Fragrance

"The Perfume Maker"

Ernst Rodolphe

Aromatherapy and essential oils are in, but personal perfume is definitely out.  In the ladies restroom line at the Symphony, people sometimes complain about the "horrible stench" of perfume in the hall, making them feel sick.

Oh, dear, could it be me? Well, no...other than a bit of perfumed hand lotion, I never use fragrance in public anymore. I still love my old Oscar de la Renta, a light fresh scent (at least to me) but now I'm paranoid about wearing it anywhere.  Even my doctor's office is posted as a "fragrance free zone." It is true that some fragrances can cause allergic reactions in some people.

But around the house I can smell as good (or bad!) as I want. And who needs chemical air fresheners when you have fresh flowers?

I bought this pretty jasmine plant at Trader Joe's covered with buds just starting to open and already filling the house with fragrance, possibly the most perfect scent of the flower kingdom.

Although hyacinths come in a close second. I cut a few stems for the bedroom, truly the scent of Spring.

In the days before Fabreze, air fresheners and weird scented candles from Ross, people used potpourri. In the 70's, I remember mom making it with dried rose petals, a gentle natural scent that didn't last long but looked pretty in a bowl. Potpourri has been used since ancient times, in a variety of ways, including just scattering flower petals on floors.

"Potpourri"

Edwin Austin Abbey