Do you ever smell a food or something in nature that takes you back to a time in your life or an experience you had?  For me, certain smells sum up my childhood, e.g espresso and garlic cooking in oil.  And then certain smells are specific to my childhood summers – freshly cut grass (because in NY, you only cut grass in the summer) and fresh tomatoes with basil (again, something we only ate in the summer.)  Whenever I get a whiff of tomatoes and basil, I feel instantly relaxed because I know it’s summertime, and back then I didn’t have a care in the world.

Continue reading