used propane. Thank you for sharing that.
Good morning Linda! Old Spice reminds me of my father also. My 43 year old son uses the deodorant and I would tell him Papa used the aftershave. He laughed and said he knew that and he liked the smell. I love the smell after a rain or when the grass is cut. I know, call me silly! My grandson sniffs his food too! LOL I told him I was surprised he ate Brussel sprouts!
I plan to read this series if it is Unlimited Kindle, is it?
Oh, I see that it is! Kindle Unlimited! Oh, I can’t wait to start this new series Linda! Best wishes!
Tracy, yes the book is Kindle Unlimited. I’m very anxious for it to release. How funny about your son about the Old Spice. Not many men use it these days. Yep, these kids don’t eat anything without smelling it first like we’re about to poison them. Ha! 🙂 I still won’t eat brussel sprouts because of the smell. I just can’t get it past my nose. HaHa! Stay warm today. It’s very cold!!!
Well, it has helped me avoid a family of skunks once. I love the smell of cookies baking. It brings back Christmas memories.
Debra, skunks do give off quite an odor. One sniff is enough to get me moving far away. Cookies make the best fragrance in the house. Thanks for coming!
I do not have a strong sense of smell, so it isn’t connected with memories. (Maybe that is why I don’t have a good memory.)
Susan, some people are born without olfactory glands that give us the ability to smell. You’re the first one I’ve heard of like that. Thanks for coming and sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for educating us about this, really interesting. What makes a house smell like home to me is the yeast from baking bread and it takes me back to school days when the lunchroom ladies baked rolls.
Rachel, that yeast smell is so powerful. I kept a sourdough starter for many years and I loved the smell of that. Nothing beats fresh baked bread. I eat it like it’s dessert. Thanks for coming and sharing that.
I smell lilacs and it reminds of my grandma allowing me to bringing her a bouquet of lilacs. She didn’t care if we picked her some and put them in a container for her. I too love the fresh smell after a rain or the smell of fresh cut grass.
Karijean, lilacs have a beautiful fragrance and it’s nice that they remind you of your grandma. Oh gosh, fresh rain makes me a bit giddy. I love that smell and also of cut grass. They always take me home. Rain is cleansing and brings back a lot of memories. I’m so glad you came by today. Stay warm.
I love the smell of Johnson and Johnson baby lotion, brings back memories of my own now grown adult children and my grandchildren. When I was young and growing up at home we would use the Jergens Lotion and I love that smell. Also when my siblings and I were growing up at home , come September and the cooler and colder days, we would come home go outside and play for a while our mom would be cooking dinner and then she would call us in for dinner, as soon as I got to the door I could smell the hot cocoa my mom was making for us on the stove to have with our dinner, I love that smell because it always brings back memories of my growing up at home with 5 siblings and our parents. I also love the smell of Pine sol, that is what we used when we were growing up at home to mop. So much more smells that bring back such beautiful memories of my growing up years especially. I enjoyed your post. Thank you.
Alicia, that smell of J&J baby powder and lotion is very distinctive and takes me back to my kids when they were babies. I still use Jergens Lotion. It’s affordable and very good. Love the fragrance of it as well. Hot cocoa is such a nice memory of your childhood. It doesn’t take anything big to remind us of home. The small things I think are even more powerful. Like your Pine Sol. The scent of that speaks clean to me. Thank you so much for coming.
The smell of coffee reminds me of waking up in my parents home. Old Spice smells like my dad. Biscuits and gravy with sausage smells like breakfast at my grandparents’ home.
I love the smell of rain and knew it was called petrichor.
Denise, the fragrance of coffee really brings back memories for me too. It really smells good. I love the smell that hits me when I enter a Starbucks. Old Spice must’ve been very popular. I just love it. And yes, the rain. It makes me feel loved for some reason. A gift from God for sure. Love you, Denise. Have a good day and make some more memories.
I also love the smell of the air before and when it’s raining. It has such a wonderful and inviting aroma. My husband cannot smell anything. I believe the house could burn down and he wouldn’t even notice until he saw the flames. I also love certain colognes on a man, specifically my husband. When it comes to buying him colognes, I do the choosing, because he can’t smell anyway. You might say it is a waste of money to wear cologne for him since he never notices. However, I love to smell good and get complements from others, so I can be happy for that. Baking bread, a cake or brownies tweak my pleasure due to my sense of smell. A clean house also is very gratifying. I always know when it’s time to clean again, especially mopping my floors as the cleaner is very pleasant and I know my home is clean because I can smell it.
