A lifelong love of lavender.

It is said that our sense of smell is linked closely to memory, thus certain smells can whisk us back to earlier periods of time in a heartbeat.

The smell of lavender is ingrained in my memory and this is because my maternal grandmother, Minnie Goddard, always smelled of lavender. Her skin, her clothes and even her bedroom, smelled like potpourri.

As a kid, all I remember about Sunday dinner at my grandparents’ house was the menu of pot roast or roast chicken – nourishing yes, nondescript and kind of blah, well yes and nothing that a kid would remember fondly decades later. Dessert was always a Canadian staple – butter tarts. So there are no FOOD smells that would evoke memories of time spent at my grandparents’ house.

But, there are scents … if that makes sense.

As a kid, when I visited my grandparents’ house there were two distinct smells – lavender and liniment. The former was my grandmother who always smelled like lavender and the latter was my grandfather, who, if the liniment didn’t wake up your nostrils, the perpetual cloud of cigar or pipe smoke swirling about him did. Even if he was the type of grandfather who encouraged you to climb up into his lap, (and he was not), who wanted to sit in that cloud of smoke anyway? And, as I write this post, I wonder if perhaps initially the lavender fascination was to combat the liniment and smoke aromas?

So, lavender was a definite improvement – sort of. Lavender scent is pleasing to the nose when you smell it growing in the fields, or in a garden. Just a little whiff of lavender under your pillow can lull you to sleep. But a lot of lavender – maybe not so much. Let’s just say Nanny liked lavender. A lot of lavender. Her nightstand and dresser drawers were stuffed with Yardley soaps that friends or relatives brought years before when they came to visit Minnie for tea, or especially around the time the annual “Ex” (Canadian National Exhibition) was on in Toronto in late August. There were always dainty sachet packets layered between nighties and ahem, what used to be called your “unmentionables” – yes indeed.

As a child, I learned early on about Nanny’s infatuation with the scent of lavender. This was especially true during her working years, due to her fondness for long, leisurely baths in the old clawfoot bathtub. At the end of a long day of standing on her feet at work, then falling asleep on the streetcar and usually missing her stop, she would wearily trudge up the stairs to the second floor where she indulged in “me time” (before that word was fashionable) with a selection of bath salts, soap and perfumed talc or dusting powder in this scent. Then relaxed and smelling of lavender from head to toe, she began to make dinner. Nanny’s nightly ritual was Yardley’s of London Lavender EVERYTHING.

When I became a teenager, she decided a rite of passage for her granddaughter was to gift me with a fancy, ribbon-tied box containing a fluffy powder puff in a round box of dusting powder, soap in a purple wrapper and eau de toilette (a fancy-schmancy translation for “toilet water” or a light cologne) in her favorite scent.

Now, I may have loved Nanny with all my heart, but I really didn’t love lavender. In fact, I thought it was a little too strong to be infiltrating my nostrils all day long – translation: it gave me a headache. But being a gracious girl, I thanked her and smiled sweetly as I would never hurt her feelings. Though she’s been gone 35 years, she never knew the truth.

Happy Grandparents Day if it applies!!!

[Vintage Yardley Lavender products circa 1960s from Pinterest]

About Linda Schaub

This is my first blog and I enjoy writing each post immensely. I started a walking regimen in 2011 and in 2013 I decided to create a blog as a means of memorializing the people, places and things seen on my daily walks. I have always enjoyed people watching, so my blog is peppered with folks I meet or reflections of characters I have known through the years. Often something piques my interest, or evokes a pleasant memory from my memory bank, so this becomes a “slice o’ life” blog post. I respect and appreciate nature and my interactions with Mother Nature’s gifts is also a common theme. Sometimes the most-ordinary items become fodder for points to ponder over and touch upon. I retired in March 2024 after a career in the legal field. I was a legal secretary for almost 45 years, primarily working in downtown Detroit, then working from my home. I graduated from Wayne State University with a degree in Mass Communications (print journalism) in 1978, though I’ve never worked in that field. I would like to think this blog is the writer in me finally emerging!! Walking and writing have met, shaken hands and the creative juices are flowing in Walkin’, Writin’, Wit & Whimsy. I hope you think so too. - Linda Schaub
This entry was posted in Memories, Uncategorized and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

71 Responses to A lifelong love of lavender.

  1. J P says:

    It is funny how certain people in our lives are imbued with a unique scent. You remind me how both of my grandmothers had her own scent, but I have no idea what it was. My mother did as well as she got older and again I couldn’t say what it was, but the moment I would walk into her house, there it was. It remained in her car for quite awhile after it got adopted into our family. I’m sure those were all some combination of favorite perfumes and soaps that will remain a mystery.

