Smells

SMELLS

Funny title for a blog eh? But just like there is - "What's in a Name? -" there is "What's in a Smell?"
It's not the best spring day, its not the worst spring day, but a day that I can open my window. As I do, I am immediately taken back home to Glassport, my hometown.
  The smell as I opened the window was that of the foundry,  where my dad worked, I can see the black lunch bucket he carried back and forth to work everyday. He usually walked the many blocks it took to get to work, sometimes he got a ride with a friend, but not often.
 Not a bad smell at all, but, oh, the memories that came flooding back in my mind! I visualized so many things all at  once, it doesn't seem possible that so many visions went through my head at the same time, but they did.
  I see my mom in the kitchen kneading dough to make homemade buns, the decorative glass bowl sits out, the one my mom made the salad in everyday for dinner, that bowl is in my china closet now, along with the red and white bowl my mom used in making her delicious biscuits. I treasure them.  (I wonder if, when I am gone my sons will remember - I should write notes to put in them so they know how special they are to me, along with my baby dish when I was a baby.)
 I see the produce store with Mr. Orlando sweeping out front with his hat on, and Mattie walking down the main street, smiling and waving at everyone, such a sweet guy. There's Mrs. Darling from Darling's Market, and her husband and son, Saul. The dentist, Dr.Raden, Dr. Cibric, who made house calls, Dr, Finemen, the eye doctor. I can hear the sound of the streetcar doors opening so we could get on or off  at the Paper Store. The fountain water changing colors at night. Islay's, where we got the most delicious ice cream cones, and mouth watering chipped ham.
 I can still hear the 4 o'clock whistle signaling the end of the day shift at the foundry, and us kids knowing that it was time to head home for "supper."  We didn't have frozen food back in the day, everything was made fresh (without antibiotics in the meat.)
 My mom always had a bowl of fruit for dessert on weekdays, on weekends there were pies, and cakes. I can't really remember mom making cookies except at Christmas time. I can see the clothes hanging out to dry, towels and all, there were no dryers back then.
  Yes, there is a lot in a smell, at least for me, and this I smelled when I opened the window this morning.