Poetic smells

[margaret]

I remember those scented sweets! They were some of the things we spent our modest pocket money on as children. Can't remember the name of the parma violet ones, (maybe they were just called parma violets?) but others in the same league were called "Love Hearts". Other things we bought were "Spangles", "Polo Mints" and licorice in different shapes.

[Ali]

I used to love Palma violets, they always reminded me of the violet perfume in tiny bottles sold at the seaside. Funnily Palma violet sweets can be found for sale in chemist shops rather than sweet shops now.
Another smell is imperial leather soap and brylcream, reminds me of my Grandfather, even after he died, the antimaccasa's still smelt of him when we visited in the autumn.

[margaret]

I still buy Imperial Leather soap !

[linda_lakeside]

I love Imperial Leather soap! I haven't seen that in years. Do they still have that white/red kind of 'wrap'? Ha! I bought that for years. Now, I buy whatever's on sale. Unless it's a special for me. Like a bar of Chanel or whatever. Imperial Leather! Ha!

Linda.

[linda_lakeside]

I've noticed a rather charming trend.

You say 'sweets' and 'shops', words that mean the same as what we, in North America have, but it sounds more 'quaint' somehow. I suppose that's true of every district on earth, but in English, it sounds kind of sweet somehow.

Linda.

But don't get me wrong, I know there's the other side of the coin, as well.

[Tchocolatl]

Tchoc, I like the way you evoke the feel of autumn. It is a soft and mellow time of the year. Diane

Yep. Mellow all over but for the colours in violent contrast. So beautiful. I can not resist. Look at this. It gives a good idea of what I mean.



Tom Thomson

[linda_lakeside]

"Autumn's Garland"? I use the "Group of Seven" quite a bit as screen savers, wallpaper, etc. I like Lawren Harris, also.

Very beautiful.

Linda.

** If I'm not mistaken, I think Harris has some beautiful fall and winter scenes. I think I had Mt. Robson as wallpaper last winter.

[linda_lakeside]

The colour comes over very nicely! Absolutely gorgeous! There are a significant number of truly beautiful winter paintings, as I'm sure you know, probably Harris. I'm not sure. This is super!

Linda.

[Tri-me]

Takes me back to Algonquin Park, twas autumn 1977, grade 7 were on a school outing, collecting samples of leaves for biology. He was a shy boy, can't remember his name was it Warren or Walter? We were parnters, I wanted to be with my friend Hellen. Waldo never made much of an impression on me, he was kind of strange. Then something wierd happened. We were reaching for the same leaf, I think it was a Maple Leaf our hands touched. I had a feeling low in my belly, not the feeling you get when you have to pee, a new wierd tingly feeling. Winslow must have felt the same feeling because we just looked at each other unable to talk.
He said, "I like your hair."
I said, "Get lost"
He said, "I don't like your hair"
I said, "What is wrong with my hair?"
He said, "Nothing, you are beautiful when you are mad"
We kissed. On that fall day in Algonquin park William showed me the joys of being a woman. The air smelled of cinnamon.

Thanks for the memory Tchocolatl even if it is fiction

[evelyn]

J.E.H. MacDonald is one of my favorites, but really all of the Group of Seven.

I used to eat those violet candies - they had such a strange perfumey
taste, I liked artificial tasting candies - like those necklaces made out of
candy beads.

evelyn

[linda_lakeside]

Evelyn,

I remember those! They were on an elastic thread, so you could actually wear it!

There were also those sour candies called 'Sweet Tarts", as the name suggests they were sweet/sour, but the smell was fruity. Probably similar to the elastic ones! Ha!

Linda.