    My grandfather smelled of pipe smoke, a fragrance I still love today on the rare occasions I come across it.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Yes, the house always had that smell – a combination of lavender, liniment and cigar or pipe smoke. He did have one type of pipe tobacco which was cherry and that was okay, but the rest was a little smelly. My mom was a Noxema skin cream fan and used that cream on her face every morning. It was in a blue jar with a touch of menthol in it. She had smooth skin like a baby’s bottom. And she used baby powder, so there was that scent too.

      Like

  2. Funny Lavender and “Old Spice” for the men are my memories. I never liked lavender but really love the smell of the flowers on the plan now. Some areas of Norfolk have fields of Lavender which is grown for the oil which is used in soaps and cosmetics for the smell – I am sure they also used it as flavourings in cookies and fudge in their cafe in the visitors centre!
    https://norfolk-lavender.co.uk/#

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      I think Yardley was quite popular in Canada, since we had so many products that originated from England. I can’t say I see it here. Old Spice I’ve seen here and my father used to use it to shave. He had the mug and a soft-bristled brush and a straight razor. This was an interesting link Andy – thank you for sending it to me. I didn’t realize they used lavender for baking/cooking too, so that was news to me. We have a lavender farm that opened about 25 miles from here. They planted the lavender, many types in 2019 and advertised that beginning 2020, they would have a lavender festival. I planned to go. It is the same place that has the annual sunflower farm, (where I got lost going there and have not gone back due to COVID and staying away from crowds). They were open for the lavender festival in 2020 which surprised me – I guess they figured it was outside so it was okay.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. What a lot of smelly memories! I came to lavender late in life, and I still like it. There is lavender hand lotion on my bedside table.

    I was startled that your gran took a bath before starting dinner after work. I used to put my bag down, wash my hands and turn on the stove. It would already be past 6:00 when I got home. This grandmother is loving retirement.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Yes, my grandmother did love her lavender and I probably should amend my post to say that my grandmother had a long day. She worked in Downtown Toronto in a cafeteria in a large office building. She was part of the early prep crew, then worked at the steam tables through breakfast and the lunch hour. Lots of hungry office workers. It was the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (everyone called it the CNIB Building) and in the heart of the business district. So, she started her day at 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and left the house at 6:00 a.m. to walk up the street and get a streetcar to Downtown to ensure she was there on time. She got off work around 3:00 p.m. But, she was standing the entire time and used to joke that she always fell asleep on the way home on the streetcar so then she’d arrive home later as the streetcar went to the end of the line then had to turn around. There were connected streetcar cars with a live conductor in the front car, so unless someone recognized her and shook her awake, she’d miss her stop. So she always pushed the button for a transfer at the turnstile when she got on Downtown so she didn’t have to pay a second fare. I went to work with my grandmother one time, a half day for Good Friday. She worked hard. I was 13 and worked behind the scenes, big apron covering my street clothes and wore a hairnet. She had a white uniform on. So, she got home by 3:30 – 4:00, so she had a while before starting dinner. Years before that job, she worked in a candy factory (Rowntree’s) which made Smarties (the Canadian version of M&Ms) among other things. My grandfather worked at Planter’s Peanuts factory at the same time. All the neighbors at that time worked in various industries, so got seconds to take home for free or very cheap and exchanged with the neighbors – my grandmother would bring a bag home with Smarties that were missing chocolate or shells or my grandfather brought a lunchpail home filled with irregular-shaped or otherwise inferior peanuts and they’d keep some and trade some for jams and jellies, other foodstuffs. My mother was a bookkeeper at a sweater factory, so she’d get sweaters that were misweaves or the knitting machine dropped a stitch and if it could not be repaired, the seconds cost a quarter.

      Like

      • That was all very interesting. I told John about your grandmother’s coming home to take a bath, and he wondered what work she did. You answered that, so I’ll get him to read this. I remember you mentioned neighbors exchanging seconds. Did you have a lot of sweaters???

