A friend ‘tweeted’ me this morning, telling me that her frangipani tree, in Florida, was flowering and that reminded her of me, living here in Western Australia.
This comment set off a chain reaction in my memory, as slivers from my early childhood in Brisbane popped into my head:
- the perfumed frangipani tree outside my bedroom window at Clayfield
- blossoms in a dish on the dining table for Sunday lunch at Nan’s
- threading the flowers onto a piece of string to wear as a necklace……..my memories of those carefree childhood days were easily revived by the fragrant frangipani tree
What fragrances/aromas can you use to ignite your memory?
- freshly baked bread or apple pie?
- the perfume Mum wore when she went out in the evening?
- the smell of Dettol that Mum used to dab on your cut knee?
- the smell of burning autumn leaves, reminding you of grandpa’s garden?
Your nose is a useful, reliable aid to reviving early childhood memories – just inhale the aroma/perfume, close your eyes and let your mind wander back to when you first noticed ‘the’ smell. Then let the other associations flood back into your mind – where you were, who else was there, what you were doing……… those old childhood memories will tumble out, ready to be written down in your journal or personal history. Get your nose twitching today!
What a fantastic idea Annie! I’ll be getting my parents to start ‘twitching’ their noses this weekend! I’m keen to find out their reactions…
Thank you for commenting on my blogs. If you would like to start collecting and preserving your own personal or family stories, why not join our March Memories Marathon? See the History from the Heart website for more information.
Thank you for Posting & I got to read nice information on your site.
Thanks for reading my blogs – more on the way soon!
Lots more new things coming so please keep checking the website for new blogs.
Thanks for replying to my blogs. Keep checking as new ones are coming soon.
I checked the blog you referred to and the first line was about how a friend had tweeted me about a frangipani tree. Is that what you had to look up in the dictionary? Perhaps, as they are semi-tropical plants, they don’t grow where you live?
I really appreciate your feedback, thank you.
Thanks for your great comments about both my blogs and website. Have you started gathering your own family stories yet?
Good to hear that you enjoyed reading my blogs. I have more in the pipeline.
Thanks for the feedback, which is much appreciated.
Start collecting your own family stories now.
Thanks for taking the time to post your comments.
Thanks for your kind comment – I appreciate it.