this is only a test…

this is a test, by which i hope to determine whether poke is really allowing me to post again, or if it’s only a cruel joke…

Smells and Memories

from Southerngirl

when i was a kid, we used to travel to my grandparents house just about every christmas.

this was (at the time) an almost 3 hour drive, and on christmas morning, we weren’t too enthused about riding all that way, when all we wanted to do was play with our new stuff!

but, mom and dad said we had to, so off we went.

when we got there, the first thing i noticed was the smell. you know how all homes have their own certain smell.

i loved the way their house smelled!

and there was a homemade santa claus pillow that ma ma always kept on the sofa. whether she was the one who made it, i have no idea. i remember this, cuz whenever i’d sit down there, i’d cuddle with it. it wasn’t anything fancy, or even particularly cute, but it was soft and comfortable to cuddle with, so i was ok with that.

years have passed since then, and ma ma and pa pa are both gone now…ma ma for about 13 years, and pa pa for just under that. somehow, since that time, this little santa pillow found its way into my home.

every year at this time, when the boxes come down from the attic, and the kids are pulling stuff out of them to decorate, i aways reach first for this pillow, and bury my nose deeply into it and give it a big ‘ol sniff. cuz it still smelled like their house.

until last year.

the smell had been gradually fading away, almost to the point that i couldn’t smell it anymore, and then last year…nothing.

i was surprised to find how disappointed this made me feel. something was gone – the smell of my grandparents house – that i’d never be able to get back.

2006: the boxes came down from the attic, the kids started opening them, and…without even realizing what i was doing, i reached for santa.

and sniffed deeply.

and…

I COULD SMELL THEIR HOUSE!

it was wonderful…just like i remembered. maybe it was kinda like some sorta small christmas miracle? ok, maybe not…but it was real nice all the same.

if anyone needs me, i’ll be on the couch, sniffing my pillow.

On behalf of Southerngirl

For some reason, we’re having difficulty with logins and such, so I’m posting this for her. You can tell it’s from her because my shift key works:

yesterday afternoon, i spied my almost-13 year old son strolling nonchalantly into the kitchen, both hands in his pockets.

i then heard the clanking of silverware.

he strolled back out, hands still in pockets, and additionally, a look on his face that was somewhat less than innocent.

when questioned about his actions, he shrugged and denied any wrongdoing. when further questioned, he shrugged again, sighed, and re-entered the kitchen, where he then removed a pretty darn realistic-looking bug which he had placed there in hopes of scaring his mother.

he was busted, and the prank had been foiled.

…hours later

…i stagger into bed, already half asleep. i fall onto my stomach…curl one arm under my pillow…and touch…

a freakin snake! which rattled!

i feel lucky to be here, and he’ll be lucky to see 13.