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Yes, that was what she did. My grandmother grew up on a farm. She had eight siblings and all the boys but one (who died at age 18 of a leaky heart valve) stayed in the community and each had their own small farm. My grandmother and one sister headed to the Big City to Toronto, but with no skills but their schooling, so they got jobs in factories, which was not really unusual back then – it was an office job or a factory job for single or married women. Actually my mom quit work after she had me and never went back. She worked in the sweater factory then the owner retired and she went and did bookkeeping work at a lingerie factory. So, that was after she was married, but same thing with the lingerie and also they asked her to try out new styles of different lingerie for comfort, chafing and the like, so she got to keep those items. That was Flexees and I think the Flexees brand was/is over here as Maidenform she told me. My mom loved to knit, so I did have sweaters (some which I still have) that she made me. When I was young, she would knit my dolls and Barbie dolls outfits. I can picture those items like it was yesterday … the mind is incredible sometimes. I don’t have pictures of the outfits either.

        Like

      • That’s something that she made outfits for your dolls. I sewed doll clothes to match things I made for my girls. I don’t think I took photos of them.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        My mom did not sew as much as she knit. My grandmother had an old Singer treadle sewing machine and she used it for her plants to sit on in the back kitchen area. I think my mom borrowed the sewing machine as she sewed a few dresses for me with matching dresses for my doll Tilda Jane. I was thinking yesterday about the matching dresses with the pink fuzzy sweater she made for both Tilda Jane and me – it was pale pink with pearl-like buttons. It is such a vivid picture I have in my mind – wish I had photos. Why didn’t we have photos?

        Like

      • No one took photos of mundane things when we were young. I’ve made up for it single-handedly.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Me too Anne. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  4. AnnMarie R stevens says:

    Miss Linda………………………..i enjoyed your past memories about your grandma and grandpa………………………and their smells……………………….yes I can smell them because I’m familiar with those smells too……………….you have good childhood memories……………..thank you for sharing…………………..

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Glad to evoke some pleasant memories from your past as well Ann Marie and I am happy you liked the post. Just like you said, they were all distinct smells that I can recall like it was yesterday.

      Like

  5. I am one of those people who do not like the scent of lavender. By mistake I bought a lavender scented liquid soap. I had to throw it out as it made me nauseous! It’s beautiful in nature though.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Before I started walking at Council Point Park, I walked down a street in an old neighborhood with beautiful landscaping. At one side of a corner house, they had lavender plants – I loved the smell, especially on a humid morning. But smells in the house, I really don’t care for. A few weeks ago I was decluttering the house and used a lot of tall kitchen trash bags. Next time at the store, no unscented garbage bags were to be found … just the ones with the Febreeze scents. I didn’t want to run completely out and picked one box up, keeping them on the bottom of the cart due to the smell. I thought “how bad could that ‘Fresh Clean Scent’ be anyway? I always do the U-scan and pack my own stuff, so put them in three bags and isolated from the food. Got home and put the entire thing in the broom closet as I didn’t want the smell going anywhere and figured it could freshen that closet up, just vacuum cleaner and bags in there. Next day I could smell it all over the house – they were in a closed box, triple bagged. I took them downstairs – the basement smells. I don’t know how people can have that smell. I buy the ones with baking soda smell and even that gets to me after a while.

      Liked by 1 person

      • For me hair spray was always the worst and hairdressers were the worst. They used the stinkiest sprays. I wouldn’t let them spray my hair. I do it very lightly with an unscented spray. No helmut head for me!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Oh I know – and they spray a ton of it, as if they spray aimlessly while talking to you and not paying attention. It is bad. I used to use spray when I had layers and when I worked. I had bangs and they had a mind of their own. Now they’re grown out. I really hate scented fabric sheets too. I only get the unscented Bounce.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Fond memories recalled to be sure with maybe a tad too much scent involved. As with everything striking a balance is the order of the day. Too little and too much is not what the Doctor ordered.
    Of the 5 senses,smell is by far the most powerful. Most animals use it everyday to survive.
    We use it to make sure we smell nice.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Some stores, like Hallmark stores, have potpourri sitting out, or large decorative candles. Those items actually transfer the smell onto the greeting cards – you’d be amazed. Recall of smells is amazing. I’ve read how people can transcend back to childhood memories of some favorite food, just by smelling it and identifying it. Animals sure do that and good thing that their noses are so ultra-sensitive. I have to laugh when squirrels give peanuts the sniff test. Saw it today several times and I want to say “so now you’re picky?” I know they smell peanuts for freshness, even pick them up to gauge the weight, for the better prize to cart off. Blue Jays and Cardinals do that too, even going so far to shake the peanut.