Judy, thanks for your comment. Some people are born without the ability to smell. They have no olfactory gland. My husband was extra sensitive to smell so I could never wear perfume or even a strong soap. I love to smell good though and since he’s gone on to glory I like the body sprays. I agree about the rain. That’s one of my favorite scents and always has been even as a child. A clean house smells so good. Thank you for coming to share.
The smell of rain always reminds me of the farm. The smell of baking bread reminds me of my mom and Old Spice reminds me of my dad.
Barbara, you have special smells that bring precious memories back to you. Something happens in our brains when we have certain scents that bring memories. I don’t know about you, but I get this warmth all over like the hugs I got as a child. Stay warm and have a good day.
Scents do trigger memories. My mom wore Avon’s Cotillion perfume. It hasn’t been produced in many years, but over the years , I have gotten a faint whiff of it. Usually no one is around. My mom has been gone since 1971, so I figure it is her checking in on me. It is a comforting scent and thought.
We do Red Cross disaster responses and I have gotten very attuned to the smell of smoke from different types of fires. Also sparking or hot wires have their own smells. Floods and building collapses have their own smells.
On a brighter note, certain foods trigger memories. My one grandmother fixed Christmas dinner every year and the smell of dressing and roasting turkey take me back to her warm and cozy home. Baking bread is another comforting aroma. My husband was a junior in high school when his father died. They moved the end of that school year. His mom worked long hours to support the 2 boys. She once told me the most wonderful thing was pulling in to the carport after a long day and smelling fresh bread baking. My husband was the oldest and enjoyed (still does) cooking. I don’t know if he ever realized just how much that smell of baking bread meant to his mom – not to mention how good it was to eat.
Thanks for bringing back some good memories.
Pat, how nice to have you come by to add your memories. Smells do tell us a lot and often warn. Lodged in my mind is the horrible smell after our big tornado in 1979. I couldn’t stand that smell and it’s something I’d never smelled before in my life. I can’t even liken it to anything similar. There’s nothing to compare it to. How wonderful that your hubby cooks! You hit the jackpot. I could eat my weight in fresh baked bread so I understand how grateful his mom was. That’s sad that she lost her husband so early. I can’t imagine how hard that was for her and the kids.
Yes, your mom is telling you she’s still around and watching over you. That’s so comforting. You have wonderful memories of your grandmother and I envy that a little. I never had grandparents on either side. Take care of yourself and stay warm! I hope you’re not close to that horrible flooding in Kentucky. Those poor people. Much love, Pat.
hay the day after it has been cut – or feeding square bales – a baby fresh from a bath too – both wonderful smells – a horse – nothing compares to their smell! I tell my grands – everything has a smell – our llamas, dogs (wet or not) cattle – hogs
Teresa, thank you for coming. I love the smell of all the things from your list except the llamas. I don’t think I’ve smelled them before. We depend on our noses a lot, don’t we? I’m glad you’re teaching your grands. Love and hugs.
What a cool fact that our smell is better in the evening! The smell of sawdust or construction sites always brings back memories of my family building our own house.
I love the smell AFTER there’s a good rain!! I don’t like the smell of mowed grass, as that sets off my allergies! lol! I like the smell of vanilla, it brings back memories of cooking with my mom.
My smell almost always told me what we were having to eat so I could decide to fix something else to or not and it also helped me choosing perfume and stayed away from flowery scents
Smells are always triggering memories. Lilacs remind me of my Gran. Flowers in general mean spring is coming…..
Some smells trigger memories from my childhood also. My mother used Oil of Olay and the scent of it reminds me of her. It doesn’t smell exactly the same as it did then but sometimes I can catch a whiff of something that smells that way. I too love the smell of rain, you can almost smell it coming. I also love the smell of fresh mown grass. And, of course, nothing smells better than a freshly bathed baby with baby powder on. I also love the smell of puppies breath.
I love the smell of Lilacs when means it is spring and I am so ready for that smell.