Monday, August 08, 2005

Smells and Labels

Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory. So, here are my faves: babies; fresh-cut grass; horses; guys (except for one or two I've met); men's cologne; vanilla; cape jasmine; gardenia; spearmint; lemon; roses; hot dogs; pickles; fresh tomatoes; rain; dirt; new cars; summer – heat, sweat, sunscreen, floaties, riding in the boat in the lake with the spray hitting my face, homemade ice cream, new flip-flops, watermelon, new bathing suits, sand, the ocean, food on the grill; crayons; sunflower seeds; clean clothes fresh out of the dryer; pizza; kool-aid. I'm all out of smells. Anybody got any more?

I have this awesome costume planned for the Ren Fest this year. But I need some help with the name. I'm going to be Dragonfly (sorry Porkchop), but I don't know if I’m going to be an elf or a nymph. I could just be Dragonfly of the woods, but that's kinda lame. Here's what I'm thinking. A two-sided cape, one side brown, like dirt or trees, and one side green, like grass and leaves, etc. A tank top for the base and mesh or sheer fabric in earth tones in layers on the top, with the bottom edges cut like leaves. A skirt about mid-thigh would be the base for the bottom, with the same layered cover as the top and brown leggings under the skirt. Brown or green boots or black ballet flats, a dragonfly necklace and ring to match, possibly earrings, (silver with a green stone, leather string on the necklace), a brown leather belt with a soft, pliable drawstring bag and leather wrist-bands will accentuate the outfit. A wooden bow, arrows with suction cups on the ends (so I can shoot people), a boot dagger, and possibly a sword will eventually complete the look. So, now that you have an idea, back to the dilemma. A nymph, by definition, is a lesser goddess, portrayed as a beautiful girl, inhabiting fountains, trees, rivers, and mountains. An elf, by definition, is a little creature of folklore with magic power, often mischievous or malicious, but sometimes kind and helpful. Pixie, imp, sprite, fairy, dryad, goblin, leprechaun, brownie, demon, gremlin, hobgoblin, troll, and gnome are all names that the thesaurus lists as antonyms. Help, anyone?

Just to help you decide, here are a few more definitions. Pixie: a small, mischievous elf or fairy; imp: a little or young devil a mischievous sprite; sprite: a fairy, and elf; fairy: a small supernatural being, capable of intervening in human affairs, usually in order to help; dryad: a nymph living in a tree; goblin: a mischievous, ugly spirit; leprechaun: a small mischievous male sprite; brownie: a good-natured goblin supposed to do helpful chores at night; demon: an evil spirit or devil; gremlin: an imaginary mischievous little gnome-like creature blamed especially by airmen for mishaps; hobgoblin: a mischievous male sprite; troll: one of the supernatural beings, formerly thought of as giants, but later as dwarfs, inhabiting caves, hills, etc.; gnome: a member of a race of small misshapen imaginary beings, originally guardians of the earth's subterranean treasures a goblin or dwarf. I think that knocks out leprechaun and hobgoblin, and I really think demon, too. I'm not going to be evil. Aight, it's up to my wonderful devoted audience to decide my fate. :p So, comment away!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought visual was most strongly linked to memeory. weird

Anonymous said...

Scent: Pine....you can never forget Pine, it's teh greatest. Thats why I prefer to live surrounded by them. Beautiful countryside.

Spatula said...

Erik, I'm just using the knowledge imbued (did I use that right?) upon me by commercials. Old Spice in particular. Yes, Heath, pine is a wonderful smell. We're never far away from a good pine around here. The cedar tree in our front yard smells great, too. I had forgotten about the smells of wood smoke and hot cocoa, Mark. Rain was already on the list. I don't know that I've ever smelled birch wood. Yaupon is an interesting smell. Which reminds me… I'll have another post about Yaupons pretty soon. But nobody answered my second question!

Anonymous said...

what about the look of a pine tree, it's beautiful

Spatula said...

Ok Erik, pine trees are very beautiful. But it would take the rest of my life to list all of my favorite things to look at. Especially because I see new things every day. The most beautiful thing to me is... well, that would be a look deep into my soul and I'm not ready for all of you to see that just yet. Sorry.