Thursday, November 21, 2013

Memories in the strangest places

Some scientists say that the sense of smell is the strongest link to memories that we have. It is truly amazing how memories come flooding back just at the smell of a perfume or a food. Last weekend we decided to visit my grandmother in Reform, AL, and while there Craig and I took the time to walk the grounds and enjoy each other's company.

My grandparents have a shed beside their house where they stored so many treasures that you could stock an antique store. Of course, there is plenty of junk as well, but you don't have to look hard to find an interesting piece that holds a storied past.

I am dying to find out why there are stocks in the shed. Dad, were you guys punished in them if you didn't behave as children? ;)

My grandfather worked for Westinghouse for years so there are many Westinghouse products throughout the house and, apparently, in the shed as well.

We then stepped into his workshop and that's when the memories flooded. It was strange, though, because there weren't specific memories. It just smelled like him. I can't explain it. He didn't smell like a woodshed so it doesn't really make sense, but there was something about the workshop's smell that made me smile and cry at the same time. It made me miss him so much, even though I really didn't spend any time in there with him while he was alive. It is truly amazing how the mind works and how just one simple smell can bring back so many emotions.

After taking that trip down memory lane, we decided to take a walk across the land to take advantage of the fresh air and cooler temperatures.

We had a shadow, Bo, during our walk. Bo originally belonged to my cousin and his family, but my grandmother adopted him when they moved out of the area. He loves company and stayed under our feet the entire time we were walking.

I noticed a spider web that still held the morning dew and found the way it glistened so beautiful...

...until I came so close to seeing it's owner and designer and quickly left him to his bidding.

I love visiting this area, of course because of my grandmother, but also because the beauty of the land amazes me every time we are there. There is always something new and interesting to witness and capture in photographs. I hope you don't mind me sharing my finds each time we go. I mean, we are there once a month so it stands to reason that I will continually have something new to share. I am going to go ahead and say "you're welcome" and hope that you said "thank you" for this.