Lucky

Evocative scents for me:

• Just mown grass
• Charcoal lighter fluid
• Coconut-scented suntan lotion
• Running water

I'm sitting here at the computer, beside the window, and I suddenly caught a whiff of charcoal lighter fluid. Not really a pleasant scent, I suppose, but so evocative. It speaks so much of summer and cookouts, and family sitting around the picnic table.

When I came home last night, the mowers were just finishing up, and the air was full of the scent of just-mown grass. Such a wonderful, summery smell. And on Thursday I had a client meeting early, so I got up about an hour earlier than I normally do, and when I went out to get the paper the way the air smelled suddenly made me think of early mornings when Bob and I would camp at Bennett Spring, near the river, and the morning air would smell of nearby water.

I went to the card store while I was out today, and after I picked out the cards I needed I stopped by the Yankee Candle display. I generally have one of the short candle jars on my desk at work, and the one I have there now (Garden Cucumber) is getting close to the end, so I thought I'd think about a new scent. I don't like the ones that smell like baked goods--sugar cookies or carrot cake or banana bread--I think those are weird. I do like fruit-scented ones. The Lemongrass and Orange was heavenly.

The one that was on special for the month was "Seaside Holiday," one that Bob has bought me before because of our, well, seaside holidays. I like it, although I couldn't tell you really what it smelled like. Not the ocean, I don't think. I didn't buy any of them. I have a hard time spending that much for a candle; even at 25% off (for the monthly special), they're still expensive.

Favorite scents:

• Lavender
• Patchouli
• Lemon
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Sandalwood
• Cedar

It's hard for me not to go crazy in the herb department at the nursery. I walk along the aisles, pressing leaves between my fingers to release the scent--I have to smell all of the scented geraniums, and find the holy basil--wonderful!--and smell everything lemon-scented. And the mints! I didn't put much out this year, the catnip and peppermint have mostly taken over the garden and come up everywhere by themselves, but I don't mind. I did plant a lemon thyme, with tiny yellow-bordered leaves, but that's it as far as the herbs.

My main concentration this year has been on groundcover. I can't really afford to buy enough plants to cover the yard, of course, so I've been buying a little at a time and hoping they'll spread. The ajuga seems to be doing fine, but something, a rabbit I assume, found the clover, and it's just a patch of stems--all the leaves are gone. Oh well, I suppose the rabbits have to eat, too. And if that's all they bother, I'll consider myself lucky.