Friday, June 5, 2009

Flash Back Friday: Gardenias


This past week while I was in Sacramento Ruby and I found a gardenia bush.
The flowers were small but quite fragrant.
I love how smells can bring back wonderful memories.

I lived at 23351 Bassett Street, Canoga Park California
from about 1st grade until fourth grade.
To the right of the front stoop was a planter area with a gardenia bush,
among other plants. The leaves were dark green, shiny and sat below baseball sized white blooms that perfumed the whole area. My mom used to cut a gardenia and wear it on her dress to church on Sundays. To this day the smell of Gardenias remind me of my mom.

I have a really great picture of us in the backyard, mom with a flower, ready for church I would like to put here.

The planter area was also known as "the frog pit"
I have been informed that horrifying creatures that lived there were actually toads but whatever you choose to call them, they were gross and slimy and jumped unpredictably in front of you.
AND
if you were walking across the rocks that bordered the planter and accidentally stepped into the frog pit.....even barely touching the dirt.....gasp.... it gave you frog germs!
Terrifying I know!

I never knew exactly what frog germs did to a person but even the thought of getting frog germs would make me shudder and writhe inside as I ran at top speed into the house where I was safe.

Hmmmm as I think about this I don't remember ever freaking out when Greg was not there...

I even remember standing in the dirt on purpose so that I could pick a gardenia for my own smelling enjoyment with no concern about frogs or their germs...

I smell a rat...






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