      Like

      • Linda Schaub says:

        That was interesting Wayne. The brain is an incredible organ isn’t it? I see squirrels approach the peanuts, then reject them and walk away. Now these are not scuzzy peanuts; in fact they are people peanuts, unsalted and in the shell with a good expiration date. And there are no other treats nearby. Then they may make a second pass and then hunker down and eat them. They’ll smell and go along to pick the best one and not necessarily the biggest peanut either. Birds pick up and jiggle peanuts for the weight I think I’ve read. If the birds are swooping down and scamming them from the squirrels, they just grab-n-go, but if there are peanuts I’ve laid in a pile, they “examine” them – choosy!

        Like

  7. I smiled at your gift box description – actually the whole post reminded me of my grandparents too and made me nod my head in agreement. My father’s sweetheart still loves the lavender powders. Even asks for it for gifts when she runs out. So I’m with you on the headache factor and the talc…no thanks! I do love the smell of English lavender plants though.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Joni says:

    I enjoyed your post Linda and the Yardley memories, as you know I am a big fan of lavender, inside the house and out. I still buy the Yardley bath soap – the Dollarama sells it for $1.25, much cheaper than in the drugstore, where it’s like $4. The drugstore still sells he full range of English Lavender Yardley hand soap, bubble bath and lotions etc, like in your gift kits. I don’t wear it as a personal scent, but use the sachets to scent my “unmentionable” drawers and the spray to freshen rooms. I just find it calming, but if you get a synthetic brand it can be cloying and artificial smelling, so I always smell test first before I buy. Sometimes the French lavender types/brands can be too smelling, I prefer the English lavender. But I agree, it’s not a scent everyone likes.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      I thought you might enjoy this post Joni and I knew you liked lavender as you have it in pots in your garden. You and I have said we would love to visit a lavender farm one day – I’d enjoy that. I see bus trips going to a lavender farm and there is one 25 miles away if I could find my way (I got lost going to the sunflower farm and it is the same place) – that is after COVID is over that I’d like to go. They had the lavender farm open in July 2020 and July 2021. I can picture those soaps in my grandmother’s drawers, waiting in the wings to be used. They were strong and there was another scent of roses – I remember that, though not used by my grandmother – maybe I saw it on the store shelf in a dark rose wrapper? I can remember you could buy sachets to put in your lingerie drawers – in fact I’ve seen them in the Hallmark store when I used to go there. Do you remember calling lingerie “unmentionables” – that’s probably been in novels I’ve read in the past. I don’t recall if it was a word my mom or grandmother used.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        I make my own sachets, except for this year, as my grasscutter weed-wacked them all before I could harvest. I think he thought by doing so they would re-grow and I would get a new crop, but I didn’t. Oh well – it saved me a lot of work picking it and then stripping off the buds. I didn’t mention it to him, as I didn’t want him to feel bad about it. I like the rose scented soap too. And Yardley also has Lily of the Valley, but it smells synthetic. I guess I like the old-fashioned scents.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Do you put the sachets in little envelopes or cheesecloth? It seems one time I made them years ago and had little cheesecloth bags. I dried my rose petals, but they were big petals and took forever to dry. My mom suggested doing it because I have a small, heart-shaped dried wreath with dried flowers in my room. It smelled when I got it, but quickly dissipated. That was years ago. At least it should grow back next year for you (hopefully).

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        I buy these little gauze bags at the dollar store, or the Party Store – the kind you might use for weddings or party favors, they’re cheap $1 but a bit fancier than cheesecloth. I had some left over from last year, but alas, no lavender. Summer is ove anyway – it seems fallish, even a bit chilly today. Blue Jays still on a winning streak – there’s a game every day except tomorrow. Behind on Reader again. I went through a dried wreath phase too – I just threw the last one out last year, as it was really really dried out, but had been a gift from someone I used to work with. I’m trying to simplify my house decorations.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Good for those Blue Jays – I’ll root for them all the way to the playoffs too. We have 16 Tigers games, don’t know if they will make the playoffs. They are a fairly new team and rebuilding, but did better than expected. If I simplified my house decorations, I’ve less to dust. My wreath had eucalyptus leaves and was quite strong, but got better. It is pretty and matched the wallpaper to a “T”. Okay, I didn’t know if it was a little tied bag for the lavender … seems like I may have seen that at Michael’s in the past.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        There’s something soothing about listening to a ball game, even if you’re not really watching it or paying attention that much…..remnants of my childhood I guess as my dad always had the ball games on. Back before the Jays started their team, it was Detroit of course.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        My parents didn’t watch sports, so that’s why I don’t know anything about sports except what I absorb by osmosis while the sports portion of the news in on. I really can’t follow a game though. If you and your dad listened to Detroit, then you likely heard Ernie Harwell who was the play-by-play man for many years. He had a pleasant voice to listen to (from what I heard when they played the sports report). However, Ernie Harwell retired awhile before he passed away and the guy who took over for him, Dan Dickerson, yells and screams whever they score … I don’t mean occasionally either. All the time at the top of his voice. My grandfather watched hockey and my grandmother watched wrestling. I would watch wrestling with her if we visited and it was on.

