Smellories ......

Have you ever come across something, held it up to your nose, breathed in and were instantly transported in time to a long ago and far away place?
It happened to me today.
I was looking in the drawer of my Grandmothers china cabinet and came across one lone linen napkin from a tablecloth and napkin set that no longer existed.
Nothing fancy, just plain linen.
Red.
My favorite color.
I don't know what made me do it, but I brought it up to my nose and inhaled deeply.
*BAM*
I'm back in 1970-something with my Grandmother, my Mom and the rest of my family eating the roast that Grams had prepared.
We were using the tablecloth and napkins.
We had eaten an early supper and I was clearing the table so we could make Christmas cutout cookies.
It was a tradition.
Grams and Mom made a thousand pounds of cookie dough, and we kids sat and rolled it out and used the cookie cutters to make trees, snowmen, reindeer, candy canes and of course, Santa.
This cookie making process was a major ordeal.
One night for rolling and cutting, another night was spent frosting and decorating.
The kitchen smelled of roast beef and cookies.
We were covered in flour.
And so was the kitchen!
I can see Grams and Mom standing at the counter waiting for a tray to be done.
Both of them with a cup of coffee in one hand, cigarette in the other.
My Grandfather and my Dad down in the TV room reading the newspaper.
It was something I looked forward to.

It's amazing to me that after many, many years,
I could still smell my Grandmothers house in that napkin.
It put a smile on my face even as the tears were rolling down.

I love smellories.