UPDATE: The winner is…Rita!
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I’ve talked about scents on this blog before. Favorite scents. Mine is the scent of oranges. It always makes me happy and energizes me. Now, I want to talk about scents that invoke a memory because, you know, your brain uses scent to anchor memories.

One of my earliest scent-memories is the aroma of a certain vintage perfume, “Evening in Paris.” My father gave my mother a gift of a set of “Evening in Paris” perfume and cologne as a wedding gift, and she used it only sparingly because it was dear to her. They didn’t have much money then, so every gift he gave her was something she treasured. And he was a romantic at heart—he never forgot an anniversary or Valentine’s Day (except once, but that’s a story for another day). No matter how strapped they were for cash, or how far apart (he had many tours of duty during the Viet Nam War), he always managed to find something she would love, even if it was only flowers and chocolate.

I’m sure Mom’s “Evening in Paris” would have survived the length of their marriage (sixty years), except for the fact they had a nosy, sneaky daughter—me. I loved opening the precious bottle and just rubbing the cap on my wrists so I could enjoy that smell.

For one of her last Christmases, I found a store that specialized in vintage, popular perfumes and bought her a bottle of “Evening In Paris.”  Of course, I had to open it first and draw in that scent. So many memories came pouring through my mind of me when I was a kid, of sneaking it from her dresser to anoint my wrists. She had to have known, it’s a strong and distinct scent, but she never chastised me. I still wonder why.

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