Scentscapes — Wednesdays Will Always Be Jasmine & Smoke

Laura A. Weber

“Bowl of Beauty” Peony — Image courtesy of Laura Weber

Heart in your nose? What scentscape accompanies your life’s most potent memories? Peonies are among my earliest, happiest memories, closely associated with my Birthday. New Year’s Eve is “Here’s My Heart.” It’s the perfume Mom used to wear on special occasions, holidays, anniversaries, or special celebratory gatherings. It was a 1950’s Avon special, reminiscent of waterlily, mimosa, iris, and melon, with undertones of sandalwood and moss. I wasn’t an astute perfumer (nez) or aromachologist, able to distinguish subtle scents when I was a child. I just knew when I smelled “Here’s My Heart” that Mom was in the vicinity, and that she may be feeling upbeat. Or when I smelled peonies, it was around my Birthday. The floral scents revive tender memories of myself and my Mom and those special occasions.

Image courtesy of Unsplash photographer Geraldine Dukes

But Wednesdays will always be jasmine and smoke. Like Amortentia from Harry Potter mythology, the magical potion that arouses infatuation or obsession, this is how I experience the potent fragrance: “Love, love, love.” Allow me to explain.

Wednesday nights were our family’s time with ‘Rain and Bunky, our favorite Aunt and…