Fragrance Memory 

One of the things that drew us to our house when we first looked at buying it 23 years ago was the beautiful magnolia tree in the front yard. It was a full and majestic specimen. From inside the house we could lookout at it and see our neighbors house across the street. In the spring the fragrance from the basketball sized flowers harkened back to a long ago era.

Today I went out in the front yard to walk to the mailbox. The smell from the now coliseum sized tree was almost overwhelming. I felt as if Eudora Welty and William Faulkner were around the corner and coming for iced tea. I walked across the street to my neighbors house and took a picture of the beautiful green giant. It is now so large it completely blocks our house from view. To give you some perspective on its grandeur, look at how small my car is on the right side of the photo.
I wish that I could turn this blog into a scratch and sniff because the feeling you get when you inhale practically lifts you off the ground. In the next few days the big gardenia bushes by the house will blossom and I may not be able to walk out front with the aid of a cane. Oh the life of a southern lady.
I am making a smell memory. In future years, when all these beautiful things bloom, I will think of Carter’s graduation. It is going to be overwhelming I am certain.