Yesterday marked nine years that Hubby and I have been married!  We have been together for thirteen years this summer and have actually known each other for 25 years this fall, yikes, that is a long time.  Hubby and I knew each other in high school.  He is a few years older than I am and was in the same grade as my older Sister.  He did not, however, hang out with her and her friends.  But, I knew him because his best friend and my best friend were brothers.

Hubby played guitar and my buddy’s brother aspired to play (he still does, aspire’s that is.  He has a music room with something like ten guitars, impressive).  Hubby was in a band, and I used to go watch my friends who played in bands.  Throughout the years we would run into each other either at school, at buddy’s house, or around town.  Then one summer, thirteen years ago.  I was hanging out at buddy’s pool for the summer and his brother was home for a bit, so Hubby was hanging out there too for a while.  Eventually we decided to go to a movie, then dinner, then we just kinda became a couple.

Not long later we moved in together, not the smartest thing I have ever done, but thankfully it all worked out.     We got a dog, got married and moved to a new house.

Another dog and four and a bit years later, J was born. And another four years later Apple came into our lives.

They are the two best gifts I could ever ask for for our anniversary.  J, bless his heart, tried to understand the whole Anniversary thing and decided all on his own that he wanted to buy me a new lipstick.  So we went to the drug store (for diapers) and he helped me pick out a lipstick.  Then we went to the coffee shop and had a sit in coffee, as opposed to a drive-thru coffee.  He wanted to treat me yesterday and it made my heart full and happy.

Apple behaved well yesterday, so I was happy with that.  My Mom came and watched the kids so we could go to the Police concert.  It was fun, hard to believe that it was so long ago that we used to party it up to their music.  Fantastic show!  Sting could have used some back up singers and the sound wasn’t the greatest, but Hubby and I are starting to think it was our seats as no one else seemed to mind the sound at all. I have seen Sting in concert at least three times, maybe four, and he has always sung some faves from the old albums so it was great to hear them all together.

So that was our big ‘date’ night and it was fabulous.  And onward we march toward our big tenth!!

I was trying to find a photo to put with this post, but really, how can you take a photo of a scent?  How on earth could I represent all things wonderful that one little sniff can give you?

Yesterday, twice, I was overcome by reflection just because I smelled something wonderful.

The first scent was of Polo by Ralph Lauren.  When Polo was first introduce (to me at least) I was in high school.  All the preppy guys I knew wore Polo.  The scent filled the hallways and classrooms.  And it was, to me, a wonderful scent.

While looking at envelopes yesterday, just a few steps away another gentleman was looking for envelopes too.  I could smell the Polo he was wearing and didn’t dare look up. I wanted instead to think of all the friends I had and have not seen in years.  How well dressed they were in their polo shirts and khaki’s.  With their topsiders quietly walking the hallways.  And how the smell of Polo would always linger a few moments after they had passed.    I loved Polo so much a few of my girlfriends gave me a bottle to keep in my coat pocket.  And that I did for a long time.  I won’t discuss the dare I had to take a sip, one in which I fulfilled.  But, of a time where everyone seemed happy and there was so much ahead of us.  Just to be clear, my high school was not entirely preppy, but that was one side of my friends and one side of me.  Another time, when I smell another scent that takes me back, perhaps I will remember the punk rock friends or the friends that hung out in the smoking area (hey wait a minute, I think of them all the time… as I married one of them…).

Finally as the gentleman was about to leave the aisle I dared look up.  Just in case.  Just in case it was an old friend from high school that I haven’t seen in a long time.  Not this time.  Although he was a well dressed man with a pleasant smile he was not a long lost friend.  But, I was thankful for that moment to remember each and every one of them.

The second scent was such a simple one.  Coffee beans.  Every morning when I struggle to make my coffee, I don’t always get a moment to smell the coffee as it is brewing.  But, J was standing beside me when I opened the can that I had just freshly ground yesterday.  And he stopped me and said, “Mommy, that smells like the coffee shop!”.  So I explained, that yes coffee is what makes the coffee shop smell so wonderful.  And for just a few moments yesterday morning, while Apple was yelling for more food and J was singing the theme song from Indiana Jones (which brings back so many other memories).  I was taken back to a simpler time, when I used to hang out at coffee shops and actually savour my coffee.  Now I get to grab it while going through the drive through and sometimes, I get to savour it while driving around and letting the kids take a nap.   But, I also wouldn’t trade those simpler times for all the beans in Starbucks.

What scents take you back?