The smell of fall is in the air and it’s intoxicating. My husband and I started a new habit of a 2-mile morning walk and I can’t get enough of the crisp air tinged with an earthy undertone of leaves on their journey through the season. We often talk about the beauty of the oranges, reds and yellows of the changing leaves, but how often do we close our eyes and just breathe it all in?
I’m not recommending walking with your eyes closed, but sometime just stand outside and try it. I once read that we can concentrate more on a certain sense if we take some away, so if we close our eyes, our other senses are heightened. If you don’t believe me, try this while you are eating something amazing. Flavor almost explodes in your mouth when your eyes are closed and you’re really paying attention to tasting whatever morsel is in your mouth. Take that same train of thought and apply it to your nose. Your sense of smell will be heightened if you concentrate more effort to it.
Michelle Sprout Murray
Every year around this time, the smell of fall takes me back to school days of my youth. Sweater weather was really a thing long before the Saturday Night Live catch phrase became popular. Jumping in leaf piles, sipping on hot apple cider, snuggling up under a blanket outside at a football game … just mentioning these typical fall activities can conjure up their “signature scents.” Sometimes those sweaters had a vague scent of cedar as my mom liked to store special woolen items in a big cedar chest. Leaves just have that magical smell of summer leaving them to be at their most creative before suddenly dropping from their resting spot. Hot apple cider smells like the start of a long winter, and even blankets have that cozy smell of warmth wrapped around you like a big bear hug.
I guess I’ve always been partial to smells. I remember my mom’s special perfumes, my dad’s after shaves, and so many colognes and perfumes I tried throughout the years to finally discover my favorite scent of all time. (I’d tell you what it is, but I don’t want everyone to smell like me or it would highly confuse my husband.)
I remember the smell of Sunday dinners cooking in the oven and just how conflicted that smell made me feel. Dad got up early on Sunday mornings and put beef or pork roasts in the oven to be ready for us to eat after we went to Sunday school and church. Our Sunday dinners were amazing, and to this day, I equate church with eating well. On the other hand, I also remember feeling bad that our family “never got to eat out like other families” because there was a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant across the street from our church, and that delicious smell of chicken (and all of the Colonel’s secret spices) wafted to me every Sunday when we walked out of church and into the parking lot to our car. That chicken smell enticed me; it taunted me; it called to me like nothing else. Who cared that my dad had an amazing Sunday dinner with all the fixings waiting for us at home? I wanted KFC!
Another scent that is a crazy one for me to admit liking is the exhaust from a big bus. That’s right, I like warm and cozy fall scents, Kentucky Fried Chicken smells, and toxic exhaust fumes. But wait … let me explain. When I was in college, I sang in a choir that toured through Europe, and we rode on a huge tour bus through several countries. My favorite seat was the elevated one right behind the rear entrance to the bus, even though the exhaust smell was a bit crazy as my fellow choir members filed in after a concert. Getting a small whiff of the exhaust from a tour bus now takes me back to those days of living on the road, staying with host families in foreign countries, and singing my heart out to audiences who were moved to tears at times. Certainly more than the scent itself … it’s the memories that the scent conjures up for me.
No matter what this fall has in store for us, the scents still linger on. Close your eyes and let your nose do the work. Relive past football games, Sunday family dinners, and any memory you choose just by breathing in nature’s perfume. It’s a short season; get out there and enjoy it!
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Messiah garden 1
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs and stones inspired by the Bible.
Messiah garden 2
The rose bush in Messiah Lutheran Church's landscaping garden was planted to signify the beauty of God's Kingdom.
Messiah garden 3
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs and stones inspired by the Bible. The hydrangeas were planted to signify Christ's resurrection from the dead, as well as the purity of his life.
Messiah garden 4
The boxwood bush in Messiah Lutheran Church's landscaping garden was planted to signify longevity and eternal life.
Messiah garden 5
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible. The little devil ninebark bush was planted as a reminder to turn away from sin.
Messiah garden 6
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible. The rose bush was planted to signify the beauty of God's kingdom.
Messiah garden 7
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible. The hydrangeas were planted to signify Christ's resurrection from the dead, as well as the purity of his life.
Messiah garden 8
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible. The hydrangeas were planted to signify Christ's resurrection from the dead, as well as the purity of his life.
Messiah garden 9
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible. The rose bush was planted to signify the beauty of God's kingdom.
Messiah garden 10
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible. The burning bush was planted to signify God's appearance to Moses and the delivery of the Ten Commandments.
Messiah garden 11
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible.
Messiah garden 12
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible.
Messiah garden 13
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible.
Messiah garden 14
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible.
Messiah garden 15
The landscaping garden at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mason City features flowers, shrubs, and stones inspired by the Bible.
Michelle Sprout Murray is a writer who lives in Mason City. She may be reached at sproutmurray@gmail.com.
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October 12, 2020 at 03:30AM
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Murray: Fall scents, fried chicken and fuel for thought - Mason City Globe Gazette
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