        Like

      • Joni says:

        I played baseball for 3 years when I was a kid, just house league for girls, and hated every minute of it. I was awful at it, struck out most of the time, but my parents made me play as my cousin did, and somehow at my young age I didn’t think I had a choice. I was relieved to finally quit, but at least I know the rules, whereas football and hockey I don’t. I don’t think I could handle wrestling, although my grandpa used to watch it too. I should blog about baseball….they are losing tonight against Minnesota 7-3 in the ninth inning. I do remember Ernie Harwell.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I was starting to think you were their good luck charm. Hopefully they do better tonight. I’ve been to two Tigers games, though not in the new stadium at Comerica Park and knew nothing about the game, rules, etc. Been to one hockey game, one basketball game and one football game, all with friends – knew nothing about any of them. You should write about baseball, especially if you have a picture of you in uniform. Ernie Harwell was soft spoken and congenial. Our local Little League team (Taylor North) won the Little League World Series two weeks ago. When they returned they had a parade for them at Heritage Park in Taylor. They also got to go to a Tigers game and got some swag while there – hometown heroes!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        They’ve won the last two games, yesterday and today – both good games. They’re definitely on a roll, but the harder teams are coming up. I do have a picture of me but it’s the back of my shirt and whoever sponsored our team. I played 3 years and hated every minute of it. I may blog about it, if they get closer to the world series, which is not likely.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        If your shirt tells any of the sponsors, or you remember them, you should try to find an old newspaper in the library archives or online to see if a team shot was taken to add to your story. Maybe they have info for you or a group shot? Or reach out to the coach? I am really late getting here tonight. I was working out in the yard most of the afternoon when I came back I was reading about the Gabby Petito recovery efforts. It’s later than I usually am. I’ve been better about signing off earlier and even reading 1/2 hour then.

        Like

  9. Oh my, this post brought back some memories! I’m kind of neutral about lavender, liking the scent of musk or roses much better. But my grandmother used all the Jean Naté products and I loved the way she smelled. 🙂 Kind of citrusy. Now you’ve got me wondering if my granddaughter will have any smell memories of me…

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      I remember Jean Naté as I wore it in the Summer sometimes as it was so light and citrusy. Lavender is pretty in a plant, but can overwhelm sometimes. My mom liked Noxema skin cream and baby powder so those smells I associate with her. It will be interesting to see what smells your granddaughter associates with you Barbara – perhaps the smell of outdoors?

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Pam Lazos says:

    I love lavender, too, Linda. I visited my cousins in Montreal and we went to a lavender farm. It was delightful.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. What wonderful memories Linda but I’m with you, Lavender scent is one I can’t stand although the flowers are gorgeous.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I love the smell of lavender… especially straight from the bush itself. If I see a lavender bush, I can’t resist running my fingers up a stalk so I can sniff the scent over and over. Recently, when I was on Vancouver Island, I happened upon a store that was ALL about products made from lavender. It was heaven to go in and just take in the aroma.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Before I discovered the Park for my daily jaunt, I used to walk down a street with beautiful landscaping. One corner home had a huge lavender garden – it smelled so nice when I would walk by, especially on humid mornings. Janis, how nice to make this find. I can’t imagine a whole store smelling of lavender – very peaceful aura I’ll bet.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Dave says:

    I wonder if Yardley’s wasn’t the soap I associate with my grandparent’s house when I was a kid. Could have also been something as simple as Dial too. Whichever, I agree with you about smells and their association with past memories. Cinnamon rolls take me back to my mother’s kitchen. Certain gas/oil smells take me back to my father’s workshop and tools. You can’t go back but at least you can “smell back”, right?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Yardley’s was really popular in Canada as was many other British products. I can’t say I see it on shelves nowadays though. Aah, food smells growing up are wonderful memories for me too Dave My mom loved to bake and coming home after school, then work, to the kitchen smelling so inviting just as soon as you walked in the door. Sweet treats or garlic rolls when she made homemade soups too. I like that idea of to “smell back” is like to go back. Smell is a powerful sense.

