“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived.”
Helen Keller
Now that it is December, my main focus is to transform our home from autumn to winter. Steve and I are busy chucking pumpkins over the riverbank and snagging fallen pine cones during our daily walks outside. The fragrance of chimney smoke swirling in the air with pine sap immediately transports me back to my childhood on Shoemaker Hill in Mohawk, NY. I’m moved at how a simple smell can take you on a stroll down memory lane.
The Clean Smell of Pine Trees
Nothing evokes great memories of Christmas more than the invigorating smell of fresh pine. We always had a Christmas tree that we picked out ourselves from our lush Scotch pine forest.
One of my father’s businesses was a Christmas tree farm on our 36-acre property. It began one summer in the 1960s when we planted hundreds of Scotch pine saplings on our hillside over a number of years.
However, as each planting reached maturity and were ready to be sold; my father had grown quite fond of them. He couldn’t bear to chop them down, so he let them mature into a formidable forest! So yes, my father, Bob Cross, was a tree hugger!
Ours’ weren’t the prettiest of evergreens; in fact, they were kind of scraggly. But to me, they were majestic pillars of Mother Nature. Additionally, Scotch pine, also called the Scots pine, is the official tree of the land of our paternal heritage, Scotland.
A Wood-burning Fireplace
We lived on a hillside in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. During the cold winters the house would become a bit drafty. My father built a fireplace at one end of the kitchen, which was the focal point of our home.
The smell of a wood fire brings back so many fond memories of warmth and fun. My younger sister and I would huddle in front of the hot fireplace in the middle of the night to keep warm. We would crack jokes and laugh so loudly we would wake up our parents! Eventually, the fireplace was converted into a wood stove, which wasn’t as pretty, but it still kept us warm.
The fireplace shown is my oldest sister, Rosemary’s. When I visit her, the earthy smells and crackling sounds induce warm memories of our family gatherings, filled shenanigans and laughter.
Fresh-baked Cookies
Let me start by saying my mother was a talented baker. The scent of her cookies wafting from the oven was mouth-watering! To be honest, the aroma of any baked goods takes me back to a fun and carefree childhood. My mother would always have something that smelled wonderful coming out of her kitchen!
In my school days, the anticipation of the upcoming holidays was just as thrilling as the actual holidays. My mother would make cut-out cookies in the shapes of stars, trees and bells. I looked forward to decorating them with green, red and yellow icing. We would ceremoniously eat the cookies with marshmallow-topped mugs of hot cocoa while we watched all the Christmas specials on the TV. My favorite was A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Today all three of my sisters are amazing bakers, like our mother. I never had the interest to learn, but it is nice that they are carrying on the tradition. My sister, Carol, baked and decorated the delicious cookies that are shown.
Italian Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwiches
The aroma of hot Italian sausage conjures up my very own ghost of Christmas past! Every Christmas Eve we had hot Italian sausage, pepper and onion sandwiches. The meal always began with a big bowl of tossed salad, with all the works. And it was extra special, because I got to have a splash of wine in my ginger ale!
Today, we are lucky to have found a fantastic local farm store that sells hot Italian sausage rivaling that of my youth: Serenity Acres Farm, Inc. Trust me, you cannot find an authentic hot Italian sausage brand in the supermarkets around here.
I’d like to know: what smells remind you of your fondest childhood holidays?
Thank you for reading! – Barb, the River Blogger (Btrb)
Feel free to reblog anything I post. I welcome all comments and discussion.
The River Blogger 
Best ever!
I have a few smell memories that have carried me lately.
One is my gramma’s Jean Nate. We always got a little pat of her powder puff. Everyone bought it for her, there were boxes when she passed.
The smell of melted chocolate reminds me of childhood Easter celebrations. We always spent Easter with my paternal grandmother in Florida. And chocolate melted pretty quickly in our car!!
Thanks for the memories!!
My mom used Jean Nate, too! I buy myself Jergens Original Scent (cherry almond) from Walmart, because it reminds me of my mother! Scents can really bring you back! Thanks for reading, Nancy!
That’s a great story about your dad and the trees. At this time of year, I love the smell of evergreens and cookies baking 🙂
Thank you! 🎄💕
Sunscreen has ALWAYS been one of my favorite smells that trigger memories. I remember living in Okinawa, and we would have to bathe in the sunblock before going outside. It reminds me of the summer day camp =^..^=
Fond memories! 💕
Oh how true it is about aromas and memories! I was in an antique store one day and as I passed a corner display a lady passed by who was wearing Tabu perfume. I don’t know if you remember it, but it came in a black, rubbery coated spray bottle, shaped somewhat like an elongated teardrop. My Grandma Earle, whom I called Ma, wore that perfume and I stood there and sobbed like a baby. The owner of the shop rushed to my side, thinking I had been hurt, to offer assistance. I choked out the words to explain that I missed my grandma terribly and smelling her perfume brought a deluge of memories. We chatted for a bit and I left her store after I found a piece of dinnerware from the Jewel Tea Company that had been on Ma’s table every day. It helped to anchor those memories of her until I stumbled upon a half filled bottle of Tabu in a garage sale! I can’t wear it because it “turns” with my body chemistry, but a few cotton balls, scented with Tabu and tucked away kept my craft room smelling like the grandma I knew and loved. I wonder if we will have our sense of smell in the hereafter? I hope so. Aromas really do invoke vivid memories.
Thank you for sharing, Susan! I felt your emotion. Your grandmother had a beautiful soul and she was much loved!
Lovely as always – thanks for sharing.
Thank you! ❤️💚❤️💚
Stimulation smells you have listed. I agree they are great. Thank you for visiting me today at sweet
aroma. Hopefully we offer up sweet fragrance to the Lord.
Does bring back memories. Started for me at the end of high school football season – the city folk raking maple and oak leaves to the street gutters and burning them there. Isn’t allowed today. The smell of corn dry for harvest, turkey and mincemeat pies Thanksgiving and Christmas. The SMELL of the first serious snowfall. Good read. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing! We used to have a huge bonfire at the football homecoming weekend. Isn’t it funny, that we can actually smell snow? I appreciate your comments.
The smell of Fresh Cinnamon rolls always reminds me of my grandparents house. Every Christmas morning after presents we would go to my grandparents house for breakfast. My grandma only made Cinnamon buns for Christmas Day and usually over baked the first batch bc she was multi-tasking but the second batch was perfect!!
I love cinnamon rolls! I honestly do not remember what we ate for breakfast on Christmas Day!