Of algebra and aromas

I remember when I was finally finished with algebra. I was so happy to be rid of those confusing hours spent trying to determine why ab equaled xy and all those confusing symbols that meant nothing to me, no matter how many time I would we reread how to work a problem, it made no sense to me. I honestly don't know how I passed it. And now, 5 years later (has it really been that long? I feel old!) I have decided its time to restudy what made no sense to me before. And even though I'm only three lessons into it, it is making more sense than it ever did before.

That was intro I was thinking of this morning while I was cleaning out the refrigerator, which is a science lesson in and of its self. Or it could be considered algebra too I suppose. Like what exactly was xy, before it turned from ab into xy. Anyways, I'm happy to have that chore over and done with.

And now as I sit on my bed eating a pb&j sandwich on this dreary day, typing on my computer while listening to Bach I will get to the real reason I wanted to write this blog entry.

Have you ever just smelled something and it immediately brought you back 10 years to a certain instance where you immediately remembered that smell before? Like when I smell Johnsons baby shampoo, I am immediately transported to being 4 years old and my parents calling me inside on a saturday evening to come take a bath. Or when I smell a wood-burning stove, I remember playing in a back room at my parents friends house while my parents were in a Bible study, and my brothers friend got the wheels of a toy car stuck in my hair (I don't remember how that happened though) Or how the scent of hymnals and pews remind me of VBS at my neighbors church (because my church has no distinct smell of course:-) )

Occasionally a random smell will hit me , and I feel like I'm back in Europe, walking the streets of Budapest, or sitting in the apartment in Ukraine, or trying to catch a catnap in Charles De Gaul airport in Paris, waiting to board the next plane.

Its amazing how our noses can affect our emotions and our minds. I wonder if thats something God was thinking about when he created noses. It must have been something he thought of when he created roses, grass and rain and anything else with a distinct smell.

I almost think noses were created for our pleasure. Sure, you can breath through them, but thats not all together necessary when one has a mouth to breath through as well. In any case, though, I'm grateful to have a nose to smell things.