I have sinus disease that blocks my sense of smell from working. The medical term for this is anosmia. I literally cannot smell a thing. Nothing.  This is a source of great tragedy for me. I love smelling things. And sometimes it can be dangerous to not smell things. Ever burn something and not known it until you smelled it? But twice a year I get a kenalog shot which shrinks the swelling and polyps enough for me to smell. So here are some of the things I look forward to smelling for a few weeks twice a year:

1. Coffee  Is there anything better than the rich aroma of fresh brewed coffee on a cold morning?

2.  Roasting Turkey  I can remember what it was like to walk into Mom’s house on Thanksgiving and smell the turkey roasting in the oven. Yum! I haven’t smelled that since 1992.

3. A rose   Roses have varying scents. Some are heavy and cloying, others are light and sweet. I’ll take it any way I can get it.

4. Apple Cider   I love hot apple cider simmering on the stove with cloves and cinnamon sticks in it.

5. Dead leaves  Weird, I know. But I remember walking through dried leaves, crunching them under my shoes in the fall. Or leaping into a pile of leaves in the backyard. It released a scent that I associate with carefree childhood.

6. Lilacs  I love the scent of Lilacs. It means spring to me.

7. Chocolate chip cookies   What can beat the smell of cookies baking?

8.  Summer rain hitting hot asphalt  It has a steamy smell to it.

9. Ylang Ylang  I used to use essential oils to scent my handmade lotions and soaps. Ylang Ylang and Jasmine were some of my faves.

10. Apricot Ginger tea   My brother gives me a quarter pound of this tea each year for my birthday. It smells divine.

11. Christmas tree  The sharp scent of pine means Christmas to me, just as much as the cinnamon scented pinecones do.

12. Oranges  You know that quick squirt of citrus smell when you tear the first strip off the orange as you peel it? yeah, that smell.

13. Air dried linens That smell that your bed sheets have when you hang them on the line to dry. No fabric freshener can get that scent right.

This is not a complete list, and it’s not in any particular order. I didn’t mention how I tear through my spices when my sense of smell starts coming back when I’ve had kenalog. Or how I walk up and down the aisles at the store where the soaps, candles and coffee are kept. Or how I savor every smell I come accross. How I envy people who have their sense of smell intact! Take some time today to enjoy what you smell.

What scents do you particularly enjoy?