Scent is so closely tied with memory and as the sun shines in on the kitchen floor this afternoon and the cake bakes warm and moist in the oven, I'm transported back to my mom's kitchen. My sister standing in the kitchen in a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, sliding the cake pan in the oven and shooing away curious siblings, ever underfoot.
It gets me thinking about making memories with my own children. So often people say they are "making memories" with their families when they go on vacations or do something expensive and out of the ordinary. And while, sure, you can make plenty of memories that way, what things do you remember most from your childhood? The extraordinary, or the ordinary?
I remember the smell of the house at 5pm on weekdays when Mom would start dinner. Laying upstairs on my bed, book in hand, I'd stretch out long and wonder what she was making today. In my memories I carry various holidays and celebrations punctuated by particular scents that stand out to me even now.
I'm no great cook, but I'm making memories here, today. My 7 year old comes running in from outside and takes a deep, appreciative sniff as the screen door bangs shut behind him. My girls' cheeks are a sticky mess of cinnamon and sugar and they keep me on my toes, checking the timer every other minute. Its the season of crunching leaves, brisk winds, brilliant blue skies and speckled sunshine - and apple cake.
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What are some everyday memories you are creating in your family and home?
Lydia,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - so many of my favorite memories are tied to the scent of foods. My granda baking pies at our cabin up north, the smell of stew on a cold Saturday while watching football, or pot roast on a Sunday when we have the family together for dinner - things like that.
Would you mind sharing your Apple Cake recipe? It looks delicious!