The lilacs are blooming in my part of the world. Sweet smelling. Long living. A part of rural homesteads--and urban life as well.
Travel through the countryside today and you'll spot lilac bushes, often in unusual places such as alongside a road with nothing else in sight. No buildings, no sign of habitation. More likely than not when you see these lonely lilacs you have located the site of an old farmhouse, now long gone. Historical markers these flowering shrubs.
Their smell brings back memories of my country school where a row of them lined the southern fence of the acre schoolyard. When the lilacs bloomed we knew the school year was about to end and summer vacation was in sight. For several days our country school teacher stuffed the purple flowers in a vase that sat at the side of her desk and the winter smells inside the cramped building turned to smells of spring.
The Old Timer says: "Appreciate what you've got."
1 comment:
Jerry,
You are so right about the smell of lilac bushes bringing the rush of memories--mostly good memories. I had never before associated their wonderful smell with the coming end of the school year, until you mentioned it. My memories of the smell were from my grandma's yard, a good memory, and the bittersweet memories of the one in my back yard of the house I used to live in with my wife and daughters, before the d-i-v-o-r-c-e. The latter memory will hopefully be replaced with more better memories! (One year anniversary today.)
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