[Anne-Marie]

Takes me back to Algonquin Park, twas autumn 1977, grade 7 were on a school outing, collecting samples of leaves for biology. He was a shy boy, can't remember his name was it Warren or Walter? We were parnters, I wanted to be with my friend Hellen. Waldo never made much of an impression on me, he was kind of strange. Then something wierd happened. We were reaching for the same leaf, I think it was a Maple Leaf our hands touched. I had a feeling low in my belly, not the feeling you get when you have to pee, a new wierd tingly feeling. Winslow must have felt the same feeling because we just looked at each other unable to talk.
He said, "I like your hair."
I said, "Get lost"
He said, "I don't like your hair"
I said, "What is wrong with my hair?"
He said, "Nothing, you are beautiful when you are mad"
We kissed. On that fall day in Algonquin park William showed me the joys of being a woman. The air smelled of cinnamon.

Thanks for the memory Tchocolatl even if it is fiction

You are so cute. I love your posts.

[lizzytysh]

Hi Tri-me ~

Now there is a memory ! Wonderful, sweet, precious. The joy of the unexpected .

~ Lizzy

[lizzytysh]

Here is the most concise, succinct explanation of this phenomena I've seen, yet; so, here it is for you, too. [It's in the latest issue of AARP, along with eight other "simple habits that can boost your brainpower," so as to "Stay Sharp Longer," written by Kelly Griffin. The other habit ideas are pretty cool, too; so, if anyone's interested, I'll pass them on, as well. However, this one is so topical with its synchronicity, that it's just gotta get in here.

It's #7 with the sub-title "Catch a Whiff":

Smell is the only sense that connects directly to a part of the brain called the limbic system, which is involved in processing emotions and storing memories. That's why certain odors can make you feel nostalgic. Listening to music while burning a scented candle [none of us here have done that, right ?] will build brain connections by combining two senses -- hearing and smell -- that don't ordinarily collaborate.

Just be sure you use and blow out those matches, to get that sulphur/carbon sniff .

~ Lizzy

[lizzytysh]

In the spirit of autumn, these aren't smells, but words that apply ~ via the synchronicity with the "Word-A-Day" entries I've received this week.

Since this newsletter reaches almost all parts of the globe, you may be reading this on a day when there's a torrid sun or a gentle spring breeze. Perhaps you are forced indoors by a drenching monsoon or a frigid snowstorm. But in this part of the world we are celebrating autumn, the season of colors.

As the falling leaves form a feast for the eyes, it is a perfect week to talk about colors. Let's consider some unusual words to describe oranges and browns, grays and blues, and other shades in between.

Interestingly, there's even a color named after the color of dead leaves!

-Anu Garg
(gargATwordsmith.org)

Here they are:


(1) filemot (FIL-mot) noun, adjective

The color of a dead or faded leaf: dull brown or yellowish brown.

[From the corruption of the French term feuillemorte, from feuille (leaf)
+ morte (dead). Ultimately from Indo-European root bhel- (to thrive or
bloom) that gave us flower, bleed, bless, foliage, blossom, and blade.]


(2) incarnadine (in-KAHR-nuh-dyn) adjective

Flesh-colored; blood-red.

noun ~ An incarnadine color.

verb tr. ~ To make incarnadine.

[Via French and Italian from Latin caro, (flesh). Ultimately from Indo-European root sker- (to cut) that's also the source of words such as skirt, curt, screw, shard, shears, carnage, carnivorous, carnation, sharp, and scrape.]


(3) fuscous (FUS-kuhs) adjective

Of a brownish-gray color; dusky.

[From Latin fuscus (dusky).]


(4) glaucous (GLO-kuhs) adjective

1. Of a grayish or bluish green or white color.

2. Covered with a powdery coating of such colors, as on grapes, plums, etc.

[From Latin glaucus (bluish-gray or green), from Greek glaukos.]


(5) taupe (toap, rhymes with rope) noun

A brownish gray, similar to the color of moleskin.

[From French taupe (mole), from Latin talpa.]

*************************************************************

Look at all those Latin roots !

None of these rhyme with orange, but you never know when they might come in handy.

OK ~ back to the scents .

~ Lizzy