      Like

  14. Your writing in this post was wonderful! It flowed with details that gave me a mental picture of how your grandmother would unwind from a long day at work and gifting you the lavender set. For my college graduation, my grandma gave me a small makeup pouch (small silk flowers twisted to fit a small box, a letter (written with her sloppy handwriting), and rolled up hundred dollar bill). I still have it decades later and don’t like to look at it. Makes me too emotional. Thanks for sharing your story and for helping me to reminisce.
    I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who likes the scent of lavender outdoors but can’t stomach the lavender smells in packaged products. Too overpowering. I tried many times to like it wondering if it was only me.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      I should have said in the post, and really should amend it, that my grandmother worked in a cafeteria doing prep work and then served the food from steam tables. It was a huge office building in downtown Toronto. She left the house at 6:00 a.m. to ensure she caught the streetcar timely as she had to start work at 7:00 a.m. Poor woman was on her feet all day, off at 3:00 and fell asleep on the way home every night and would wake up at the end of the line. So a long day for her and this was her treat at the end of the day. No, you are not alone … inside the house it tends to give me a headache if closed up with a smell as strong as lavender or other scented items. How nice of your grandmother to do that for you and I would keep it intact as well. It is those memories that help to make us the women we have become today.

      Like

  15. Prior... says:

    Hello there
    What a nice post for grandparent’s day – and any day actually
    And your mention of smells and memory reminded me of a scene from breaking bad where walter white is with Gus …. and Gus said it always amazed him about how that aroma brought him back to childhood- then Walt noted it was all taking place in the hippocampus and was a relative so memory (also called episodic memories)

    Anyhow – you did a great job with using your narrative to allow us to go back in time with you! I couid see the swirl of smoke and couid imagine the lavender from the yardley bottles ( or salts or soap ) and wonder if it is very different from the fresh lavender in fields

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Thank you Yvette – I had a vivid picture of my grandmother doing that. She stood while she worked, left the house at 6:00 a.m., started work at 7:00 a.m. and fell asleep on the streetcar every night on the way home. Since there were no drivers, except the one in the first car, she would have to stay until the end of the line, so it was “me time” well worth the wait. I think because she used different scented products, together it became overwhelming as I don’t think lavender in fields is as strong.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Prior... says:

        oh linda, you have such special memories and imagining her riding the street car was another rich image.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Yvette – my grandmother rode the streetcar for many years, always falling asleep on the way home. She used to even joke about it because there were so many streetcar “cars” she rarely road with the same crowd daily. I went to work with her one day when we were over there to visit on Easter weekend. I worked 1/2 day with her for Good Friday … she never sat down from the time she started and neither did I. I don’t know how she did it all those years.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Prior... says:

        yes – different times indeed – and she would probably wonder how we do jobs that have us sitting

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Yes indeed – we are not on the move enough. I saw two people at the Park this morning. They arrived together, did not walk side-by-side, by in front of one another while reading their phones, almost at a standstille. I do not racewalk. I like to look around me – the change of pace does wonders for my mind.

        Like

      • Prior... says:

        ☀️☀️☀️

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Lavender is kind of like the marmite of scents. You either like it or don’t 😁. I remember my grandmother using lavender a lot and not being the biggest fan but now drink lavender tea. It’s so funny how we change over time ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Zena, I learned a new word tonight: “marmite” – very interesting and you are so right about that. It is sometimes a delicate scent and other times overpowering. I have not tried lavender tea – it sounds nice though. I do have one cup of green tea daily for health purposes.

      Like

      • I really love green tea. I am not a lover of normal tea or coffee at all but I could drink green tea all day. If you get a chance try some Lavender tea, it is surprisingly nice

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I have been drinking green tea for the health benefits. I will try lavender tea based on your suggestion Zena. Probably need to go to a health food store or Amazon for it as I can’t say the grocery store has a great tea selection (especially now as a good many shelves are bare due to the pandemic.

        Like

  17. Anne says:

    My mother was a fan of Yardley’s lavender products. I enjoy having lavender bushes in the garden and for a treat drink Earl Grey tea with lavender flowers. Synthetic lavender is horrible – give me the natural aroma every time.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda Schaub says:

      Yardley’s products were big in Canada and I can’t say I’ve ever seen them over here in the States. The synthetic lavender can be way overpowering can’t it? Funny you mention the tea Anne because a fellow blogger from Wales said she liked it too.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Pingback: Stirring the Memory Pot – A spot of tea. | WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Comments are closed.